The medium of film is quite popular in Africa; this can be judged by the various film festivals held in Africa throughout the year.

Egypt holds the International Film Festival in Cairo. It started in 1976 and is the first film festival in the Middle East. It is a ten day event and takes place in November-December. The aim of this festival is to promote Egyptian cinema abroad and to improve the Arab, Egyptian and African film industry. It also showcases foreign films in Cairo.  It also wishes to encourage co-operation among the film makers of the world. The event gained international recognition in the 90s.

International Film Festival of Marrakech began in Morocco in 2000.The week long event is claimed to be the “African version of the Cannes festival”. It is a glamorous affair and you can see many international stars gracing the red carpet. Local and international films are screened and judged in various categories. The event enjoys the patronage of King Mohammed VI.

Pan African Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou is the biggest film festival of Africa. It is a biennial event held in Ouagoadougou Burkina Faso. It focuses mostly on African films and African film industry and occurs in the end of February. It lasts for a fortnight and aims at developing and expanding the African cinema. The event attracts audience from other continents as well.

Everglades Film Festival is celebrated in Durban, South Africa. This event occurs in October and is growing every year. It features a large number of local entries as well as entries from abroad.

The Zanzibar Film Festival is held in Tanzania in the exotic location of the Stone Town. The event was originally known as the Festival of Dhow Countries and has been around for more than a decade and is the largest film event of East Africa. Besides screening of films there are many other activities which make the event interesting.

Africa was once known as the Dark Continent but if you look closely, you will find that the continent is very much alive and colorful with vibrant festivals and diverse culture. Some music festivals held in Africa are:

The Festival in the Desert; this three day event is celebrated on Mali on the borders of Timbuktu in the Sahara Desert. It usually takes place in January and is considered to be the remotest musical festival in the world. This event is based on the traditional gatherings of the Tuareg nomads and their celebrations. It is a unique blend of traditional Tuareg music, dance and camel races and at night the desert comes alive with modern music.

The Festival of Niger takes place in early February in Mali and is another colorful fiesta featuring music and dance as well as puppet shows. Celebrated artists from West Africa entertain people with their skills. It is also a way to promote the culture of the place and many food stalls are set up for the convenience of the people. Besides being a music and dance extravaganza, it is also a means to bring together people from all parts of Africa as well as from other parts of the world.

Uganda celebrates the Bayimba International Festival of Music and Arts in September. The venue is the National Theatre in the capital city of Kampala. It is a three day affair of non stop music, fashion shows, exhibitions etc. Live band performances, traditional dance performances and documentaries featuring revolution of music and other forms of arts and also social issues are some salient features of this event.

Zanzibar has the Sauti za Busara Music Festival. It is five days of music both traditional and contemporary from all parts of Africa. It is held in February and where seasoned artists charm the audience with their lovely music, it has been a useful stepping stone for upcoming talent. A carnival parade is the highlight of this event.

The Cape Town Jazz Festival has become one of the biggest musical events of Africa.  For two days more than 40 local and international artists perform to captivate the audience. It has been voted the Grandest Event of Africa.

3 Most Popular African Festivals
Posted in African Festivals on 19. Mar, 2009
African festivals are among the most famous around the world, and they are held almost everywhere as major portions of other cultural shows. Nonetheless, not many of us are actually aware of the real African festivals apart from what we see on TV. The top three of the most famous would likely be:
•    The National Arts Festival
•    The African Union Film Festival
•    The Fespaco African Film Festival
Two of these three are film festivals, signifying Africa’s passion for rewarding  film-makers and directors from all around the continent.
The National Arts Festival is held annually in South Africa and is one of the biggest African festivals. It brings together arts and culture from around the region under one roof. It’s also important for cultural tourism in South Africa. As for the African Union Film Festival and the Fespaco African Film Festival, both are equally big and famous. The latter is the largest film festival on the continent and lasts for over a week. It is held annually in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. This event normally attracts thousands of visitors. Likewise, the former is a legendary film festival nearly as big as the latter. It is intended to reward the cream of the crop in the film-making industry.