The University of South Africa (Unisa) is set to launch the African Languages International Film Festival (ALIFF), a Pan-African festival celebrating African languages, cultures and storytelling through film.

The festival will take place from 28 to 30 September 2026 at the Unisa Little Theatre, 287 Nana Sita Street, Pretoria, with acclaimed South African actor and storyteller Tony Kgoroge invited as the guest speaker at the launch.

Acclaimed South African actor and storyteller Tony Kgoroge

Kgoroge has made a significant contribution to South African theatre, film and the broader creative arts. His longstanding work in telling African stories makes him a fitting guest speaker for a festival centred on the importance of African languages and authentic storytelling.

The ALIFF team believes his experience and insights will add depth to the launch and inspire emerging filmmakers and storytellers who are seeking to build careers in the creative industries.

Founded in 2025 and housed within the School of Arts in Unisa's College of Human Sciences (CHS), ALIFF aims to provide a platform for emerging African filmmakers and storytellers to showcase their work in African languages and connect with audiences in South Africa and across the continent.

The festival is rooted in Unisa's commitment to multilingualism, creative expression and Pan-African scholarship. It is also inspired by the work of renowned Kenyan writer and scholar Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o, particularly his advocacy for African languages as a means of challenging coloniality and neo-coloniality.

In keeping with this vision, ALIFF will prioritise films that celebrate, promote and advance the use of African languages in cinema.

Unisa is well positioned to host such an initiative. Through its language departments and related disciplines, the university teaches, researches and promotes all 11 official languages of South Africa. Its expertise in communication, film and the arts further strengthens the academic and creative foundation on which the festival is built.

ALIFF comes at a time when African filmmakers are navigating a rapidly changing industry shaped by streaming platforms, digital distribution and new ways of reaching audiences.

The festival aims to respond to the need for greater representation of African languages in cinema and digital media by creating opportunities for filmmakers to showcase their work, develop professional networks, engage with industry practitioners and explore new audiences and distribution channels.

For emerging filmmakers in particular, the festival offers an opportunity to move beyond simply screening their work. It creates space for conversations with established professionals, academics and fellow creatives who can contribute to their development and understanding of the industry.

Beyond the festival itself, ALIFF aims to position Unisa as an important hub for African-language cinema and storytelling.

The initiative seeks to bring together filmmakers, academics, students, industry partners and communities, creating opportunities for collaboration and knowledge exchange across disciplines and borders.

Over time, the festival aims to establish itself among South Africa's leading film festivals while developing partnerships with festivals, filmmakers and cultural and academic institutions across the African continent.

For Unisa, the initiative also provides an opportunity to connect its academic expertise in African languages, arts and communication with a creative industry that continues to evolve.

ALIFF therefore represents more than a film festival. It is a platform for cultural expression, linguistic diversity and the amplification of African voices, using film to ensure that African stories can be told in the languages and from the perspectives of the people who live them.

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* By Nnana Martina Jege, CHS: Communications and Marketing