This year, the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) has selected four African films for screening. On the list this year, are two Nigerian films making their official world premiere, for the first time. And then two other African films, carrying on their festival journeys. This year, the festival will screen 43 films from 41 countries between September 5 and 15, 2024.

The festival activities will feature conferences, screenings with Q&A sessions, live music performances, stage plays, and dance. Additionally, there will be numerous audience development activities, including workshops, training sessions, and mentorship programs, all aimed at increasing workforce capacity and prioritizing diversity and inclusion in its annual program and objectives.

On Becoming a Guinea Fowl 

A comedy-drama film centered on a family whose deep secrets begin to creep out during a funeral. It features Elizabeth Chisela, Henry B.J. Phiri, Benson Mumba, and Susan Chardy. On Becoming a Guinea Fowl has also competed in the Un Certain Regard section at the 77th Cannes Film Festival.

Freedom Way

Written and produced by Blessing Uzzi, the story centres around Police brutality in Nigeria. “The Nigerian Police Force is notorious for harassing and extorting young Nigerians. I have been a victim of such harassment and arrests and my experience partly inspired the story of Freedom Way,” as shared by the director Afolabi Olalekan in a statement.

The synopsis reads “Faced with unfavourable laws and incessant police harassment, three young co-founders struggle to keep their startup alive. A motorcyclist faces dark times with his family after losing his livelihood. A doctor struggles with his conscience on the job while battling outdated government policies. A police pair find themselves on different sides of the law with a difficult choice to make.”

Itstars, Macaroni, Akin Lewis, Femi Jacobs, Bimbo Akintola, Meg Otanwa, Mike Afolarin, Teniola Aladese and South African act, Jesse Suntele.

Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight 

This film is an adaptation of Alexander Fuller’s memoir of the same name. It explores the tumultuous truce between white landowners and black farm workers during the 1980 election in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe).

The Legend of the Vagabond Queen of Lagos

It tells the story of a young mother from a waterfront slum in Lagos who stumbled upon a horde of corrupt blood money earmarked for a luxury estate to be built where her community stands. She must overcome isolation, temptation and loss to be a unifying force in a community that stands to lose everything.

According to a profile published at the Durban Filmmart 2019, “this film is part of a broader ongoing partnership, and is a co-creative endeavor to support the co-producers joint efforts to fight forced evictions and land grab negatively impacting urban poor communities in many cities around the globe.”

The film is the result of a collaborative effort by a group of directors, including James Tayler, Ogungbamila Temitope, Okechukwu Samuel, Mathew Cerf, Tina Edukpo, Bisola Akinmuyiwa, and A.S. Elijah and co-produced by Chioma Onyenwe and Raconteur Productions.

The Legend of the Vagabond Queen of Lagos stars Debo ‘Mr Macaroni’ Adedayo and Temi Ami-Williams.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Temi Ami-williams (@temi_ami)

”