 | You can helpexpand this article with text translated fromthe corresponding article in Portuguese. (June 2025)Click [show] for important translation instructions.
|
| Cinema of Angola | |
|---|---|
| Produced feature films | |
| Total | 50 |
Thecinema of Angola refers to the film industry and culture in the nation ofAngola. During Portuguese colonization, popular films were imported from abroad, and movie theaters were popular social venues. In the late-colonial period and at the start of independence, Angola produced several independent films, such asSambizanga, however during the civil war, film production became difficult. Angola currently suffers from financial issues around the funding of new films.[1]
The first cinemas in Angola were built in the 1930s,[2] with a total of 50 being built by the middle of the 1970s.[3][4] Once community meeting points, many are now in a state of disrepair, but there is an effort to restore some of them.[5]
During thelate-colonial period, bothHollywood andEuropean films were shown in popular Angolan movie theaters. Also shown at this time were films from Mexico, Hong Kong, and Brazil. It is reported that United StatesWestern film and Asiankung fu film were particularly popular. Specifically, European films were most popular at theaters in mostly white neighborhoods, while Westerns and kung fu films were most popular in Black neighborhoods.[6]
In 1972, Angola became the firstLusophone African country to produce a feature-length film, with the movieSambizanga.[7]
After independence and during theAngolan Civil War, film production dropped due to the lack of non-Portuguese-supported film infrastructure, and the disruption caused by war.[8]
As with many other post-colonial African countries, it is difficult for Angolans to secure funding and production infrastructure in their own country, and they must generally work internationally to make films for this reason.[9]
In the early 2000s, the Angolan government helped fund a small number of films, however this programme stopped towards the end of the decade.[1] During this time the filmThe Hero was filmed in Angola and won the World Dramatic Cinema Jury Grand Prize at the 2005Sundance Film Festival.[10]
In 2025, Angola premiered its first musical film, still one of the few to be shot in Africa. CalledThe Adventures of Angosat, it contains music composed by local rapperIsis Hembe.[11]
Many Angolan films have anti-colonial messaging, as film along with other art mediums was used to promote revolutionary ideas.[7]
