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EXCLUSIVE: Two-time Oscar nominee Djimon Hounsou is set to participate in the 2026 editions of AfroBerlin and AfroCannes.
The not-for-profit Yanibes Foundation, which launched both events in 2022 as spaces to discuss narratives from Africa and the African diaspora against the backdrops of the Berlinale and Cannes Film Festival, said Hounsou’s participation marked “a defining moment” for these platforms.
“Renowned for iconic performances in Amistad, In America, Blood Diamond, Gladiator, Guardians of the Galaxy, and A Quiet Place: Day One, Djimon Hounsou’s career embodies generational impact, cultural dignity, and artistic sovereignty,” the body said. “His journey— from Africa to global cinema — mirrors the very conversations AfroBerlin and AfroCannes were created to host.”
Under the initiative, bannered “Djimon Hounsou: A Living Bridge Between Legacy and the Future”, Hounsou will take part in keynote conversations, public dialogues, and curated industry sessions at both meetings.
Topics on the table will be generational legacy and intergenerational transmission in cinema; cultural sovereignty and narrative ownership; the responsibility of global storytellers in shaping identity and perception and building equitable bridges between Africa, Europe, and Hollywood.
Generational Legacy will be the central theme of AfroBerlin’s 2026 edition, running from February 14 to 17, with the program examining how knowledge, power, authorship, and opportunity are both transmitted and withheld, across generations in film, media, and cultural industries.
“Djimon Hounsou’s presence powerfully anchors this theme, offering a rare perspective on longevity, reinvention, and responsibility within a rapidly evolving global industry,” said the foundation.
AfroBerlin 2026 will also spotlight emerging and disruptive forces reshaping filmmaking, with talks discussions touching on vertical filmmaking and mobile-first storytelling; the growing influence of social media creatives in redefining traditional filmmaking discourse; the expanding role of sports production companies as major players in film and documentary storytelling, as well as new distribution channels and shifting power structures in the wake of major mergers and acquisitions.
Cultural Sovereignty will be the central theme at AfroCannes in May with discussions focusing on ownership of stories, financing, distribution, and representation in an era of rapid consolidation and global realignment of media power.
“Djimon Hounsou’s engagement at AfroCannes brings critical depth to this theme, reflecting his long-standing advocacy for authentic representation and structural equity within global cinema,” said the foundation.
Hounsou was born in Benin in West Africa and then sent to France to live with an older brother as a teenager. After a difficult and financially precarious adolescence, he was discovered by fashion designer Thierry Mugler, who encouraged him to get into modelling.
Having achieved success as a model in Paris, Hounsou moved to the U.S. in the 1990s, where he secured roles in Paul Abdul, Tina Turner and Janet Jackson music videos before making his big screen debut Without You I’m History and since ratcheting up close to 80 acting credits.
Against the backdrop of his inspirational trajectory, Hounsou has been vocal about the challenges he has faced in Hollywood as an African actor, suggesting in an interview with CNN earlier this year that racism and prejudice had impacted both his pay and awards opportunities across his career.
Alongside his cinema career, Hounsou has also become in humanitarian work and launched the Djimon Hounsou Foundation (DHF) in 2019.
English (US) ·