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Guest Post: Jali Collective present the Jali Film Weekender

Jali Collective host the inaugural Jali Film Weekender in Edinburgh from 30 October - 2 November. We caught up with Production and Outreach Lead Tomiwa Folorunso to find out more.

Can you tell us about Jali Collective and why/how it was formed? Why is it important to showcase Black, African and diasporic stories and films for Scottish audiences? 

Jali Collective was formed in April of this year, so we are very much at the beginning of our journey. Isabel Moura Mendes, Carmen Thompson and I are long-standing producers, programmers and cultural organisers with deep roots in the film, festival and arts sectors in Edinburgh, Scotland, and beyond.  

Together, we share a frustration that audiences in Scotland, especially Edinburgh, are chronically underserved when it comes to African cinema. This is coupled with a desire to platform the work of contemporary filmmakers from across the Black and African diaspora. There is no shortage of work, there can always and should be more, but reaching audiences is always where it gets tricky. So it’s exciting to be creating spaces for audiences in Scotland to have access to these films, and think about the conversations that could happen alongside that  

Although our first offering is a film festival, the word jali has different symbolic meanings across the continent. For example, in a West African context speaks to the jalis of the region who were griots and holders of cultural heritage, storytellers, musicians and more. Jali Collective is a constituted non-profit organisation and collective. It was always important for Collective to be in our name, and I hope it speaks to a fluidity and that we [Isabel, Carmen and I] are holding this “thing” now, but that can change and it will change, and it should change.  

Your Weekender events are coming up, and it looks like you’ve got amazing films, discussions, and more planned. Can you tell us what we can expect from the Weekender?  

The Weekender runs from 30 October - 2 November, opening with Memory of Princess Mumbi in the year 2099 after a war against technology was waged across the world. Shot entirely in Kenya with a Kenyan cast and crew, the director Damien Hauser uses AI to create an afro-futurist kingdom. This theme of technology is present across the Weekender, in the Extended Realities (XR) exhibition which brings the first Scottish presentation of two immersive works by Kenyan artists to Filmhouse, Enkang’ Ang’ and ARGO, and Khartoum, followed by an in-conversation with producer Talal Afifi hosted by activist Rania Obead, and so I hope these screenings can de-centre conversations around this theme.  

The programme also brings different Edinburgh and Scotland-based creatives, community organisers, producers and more into its fold. Animalia, a Moroccan science fiction film which explores class and faith is preceded by an extended introduction by Myriam Mouflih. The Lunchtime Talk: Centring Black, African and diaspora audiences in Scotland is a moment to intentionally consider how Black, African and diaspora communities feel truly seen and included in Scotland’s cultural landscape? Whilst the screening of South Africa’s Oscar entry The Heart is a Muscle is followed by a discussion with musicians Sean Focus and Bemz, hosted by musician Matt Hickman (who performs as Brownbear) about fatherhood, transgenerational trauma and masculinity. 

There’s a real joy to watching films in the cinema, there is something very special about this shared, yet collective experience and how it can enrich the work. So I hope audiences come, and share in the Weekender with us.  

The theme of the Weekender is Dreams and Apparitions. How did you decide on this theme? 

During the selection process, dreams and apparitions became naturally prominent threads and ideas. I think, in the programme itself we’ve played them a bit, and they appear in different yet playful ways across the programme. Dreaming is a theme that often appears in all of our work, and often does in the work of Black, African and diaspora communities and other marginalised communities. When it feels as if the world is crumbling, dreaming is a hopeful and useful tool to re-imagine, and think differently. For me, it’s interesting to position dreams as the result of dreaming, then apparition as something unexpected, and so in that sense the Weekender itself becomes an unexpected dream, which is quite literal but seems apt for this first edition. 

What does the future of Jali Collective look like after the Weekender? 

It’s been really interesting because throughout this process we [Isabel, Carmen and I] have not been talking about the future as much as you may expect – there’s value at staying grounded in what’s in front of you and what you can control. At the beginning we used the word ‘pilot’ quite a lot, and pushed away from the word ‘festival’. We know there will be more to come from Jali Collective, but what that is, and how, when and where it takes up space in the city is dependent on the audiences of the Weekender.

What do audiences want, like and dislike, and how can we shape our future with them and for them? We’re also working with three cultural advisors who are the weekender’s and Jali Collective’s critical friends, and so the conversations they’ll have throughout the festival and then with us will also shape the Weekender. I think, I hope, there is a future for Jali Collective and it’s exciting to be able to look to possibilities, who are we to say what should come next? Maybe people aren’t frustrated like we are – and that’s okay – but I really hope they are! 

Jali Weekender takes place at Edinburgh Filmhouse from 30 October - 2 November 2025.

Discover the full programme and book tickets.

Jali Collective are working closely with Black, African and diaspora communities in Edinburgh on access to the festival through complimentary tickets. If you are involved with a community group or organisation in the city and would like to discuss community tickets please email: tickets@jalicollective.co.uk 

Equally, if cost of a ticket is a barrier to you attending, email Jali Collective about a complimentary ticket.

Visit the Jali Collective website to learn more