Out Of Africa: Next Narrative Africa Fund Unveils Slate Of African Film And TV Projects Selected For Development Funding

Investing in Africa’s Creative Future: NNAF Picks Its First Development Projects

Next Narrative Africa Fund (NNAF), the $40M mission-driven commercial content fund (paired with a $10M non-profit Venture Studio) focused on African and Diasporan content, has unveiled its first slate of development projects, selected from over 2,000 global submissions.

The purpose of NNAF is to shift the global perception of the continent by industrialising the African narrative. The fund invests in Africa’s burgeoning TV, film, and new media sectors, empowering content creators in Africa and the diaspora through financing for the development, production, and marketing of projects that challenge long-standing narratives. Over the next five years, $40 million will be deployed in equity financing and $10 million in grants to support television and film projects from Africa and the diaspora.

“From over 2,000 submissions, these nine projects from across Africa and the diaspora  rose to the top because they are commercially compelling, culturally resonant, and globally relevant. Next  Narrative Africa Fund is investing in developing world class entertainment that will be produced in Africa by  top talent as we build an investable asset class. These projects represent over $60 million in production in  Africa. By pairing world-class storytelling with key financing and data validation, we are shaping the African  narrative, positioning it for global investment, and sustaining thousands of jobs and economic development  across Africa”, said NNAF founder and CEO Akuna Cook.

The inaugural slate of nine projects selected to receive support from NNAF for development includes:

Beyond Day Zero (South Africa) – Film; Action
Produced by Emmy Award-winner and multi-Golden Globe and Grammy-nominee Trevor Noah, Sanaz Yamin, and Rebekah Cheyne for Day Zero Productions, alongside Kevin Schmutzler, Toby Schmutzler, Stefan Brunner, Danielle Turkov Wilson, and Amy Shepherd. Think-Film will serve as impact producer. Award-winning South African writer Amy Jephta will write the screenplay, based on an original story by Africa Academy Award–nominated filmmakers Toby and Kevin Schmutzler.
Logline: The wealthy daughter of a water tycoon stands with a gangster from the townships to lead a rebellion against her father and tear down the Wall dividing their world.

Innocent (Nigeria) – Film; Mystery/Thriller
Directed by Arie Esiri, who co-wrote the film with his twin brother Chuko Esiri. The brothers’ latest film, Clarissa, starring Sophie Okonedo, David Oyelowo, and Ayo Edebiri, was recently acquired by Neon for U.S. theatrical release.
Logline: A ‘whodunnit’ set in Lagos, Nigeria.

Skunk (South Africa) – Film; Action/Drama
Written and directed by Amanda Lane, with Thuso Mbedu as co-writer, producer, and lead actor, alongside Vee Mpakanyiswa and Megan Kruger.
Logline: Two fashion models mastermind a heist to steal government gold jewelry to buy back ancestral land.

Untitled Political Thriller/Drama (Sierra Leone/UK) – Film; Drama/Thriller-Mystery
Co-written and directed by Rapman, known for Netflix’s superhero series Supacell, and produced with Mouktar Mohamed and Victor Mukete.
Logline: At 25, a quiet Sierra Leonean soldier is thrust into power after a bloodless coup, only to find that ruling a country is far more dangerous than taking it.

United States of Africa (Ghana) – TV Series; Action/Spy Thriller
Created by Carl Kwesi Earl-Ocran, written and executive produced by Yule Caise and Earl-Ocran. Executive producers include André Holland, Patrick Wengler (Harper Road), Ana Emdin, and Yan Fisher (New State Pictures).
Logline: When the CIA, KGB, and MI6 turn the newly independent nation of Ghana into a Cold War proxy battlefield, a former Ghanaian soldier is tasked with forming the continent’s first African spy agency to protect Ghana’s newfound independence.

Bako (Nigeria) – Film; Romance/Sci-Fi
Directed by Boma Iluma, co-written with Andres Fischer-Centeno.
Logline: In a near-future Nigeria where aliens live alongside humans, their otherworldly technology propels the nation into a powerful boom that divides society, placing a once-in-a-generation love on the fault line of a changing world.

The Return (Ghana) – Film; Comedy/Horror
Written and directed by NAACP Image Award nominee Zoey Martinson, produced by Kofi Owusu Afriyie via Luu Vision Media.
Logline: During a weekend getaway in Ghana, seven modern Gen Z friends, including four from the USA, accidentally disrespect an ancient deity in their beachfront Airbnb. What begins as a celebration of life and culture turns into a desperate struggle for survival, forcing the group to confront their identity, heritage, and the supernatural power of honouring the past, Sankofa.

About Love & September Laws (Sudan) – Film; Drama
Written by Mohamed Kordofani and Khaled Alwaleed, the writers of Cannes award-winning Goodbye Julia, with Kordofani also directing. Produced by Khalid Awad and Kordofani.
Logline: As Sharia Law takes hold in 1983 Sudan, a doctor, a translator, and an American reporter become entangled in love and resistance amid political upheaval.

Jollof Wars (Nigeria) – Film; Comedy/Fantasy/Musical
Directed by Kugali Media’s Hamid Ibrahim, starring Banky W, Adesua Etomi, and Oluwanifewa “Nife” Agunbiade, from a screenplay by Olufikayo “Ziki” Nelson and Matthew Corry, creators Fahmy Haroun and Bill Masuku.
Logline: In a world where chefs call on ancestral spirits to cook, a talented orphan without a spirit must team up with a jaded heiress to reclaim the soul of West African cuisine in a magical cookery competition before generations of African recipes are erased from history… forever!

By selecting and developing the most commercially compelling content, NNAF aims to de-risk investment into African content, deliver strong returns for investors, and transform Africa’s creative industries.