- ABOUT
Sahndra Fon Dufe did not come to the African creative industry as an observer. She came as an architect.
Sahndra Fon Dufe holds a law degree, a journalism qualification, and an MFA in Film from the New York Film Academy. She has spent over two decades operating across publishing, film, television, media, and creative infrastructure across Africa, the United States, and Europe building at the intersection of culture, systems, and scale.
She is the Founder and CEO of African Pictures International, Director of Partnerships and Media at the Silicon Valley African Film Festival, and incoming President of the Cameroon International Film Festival one of the continent's most significant institutional roles in African cinema, providing direct access to government, regulators, international buyers, and cultural institutions that no competitor can replicate or buy their way into.
She is bilingual; operating natively across Anglophone and Francophone Africa and has built active operations across Atlanta, Lagos, and Yaoundé.
The credentials are earned, not inherited.
The Track Record
2004
Commonwealth Poetry Award At a formative age, Sahndra won the Commonwealth of Nations Young Poet Contest for her poem "Dear Momma" and began hand-distributing books among schools across Cameroon's Northwest Region. An early act of cultural infrastructure that foreshadowed everything that followed. A decade later she would become the youngest published author from Cameroon.
2014
Yefon: The Red Necklace Amazon Bestseller Published and became an Amazon bestseller and the youngest published author from Cameroon. Subsequently republished by SOPECAM, Cameroon's national publishing house. The YEFON franchise has sustained over a decade of audience relevance across publishing, education, and licensing, with children's adaptations in schools and literacy programs across Cameroon. It remains one of the most enduring pieces of intellectual property in the Central African literary canon.
2014
African Oscar Nominee Nominated for Most Promising Actress establishing early cross-disciplinary credibility across both sides of the camera.
2016
Most Influential Young Cameroonian Under 30 Recognised in the category of Educational Activism the same year she led a nationwide school tour across 10 African cities reaching over 100,000+ young scholars, securing partnerships across government and private sectors.
2017 - 2019
Cultural Infrastructure at Scale Led strategic development and marketing for the Jollof Festivals across 18 U.S. cities drawing 10,000+ attendees per cycle and coordinating talent, vendors, and performers across six African countries. Simultaneously led communications for the Ankara Festivals in Los Angeles, with acquired media partnerships across Blavity, Africa News, and Afropolitan Insights. This period established her model of building cultural moments with commercial discipline.
2018 - 2023
Del-York International, Los Angeles & Lagos Served as Global Accounts Director and previously Head of Client Service at one of West Africa's most prominent communications agencies, named Best Agency in West Africa in 2021 and 2022. Led communications strategy across public and private sector campaigns spanning automotive, energy, hospitality, financial services, and government. Clients included Lagos State Government, Ogun State Government, GAC Motor, Eko Hotels, Simba Group, and the 21st Olu of Warri. Managed crisis communications at the state level and oversaw Fortune 500 editorial and messaging pipelines across multiple markets.
2021
Most Hardworking Employee, Del-York International Recognised internally during the agency's peak years the same period Del-York was nominated Best Agency in West Africa two years running.
2024
SBB Media, London & Lagos Served as Head of Content at SBB Media founded by Stephanie Busari, Head of CNN Africa leading strategy and execution for high-profile, women-focused projects including campaigns with Africa's First Ladies, the Queen of Warri Olori Atuwatse III, and productions such as MADU.
2024
Certificate of Recognition, California State Legislature Awarded by the California Legislature Assembly for selfless service and leadership at the Silicon Valley African Film Festival institutional recognition on U.S. soil for her contribution to African cinema visibility in North America.
2025
Shortlisted as a "Shining Star" presenter for the 2025 Caribbean Music Awards (CMA) held on August 29, 2025, in Brooklyn.
2025
Richard Mofe-Damijo · Radio Voice LA Premiere Delivered press and media infrastructure for the Radio Voice premiere in Los Angeles one of Nigeria's most celebrated actors on the global stage.
2025 -
Black Film Wire · Official Media Partner API's industry media platform has served as Official Media Partner for the GUBA Awards and the Silicon Valley African Film Festival, covered TIFF, and documented film premieres and festivals across three continents building institutional credibility and industry relationships that compound year on year.
2025 - 2026
Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde · Mother's Love Currently serving as strategic communications partner for Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde's directorial debut, Mother's Love an ongoing engagement spanning international festival strategy, global press rollout, and long-term positioning for one of Africa's most recognized film talents.
2026
Lights Out · First-Ever 7-Nation Cameroonian Theatrical Deal Strategic and communications partner for Lights Out by Check Sense Productions supporting what became the first-ever multi-nation theatrical distribution deal for a Cameroonian film. Seven countries, dual-language release across Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Congo, Senegal, Chad, and Madagascar, in partnership with Majestic Cinemas. API leads communications, go-to-market strategy, and PR through May 2026.
2026
Incoming President, Cameroon International Film Festival (CAMIFF) In April 2026, Sahndra assumes the Presidency of the Cameroon International Film Festival in its landmark 10th anniversary year bringing Hollywood star Blair Underwood as the face of the edition. CAMIFF is one of Central Africa's most significant cultural institutions, providing non-replicable access to government, international buyers, regulators, and the continent's creative leadership.
SELECTED SCREEN CREDITS
Sahndra Fon Dufe has worked as an actress, writer, and producer across Nollywood, Hollywood, and international independent film since 2009.
As Actress:
Standing the Rain (2009) · Video Black November (2012) · starring Kim Basinger, Mickey Rourke, and Akon Lost in Abroad (2012) · Zena One Night in Vegas (2013) · Mildred Unconditional Love (2014) · Kwuni (lead role) Rejected (2015) · Mirabel Refugees (2016) · Eurykah alongside Yvonne Nelson The Forgiven (2016) · Mother Mavis I Hate Everything (2017) · Suzi (TV Series) Fifteen Wives (2025) · Manka'a (Post-production)
Voice Over:
Madam Secretary (2017) · CBS/Sony (TV Series)
National Commercials & Print:
American Cancer Society · National TVC alongside Josh Groban & Jeri Ryan Dove · Times Square National Campaign · Print & TVC
As Writer:
Unconditional Love (2014) CJ's Dream to Hollywood (2015) · TV Series Accent Class (2016) · created by Nwannem: Sisters (Pre-production) Fifteen Wives (2025) (Post-production) Yefon (In development) · lead role + writer cast includes Isaiah Washington, Adriana Barraza, Hakeem Kae-Kazim, Leleti Khumalo, with original music by Kelly Price
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Full credits at IMDb →
"I built African Pictures International because I kept seeing the same gap extraordinary talent, extraordinary stories, and almost no infrastructure to sustain them. Not the infrastructure of production, but the deeper infrastructure: the systems that protect IP, discover talent, coordinate productions, and make monetization repeatable.
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We are not building another content studio. We are building the layer beneath content the rails that determine who captures value when African storytelling scales globally. That work requires patience, institutional access, cultural fluency, and a long memory. It is work I have been preparing for, without always knowing it, for over two decades.
This is not a moment play. It is a decade play."
— Sahndra Fon Dufe, Founder & CEO
Systems over noise. Longevity over virality. Infrastructure with soul.
The Company
African Pictures International was founded in 2012 and formally relaunched in 2024 with a sharpened strategic mandate. Headquartered in Atlanta with operations in Lagos and Yaoundé, API operates as a U.S.-based holding company across content, media, and platform infrastructure.
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The company's ecosystem spans API Studios, Black Film Wire, a suite of SaaS platforms in active development, select consultancy and strategic partnerships, and the Magic Fingers Fellowship a writer development pipeline designed to build Africa's next generation of globally competitive storytellers.
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Everything we are building is Africa-forward and diaspora-aware, designed to restore dignity through structure. Our work spans stories, systems, and infrastructure not trends or hype. We build tools and institutions that outlive moments, support creators, and correct structural imbalances.
BY THE NUMBERS
723,800+
People reached by Black Film Wire in year one
102
Countries accessing our content globally
312
Original stories published in 12 months
13+
Years building African creative infrastructure
3
Global offices in Atlanta, Lagos, Yaoundé
7
Nations in our first multi-country theatrical distribution deal