‘Black Women and Sex’: South African filmmaker wins at American Black Film Festival

South African filmmaker Godisamang Khunou’s powerful documentary Black Women and Sex has won Best Documentary Feature at the 2025 American Black Film Festival (ABFF) in Miami Beach. The film explores the complex and often painful relationship Black women have with sex, challenging societal taboos and reclaiming narratives of intimacy and identity.

credit: @g_khunou

The documentary follows three women: Zambian media personality Iris Kaingu, South African trans activist Glow Makatsi, and Nigerian chef Olawumi Oloye. Each woman shares deeply personal stories of shame, trauma, and empowerment, offering a raw and honest look at how culture, gender, and sexuality intersect in African communities.

Khunou was inspired to create the film after meeting a Ghanaian filmmaker in 2015 who had documented female genital mutilation. The idea stayed with her for years, eventually evolving into a six-year filmmaking journey. Despite early recognition and development awards, Khunou feared the final product wouldn’t meet expectations—making the ABFF win especially validating.

credit: @g_khunou

Although visa issues prevented Khunou and Kaingu from attending the festival, the film’s impact was still widely felt. It will next screen at South Africa’s National Arts Festival in Makhanda from June 26 to July 6, 2025. The ABFF also featured a South African art exhibition, The South African Collective, highlighting the country’s creative talent across film and visual arts.

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