Mashariki African Film Festival in Kigali runs 23–29 November with free entry

The Mashariki African Film Festival will run in Kigali, Rwanda, from 23 to 29 November 2026 under the theme "Reels of Resilience". Entry is free, with no tickets and no registration, the organisers say on the festival's website.

There is no booking or reservation system. Screenings and events are first come, first seated, and the organisers advise arriving a little early for popular screenings.

The organisers say the theme celebrates African cinema's power to resist, remember and inspire. The Official Selection, announced on 14 October, has 77 films from across Africa and the diaspora in feature, short, documentary, TV series and Rwanda Focus sections.

Opening night is on Monday 23 November and awards night on Sunday 29 November, both at Serena. Screenings and the festival programme begin on Tuesday 24 November at Mashariki Central, as the homepage gives it; the festival lists two screening venues in Kigali: Kigali Conference and Exhibition Village and Century Cinema.

No screenings had been posted on the festival's online schedule as of 5 November. Its sections are Long Features, Features, Documentaries, Short Films, TV/WEB Series, Rwanda Focus and Iziwachu.

Filmmakers, producers and international distributors are to attend, and films from more than 30 countries are expected to compete in five categories, the Rwandan newspaper The New Times reported on 4 November in an article by Tonny Mwiseneza.