“African generosity is not charity. It is Ubuntu. I am because you are. When you give, you are not losing — you are completing yourself.”— Prof. PLO Lumumba
The Philosophy
Across Africa, a circle is never just a shape — it is a covenant. An Ubuntu Circle brings ten people together around a shared act of generosity. No one leads. Everyone gives. Everyone belongs.
The Process
Choose your giving tier — Gold, Silver, or Bronze — set the duration, and become the founding voice of your circle.
Invite nine community members. Each one pays their share to join the circle — completing the covenant of Ubuntu.
As members fulfil their pledge, the circle matures. Ancestors emerge, new branches form, and the impact spreads — season after season.
Giving Tiers
Every tier forms a circle of ten — one founder, nine members, one shared purpose.
$1,000
seed · $10,000 total circle
per person · 10 members
★ Gold-Exclusive On-Stage Experiences
Everything in Silver, plus:
$750
seed · $7,500 total circle
per person · 10 members
Everything in Bronze, plus:
$500
seed · $5,000 total circle
per person · 10 members
★ Gold-exclusive experiences — available only at the Gold Circle level · All Circle Leaders celebrated at the Oct 8–12 Induction Ceremony at the Historic Hoover Theater
The Purpose
The Silicon Valley African Film Festival exists to centre African storytelling — on screen, on stage, and in the hearts of audiences from every background. Every circle you form, every pledge you keep, carries that mission forward.
Your giving does not just fund a festival. It declares that African voices matter. That African stories endure. That the lens through which Africa sees itself belongs to Africa.
17+
Years of Impact
1,170+
Films Screened
52
Countries