From October 9 to 16, 2025, the Film Festival Cologne will celebrate its 35th edition and Cologne will once again become a meeting place for film, pop culture, and society. Among the international highlights of this year's festival is the Africa XChange Summit, which will take place for the first time this year.

Film Funding, Innovative Technologies, and the Future of Africa's Creative Industries

The African film industry has made remarkable progress in recent years, with the film industry being seen one of the fastest-growing sectors in many African countries, most notably Nigeria that the world's fastest-growing entertainment sector. Around five million people already work along a long and broad film value chain in Africa today. But that is far from exhausting the industry's potential. UNESCO estimates that the African film industry has the potential to employ 20 million people and generate $20 billion in revenue annually.

"With the Africa XChange Summit, we want to offer African creatives a platform to showcase their talents and connect with a global audience. It is time to build an ecosystem to unlock new opportunities and improve access to financing and new capital for African filmmakers. We want to support them in bringing authentic African voices to international platforms while promoting job creation in one of the most dynamic markets of the future," says Philipp Hoffmann, Managing Director at Rushlake Media. Based in Cologne and Nairobi, the company successfully uses its multi-platform network to make international and African content accessible globally.

African films are also increasingly conquering cinema screens in Europe, being nominated for prestigious events such as the Oscars, and receiving substantial recognition at international film festivals. The enormous growth potential of the emerging African film industry is also increasingly attracting a diversity of investors from Africa and beyond.

The Africa XChange Summit will feature a range of representatives of funding programs and initiatives such as HEVA Fund, Ubongo and Known Associates will discuss various mechanisms to strengthen the film industry across Africa.

 Nigerian Film "My Father's Shadow" to Open the Africa XChange Summit

The Africa XChange Summit will open on October 15, 2025,  with the Nigerian  feature film "My Father's Shadow." The semi-autobiographical drama by Akinola Davies Jr. is the first Nigerian film to be shown in the official selection at the Cannes International Film Festival and is about a day in Lagos during the election crisis in the early 1990s. 

For the two young brothers Akin (Godwin Egbo) and Remi (Chibuike Marvellous Egbo), who live in the countryside, their father is an almost mythical figure. This is partly because they see him so rarely. But one day in 1993, he takes the two of them on his motorcycle to Lagos, where he earns money for his family. It turns out to be an unforgettable day for the two boys – and one that also takes on historical significance for the entire country. In his fantastic debut, Akinola Davies combines a childlike perspective with high politics and a declaration of love for the Nigerian megacity. 

In Conversation: Nigerian Rapper M.I. Abaga

Another highlight of the event will be the conversation with successful Nigerian rapper Jude Abaga, better known professionally as M.I Abaga. He has also made a name for himself as a songwriter, music producer, and entrepreneur. Among other things, he founded the creative agency TASCK and is convinced that creative people are the key to transforming Africa, shaping narratives, and promoting positive social change across the continent.

The two-day conference is organized by the multi-platform network Rushlake Media in cooperation with the production company Die Gesellschaft DGS and is supported by the Film- und Medienstiftung NRW (Film and Media Foundation NRW), whose managing director Walid Nakschbandi is looking forward to laying the foundation for an intensive intercontinental dialogue with the conference:

"Africa is a continent full of dynamism, creativity, and cultural diversity – with growing significance for the global media landscape. The Africa XChange Summit at the Film Festival Cologne creates a valuable platform in North Rhine-Westphalia that promotes dialogue, opens up new perspectives, and paves the way for creative collaborations. For the Film- und Medienstiftung NRW, it is a central concern to bring cultures together, learn from each other, and build bridges across geographical and mental boundaries. Joint projects, shared ideas, and partnership-based cooperation are drivers of progress, innovation, and understanding."

The Africa XChange Summit program was curated by renowned film curator Nadia Denton, who co-hosted the Berlinale's European Film Market EFM podcast and served on the selection committee for the BFI London Film Festival, among other things.

The full agenda for the two-day conference can be found here.  https://africa-xchange-summit.com/