As part of its landmark 10th anniversary celebrations, the Black Star International Film Festival (BSIFF), in partnership with leading creative studio Leti Arts, has launched a global initiative titled “Reimagining the Ghana Empire – A Visual Heritage Project.”
This innovative project calls on visual artists, illustrators, animators, digital creatives, and AI-assisted designers from around the world to reimagine and visually interpret life during the ancient Ghana Empire, which thrived between the 8th and 13th centuries across present-day Mauritania, Mali, and Senegal.
“African civilizations like the Ghana Empire are often overlooked or misrepresented in mainstream visual culture,” said Juliet Yaa Asantewa Asante, founder of BSIFF. “This initiative is a chance to place African history at the center of global creative storytelling — grounded in truth, innovation, and imagination.”
A Global Artistic Journey Into African Heritage
Artists are encouraged to explore rich themes such as royal life, spiritual practices, trade economies fueled by gold, architecture, communal traditions, and everyday life in the empire. Submissions should creatively balance historical accuracy with visual storytelling.
This is not simply a contest — it’s a cultural effort to build a digital archive that preserves African narratives and supports future visual and AI technologies with more authentic representations of the continent’s history.
Global Exposure and Lasting Impact
Selected artworks will be exhibited at BSIFF 2025 and included in a permanent, open-access digital collection. The goal is to give the pieces enduring global visibility while educating audiences and inspiring future generations.
Submission Deadline: August 15, 2025.
Artists must submit a high-resolution image along with a short artist statement (maximum 300 words) explaining the context or inspiration behind their work.
Artists will maintain full ownership and moral rights to their work but will grant BSIFF and Leti Arts a 20-year, non-exclusive license to use and display it for promotional and educational purposes. Creators will be credited in all exhibitions, publications, and media features associated with the project.
“This goes beyond art — it’s a movement to reclaim, preserve, and amplify African stories,” said Eyram Tawia, CEO of Leti Arts. “Our history must not only be remembered — it must be seen, shared, and owned by us.”