The NFC’s N!xau ≠Toma Film Fund and its Importance to Namibian Cinema

The Namibia Film Commission (NFC) is inviting experienced Namibian filmmakers to submit co-production funding proposals for Short, Feature or Documentary film projects under the N!xau ≠Toma Film Fund for the 2026/2027 Funding Cycle.

In 2017 the Namibia Film Commission established an African Film Fund to honour the legacy of the famed The God Must Be Crazy actor, Nǃxau ǂToma. In 2019 the Namibian Theatre and Film Awards recognised the actor’s  contribution in introducing Namibia to the rest of the world and for sensitizing Namibians  to guard against the exploitation of local talents. For context, ǂToma played the role of the Namibian bush farmer, in The Gods Must Be Crazy and its sequels in played ‘Xixo’ the Kalahari Bushman who discovers a Coca-Cola bottle. The roles brought him and by extension Namibia  international fame. 

(Photo by Micheline PELLETIER/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)

According to the NFC’s website, the N!xau ǂToma Film Fund (NTFF) is keen about increasing the number of active projects originated by African filmmakers that film in Namibia, supporting the career trajectory of ambitious African filmmakers, connecting Namibian film production sector with partners from Africa and the diaspora, strengthening collaboration between filmmakers from Namibia, the rest of Africa and the diaspora, supporting filmmaking that takes risks on talent, form and content, and promoting filmmaking that showcases Namibian culture and landscapes. Namibia, with its 14 regions including Omusati, Oshana, Ohangwena, Oshikoto, Kunene, Kavango East, Kavango West, Caprivi, Erongo, Otjozondojupa, Omaheke, Khomas, Hardap, and Karas, offers a diverse range of picturesque and captivating filming locations. 

The 2026 funding call is strictly for production funding. Applicants are expected to submit the following details: Full screenplay, a one-page letter of motivation, concept outline and treatment, certified copy of applicant’s Identification Document, how reel/work portfolio (if available), summaries of CV’s of the individuals making up the production team (writer,  producer or director), attach relevant copyright information (if applicable), and attach itemized budget. The Fund allows for AI usage but only as a tool not as “replacement for authorship or creative responsibility.” Successful applicants are required to complete their projects at specific timelines. African co-production funded  documentaries and short films should be completed by 28 February 2027 and feature film projects should be completed by 28 February 2028.

The Namibia Film Commission established by Parliament under the Namibia Film Commission Act No. 6 of 2000, is dedicated to supervise, strengthen, and promote the growth of the Namibian Film Industry. The commission commits to its constitutional duties by authorizing filming activities within Namibia, strategically marketing film locations, supporting local film development through production funding, and capacity building, and creating a conducive environment for successful filming ventures. 

The NFC’s N!xau ≠Toma Film Fund is one of the few active government-led national film funds on the continent. The South African The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), Moroccan The Centre Cinématographique Marocain (CCM), .Kenyan The Kenya Film Commission (KFC), and Senegal Film and Audiovisual Industry Promotion Fund Call For Projects(FOPICA) are few of the existing available funds. Although many African countries have legislations around film governance, only few have a fully operational, state-funded entity dedicated to its local filmmakers. After its unprecedented win at the 2026 African Magic Viewers Choice Awards(AMVCA), Akinola Davies’ My Father’s Shadow was embroiled in controversy around its Nigerianess. The argument was that for a Britain-funded film, post-produced in London, and submitted to the Oscars as a British film, how Nigerian is it. Responding to this conversation, Culture Custodian contextualised this conflict. We argued that with the absence of state-structured funding for ambitious African filmmakers, they will continue to exist films with dual national identities. “The question for African criticism and policy is not whether to accept or reject these films as African. It is whether the continent can build the infrastructure to eventually make the dual passport unnecessary.”

Rwandan filmmaker, Mutiganda Wa Nkunda echoed this in his 2025 interview with Culture Custodian. He argued that African countries and decision makers need to set up national funding opportunities for filmmakers. The continent is populated with European cultural institutions with influence in each country’s creative economy. Wa Nkunda stated that although they appear as cooperations, it’s a new form of colonialism because they get to decide which project is worth funding and not. “If we have African leaders set up national funds, African filmmakers won’t have to look for external, European funds. These funds often come with the condition to shoot a project with a foreign crew. In a situation where this persists, how do we build and develop the talent and expertise of the local crew members? We need local talents and technicians to develop our industries and we can only do this if we tell our stories with our resources.”

Thus N!xau ≠Toma Film Fund and others like it holds immense historical and structural importance for Namibian and African cinema by serving as an institutional safeguard against the historical exploitation of local talent. It’s also politically and culturally symbolic to ensure that modern indigenous and local filmmakers retain ownership of their stories, claim their fair financial worth, and avoid the predatory intellectual property extraction of the past.

The fund acts as a proactive, pan-African engine designed to elevate the global competitiveness and creative diversity of Namibia’s film ecosystem. It explicitly targets the creation of active feature-length projects originated by African filmmakers, providing the necessary capital to take risks on unconventional talent, formats, and cultural storytelling. By offering structured funding for projects that showcase Namibian landscapes and cultures, the NTFF bridges local technical crews with partners from the broader African continent and diaspora. The long-term effect of this is the creation of a sustainable film ecosystem that can rely on its local talents and stories.