AFRICA XCHANGE SUMMIT: Inaugural Event At Film Festival Cologne

The two-day AFRICA XCHANGE SUMMIT with its high-profile and collaborative programme will premiere at the FILM FESTIVAL COLOGNE 2025 on October 15 and 16, 2025. The event will bring together leading industry professionals from the African continent with their European counterparts from the fields of film, games, technology, and finance for a range of engaging discussions, interviews and panels.

With the aim to strengthen transcontinental connections through the sharing of perspectives, ideas, and innovations from African experts, the AFRICA XCHANGE SUMMIT offers a unique opportunity to, promote intercultural exchange and create a market for creative and business collaboration. The conference marks a decisive step in connecting the German film and creative industries with the creative and technological developments of the African continent.

Curating the program is renowned curator Nadia Denton, who co-hosted the Berlinale’s European Film Market EFM podcast and was a member of the selection committee for the BFI London Film Festival and who has this to say od the event:

“I am delighted to be curating this maiden edition of the Africa Xchange Summit and am optimistic about the future collaborations and business opportunities that will ensue as a result of the event.  I see the summit as a timely intervention and showcase for fresh perspectives where talent and experience will converge. The programme will bridge cultures, amplify authentic storytelling and cast light into spaces where others have not yet dared to go. I am confident that the conversations facilitated during the summit will act as a catalyst for increased cross sector working with impacts felt across borders.”

The full program for the AFRICA XCHANGE SUMMIT will be announced in the coming days however the first guests have already confirmed their participation, including from Nigeria, Jude Abaga, aka M.I Abaga, one of the most successful rappers in Africa, who has also made a name for himself as a songwriter, producer, entrepreneur, and founder of the creative agency TASCK,. Also taking part will be Pamela Mutembei, Investment Director of HEVA Fund (Nairobi), which sustainably promotes the social and economic potential of the African creative industry, along with Sudanese filmmaker Mohamed Kordofani, whose feature film debut “Goodbye Julia” won the Prix de la Liberté in the “Un Certain Regard” section at Cannes, among many other festivals and awards, as well as renowned South African film producer Joel Chikapa-Phiri, who, as founder and chairman of the media group Known Associates Group, manages a wide range of media companies.

The AFRICA XCHANGE SUMMIT is supported by the Film- und Medienstiftung NRW (Film and Media Foundation NRW – the public film fund of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia), whose managing director, Walid Nakschbandi, is looking forward to laying the foundation for an intensive intercontinental dialogue with the conference: “Africa is a continent full of dynamism, creativity, and cultural diversity—with growing significance for the global media landscape. The Africa XChange Summit at the Film Festival Cologne creates a valuable platform in North Rhine-Westphalia that promotes dialogue, opens up new perspectives, and paves the way for creative collaborations. For the Film- und Medienstiftung NRW, it is a central concern to bring cultures together, learn from each other, and build bridges across geographical and mental boundaries. Joint projects, shared ideas, and partnership-based cooperation are drivers of progress, innovation, and understanding. This is exactly what we want to promote with our support – with a view to a shared creative future.”

As a company based in Cologne and Nairobi, Rushlake Media uses its multi-platform network to make international and African content accessible globally. For managing director Philipp Hoffmann, such a conference is not only timely, but also essential for Germany as an economic and cultural location: “The creative industry on the African continent has undergone impressive development in recent years. Global interest in African narratives and offerings – be it music, film, television, games, or fashion – is growing dramatically. Due to demographic conditions, the continent is also one of the last major growth markets in the long term. With the Africa XChange Summit, we want to help increase the unfortunately still low level of interest and highlight the opportunities that can arise from cooperation.”

Rushlake Media is organizing the AFRICA XCHANGE SUMMIT in collaboration with the production company Die Gesellschaft DGS. The AFRICA XCHANGE SUMMIT is supported by the Film- und Medienstiftung NRW and the FILM FESTIVAL COLOGNE.