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The inaugural Abibitumi Abibifahodie Film Festival launches this November
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The inaugural Abibitumi Abibifahodie Film Festival (AAFF) launches this November as a historic hybrid (in-person and virtual) celebration of Abibitumi ‘Black Power’ and Abibifahodie ‘Black Liberation’ through cinema and storytelling from across the Black world.
Taking place November 28–30, 2025, the festival will be hosted at Ozone Cinema, Oyarifa Mall, Accra, with simultaneous digital screenings and live-streamed discussions connecting storytellers, audiences, and creatives from throughout Abibiman and the Diaspora.
With the unifying theme “What Abibitumi Is: Demonstration Over Conversation,” this festival signals the rise of a new creative wave — one that fuses language, film, and liberation practice.
It serves as a powerful prelude to the Abibitumi Conference (December 12–14, 2025), extending the ongoing movement of self-definition, Abibitumi ‘Black Power’, and Abibifahodie ‘Black Liberation’ through art, media, and collective engagement.
Honouring the Tradition of the Kmt(yw): Storytelling as Liberation Practice
Co-founded by Ɔbenfo (Professor) Ọbádélé Kambon and filmmaker Ọnụọra Abụah, the Abibitumi Abibifahodie Film Festival showcases works from across Abibiman (Africa) and the Black world, reflecting narratives of identity, resistance, and consciousness.
The festival affirms cinema as a vital tool in the global struggle for Abibifahodie ‘Black Liberation’.
Featured Categories: Feature Films (non-competitive), Short Films (documentary, animation, and AI-infused works), Student Films (emerging storytellers from across Abibiman).
Opening night will feature the Red, Black, and Green Carpet Gala, and honouring Nii Kwate Owoo with the Legacy Award, followed by a screening of his seminal film You Hide Me — a foundational work in African cinematic resistance.
Jury & Moderators
The 2025 Jury brings together leading voices in African film and culture:
- Abraham Haile Biru (Ethiopia) – President of the Jury
- Ama K. Abebrese (Ghana) – Actor & Producer
- Selikim Geni (Ghana) – Media Professional
- Adjetey Anang – Actor
Panel discussions will be moderated by Derek Fiakpui (Ghana) and other invited professionals, ensuring dynamic conversations around film, creativity, and Abibifahodie.
Hybrid Festival Experience
The festival merges the physical and digital worlds in true Abibitumi fashion — combining in-person screenings and discussions at OzoneCinema with live-streamed sessions via the Abibitumi Film Festival Portal.
This format enables Black people across the globe to connect, create, and celebrate together in real time.
Tickets are available at filmfestival.abibifahodie.org/tickets or directly at the Ozone Cinema Box Office (Oyarifa Mall).
A Pan-Abibiman Collaboration
Organized by Abibitumi in partnership with AEA Films, OzoneCinema, and UNIMAC, with press and media coordination by SITA Communications, the Abibitumi Abibifahodie Film Festival provides a platform for Black filmmakers to define, document, and direct their own narratives — reclaiming storytelling as a weapon of liberation.
Construction of a major underground stormwater drain along the Dr. Busia Highway within the Kaneshie enclave will commence on September 7, 2026.
The Project Coordinator for the Greater Accra Resilient and Integrated Development (GARID) Project, Dr. Kwadwo Ohene Sarfo, announced this at a special media briefing on Wednesday.
According to him, the works will involve the construction of a double-cell underground rectangular drain measuring approximately 10 metres wide and 1.95 kilometres long, stretching from Pamprom Junction to First Light Junction.
The new drain will replace the existing two 1.2-metre diameter pipes, which are inadequate to carry the volume of stormwater in the area.
Dr. Sarfo said the drain will connect at one end to the recently completed section within the Accra Academy campus and at the other end to the existing drain at Pamprom Junction.
He said the construction is expected to run from September 2026 to October 2027.
The project forms part of government’s broader flood prevention and mitigation programme aimed at addressing perennial flooding in Accra.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
The former Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, has withdrawn from the party’s National Chairmanship race.
In a statement issued yesterday, Chairman Wontumi who is currently serving a 20-year jail term said his decision was driven by his love for the party and his unwillingness to let his personal circumstances distract the NPP from its rebuilding efforts.
“There are moments in the life of a man when the heart wants to continue, but duty demands sacrifice. Moments when one must quietly set aside personal ambition, not because the dream has died, but because the family he loves must not be made to carry his burden. Today, I find myself at such a painful moment,” he wrote.
He disclosed that after many nights of prayer, sober reflection and consultations with his family, legal team, party elders, campaign team and trusted supporters, he concluded that his present situation must not become an additional burden on the NPP.
“This is not the decision my heart desired, but sometimes, true love requires us to release what we deeply want in order to protect what we love even more,” he added.
Recounting his years of service, Chairman Wontumi said he had served the party with everything within him, walking through heat and rain, travelling to remote communities and standing with the grassroots in both victory and defeat.
“For many years, I have served the NPP with everything within me… The NPP is not merely a political party to me. It is my family. It is my home. It is a cause to which I have dedicated a significant part of my life,” he stated.
He explained that the party, already carrying the pain of electoral defeat and the huge responsibility of preparing for the future, should not be made to carry his personal weight.
“That is why I cannot allow my present situation or personal ambition to distract the party from the difficult work of rebuilding. I cannot ask the party to carry my weight when it is already carrying the pain of defeat and the enormous responsibility of preparing for the battle ahead. I would rather carry this pain quietly than allow the party I love to suffer because of me,” he said.
He further sympathized with his supporters across the 16 regions, acknowledging that the decision would be painful for many who had sacrificed for his campaign.
“To my teeming supporters across all sixteen regions, I know this message will hurt. I know many of you will read it with tears in your eyes because I understand the sacrifices you have made for this journey,” he said.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
