Silicon Valley African Film Festival 2026

Experience Africa through the African lens at the 17th Annual Silicon Valley African Film Festival (SVAFF), taking place October 8–11, 2026, at the Historic Hoover Theatre in San Jose, California. This year’s festival brings together 76 films representing 33 countries, offering audiences a diverse collection of narrative and documentary features, short films, and animation from across the African continent and its global communities.

The four-day celebration extends beyond the screen with an African vendor marketplace, live music and dance, fashion, academic conversations, and hands-on workshops. For the first time, the festival also offers a dedicated virtual screening day on Sunday, October 4, giving audiences around the world an opportunity to experience selected films and participate in live filmmaker Q&As.

The festival will also honor Dr. Sona Jobarteh, the pioneering female master of the kora, with its 2026 Icon Award during a special presentation on October 11. Whether experienced in person or online, SVAFF offers an opportunity to encounter contemporary African storytelling through the perspectives of the filmmakers who create it.