JoJo and Gran Gran Animated Series - BBC Channel

 

JoJo and Gran Gran Animated Series - BBC Channel

Join JoJo and Gran Gran on lots of adventures and travel through the different seasons! JoJo is almost five, and Gran Gran is her wise and loving grandmother. They live close to each other, and Gran Gran always has something fun planned to do when JoJo comes to visit.

Recent films. Nthabiseng Mosieane: Overcome Beloved (Addressing Gender-based Violence)

Recent films. Nthabiseng Mosieane: Overcome Beloved (Addressing Gender-based Violence)

Overcome Beloved by Nathabiseng Mosieane, premiered on SABC1 (South African Broadcasting Corporation) this month highlighting the importance of raising awareness regarding gender-based violence. The short film follows the experiences of Nomhle Nkosana who is faced with the hard reality of sheltering with her daughter in a safe house. However, her husband discovers their whereabouts and Nomhle finally sees him for the monster he has always been and fighting for her life becomes her only option.

Nathabisend Mosieane, whose objective is to "document reel stories across Africa and the world" featured the 4-episode series, "Being a Woman in South Africa during Women's Month 2019 on YouTube. The series profiles a diversity of women who share they experiences about love, intimacy and relationships. See: https://www.youtube.com/c/NthabisengMosieane/videos
 

African Diasporas: Afro Sistahs - webseries out of Australia

Afro Sistahs

Webseries out of Australia

Launched in 2018, the Afro Sistas Collective relates the lives of afrodescendant women in Australia in their journeys towards self discovery. 

Description

Short form dramedy series that follows the lives of 4 Afro-Australian women in Western Sydney as they weave their way around hair, bossy Aunties and “woke-baes”

About the Afro Sistahs Collective (Source: Website: https://www.afrosistahs.com/)

A group of young Afro Australian women, from diverse backgrounds, decided to meet in Western Sydney and talk about developing and presenting the world as it is for those that live in Australia, while being black.

As a production company we are passionate about presenting a unique blend of Australian culture, identity and youth providing insight into worlds widely experienced, but rarely seen. Steering away from the stereotypical narratives Afro Sistahs captures the diversity of contemporary Australia in full colour.

Our current project, the self titled digital series: Afro Sistahs --is a short-form dramedy series that explores the complex nature in which culture, ambition, love and of course, hair, intersect.

The Team includes:

Safia Amadou, Producer

Hawanatu Bangura, Director

Mumbi Hinga, Producer

Moreblessing Maturure, Story Editor/Writer

Ebube Uba, Digital Marketing Strategist

Rebekah Robertson, Writer

YouTube Series: https://www.youtube.com/@afrosistahs

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/afrosistahs/

 

Amelia Umuhire : Congo-Rwanda webseries Tuko - Life in Goma (FR-EN-DE)

Amelia Umuhire :

Congo-Rwanda webseries

Tuko - Life in Goma (FR-EN-DE)

Amelia Umuhire (Rwanda/Germany), widely known for her Polyglot webseries, produced the Congo-Rwandan web series Tuko, Life in Goma in 2017.

Amélia Umuhire (Rwanda/Allemagne), bien connue pour la série web Polyglot, a crée en 2017, la série web Congo-Rwandaise Tuko, Life in Goma.

FR : https://www.goethe.de/ins/cd/fr/kul/sup/krw/tuk.html

DE : https://www.goethe.de/ins/cd/de/kul/sup/krw/tuk.html

During a workshop sponsored by the Goethe Institut, artists from DR Congo and Rwanda jointly developed a webseries about the city of Goma. The city known for war and natural disasters is represented from an unusual perspective.

Tuko, Life in Goma is a web series, produced, directed and shot by ten young artists and future Congolese and Rwandan filmmakers. The series shows the city of Goma from the point of view of young creative people, who have surmounted the shared storied history of their country in order to create new narratives of a city generally known for war and natural disasters. In five episodes, the series explores the dynamic art scene, the specificities of the city, such as the similarities between church culture and bar culture, unemployment, urban myths. In addition, it draws intimate portraits of diverse inhabitants of the city. Through the experiences of local dance groups, the episodes invite viewers to plunge into the city's underground art scene and to see Goma from another perspective.

Under the creative direction of Rwandan filmmaker Amelia Umuhire, during a three-week workshop the series was produced and shot under the auspices of Yole Africa, Goethe Institut Kinshasa and Kigali.

She had this to say about her reason for creating the series and its importance to her:

FR : https://www.goethe.de/ins/cd/fr/kul/sup/gae/21022334.html

DE : https://www.goethe.de/ins/rw/de/kul/sup/ug/21025360.html

“Being Rwandan and German, it is important for me to get to know my neighbours beyond stereotypes and prejudices. For historical reasons, Rwandans and Congolese feel more distant that we are in reality. During the workshop during which young people from Rwanda and Congo came together. We realized that we had different images of each other. We create images and it is important to see how the images of others are constructed, and from this understand how the image is based on prejudices. The purpose of the workshop was to create together images of a reality that is just as real to us.”

The Internet and social media have been important tools for the creation and success of the series:

FR : https://www.goethe.de/ins/cd/fr/kul/sup/gae/21022334.html

DE : https://www.goethe.de/ins/rw/de/kul/sup/ug/21025360.html

“By using the Web series format, stories can be told in a way that does not take place via and other media. There is no restriction. Films can be viewed by anyone who has access to the Internet. Even here in Goma, there are more and more smartphones. This opportunity gives young people the opportunity to showcase their region from their own perspective, in contrast to the images that are often found in the media, where the emphasis is on poverty, suffering, violence. And this image ends up becoming a reality, to the point that even for us, inhabitants of the region, we internalize it too. The web series is unlimited, you do not need a lot of technology - it's really something revolutionary.”

Épisode 1: « Bientôt les messagers »

Pamela Tulizo, Victoire Ikitegetse, 4min30

Épisode 2: « Ajira »

Concorde Amani, Arnold Habyarimana, 4min59

Épisode 3: « Dawa »

Chamani Latouifa Feta Feta, Fiston Mudacumura, 3min09

Épisode 4: « Survive »

Giscard Twahirwa, Bernadette Vivuya

Épisode 5: « Ipseite Identique »

Promesse Kitakya, Elisabeth Utamuriza, 3min52

South African Sithasolwazi Kentane: Creating short films centred around people’s lived experiences

South African Sithasolwazi Kentane: Creating short films centred around people’s lived experiences

Pushing narratives aimed at giving women a platform to express themselves as well as aiding in their ability to articulate their thoughts and feelings.

South African Sithasolwazi Kentane, based in Johannesburg, describes herself as a "twenty-something self-taught film maker helping other story tellers illustrate their truths." Her projects include: the pilot web series Women Undressed and Who do you think you are? which follows the experiences of a diverse cohort of black South African Women.

Source: Text and image - Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/sithasolwazi

Women Undressed

Woman Undressed is an ongoing series which explores, unpacks and addresses politics surrounding young women and social issues which affect Black African Women. It is an open space where young Black Women are encouraged to speak out against hegemonic, patriarchal and racists structures. The series also explores the complexities in the creation of the young black girl's identity.

Woman Undressed Pilot from sithasolwazi on Vimeo.

Who Do you Think you are?

Who Do you Think you are? is a short film series brought to you by Sithasolwazi Kentane (Short Films). The series poses that question to its viewers and featured guests. With everything that we are fed in social media and in the global space, who do you think you are apart from all of that? Who do you think you are within the shared space? Uncovering the truth about yourself through introspection helps understand your core and therefore allows you to have a strong stance in the public arena; your truth shall set you free.

Rendani Nemakhuvhani: The first episode of the series sees Rendani Nemakhuvhani exploring her true thoughts

WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE: Rendani Nemakhuvhani from sithasolwazi on Vimeo.

Khetsiwe "DJ Doowap" Morgan: The second episode of the series sees Khetsiwe "DJ Doowap" Morgan rising and coming into her being

WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE: DJ Doowap from sithasolwazi on Vimeo.

Vuyelwa Maluleke: The third episode of the series creates a stage for one of Vuyelwa's most powerful poems "Black Girl Plotting"

WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE: Vuyelwa Maluleke from sithasolwazi on Vimeo.

Thina Zibi: The fourth episode invites us into Thina's home where she let's us in on a couple of her secrets

WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE: Thina Zibi from sithasolwazi on Vimeo.

African Diasporas. Pretty, a documentary series that focuses on the perceptions of beauty by women of the global African diaspora

"Pretty" is a documentary series created in January 2015 by un-ruly.com. With thousands of followers from around the world its transmedia narrative focuses on the perceptions of beauty by black women of colour.

It describes this fascinating journey as: "a digital postcard from women around the world to women around the world as told through a weekly documentary series. It explores just how nuanced beauty can be by not only taking a look at how beauty standards vary from country to country but also how they might vary within a city."

“Pretty” navigates throughout the global diaspora of women of African descent as they reflect on the notion of beauty, its imperfection, the perception of appearance, experiences with hair. Women’s experiences of blackness and beauty traverse the cities of Paris, Milano, London, Tel-Aviv and beyond, exploring the dual identities and aesthetics of Ghanaian-Italian, Cameroonian-French, Senegalese-Swedish, Ugandan-British, Moroccan-Brazilian-Israeli, Ethiopian-Israeli, and more.

Season 2 - An African City directed by Nicole Amarteifio

Season 2 - An African City

Source: YouTube. Image: Screen grab from An African City trailer

The girls are baackkkk! Nana Yaa (MaameYaa Boafo), Sade (Nana Mensah), Ngozi (Esosa E), Makena (Marie Humbert) and Zainab (Maame Adjei) return to confiding in one another about life and love in season 2 of 'An African City'. 

Season 2 will be globally available via subsciption on Sunday, January 24 at 12:00 p.m. EST: www.anafricancity.vhx.tv

Season 2 will also be available on EbonyLife TV (DSTV - Channel 165) on Monday, February 1 at 8:30pm WAT/9:30pm CAT.

Season 2 will also be coming soon in French on A+ (Canal+ Afrique)!

Nicole Amarteifio, Creator, Writer, Director & Executive Producer 

Millie Monyo, Executive Producer

Nigerian-American Yvonne Orji's First-Gen sitcom pilot web series

Nigerian-American Yvonne Orji represents a growing number of first-generationals born of immigrant parents who want to tell their hybrid-identity story of being born and/or raised outside of Africa, often living in the West between two cultures.

Synopsis of First Gen (from firstgenshow.com):

First Gen is a sitcom pilot written by comedian/actress Yvonne Orji. The story is semi autobiographical and draws loosely from Yvonne's stand-up routines and real life experiences. At it's core, First Gen is a comedy about a Nigerian girl who trades medical school for a career in stand-up comedy and the adventures that ensue after her strict African mother discovers her plans. It's a super funny and refreshing take on the modern day immigrant family. 

First Gen will resonate with a multitude of audiences, but especially, children of immigrant parents from a variety of backgrounds living in America, of which there are millions. The familiar themes of family, tradition and living up to parents' expectations are universal, and extend beyond race, gender or religion. 

Links

Website: http://www.firstgenshow.com

Youtube: https://m.youtube.com/user/YveeO

Twitter: https://twitter.com/YvonneOrji

South African Mmabatho Montsho’s "Women on Sex" Web Series

Photo: Mmabatho Montsho Facebook Page

Mmabatho Montsho’s “Women on Sex” social media project explores the many issues around female sexuality that are often only discussed privately or are considered taboo.

The YouTube-based web series features celebrities, doctors, pastors and everyday women as they challenge perceptions and norms about sex. (Text: Facebook). In addition to the YouTube platform, “Women on Sex” provides updates and newsfeeds on Facebook and Twitter, which encourage dialogue with followers about the web series content and related issues.

In an interview with destinyconnect.com Mmabatho Montsho had this to say about her reason for producing the series:

One of our duties as filmmakers is to hold a mirror up to society and as one who navigates the world in a black female body, it’s my duty to create progressive black female-centered content that disturbs the status quo.

YouTube Series : Women on Sex

Photo: Mmabatho Montsho Facebook page

LINKS

Interview with Mmabatho Montsho: http://www.destinyconnect.com/2015/08/28/mmabatho-montsho-on-black-women-owning-their-sexuality/ 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/WomenOnSex

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Women-On-Sex-847556128691493/ 

Marguerite Abouet crée la série télévisée " C'est la vie" - "That's life"

Marguerite Abouet crée la série télévisée
C'est la vie 

https://www.cestlavie.tv/a-propos/

C’est la vie…

C’est la vie ! est une série télévisée sénégalaise créée en 2015 par Marguerite Abouet. Elle est diffusée sur les chaînes A+, TV5 Monde, ainsi que sur YouTube, Instagram et Facebook.

Déscription

D’un centre de santé quelque part en Afrique, qui essaie tant bien que mal de gérer les difficultés du quotidien pour soigner les habitants du quartier de Ratanga, où l’existence oscille entre joies, malheurs, travail et vie familiale.

Série populaire d’éducation par le divertissement, C’est la vie ! propose un regard franc et humain sur une Afrique complexe, sans fard, surprenante et attachante, où des individus différents se croisent, s’aiment, se détestent, se trahissent et essaient de se comprendre. Les vies se vivent au gré des amours et des haines, des intrigues et des manipulations.

Ces personnages hauts en couleurs nous font partager leurs craintes et leurs espoirs qui sont traités sans manichéisme ni condescendance.

C’est la vie ! est une coproduction Keewu Productions / ONG RAES

***

That's life!, a Senegalese television series created in 2015 by Marguerite Abouet, is broadcast on the A+ and TV5 Monde channels, as well as on YouTube, Instagram and Facebook.

Description

A health center somewhere in Africa. The personnel tries as best as they can to manage the day-to-day problems incurred when treating the inhabitants of the Ratanga district. Where life oscillates between joys, misfortunes, work and family life.

The popular education-through-entertainment series, C’est la vie! gives a frank and human view of a complex, unvarnished, surprising and endearing Africa, where different individuals meet, love, hate, betray and try to understand each other.

Lives are lived through the ups and downs of love and hate, of intrigues and manipulations. These colorful characters share with us their fears and their hopes which are treated without Manichaeism or condescension.

That's life ! is a Keewu Productions / NGO RAES co-production

Awkward is the New Black: A documentary about Senegalese-American Issa Rae

Screen grab

Awkward is the New Black by Dylan Valley is a short documentary about the Internet webseries, social media sensation, producer, director and writer Senegalese-American Issa Rae.

YouTube description:

Issa Rae's work has garnered over 20 million views and 200 000 Youtube subscribers. Her web series, The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl, was a refreshing comedy which amongst other things, highlighted the lack of representation of black characters in mainstream television. And, it was funny.

This short documentary explores the journey of Rae’s web series, highlighting in particular how ABG started as a zero-budget exercise amongst friends and eventually became appointment viewing with the backing of Pharrell Williams. Without the gatekeepers of traditional TV, Rae was able to let her true voice flourish, and walked right into the gap that the big broadcast networks had left wide open. The documentary is a celebration of the series, and also a challenge to indie filmmakers to fully use the digital tools literally at their fingertips, so often taken for granted.

Amelia Umuhire : "Polyglot" - webseries | websérie (Berlin)

Image: "Polyglot"

[English]

“Polyglot”, the webseries about young foreigners in Berlin

"Polyglot", a webseries created, written, directed and edited by Amelia Umuhire, a Rwandan-European self-taught filmmaker from Berlin and self-identifying Afro-European.

Here is a new web series dedicated to young foreigners in Germany, particularly Africans. The German-Rwandan director Amelia Umuhire traces unique portraits blending fiction and ultra-realism. Launched in April 2015, it highlights four languages: German, English, German and Kinyarwanda.

https://www.facebook.com/polyglott

http://dynamicafrica.tumblr.com/post/122754528103/afro-german-webseries-polyglot-returns-with 

[Français]

"Polyglot", la websérie sur des jeunes étrangers à Berlin 

"Polyglot" une websérie créée, écrite, réalisée et montée par la Rwandaise-Européenne Amelia Umuhire, cinéaste autodidacate de Berlin s’identifiant comme Afro-Européenne.

Voici une nouvelle websérie consacrée aux jeunes étrangers en Allemagne, notamment les Africains. La réalisatrice germano-rwandaise Amelia Umuhire signe des portraits singuliers entre fiction et ultra-réalisme. Lanceé en avril 2015, elle est met en avant quatre langues: allemand, anglais, allemand et kinyarwanda.

http://www.berlinestanous.com/tv/polyglot-la-webserie-sur-des-jeunes-etrangers-a-berlin.html

https://www.facebook.com/polyglott

Naomi Beukes-Meyer (Germany-Namibia) launches crowdfunding for the 2nd Episode of THE CENTRE Web Series

Naomi Beukes-Meyer, still from promo

Berlin-based Namibian writer and director Naomi Beukes-Meyer, created "The Centre" webisode series in order to relate the experiences of African women who are trying to deal with the day-to-day life in Berlin. The first episode, “I’m still down here”, was received with much enthusiasm by online viewers. She has launched an Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign for the second episode “What to do with the Silence.”

Indiegogo crowdfunding description:

The series is written by Naomi-Beukes-Meyer, herself an African woman who has been living in the German capital for nearly 20 years.  

Though there is a large African community in Europe, Naomi has always felt that there is a distinct lack of film and television dramas highlighting first and second generation African female and, in particular, lesbian experience in her adopted country and it was this that spurred her on to write the first episode of The Centre two years ago.

Read also on the African Women in Cinema Blog: Naomi Beukes-Meyer: a Namibian woman telling stories from Berlin 

Naomi Beukes-Meyer: a Namibian woman telling stories from Berlin

Naomi Beukes-Meyer is a Berlin-based Namibian writer and director. Her most recent work "The Centre" is a webisode series relating the experiences of African women who are trying to deal with the day-to-day life in Berlin. She talks about why she created the series and her future projects.

Naomi you are Namibian based in Germany and your stories relate your experiences in this environment. Talk a bit about your background, and your work as a writer and director.

I started writing while working as a Stage Manager at the National Theatre of Namibia. My first story was about the teenage pregnancies in Namibia. I always wanted to write about what happened to the women and girls around me, especially the stories that no one talked about. While working at the Theatre, I wrote and directed some children's plays. Currently, I'm still writing and developing plays with children at the school where I'm teaching in Berlin. Through my work as a teacher at a bilingual school in Berlin, I come across people from all corners of the world. It intrigues me what the big pull is to Berlin, so I started asking questions and ended up with a lot of, sometimes interesting, sometimes heartbreaking stories.

The first episode of the series The Centre has been released recently. Discuss the concept of the series and what motivated you to create it.

As a Namibian Citizen, I myself had a lot of trouble with Foreign Affairs, finding a job and getting accepted, so, out of frustration, I started to write about my experiences. This is how The Centre started. With this series, I would like to tell about the women, especially the African women, moving to Berlin, for one reason or the other and the difficulties they have to deal with every day between the different cultures. I am very happy that it was possible to release the first episode of The Centre - "I'm still down here". This was only possible with the help of a group of professional film- and theatre people from all over Europe.

What has been the reception in Germany? Do you also have a Namibian audience?

The response up to now has been very positive and I'm especially very happy about a growing Namibian audience.

It is disseminated as a Webisode on video sharing platforms on the Internet, what have been results in terms of viewers and reactions?

I am also overwhelmed by the amount of viewers in the short time we have been online. I think for The Centre, the web is definitely the way to go because we can reach a lot of people all over the world.

Will the series continue? In what form? What are future projects.

The Centre will definitely continue. I am in the process of looking for funding possibilities to shoot the rest of the episodes, already in planning. In the meantime, I'm very excited to be part of the One Billion Rising For Justice Campaign 2014 to end violence against women and girls, started by Eve Ensler.

Interview with Naomi Beukes-Meyer by Beti Ellerson, November 2013.

Images: The Centre Series

Links:

The Centre Series: http://thecentreseries.com