2025 Venice Film Festival Broadens African Horizons With Historic Lineup

The 82nd Venice International Film Festival has made history with its most expansive and inclusive African selection to date.

Scheduled to run from August 27 to September 6 on Venice’s iconic Lido Island, this year’s edition will showcase five African films from North, West, and Central Africa.

The selected films and filmmakers include:

• “The Voice of Hind Rajab” by Kaouther Ben Hania (Tunisia)
• “My Father and Qaddafi” by Jihan K. (Libya)
• “Calle Malaga” by Maryam Touzani (Morocco)
• “Saint Simeon” by Olubunmi Ogunsola (Nigeria)
• “Boomerang Atomic” by Rachid Bouchareb (Algeria)

This marks the first time in the festival’s 82-year history that African cinema will feature across such a broad spectrum of competitive and non-competitive categories.

“The Voice of Hind Rajab” competes in the Main Competition, “Saint Simeon” in the Orizzonti Short Films International Competition, “My Father and Qaddafi” in Out of Competition (Non-Fiction), “Boomerang Atomic” in Out of Competition (Short Films), and “Calle Malaga” in the Venice Spotlight section.

At last year’s edition, three African titles premiered in the Orizzonti section: “Seeking Haven for Mr. Rambo” by Egyptian filmmaker Khaled Mansour; “Aicha” by Tunisia’s Mehdi Barsaoui; and “Carissa” by South African duo Jason Jacobs and Devon Delmar.

The Films at a Glance

In “The Voice of Hind Rajab,” Ben Hania reenacts the final moments of a 6-year-old Palestinian girl who called for help while trapped under Israeli fire in Gaza. The film captures the heartbreak and global indifference toward children in conflict zones.

“Saint Simeon,” Nigeria’s entry in the Orizzonti shorts competition, stars Nollywood veteran Kanayo O. Kanayo. It explores tradition, identity, and generational change in a tightly woven narrative.

“My Father and Qaddafi” is a deeply personal documentary that follows the filmmaker’s search for the truth about her father, Mansur Kikhia — a former Libyan foreign minister and outspoken critic of Qaddafi — who disappeared under mysterious circumstances.

“Boomerang Atomic” is a stylized short exploring post-colonial trauma and the lingering effects of historical violence. It competes alongside works by Kaufman and Arthus-Bertrand.

Set in Tangier, “Calle Malaga” follows a 79-year-old woman fighting to keep her home after her daughter attempts to sell it. The story becomes a quiet battle for memory, independence, and unexpected romance.