Creators from the continent: 5 African filmmakers to watch

In a world where movie directors from North America, Europe, and Asia have dominated the box office and major awards, Black directors who hail from Africa have recently made important strides in the film industry.& Blitz Bazawule, who helmed Warner Bros. Pictures’ award-winning 2023 musical “The Color Purple,” became the first filmmaker from Ghana to direct a theatrically released movie from a major Hollywood studio. At the 2024 Academy Awards, two of the Black first-time Oscar nominees were African directors: Moses Bwayo (originally from Uganda and currently based in Los Angeles) was nominated for Best Documentary Feature Film, for co-directing National Geographic’s “Bobi Wine: The People’s President.” Misan Harriman (born in Nigeria and currently based in London) received a Best Live Action Short Film nomination, for directing Netflix’s “The After,” a drama starring David Oyelowo as a grieving rideshare driver who witnessed a tragic event. Here are five African directors to watch with acclaimed movies releasing in 2024: Bolanle Austen-Peters  Bolanie Austin-Peters. Photo credit: Netflix 2024 movies: “Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti” and “House of Ga’a” The biopic “Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti” was released in Nigeria on May 17. Netflix will release the biopic “House of Ga’a” on a date to be announced. Interesting facts:...