African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), through its development impact investment arm, the Fund for Export Development in Africa (FEDA), has appointed One Street Studios as the Co-General Partner of the Pan African Film Fund, which aims to mobilise up to US$1 billion for Africa’s film and creative industries.
Launched in May 2025 as part of the Afreximbank Creative Africa Nexus (CANEX) programme, the Pan-African Film Fund will mobilise and direct capital towards the growth of Africa’s film, television, and immersive media industries, with a view to positioning the continent as a globally competitive hub for audiovisual production and storytelling.
A news report from the African Press Organisation (APO) Group, an online medium circulated on behalf of the bank on the deal, indicated that the Fund would support a diversified portfolio spanning content production, infrastructure and distribution, through a mix of equity, quasi-equity and structured financing solutions tailored to creative industry projects.
It will also prioritise export-oriented projects with strong global distribution potential, supported by partnerships with studios, streaming platforms and distributors to ensure a robust pipeline of bankable opportunities.
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In addition to financing, the Fund will help address structural constraints across the industry by investing across the full value chain of the audiovisual sector, including supporting film and television content development and production, strengthening the global distribution of African-produced content, expanding digital streaming and exhibition platforms and developing production studios and post-production infrastructure.
According to the online medium, through this integrated approach, the Fund aims to build a globally competitive film ecosystem capable of sustaining long-term growth and positioning African storytelling on the world stage.
FEDA and One Street Studios will serve as Co-General Partners to the Fund and this strategic partnership combines finance capabilities with industry expertise to build a scalable investment platform, aligned with the continent’s rapidly expanding creative economy.
As a strategic partner, One Street Studios brings in an integrated model that merges capital with creative vision, financing, developing, and producing content from inception to screen, while bridging the diaspora and the African in support of African-owned narratives. As a fully funded studio, they invest in bold stories and overlooked storytellers, uniting project financing, publishing, and screen adaptation under one roof, to deliver distinctive stories to the global audience.
Commenting on the deal, President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Afreximbank, Dr. George Elombi, said: “The partnership between FEDA and One Street Studios is most timely and strategic as it serves as a crucial bridge uniting the diaspora with geographic Africa but also empowers our creative economy to take full ownership of our narratives, enabling us to produce what we consume and consume what we produce.”
In his remarks, Chief Executive Officer of the Pan-African Film Fund and Managing Partner at One Street Studios/JVL Media, Lavaille Lavette, stressed: “Africa’s creative industries are entering a defining moment. Through the Pan-African Film Fund, we will mobilise long-term capital that supports creators, strengthens production capacity, and builds sustainable global distribution pathways for African storytelling.”
Similarly, Chief Executive Officer of FEDA, Emmanuel Assiak, said: “African storytelling carries extraordinary cultural depth and universal relevance. Through the Pan-African Film Fund, FEDA is enabling creators to produce world-class content while connecting them with global audiences and long-term investment capital.”
Analysts believe that the appointment of the partners mark a significant milestone in Afreximbank’s broader Creative Africa Nexus (CANEX) strategy, reinforcing its commitment to transforming Africa’s creative industries into a globally competitive sector capable of driving economic growth, job creation, and cultural influence across the continent.
