Bolanle Austen-Peters’ latest feature, “Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti,” will have its world premiere at the opening night of Wallay!, the African Cinema Festival of Barcelona. The screening takes place on June 12, 2025, at the Filmoteca de Catalunya, with Austen-Peters attending to present the film to audiences in Spain.
The festival, now in its eighth edition, runs from June 12 to 22, and returns for a second leg from November 20 to 30, 2025. Events will be held across venues including the Filmoteca de Catalunya, Institut Français, and FILMIN, with programming that spans eight African countries: Nigeria, Mali, Sudan, Madagascar, Mozambique, Angola, Zambia, and Senegal.
Austen-Peters will be joined by Sudanese art director Azza Mustafa, known for her work on “Goodbye Julia,” which made history as the first Sudanese film selected at Cannes in 2023.
This year’s theme focuses on stories of freedom and humour across the continent. Other featured titles include “On Becoming a Guinea Fowl” by Rungano Nyoni, “Disco Africa” by Luck Razanajaona, “Mario” by Billy Woodberry, “The Dream of God” by Mariam Kamissoko and Fousseyni Maiga, and “Goodbye Julia” by Mohamed Kordofani.
Austen-Peters’ “Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti” is a biopic of the Nigerian women’s rights activist and political icon. The film places Nigerian cinema in the spotlight at Wallay!, reinforcing its place in global conversations on African identity, politics, and storytelling.