1980–1989 — Sembene, Cisse, Mambety, and the wider canon reach international recognition.
1982 — Alile Sharon Larkin
United States
1987 — Souleymane Cisse
Mali
1989 — Idrissa Ouedraogo
Burkina Faso, France, Switzerland
1982 — Julie Dash
1984 — Ayoka Chenzira
1982 — Kathleen Collins
1982 — Souleymane Cisse
1982 — Gaston Kabore
Burkina Faso
1980 — Kwaw Ansah
Ghana
1982 — Haile Gerima