25th Cascade Festival of African Films

Welcome to the 25^th Annual Cascade Festival of African Films! We are very pleased to present a variety of feature and documentary films from the African continent. The majority of films were made by African directors. The films celebrate Africa’s achievements, expose Africa’s failures, and reveal the possibilities for change and a hopeful, more prosperous future. They show us pictures of Africa through the eyes of Africans, rather than a vision of Africa that is packaged primarily for western viewers. The films represent African concerns that are political, historical, and social. This year’s films cover a wide range of themes and topics, including ethnicity and nationalism; music and politics; war and peace; the role of sports; reconciliation; immigration; the roots of terrorism in poverty and hopelessness; and the fight for women’s rights. This year’s festival also celebrates Nollywood films, a South African homage to film noir, and retrospective screenings of “CFAF’s Top 10 African Films.”

We view film as a medium for artistic expression and illumination. These films were chosen on the basis of their quality as film and their ability to captivate and move audiences. We also chose them because they represent different countries and cultures and a range of lifestyles from pre-colonial to modern times, including both rural and urban settings. Although it is impossible to represent a whole continent with only a few films, it is our hope that through this annual film series we will encourage American viewers to become interested in African cultures and to study them further.

2015 Festival Highlights

Be sure to check out this year’s Festival Highlights and Special Events!