Focused mainly on broadcasting abroad since its integration with the Institut français, the Cinémathèque Afrique also undertakes a distribution project through the community network in France.  

The Cinémathèque Afrique contributes to safeguarding African heritage through a restoration and digitisation programme, and puts together retrospectives and themed collections intended for international dissemination.  

Thanks to its expertise in its field, the Cinémathèque Afrique contributes to the programming of around ten festivals per month worldwide and thus helps raise the profile of African cinemas through nearly 6,000 public projections per year.

In 2012, an agreement was signed with the French National Library to take over its on-site consultation service for students and researchers.