The Cascade Festival of African Films is the longest running African Film Festival in the United States, located in the unique city of Portland Oregon, and completely free to the community. Our festival is dedicated to providing a platform for showcasing African cinema of Africa through African lenses. As a primarily non-competitive festival, we aim to feature creators from diverse perspectives with stories from across the continent and its diaspora, while celebrating the power and impact of storytelling with the community and beyond.

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Awards & Prizes

The festival runs five weeks annually from February through the first week of March at the Hollywood Theatre and Portland Community College. From red carpet reception to film screenings, visual arts exhibit, panel discussions, live performances, marketplace, etc., the entire festival offers unique social engagement opportunity to form new connections and cultural experiences.

A selected number of feature filmmakers will be invited to the festival all expenses paid including honorarium.

Rules & Terms

Cascade Festival of African Films is an opportunity for filmmakers to present their films to be screened at the CFAF 37th festival in 2027.

Films can be of any genre -- drama, comedy, horror, adventure, animation, romance, science fiction, experimental, etc.

CFAF Terms:
1. Filmmakers must be of African descent, but do not have to be based in an African country.
2. Films made by non-African or non-African diaspora directors are NOT encouraged to submit.
3. We encourage filmmakers to submit films completed in production of 2020 or later.
4. As a non-competitive festival, ALL films will receive a screening fee.
5. The official festival language is English. The festival accepts films in any language from around the world, but films not in English language MUST have subtitles in English to qualify for submission and screening. Films in other languages not subtitled in English will be disqualified.
6. All entries should be sent via FilmFreeway. Please don’t send discs or any downloadable files to us.
7. Selection for screening: All submitted films will be assessed by the CFAF film selection committee and the Festival Directors. This committee will have access to all films and they vote without sharing your work publicly.
8. If your film is selected for the Festival, you will be sent an email confirmation.
9. Marketing Materials: If selected, filmmakers will provide the following materials: Hi-Res digital images of film stills and short bio/filmography of the director(s) , Press Kits, DCP or downloadable electronic copy of the film.
10. The festival also requires that if selected, films in preferred DCP or hi-resolution MP4 (pro-res or similar) for physical screenings.
11. Priority Submissions or Now Submitting Invitations do not have any guarantee to be selected.

By submitting to the CFAF festival, you confirm that you own all the rights of the film and accept all the Rules & Terms. The submitter is responsible to provide the correct data on FilmFreeway in each section about the film and the team.