The purpose of the African Women in Cinema Blog is to provide a space to discuss diverse topics relating to African women in cinema--filmmakers, actors, producers, and all film professionals. The blog is a public forum of the Centre for the Study and Research of African Women in Cinema.

Le Blog sur les femmes africaines dans le cinéma est un espace pour l'échange d'informations concernant les réalisatrices, comédiennes, productrices, critiques et toutes professionnelles dans ce domaine. Ceci sert de forum public du Centre pour l'étude et la recherche des femmes africaines dans le cinémas.

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26 July 2016

25 July 2016

Digital Lab Africa : call for projects is open | l’appel à projets est ouvert

DIGITAL LAB AFRICA
Call for projects is open
L’appel à projets est ouvert

Press Release | Communiqué de presse

SUBMIT A PROJECT
Deadline: 31 August 2016

SOUMETTRE UN PROJET
Date limite : 31 août 2016


ENGLISH (Français ci-après)

Digital Lab Africa call for projects is open to any professional or individual in multimedia creation: artists, producers, start-up, SMEs, collectives, students or entrepreneurs from Sub-Saharan Africa. The applicants have to be based in this region or being nationals of one of the Sub-Saharan African countries, provided the project development is mostly implemented locally.

4 categories of multimedia production are part of the DLA call for projects:

- Web creation/transmedia

- Virtual Reality

- Video Game (Serious Game)

- Digital Music

Download the call for projects presentation and rules 

Applicants must complete the form (one project per form) and email it to digilabafrica@gmail.com before the 31 August 2016.

Download the application form in FRENCH or ENGLISH OR complete the form online 

Please attach requested documents to the following email address: digilabafrica@gmail.com

- Presentation folder of the project including graphical / visual elements, solutions / technologies, screenplay, target audience, projected budget, business plan, production schedule (5 to 8 pages maximum).

- A beta version / preview / pilot or demo of the project if available

- A biography of the applicant/ description of the company represented (max 300 words).

- A picture (.jpeg) of the applicant

Applicants may submit several projects, but only one per category.
For any question, please contact: digilabafrica@gmail.com


FRANÇAIS

L’appel à projets Digital Lab Africa est ouvert à toutes personnes, professionnels ou non, du secteur de la création de contenus multimédia : artistes, producteurs, créateurs indépendants, start-ups, PME, collectifs, étudiants ou entrepreneurs, d’Afrique sub-saharienne. Les candidats doivent être basés dans un des pays de cette zone ou détenir la nationalité d’un des pays d’Afrique sub-saharienne, à condition que le projet soit développé en majorité localement.

Quatre catégories de productions multimédia sont concernées par l’appel à projets Digital Lab Africa :

- Web création/transmédia

- Réalité virtuelle

- Jeu vidéo (Serious Game)

- Musique en ligne

Téléchargez la présentation et le règlement de l’appel à projets

Les candidats doivent remplir le formulaire (un formulaire par projet) et le retourner par email à digilabafrica@gmail.com avant le 31 août 2016.

Téléchargez le formulaire de candidature en français ou en anglais OU remplissez le en ligne

Joindre également tous les documents requis par email à l’adresse suivante : digilabafrica@gmail.com

- un dossier de présentation du projet comprenant les éléments graphiques/visuels, solutions/outils technologiques, scénario, public visé, budget prévisionnel, plan de financement, calendrier de production

- (5 à 10 pages maximum).

- une version bêta/prototype, un pilote ou une démo du projet si disponible.

- une biographie du porteur du projet/descriptif de la société (300 mots max).

- une photo .jpeg du candidat qui soumet le projet.

Les candidats peuvent soumettre plusieurs projets mais un seul par catégorie.
Pour toute question, contactez : digilabafrica@gmail.com


24 July 2016

Amitie Code : Open call for ideas for the production of a web-series on migration, development and human rights

Amitie Code : Open call for ideas for the production of a web-series on migration, development and human rights


Deadline: 1 September 2016

The partners of the European project AMITIE CODE launch a call for ideas for the production of a web-series on migration, development and human rights.

The call is open to European independent audio-visual production companies, nongovernmental organisations and civil society ones, local organisations involved in decentralized cooperation and migrants integration, independent foundations.

The web series will be divided into 6 episodes to be filmed in the partner cities of Bologna (IT), Toulouse (FR), Hamburg (DE), Riga (LT), Loures – metropolitan area of Lisbon (PT), Seville/Andalusia (ES) and focused on:

1. The unequal relationships between developed and developing countries;

2. The global interdependency that causes every action (including individual consumer choices) to have an impact on developing and emerging countries;

3. The importance of Africa's development for nowadays Europe;
4. The results of the development cooperation, and in particular of decentralized cooperation;

5. The migrations and the routes within Africa, Latin America and Asia, and from Africa, Latin America and Asia to Europe, with special attention towards the migration flows directly involving the partner cities;

6. The human rights standard and the impact of responsible consumption.

The selected idea/project will be awarded €65.000.

You can find further information on the call and the forms to participate on AMITIE CODE website www.amitiecode.eu

All forms and all the other requested material must be sent via certified e-mail to protocollogenerale@pec.comune.bologna.it  by the 1st of September 2016.

The partners of AMITIE CODE project are:Municipality of Bologna (IT), GVC (IT), Emilia-Romagna Region (IT), FAMSI (ES), City of Loures (PT), Municipality of Reggio Emilia (IT), City of Toulouse (FR), Riga City Council (LV), University of Bologna (IT), CEI-IUL (PT), Sevilla Acoge Foundation (ES), ECCAR European Coalition of Cities Against Racism, Adult education college of Hambourg (DE), Latvian Centre for Human Rights (LV), Cittalia (IT).

STAFF
Terra di Tutti Film Festival


22 July 2016

Rwandan Clementine Dusabejambo winner of the Zanzibar International Film Festival (ZIFF) 2016 Golden Dhow for Best Short Film for “A Place for Myself"

Rwandan Clementine Dusabejambo winner of the Zanzibar International Film Festival 2016 Golden Dhow for Best Short Film for “A Place for Myself”.

Synopsis: A Place for Myself (2016), 21 min.

At a casual elementary school comes a five year old albino girl, Elikia. Due to her skin color her classmates make her realize that her being ‘different’ is more a problem than a special trait. While the neighborhood treats her as a stereotype, her mother encourages her. Together, they fight back and raise their voice to find a place for themselves.

Source: Text and Images

18 July 2016

TRAILER : Afrika Film Festival Köln 2016 - Fokus: Sisters in African Cinema


TRAILER


Sisters in African Cinema

FilmInitiativ Köln e.V.

Afrika Film Festival 2016






Sisters in African Cinema : FilmInitiativ Köln e.V. – Afrika Film Festival 2016 - Deutsch | English | Français : https://africanwomenincinema.blogspot.com/2016/07/sisters-in-african-cinema-filminitiativ.html

Sisters in African Cinema : FilmInitiativ Köln e.V. – Afrika Film Festival 2016 - Deutsch | English | Français


Deutsch | English | Français

PRESS RELEASE | INFO DE PRESSE | PRESSE-INFO

[ENGLISH]

14th Cologne African Film Festival (15-25 September 2016)
83 films from 25 African countries and 30 international guests

Theme: Sisters in African Cinema

Under the patronage of: Mallence & Patrice Bart-Williams

Award-winning feature films, documentaries and short films from Africa’s major film festivals (Ouagadougou, Tunis, Durban, Zanzibar…), new releases from the global African diaspora, a thematic focus on Sisters in African Cinema with current films made by directors of African origin and a podium discussion, plus three live music acts, an exhibition, a reading and screenings for schools and children – that’s what the programme for the 14th African film festival held by FilmInitiativ Köln e.V. from 15 to 25 September 2016 has to offer this year.

There are previews all over Cologne for several months before the festival to get you in the mood:
* a South African children’s film (ZAMBEZIA) at the African summer festival at the Northside youth centre in Chorweiler (4.6.)
* Feature films from North Africa (STARVE YOUR DOG) and the African diaspora (MAY ALLAH BLESS FRANCE) at the Filmhauskino and Odeon cinemas as part of the “Kölner Kino Nächte” festival (8.7. and 9.7.)
* A cinematic look at the subject of development policy at the AKWAABA Africa dayat the Rautenstrauch-Joest Museum (27.8.)
* Short films made by black German filmmakers as part of the “Art&Amen” cultural event at St Michael’s church on Brüsseler Platz (9.9.)
* An animated feature film from the Ivory Coast (AYA OF YOP CITY) at the monthly cinema day at Institut Français (14.9.)

Filmmakers from Ethiopia, Cameroon, Kenya, South Africa, Sudan and Tunisia have been invited to join us for the opening of the festival (15.9., Filmforum in Museum Ludwig). Mallence Bart-Williams and her brother, the Cologne-born, internationally recognised musician Patrice, have taken on patronage duties for the festival. To kick off the festival, they will show a short film that they shot in Sierra Leone. The Afro-American writer and filmmaker Beti Ellerson, who writes a blog on the role of women in African cinema, will introduce this year’s theme of Sisters in African Cinema, and the band SISTERS (Onejiru, Nicole Hadfield, Mamadee Wappler & Meli Wharton) will provide the accompanying soundtrack with a live performance.

The opening film A PEINE J’OUVRE LES YEUX has already won dozens of prizes at international festivals and it will get its start in German cinemas at the screening here in Cologne, with Tunisian director Leyla Bouzid in attendance. We have another cinema preview in store with the feature film HEDI (18.9.), for which Tunisian actor Madj Mastoura won the Silver Bear for Best Actor at the Berlinale 2016.

Other highlights of the eleven-day programme include feature films from Egypt, Algeria, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Mauritius, Morocco and South Africa, documentaries about Islamic militants in Somalia, the use of music to heal war trauma in Sudan, the African cinema pioneer Ousmane Sembène from Senegal and Nollywood cinema in Nigeria, as well as short films from Libya, cinematic discoveries from all corners of Africa and the presentation of “visual art” from Africa.

FilmInitiativ consulted directors from five countries when compiling its film programme for the Sisters in African Cinema theme. From the long list of suggestions, we finally selected 33 feature films, documentaries and short films that will give you an insight into the current filmmaking exploits of women in 13 African countries and from the African diaspora. The selected films stand as examples of the huge diversity in terms of content, cinematic styles and genres. At a podium discussion, directors from Tunisia, Cameroon, Kenya and South Africa will debate the current standing of women in the African filmmaking world (18.9.).

Guests are also invited to the screening of the documentary FEMINISM INSH’ALLAH to discuss the history and current status of the women’s movement in North Africa with Tunisian director Feriel Ben Mahmoud (25.9.). For its “Sisters” theme, FilmInitiativ received funding from the German Federal Cultural Foundation (Kulturstiftung des Bundes) for the first time. This not only allowed us to provide German subtitles for many of the films, but we were also able to invite a number of directors to the festival in Cologne, and have the films shown in other German cities, including Hamburg, Münster, Osnabrück, Saarbrücken, Freiburg, Berlin and Bayreuth. This project illustrates the transregional significance of the Cologne African film festival as the largest of its kind in Germany and one of the biggest in Europe.

Further funding was provided for the festival by the city of Cologne’s Office for Cultural Affairs (Kulturamt) and Engagement Global, the funding department of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). In addition to this, the festival was able to acquire dozens of supporters and cooperative partners for the 2016 edition.

There will be an event with films, readings, live music and African guests at the Central Library (Zentralbibliothek), for example, with the title Africa 2016: cool, creative and visionary (19.9.), and a discussion event at Filmclub 813 with a film on the revolution in Burkina Faso with the director in attendance, in cooperation with the africologneFESTIVAL (20.9.).

The festival programme also includes two school screenings with feature films and animations for older (16.9.) and younger (23.9.) school classes, a South African animated film to mark Cologne’s World Children’s Day celebrations (18.9.), plus the awarding of audience prizes for the best feature film (sponsored by choices magazine) and best documentary (sponsored by WDR’s documentary film department). Rapper AWA (African Women Arise) from Zimbabwe will also perform, before the festival is brought to a close by the Moroccan film L’ORCHESTRE DES AVEUGLES on 25.9.

For festival pre-announcements and reports on festival-related events, plus meetings and discussions with the international guests, FilmInitiativ will gladly provide screener copies of films (via link or DVD) as well as press photos and background material.

For interview requests or other queries, please email us at mail@filminitiativ.de or call us on +49 – 221 – 46 96 243.

Contact persons: Christa Aretz, Esther Donkor, Sebastian Fischer, Karl Rössel
Extensive information on the festival will be available on the website www.filme-aus-afrika.de/EN from August. You can already watch the festival trailer on the site.
(Category: “Out of Europe” festival)

[FRANÇAIS]

14ième Festival du film africain à Cologne (15-25. Septembre 2016)
83 films de 25 pays africains & 30 invités internationaux

Thème: Sisters in African Cinema

Des longs métrages, des documentaires et des courts métrages primés aux plus grands festivals du continent africain (Ouagadougou, Tunis, Durban, Zanzibar …), des nouvelles productions de la diaspora africaine mondiale et l’accent sur les Sisters in African Cinema avec des films actuels de réalisatrices d’origine africaine qui discuteront sur une table ronde. Trois spectacles musicaux, une exposition, une lecture et des films pour les enfants et pour les écoliers – tout cela fera parti du 14ième Festival du Film Africain de FilmInitiativ e.V., qui aura lieu du 15 au 25 Septembre 2016. Des avant-premières seront montrées quelques mois avant le festival tout autour de Cologne, par exemple :
· un film sud-africain (ZAMBEZIA) pour enfants lors de la fête d’été africaine dans le centre de jeunesse Northside à Chorweiler (4.6.).
· des longs métrages de l’Afrique du Nord (STARVE YOUR DOG) et de la diaspora africaine (QU’ALLAH BÉNISSE LA FRANCE ) lors des « Nuits de cinéma » à Cologne au Filmhauskino et au Odeon (8.7. & 9.7.)
· une contribution cinématographique au sujet de l’aide du développement lors de la journée africaine « Akwaaba » au musée Rautenstrauch-Joest (27.8.)
· des courts métrages de réalisatrices/réalisateurs afro-allemands dans le cadre de « Art&Amen », un évènement culturel à l’église St- Michael au Brüsseler Platz (14.9.)
· un film d’animation de la Côte d’Ivoire (AYA DE YOUPOUGON) au l’Institut français (14.9.)

Pour l’ouverture du festival (le 15 Septembre au Filmforum Museum Ludwig) des réalisateurs et réalisatrices de l’Ethiopie, du Cameroun, du Kenya, du Soudan et de la Tunisie seront invités. Mallence Bart-Williams et son frère, le musicien originaire de Cologne mondialement connu Patrice, assument le parrainage du festival. A l’occasion de l’ouverture ils présenteront un court métrage filmé au Sierra Leone. L’auteur afro-américaine Beti Ellerson, qui possède un blog sur le rôle des femmes dans le cinéma africain, introduira le thème Sisters in African Cinema, pendant que le groupe SISTERS (Onejiru, Nicole Hadfield, Mamadee Wappler & Meli Wharton) l’accompagnera avec de la musique.

Le film d’ouverture A PEINE J’OUVRE LES YEUX a déjà gagné des douzaines de prix aux festivals internationaux et éprouvera son début en Allemagne lors de sa présentation au festival de Cologne. La réalisatrice du film, Leyla Bouzid, sera sur place. Le long métrage HEDI (18.9.), pour lequel l’acteur tunisien Madj Mastoura a reçu le prix « Silberner Bär » comme meilleur acteur à la Berlinale 2016 fera aussi parti d’une des prévisualisations du festival. Autres points forts du programme de onze jours sont des longs métrages de l’Egypte, l’Algérie, du Burkina Faso, la Côte d’Ivoire, l’Ile Maurice, du Maroc et de l’Afrique du Sud, et des documentations sur les combattants islamistes en Somalie. L’utilisation de musique contre les traumatismes de guerre au Soudan et le pionnier Ousmane Sembène du Senegal ont leur place dans le programmes, également le cinéma Nollywood du Nigéria, des court métrages de la Lybie, des découvertes
cinématographiques de tout les coins du continent africain et la présentation de « Visual Art » de l’Afrique.

Pour le sujet thématique du festival Sisters in African cinema Filminitiativ a été conseillé par des réalisatrices de cinq pays pour la compilation des films. 33 films ont été choisis d’une longue liste, et donnent un aperçu sur le travail cinématographe actuel de femmes en 13 pays africains ainsi que de la diaspora. Ceci sont exemplaires pour la diversité des sujets, des approches esthétiques et des genres. Des réalisatrices tunisiennes, camerounaises, kényanes et sud-africaines discuteront la position des femmes dans la création cinématographique (18.9.). La documentation FEMINISM INSH’ALLAH invite à une discussion avec la réalisatrice Feriel Ben Mahmoud sur l’histoire et la situation actuelle du movement féministe en Afrique du nord (25.9.).

Pour le sujet thématique du festival « Sisters » Filminitiativ a reçu pour la première fois des subventions de la Kulturstiftung des Bundes (fondation culturelle de la fédération). Ceci a permis le sous-titrage de nombreux films et l’invitation de beaucoup de réalisateurs et réalisatrices au festival de Cologne. Il a aussi été possible de transmettre plusieurs films dans d’autres villes allemandes (Hambourg, Münster-Osnabrück, Saarbrücken, Fribourg, Berlin et Bayreuth). Ce projet montre l’importance que le Festival du Film Africain de Cologne a gagné en Allemagne et en Europe entant que le plus grand et plus important festival de son genre.

Autres sponsors principaux du festival sont le bureau de culture de la ville de Cologne (Kulturamt) et Engagement Global, le département engagée à la promotion de l’éducation à l’aide du développement du BMZ (ministère de l’économie et aide au développement). En effet, de nombreux sponsors et partenaires de coopérations ont pu assurer leur collaboration pour le festival de 2016.

Un spectacle nommé Afrika 2016: Cool, kreativ und visionär (L’Afrique: cool, créative et visionnaire) aura lieu à la bibliothèque centrale auquel les spectateurs pourront voir et écouter un film, de la musique et une lecture avec les invités africains (19.9.). Un évènement entouré d’une discussion aura lieu au Filmclub 813 (20.9.). Cet évènement, une coopération avec le festival de théâtre africologne, parlera de la révolution au Burkina Faso accompagné d’un film et avec la présence du réalisateur.

Deux représentations scolaires font partie du programme du festival ; des longs métrages et des dessins animés pour les plus jeunes classes (23.9.) et plus âgés (16.9.), un dessin animé sud-africain à l’occasion de la journée mondiale de l’enfant (18.9.)

La remise du prix du public pour le meilleur long-métrage (sponsorisé par le magazine choices) et pour le meilleur film documentaire (sponsorisée par la rédaction de film du WDR) aura lieu durant la soirée de cloture. A cette occasion, la rappeuse AWA (African Women Arise) du Zimbabwe viendra sur scène avant que le festival prenne fin avec le film marocain L’ORCHESTRE DES AVEUGLES (25.9.).

Pour toutes annonces préliminaires auprès du festival et des comptes rendus auprès de son déroulement, ainsi que les discussions avec nos invités internationaux Filminitiativ mettra des copies de films (à travers un lien ou une DVD) ainsi que des photos de presse et des documentations à disposition.
Pour plus d’informations, veuillez nous contacter à l’adresse suivante :
mail@filminitiativ.de ou au tel. 0049 – 221 – 46 96 243.

Interlocuteurs : Christa Aretz, Esther Donkor, Sebastian Fischer, Karl Rössel .
Vous trouverez des informations détaillées sur le site web à partir du mois d’ âout
www.filme-aus-afrika.de/FR. La bande annonce est également déjà disponible
(Catégories: Festival « Au-delà de l’Europe »).

[DEUTSCH] 

14. Afrika Film Festival Köln (15. – 25. September 2016)
83 Filme aus 25 Ländern Afrikas & 30 internationale Gäste

Fokus: Sisters in African Cinema

Schirmherrschaft: Mallence & Patrice Bart-Williams

Preisgekrönte Spiel-, Dokumentar- und Kurzfilme von den wichtigsten Festivals des afrikanischen Kontinents (Ouagadougou, Tunis, Durban, Sansibar...), neue
Produktionen aus der weltweiten afrikanischen Diaspora, den Schwerpunkt Sisters in African Cinema mit aktuellen Filmen von Regisseurinnen afrikanischer Herkunft und einer Podiumsdiskussion, drei Live-Musik-Acts, eine Ausstellung, eine Lesung sowie Schul- und Kindervorführungen – das bietet das Programm des 14. Afrika Film Festivals von FilmInitiativ Köln e.V., das vom 15. bis 25. September 2016 stattfindet.

Previews zur Einstimmung gibt es bereits einige Monate vor dem Festival quer durch Köln, so z.B.:
* einen südafrikanischen Kinderfilm (ZAMBEZIA) beim Afrikanischen Sommerfest im Jugendzentrum Northside in Chorweiler (4.6.)
* Spielfilme aus Nordafrika (STARVE YOUR DOG, Filmforum im Museum Ludwig) und der afrikanischen Diaspora (QU’ALLAH BÉNISSE LA FRANCE, präsentiert im Rahmen des Programms „Meine Kino Nacht“ von Shary Reeves im Odeon) bei den Kölner Kinonächten (8.7. & 9.7.)
* einen cineastischen Beitrag zum Thema Entwicklungspolitik beim AKWAABAAfrika-
Tag im Rautenstrauch-Joest-Museum (27.8.)
* Kurzfilme Schwarzer deutscher FilmemacherInnen in der Kulturreihe „Art&Amen“ der Kirche St. Michael am Brüsseler Platz (9.9.)
* einen Animations-Spielfilm aus der Elfenbeinküste (AYA DE YOUPOUGON) am
monatlichen Kinotag des Institut Français am Vorabend des Festivalbeginns (14.9.)

Zur Eröffnung des Festivals (am 15.9., Filmforum im Museum Ludwig) sind Filmschaffende aus Äthiopien, Kamerun, Kenia, Südafrika, Sudan und Tunesien eingeladen. Mallence Bart-Williams und ihr Bruder, der aus Köln stammende international bekannte Musiker Patrice, haben die Schirmherrschaft des Festival
übernommen. Sie stellen zum Auftakt einen Kurzspielfilm vor, den sie in Sierra Leone gedreht haben. Die afroamerikanische Autorin und Filmemacherin Beti Ellerson, die einen Blog zur Rolle von Frauen im afrikanischen Kino betreibt, wird den Fokus Sisters in African Cinema einleiten und die Band SISTERS (Onejiru, Nicole Hadfield, Mamadee Wappler & Meli Wharton) wird dazu live den passenden Soundtrack präsentieren. Der Eröffnungsfilm A PEINE J’OUVRE LES YEUX hat bereits Dutzende Preise bei internationalen Festivals gewonnen und erlebt mit seiner Vorführung beim Kölner Festival in Anwesenheit der tunesischen Regisseurin Leyla Bouzid seinen bundesweiten Kinostart. Als Kino-Preview läuft ebenso der Spielfilm HEDI (18.9.), für den der tunesische Schauspieler Madj Mastoura bei der Berlinale 2016 mit dem Silbernen Bären als bester Darsteller ausgezeichnet wurde.

Zu weiteren Highlights des elftägigen Programms gehören Spielfilme aus Ägypten, Algerien, Burkina Faso, der Elfenbeinküste, Mauritius, Marokko und Südafrika ebenso wie Dokumentationen über islamistische Kämpfer in Somalia, über den Einsatz von Musik gegen Kriegstraumata im Sudan, ein cineastisches Portrait des senegalesischen Kino-Pioniers Ousmane Sembène und eine selbstkritische Vorstellung des nigerianischen Nollywood-Kinos. Die Kurzfilm-Programme präsentierten aktuelle Produktionen aus Libyen, cineastische Entdeckungen aus allen Teilen des afrikanischen Kontinents sowie „Visual Art“ aus Afrika.

Bei der Zusammenstellung der Filme für den Schwerpunkt Sisters in African Cinema wurde FilmInitiativ von Regisseurinnen aus fünf Ländern beraten. Aus einer langen Vorschlagsliste wurden schließlich 33 Spiel-, Dokumentar- und Kurzfilme ausgewählt, die einen Überblick über das aktuelle Filmschaffen von Frauen in 13 afrikanischen Ländern sowie in der Diaspora bieten und beispielhaft für die Vielfalt der Inhalte, filmästhetischen Herangehensweisen und Genres stehen.

Bei einer Podiumsdiskussion erörtern Regisseurinnen aus Tunesien, Kamerun, Kenia und Südafrika die Stellung von Frauen im heutigen afrikanischen Filmschaffen (18.9.) und die Dokumentation FEMINISM INSH’ALLAH lädt dazu ein, mit der tunesischen Regisseurin Feriel Ben Mahmoud über Geschichte und Stand der Frauenbewegung in Nordafrika zu diskutieren (25.9.).

Für den Sisters-Schwerpunkt des Festivals erhielt FilmInitiativ erstmals Fördergelder der Kulturstiftung des Bundes. Diese erlauben nicht nur die deutsche Untertitelung vieler Filme, sondern auch die Einladung zahlreicher Regisseurinnen zum Festival in Köln sowie die Vermittlung von Filmen in weitere bundesdeutsche Städte (von Hamburg über Münster, Osnabrück, Saarbrücken, Freiburg und Berlin bis nach Bayreuth). Das Projekt illustriert die überregionale Bedeutung, die das Kölner Afrika Film Festival als größtes seiner Art in Deutschland und eines der bedeutendsten in Europa inzwischen gewonnen hat.

Weitere Hauptförderer des Festivals sind das Kulturamt der Stadt Köln und Engagement Global, die Förderabteilung für entwicklungspolitische Bildung des BMZ. Darüber hinaus konnten für das Festival 2016 wieder Dutzende Unterstützerinnen und Kooperationspartner gewonnen werden.

So findet z.B. eine Veranstaltung mit Film, Lesung, Live-Musik und afrikanischen Gästen unter dem Titel Afrika 2016: Cool, kreativ und visionär in der Zentralbibliothek statt (19.9.) und eine Diskussionsveranstaltung mit Film und Regisseur zur Revolution in Burkina Faso in Kooperation mit dem africologneFESTIVAL im Filmclub 813 (20.9.).

Zum Festivalprogramm gehören schließlich noch zwei Schulvorstellungen mit Spielund Animationsfilmen für ältere (16.9.) und jüngere (23.9.) Klassen, ein südafrikanischer Zeichentrickfilm zum Kölner Weltkindertags-Fest (18.9.) sowie die Verleihung von Publikumspreisen für den besten Spielfilm (gestiftet von der Zeitschrift choices) und für die beste Dokumentation (gestiftet von der Dokumentarfilmredaktion des WDR). Dazu wird die Rapperin AWA (African Women Arise) aus Zimbabwe auftreten, bevor das Festival mit dem
marokkanischen Abschlussfilm L’ORCHESTRE DES AVEUGLES am 25.9. zu Ende geht.

Für Vorankündigungen des Festivals und Berichte über dessen Verlauf und die
Diskussionen mit den internationalen Gästen stellt FilmInitiativ gerne Sichtkopien von Filmen (per Link oder DVD) sowie Pressefotos und Hintergrundmaterialien zur Verfügung. Anfragen und Interviewwünsche bitte an:
mail@filminitiativ.de oder telefonisch (+49 – 221 – 46 96 243)
AnsprechpartnerInnen: Christa Aretz, Esther Donkor, Sebastian Fischer, Karl Rössel Ausführliche Informationen zum Festival finden sich ab August auf der Internetseite www.filme-aus-afrika.de. Der Festival-Trailer kann dort bereits gesichtet werden.

17 July 2016

Call for Entries! | Àppel à films : UDADA Film Festival 2016 (Kenya)

UDADA Film Festival : 
Call for Entries! | Àppel à films
3rd | 3è Edition 
Nairobi, Kenya
2016 23–28 October | 23-28 Octobre


PRESS RELEASE | ANNONCE

Call for Entries! | Àppel à films
Deadline | Date limite :  31 07 2016



The Third edition of UDADA (Sisterhood) Film Festival will be held from the 23rd – 28th October 2016. The Udada Women’s Film Festival is the first in the region and the second in the continent to feature Women’s fiction film productions.

La 3ème édition d’UDADA (Sororité/solidarité féminine) se déroulera du 23 au 28 octobre 2016, à Nairobi (Kenya). L’Udada Women’s Film Festival (Udada festival de femmes) est le premier dans la région et le deuxième sur le continent à mettre en exergue les films réalisés par des femmes.


Women filmmakers, especially in Africa, have been usually relegated to second place. As a festival we believe that through this initiative we will be able to provide a platform for established and emerging female talent in this industry to exhibit their work, discuss, exchange and network with each other, the public and other stakeholders.

Les réalisatrices, particulièrement en Afrique, ont été reléguées au deuxième rang. Donc, au tant que festival nous croyons que à travers cette initiative nous serons en mesure de fournir une plate-forme pour les talents féminins établis et émergeants dans l’industrie cinématographique, d’exposer leurs œuvres, de discuter, d’échanger, et de travailler en réseau entre elles, le public et les parties prenantes.


This year’s theme is: 
The African Woman: Reflections and Perceptions. 
We shall showcase films made by African women or about African women from all over that reflect African women filmmakers from all over the world.

Le thème de cette année: 
La Femme Africaine : Réflexions et Perceptions
Nous visons à présenter les films réalisés par les femmes africaines ou à leur sujet, reflétant les réalisatrices africaines venues du monde entier.


The Festival will screen short and full-length feature films, documentaries, animation and experimental films.

Le Festival projettera des films de tous les genres: courts et longs métrages, documentaires, animations, et films expérimentaux.


General Rules | Les règlements généraux 

Production must be completed after June 2014.

Les films doivent avoir été produits après juin 2014.


The films must be by African women or about African women from around the world.

Les films doivent être réalisés par les femmes africaines ou sur le sujet des femmes africaines de n'importe où dans le monde.


Submission copies must be PAL format DVD. An English language track or subtitled version is required.

Les copies doivent être soumis en DVD format PAL. Les films qui sont dans les langues d’autres que l'anglais doivent être doublés ou sous-titrés en anglais.


Films can also be submitted online if they are uploaded and a link is provided.

Les films peuvent être soumis aussi en ligne (en indiquant l’adresse complet du lien).


UDADA Film Festival proudly accepts entries via FilmFreeway.com, the world's best online submission platform. FilmFreeway offers free HD online screeners, unlimited video storage, digital press kits, and more. Click to submit with FilmFreeway: https://filmfreeway.com/festival/UDADAFilmFestival

L’UDADA Film Festival accepte les films via FilmFreeway.com. Cliquez ici pour soumettre votre film sur FilmFreeway : https://filmfreeway.com/festival/UDADAFilmFestival


Submissions will not be processed unless all the following have been received:
*Completed Entry form
*3 copies of film/video in PAL DVD

Les submissions ne seront acceptés que si tous les elements seront reçus :

*La fiche d’inscription completée
*3 copies du film/video en PAL DVD

Send hard copies to:
Envoyez les submissions par courier postal à :

Udada Film Festival
℅ Wanjiru Kinyanjui
P.O BOX 910-00511
Ongata Rongai- Kajiado, Kenya




15 July 2016

Nijla Mu’min’s “Jinn”, A Film About Identity, Islam and First Love

Nijla Mu’min’s “Jinn”, A Film About Identity, Islam and First Love

In a time of mounting fear and misunderstanding of Islam and Muslims, in the West, Nijla Mu’min’s film, Jinn attempts to show a realistic side based on her own experiences growing up in the East Bay Area in the United States. As a filmmaker she wants to tell “stories about black girls and women who find themselves between worlds and identities.” (Nijla Mu’min website)

Nijla Mu’min had this to say about why she made Jinn:

I am tired of seeing the same recycled images of Muslims when I watch the news, go online, or hear people talk about them in public. None of those Muslims resemble the Muslims I grew up with or know… I thirst for something different, so I created it. (Kickstarter)

Nijla Mu’min reached her $25,000 Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign goal in early 2016 with a pledge of $27,894 by 398 backers.

Jinn synopsis

In this millennial coming of age dramedy, a teen girl’s life is abruptly turned upside down when her mother converts to Islam, sending her on a quest for self-definition. A fun, fresh exploration of identity, Islam, first love, and millennial culture. 

13 July 2016

Call for films: Imagine This 1st Annual Women’s International Film Festival - 12-13 November 2016 – New York City

IMAGINE THIS
presents its
1st Annual Women’s International Film Festival


Source: Imagine This Production http://www.imaginethisprods.com 


ANNOUNCEMENT

Imagine This is proud to announce its first annual Women's International Film Festival to be held on 12-13 November 2016.

The Women's International Film Festival will be based in NYC devoted to supporting films produced, directed, and written by women from all walks of life from all over the world. 

ITP's mission is to showcase the work of women storytellers from around the world, and bring artist and the community together for a rich experience that is supported by networking and informative information.   

A two-day event that will take place in November will feature screenings, opening night networking, and a closing award ceremony. We hope to attract attendees throughout the Tri-State and hope to gain attendees around the country and the world.


10 July 2016

Zulfah Otto Sallies (1961-2016) – Acclaimed Bo-Kaap filmmaker, writer and playwright has passed away

Zulfah Otto Sallies (1961-2016) – Acclaimed Bo-Kaap filmmaker, writer and playwright has passed away

Source: SABC News Western Cape, 9 July 2016

The death of prominent Bo-Kaap film-maker and writer, Zulfah Otto-Sallies, has been greeted with sadness and shock. She died yesterday at the age of 55, after suffering complications due to a stroke. Otto-Sallies was an influential figure in the Cape Town film and art industry. She wrote the well known theatre production 'Diekie vannie Bokaap' which was later turned into a book. Her later works include a short film, 'Raya', and a documentary titled 'Through the Eyes of my Daughter'. TV producer, Jackie Lourens, who has known Otto-Sallies for 20 years, says she was an activist who stood up for women and her community. "She was a strong character who wasn't scared to speak out on subjects and matters and felt passionate about it. But with that was a lovely personality. She was loved by most people. I think she put the Muslim woman on the map. All the stigma's, Zulfah showed you could still be very much a woman with a strong culture and beliefs and you can still be part of the bigger community."

She had this to say during an interview with me for the African Women in Cinema Blog in 2011:

I grew up in a society that was culturally very strong.  The Cape Malay identity was engrained into our psyche it gave us a sense of belonging and assurance that our culture was an important one.  It was a case of having a thousand mothers. Where every mother in the neighbourhood could reprimand you, check that you tow the line.  Neighbours played an important role in our upbringing.  Every home in the neighborhood was one that you could frequent as your own.  A place to hide when your parents were angry with you, a place where lending a cup of sugar, a tomato was a common phenomenon. Religion is the backbone of the culture and forms the basis of the moral values of the Malay culture.  The Cape Malay culture for me meant very much there is a time and place for everything.  New Years Eve meant standing in Wale Street watching the Malay choirs parade.  2nd New Year saw the Cape Minstrels parade.  These cultural events shaped the Bo-Kaap, that still boast as one of the safest areas in Cape Town.  I started to read the works of Rumi as a teenager and could then not understand much.  These works inspired me so much that I resorted to writing poetry at a very young age.  Mystical poets began to shape my love for literature.  I would later venture into various art forms, writing of novels, short stories, film scripts, plays and later resort to making my own films.  It is my passion for Bo-Kaap, a place where I still reside that makes waking up in the morning pure bliss when you have the privilege of waking up to Table Mountains greetings of the day. 

Girl filmmaker Zuriel Oduwole Teaches Youths Film Making in Lagos

Girl filmmaker Zuriel Oduwole Teaches Youths Film Making in Lagos

Zuriel Oduwole Projects Press Release
7 July 2016, Lagos, Nigeria

A firm believer in the need for all children but especially Girls to get educated, Los Angeles/ Nigerian native Zuriel Oduwole has expanded her skill transfer program, this time to children from the low income Ibeju - Lekki area of Lagos State and kids from the Makoko slum area of Lagos mainland. 

Earlier in June in parts of Abuja, she spent it teaching children elements of her Film Making '101' program, as part of her DUSUSU Foundation's efforts to reduce the number of out of school and non skilled youths in the country.


08 July 2016

Aïcha Macky : The Fruitless Tree | L'Arbre sans fruit

The Fruitless Tree by Aïcha Macky, an analysis by Olivier Barlet

Translation from French by Beti Ellerson for the African Women in Cinema Blog. (An African Women in Cinema Blog/Africultures collaboration). 

The jury of the Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) in June 2016 granted its documentary prize to The Fruitless Tree by Aïcha Macky, co-produced by Sani Magori who won the same trophy in 2009 with the excellent For the Best and for the Onion! Both of these films, which come from the training/ production circuit Africadoc, are part of the Lumières du monde collection.

Aïcha Elhadj Macky was only five years old when her mother died after childbirth. It is this trauma that Aïcha, who is married, still without children, reconstructs in this film about infertility and its disorder. She starts with childbirth: the calm and the advice of the midwife, the fatigue of the mother, the arrival of the child. Then a spoken letter that refers back to it: "Dear Mother, behind the camera, I tremble throughout my body"; and before concluding: "In my sleepless nights, your spirit guides my steps."

This film speaks to us, as it knows how to build on the emotion of this personal implication, as an interrogation of society, a question posed to all of us. The task was not easy, as the subject remains taboo in Nigerien society. How to convince one to share? How to film a face that does not want to be seen? Aïcha Macky accomplishes this very well. With her small technical team, she has an eye for detail, the lighting, the mood. The camera, the editing, are of great tenderness. The testimonials are subtle conversations, where she displays the quality of attentiveness, of glances, of silences. It was necessary to have this level of sensitivity in order to show these very delicate issues in an environment where sex remains a taboo subject, where a woman does not have the right to go uncovered.

Already, her first film, Savoir faire le lit (To know how to make the bed), with which she returned from Senegal having completed a Masters in creative documentary filmmaking at the University of Gaston Berger in Saint Louis, described how the knowledge of the art of seduction and sexual intercourse was transmitted between mother and daughter. She was warned of the repercussions she would face in her country Niger—scandal, repudiation, and banishment: it didn’t happen. The film was well received, screened in schools and universities, and was the catalyst for much debate; evidence that African societies are not static.

Must one have a child in order to accomplish her personal life as a woman? For Aïcha, who is labeled as a "tree without fruit", it was with this film that she could assert herself above all as a woman among mothers—a place that requires courage and determination, but that will give courage to the many women confronted with men’s indifference towards their suffering, the suspicion and rejection of husbands and their families, the taking of co-wives to ensure fertility, the rip-offs of some marabouts... Women's rights are perceptively discussed, clearly but without a banner, notably through the comments of an imam at the Islamic school who encourages pursuing a divorce if the marriage does not lead to the woman’s enjoyment and pleasure in the same way it does for the man, and to file a grievance to the religious leaders in the case of refusal.

This is the unspoken that Aïcha confronts head-on, this unsaid that endures contempt and suffering. She is not satisfied to only denounce the plight of women who are rejected because of infertility; on the basis of the testimony of those who fight for their dignity, she demands the ability to control one’s own destiny. This film, hence, is a project; not only to correct these practices, but also and above all acting through the positioning of agent, to tell through word and image; and in this way to speak to the world and contribute to change.

LIRE l’article en intégralité sur http://www.africultures.com/ 

Published on the African Women in Cinema Blog in partnership with Africultures | Publié sur l'African Women in Cinema Blog en partenariat avec Africultures

05 July 2016

Amaka's Kin - The Women Of Nollywood, a documentary by Tope Oshin

Amaka's Kin - The Women Of Nollywood, a documentary by Tope Oshin


Dedicated to the memory of Nollywood Amazon Filmmaker Amaka Igwe (1963-2014), Amaka's Kin chronicles the journey and challenges of the very few female Directors working in the Nigerian motion picture industry popularly known as Nollywood.

In a terrain otherwise tagged as "for men", Amaka's Kin seeks to examines the careers of the very few female directors practicing in the very male dominated Nigerian film industry, widely known as Nollywood; their journey and pain, their joys and the challenges and hurdles they had to jump to become directors of film, and by extension celebrates the success of the career of the most prominent female director of film, the late Amaka Igwe, who was pivotal to the growth and development of Nollywood and indeed an inspiration to The Women of Nollywood.

Amaka’s Kin – The Women of Nollywood features Nollywood's leading women directors: Mildred Okwo, Omoni Oboli, Lowla Dee, Blessing Effiom Egbe, Ema Edosio, Adeola Osunkojo, Stephanie Okereke, Michelle Bello, Jadesola Osiberu, Patience Oghre Imobhio, Belinda Yanga-Agedah, Tope Oshin



Profile of Tope Oshin (Source: topeoshin.com)

Tope Oshin who has been named one of Africa's Leading Women, Nigeria's Most Inspiring Women, and on the Top 7 Power Women in Nigerian Film, is a multiple award-winning motion picture professional who studied Theatre Arts, T.V & Film Production from the Lagos State University, Nigeria, and then Filmmaking at Colorado Film School, USA, and also an alumni of Berlinale Talents and Talents Durban.

She directed 350 episodes of Africa's biggest daily soap opera Tinsel and 96 episodes of popular African tele-novella Hotel Majestic. Other credits are multiple award winning films, and soon-to-be-released documentary Amaka’s Kin.

Among her producing credits are 26 made-for-TV movies, talk shows, the soap opera - Tinsel (as Box/Content Producer) and 2015 BFI premiered theatrical feature Fifty directed by Biyi Bandele, amongst others. She has also cast several projects and notable among them are MTV Europe’s drama series Shuga 3 & 4.

Within her experience as Supervising Producer and Production Consultant, she has accepted and reviewed over 40 screenplays from writers and filmmakers in readiness for production. Also consulted on and supervised the production of over 25 TV film productions, working with over 26 young filmmakers to develop their projects from concept to final cut; and also lent her voice and skill as a facilitator at several film and storytelling workshops in Nigeria.

Tope, who has served as Juror for the International Emmy Awards 2015, Eko International Film Festival 2015, and the AMVCA (Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards) 2016,  has been featured on CNN twice; on CNN'S INSIDE AFRICA and CNN.COM, and also on German TV, DW Deutshe Welle TV while attending Berlinale 2015.

Currently working underground developing her next film and tv projects, Tope is open to international collaborations and partnerships.

Related links on the African Women in Cinema Blog


03 July 2016

Sade Oyinade “Yemi’s Dilemma” Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign continues

Sade Oyinade “Yemi’s Dilemma” Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign continues

Source: Indiegogo

Synopsis:
Yemi’s Dilemma is the story of three sisters, a wedding and a family torn apart because of it.  The sisters are first generation Nigerian-American.  The eldest, Yemi, is expected to marry a Nigerian man, but she's keeping a huge secret from her traditional Nigerian parents that will forever change the dynamic within the family for better and for worse.

About the Director & Producer:
Writer/Director/Producer: Sade Oyinade is the Senior Producer on the award-winning TV One shows “Unsung” and “Unsung Hollywood” - both series that celebrate African American artists, music and movies. She directed the short Who Do You Know?, a film about HIV in the black community.  It received positive reviews in Arts & Understanding  magazine, became a featured selection of the 2013 Pan African Film Festival and was featured on ASPiRE TV on "ABFF Independent" in August of 2015.  Sade is also currently working on a feature film adaptation of “Better Than I Know Myself”, by Virginia DeBerry and Donna Grant.


Visit the Indiegogo page: Yemi's Dilemma for details about the crowdfunding efforts and to make a contribution.

Related link:

Wanjiru Njendu launches Seed and Spark crowdfunding campaign for “Reghost” and “Black Licorice” film projects

Wanjiru Njendu launches a crowdfunding campaign for “Reghost” and “Black Licorice” film projects

Source: Seed and Spark (No longer active)

About The Project
“Reghost” is a buddy comedy set in a Zombie Apocalypse.

"Best friends Johnny and Andrew have only each other to depend on after surviving the zombie apocalypse. When Johnny is bitten and on the verge of turning, Andrew a genetic engineer, is caught in a race against time in his attempt to reverse the effects with unpredicted results."

“Black Licorice” is a comedy film set in present day Los Angeles. 

Jordan is a struggling actress trying to catch her big break in Los Angeles while working as a bank teller in the meantime. Eric is an out of work writer, trying to make a feature film. When his crowdfunding campgain fail, he and his partner-in- crime Matt come up with an unorthodox method to get the money for the film.

Director's statement
When working any project, I find myself infinitely excited by the potential around me. To be able create visual and visceral working aesthetic, a beautiful collaboration that is like a heartbeat.
There is something so incredible about being able to pull and get actors and crew excited about words on a page. Putting together the roadmap from script to picture lock and watch it take shape.
Casting the actors who show such incredible talent and range was such a wonderful experience that is to this day still a learning experience for me as a filmmaker. Seeing what connects them to the characters and the story reminds me why I write as well and create characters such as these.

These two stories came from moments of personal epiphany and in the same way the idea and plan to shoot as one production. By combining the films into one production schedule, aim to maximize on tell 2 unique comedies encouraging you to participate in the process. By creating a synergetic production, it will enable the most efficient story telling while creating final products that can carry that synergy through the festival circuit and distribution.


Visit the Seed and Spark page: Reghost and Black Licorice for details about the fundraising efforts and to make a contribution. No Longer Active

02 July 2016

Producer Ledet Muleta launches a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign for the film project Chula, about mental illness in Africa and the African diaspora

Producer Ledet Muleta launches a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign for the film project Chula, about mental illness in Africa and the African diaspora

Ledet Muleta is a psychiatric nurse who has worked for over a decade in the Washington D.C. metropolitan area. She had this to say about her interest in making the film Chula:

After traveling to a number of African countries where I witnessed the burden of mental illness, I could no longer ignore the disparities that exist in both the African diaspora and the continent regarding mental illness. I decided that it was important to create something to address the ways that mental illness is stigmatized in our community and in doing so, empower those affected, provide awareness, and strive towards better solutions.  This manifested itself in the film, Chula. (Source: Kickstarter.com page)

Film Synopsis
Chula is a drama about a young African woman living with bipolar disorder in the Washington D.C. area, played by Ethiopian-American actress Selamawit Worku. The film touches upon her upbringing and subsequent rise to fame which is tainted by her mental illness and a strict father; One whose inability to distinguish between discipline and emotional abuse leaves scars that follow Chula into adulthood. To cope with the stress of her illness and rising fame, Chula begins to abuse drugs and alcohol. Chula's relationships, including her relationship with her boyfriend (played by Nigerian actor Obum Ezekwem) suffers, culminating in Chula losing all that she values most; yet in the end, a glimmer of hope is found.


Visit the Kickstarter page [https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/chula/chula-a-film-that-addresses-mental-illness-in-afri]: Chula for details about the fundraising efforts and to make a contribution.

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