EAccelerate Fund

The East Africa Screen Collective (EASC) is a professional network dedicated to advancing the African screen sector through collaboration, training, and advocacy. Our mission is to foster a sustainable film ecosystem that empowers filmmakers to create compelling stories and share them with global audiences.

EASC builds on the foundation of the DW Akademie Film Development Fund (2021–2023), an initiative supported by Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). This partnership laid the groundwork for a new era of African-led film development, ensuring that funding and capacity-building remain in the hands of local industry professionals.

Through strategic programs like the EAccelerate Fund, EASC champions African ownership, strengthens industry networks, and amplifies authentic East African perspectives on the global stage.

Grantees

2025

We proudly present the 2025 EAccelerate Fund cohort, marking a continued commitment to African-led storytelling. Three exceptional teams have been selected to receive up to €20,000 in funding, alongside expert mentorship and industry support to bring their compelling short film ideas to life.

What to Expect from 2025 Grantees:

  • Director + Producer pairs from East Africa
  • Films up to 20 minutes, with at least 80% shot locally
  • Completion scheduled by December 1, 2025
  • Regional and international screening prospects
    Rediet Haddis Yalew
    Director
      Gebriel Abebe Balcha
      Producer
        Hana Mire
        Director
          Fatima Ismail Mohamed
          Producer
            Noura Adil Suliman Mohamed
            Director
              Elsadig Mohamed Ahmed Abdelgayoum
              Producer

              2024

              Grantees

              The East Africa Screen Collective (EASC) has chosen four East African filmmakers to receive up to €20,000 and personalized training from the EAccelerate Fund. The selected filmmakers are Neema Ngelime from Tanzania, Dilman Dila and Patience Nitumwesiga from Uganda, and Habtamu Gebrehiwot from Ethiopia.

              The Fund will support them to produce short films based on previously developed film ideas. For grantees without a producer, the program will facilitate connections to experienced professionals from the region.

              Neema Ngelime (TZ)

              Neema is a documentary photographer and filmmaker who focuses on the everyday. She believes in the magic of the mechanical nature of the every day, she weaves this with an experimental and feminist lens. Her films have been featured at multiple international film festivals, including the International Short Film Festival Oberhausen, IDFA, Beldocs International Film Festival, the New York African Film Festival, the London Short Film Festival, the Eastern Neighbours Film Festival, and others. She is a member of the African Photojournalism Database, which is a joint project between the World Press Photo Foundation and Everyday Africa, and a member of WomenPhotograph and an alumni of DocNomads. Additionally, Neema is part of Berlinale Talents 2023. Her work has been commissioned by notable publications such as Bloomberg and the New York Times T Brand Studio, and has been displayed both internationally at The Museum of African Art in Serbia and locally at AjabuAjabu and Nafasi Art Space. Neema is currently developing her next film via DW Akademie Film Development Grant.

              Habtamu Gebrehiwot (ETH)

              Habtamu Gebrehiwot is an Ethiopian filmmaker and a graduate of the Addis Ababa University with a master in Film. He joined the film world in search of his own voice through cinema.Throughout his decade-long film career, he has been involved in numerous television commercials, short documentaries, and music video as Director,cinematographer and editor. He wrote and directed the short film titled “Rendezvous,” which was screened at the European Film Festival in Addis Ababa in 2022. He currently works as a cinematographer and producer for the highly acclaimed drama series, “Gira kegn,” which airs on Ethiopian National Television. He is also developing the feature film “The Fortunate”. He succefully attended and graduated from DW Akedemie Film development programin 2023. He is highly aspired to pursue his dream oftelling unique ethiopian stories to the international cinema world.

              Dilman Dila (UG)

              Dilman was nominated for Best First Feature by a Director at the Africa Movie Academy Awards (2014), for The Felistas Fable, which won four major awards at the Uganda Film Festival (2014). His short masterpiece, What Happened in Room 13 (2007), has attracted over eight million views on YouTube. His other notable films include The Sound of One Leg Dancing (2011), which won The Jury Award at the Nepal International Indigenous Film Festival (2012). In 2017 he released his second feature film, Her Broken Shadow, a sci-fi based in a futuristic Uganda, which has been selected at festivals like Durban International FilmFestival and American Film Institute's New African Film Festival.

              Patience Nitumwesiga (UG)

              Patience Nitumwesiga is a writer, producer and director based in Uganda. Her work emphasizes utopian and decolonized African themes while boldly confronting our current cultural and political realities. She runs Mbaganire, a podcast for African folktales and organised an Embroidery-for-Justice project to mourn femicides in Wakiso district where she lives. She’s developing two documentary debut features, Tongue of the Spear and The Woman Who Poked The Leopard, which was presented at Durban Filmmart in August 2021 where it won five awards.
              READ MORE

              EASC at Berlinale

              This year, EASC presented the four groundbreaking short fims at Berlinale, marking a major milestone for East African cinema. These films are a testament to the program’s commitment to empowering African cinema through direct funding, mentorship, and industry exposure.

              The program is funded by

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