The intellectual centrepiece of the festival will be the Symposium: African Cinema and Liberation at London School of Economics (22 November, 1-5pm) featuring a landmark conversation between celebrated artist-filmmaker Sir John Akomfrah and pioneering American filmmaker Billy Woodberry. Both are giants in their fields: Akomfrah has used the moving image as a form of historical reparation, transforming archives into poetry, while Woodberry, a founding figure of the L.A. Rebellion and director of Bless Their Little Hearts and Mário, has dedicated his career to portraying Black experience and anti-colonial struggle through the lens of Third Cinema. Together, they will explore the role of cinema in resisting colonial narratives, reimagining freedom, and advancing African cultural sovereignty.