( Thanks to Afro-Europe)
Margins to Mainstream: The story of Black Theatre in Britain is the latest documentary film produced by the Octavia Foundation and Nu Century Arts, Birmingham with funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund.
The cross-city project allowed young people in London and Birmingham to learn and develop skills in media, research and film-making in a practical hands-on way and follows previous youth-led film and heritage projects from Octavia Foundation including Grove Roots and Hidden Herstories.
The groundbreaking film explores the history and heritage of black theatre in Britain, examines the different interpretations of ‘Black British Theatre’ as a label and genre and catalogues the incredible contribution of black actors, producers and playwrights to the UK theatre tradition. Featuring previously unseen footage of seminal plays, fascinating interviews with theatre heavyweights, ‘Margins to Mainstream’ tells the story of a dynamic art.
Zakiya, 18, who took part in the project explains ‘it was great to take part in this project, it helped to develop my film-making skills and I learn a lot about theatre and productions and it was great to meet new people. I’m really pleased with the film, it’s really unique and eye-opening, it’s a colourful film and about much more than just theatre; it’s a fascinating social history full of positive stories and inspirational people.’
Historians, playwrights, producers and actors that contributed and appear in the film include writer and playwright Courttia Newland, actor Javone Prince, actor, playwright and broadcaster Kwame Kwei-Armah and Pat Cumper, Director of the Talawa Arts Centre. The film was shot at locations including Theatre Royal East, London Southbank Centre, Royal Court Theatre, Old Vic and The Tabernacle.
From Ira Aldridge playing Othello in Covent Garden in the 1830s, to Bashy playing Markus the Sadist in a ‘rap opera’ in 2010; the richness of this story is in its diversity. The film looks at the forgotten treasures and the landmark performances in the huge canon of work that exists. The film is pioneering in its subject and approach, highlighting the battles and the triumphs of Black British Theatre, on its journey from the margins, into the mainstream.
Gabrielle Tierney, Head of Community Initiatives at the Octavia Foundation explained, ‘we were delighted when NuCentury Arts approached us to be their youth media partner as our young film-makers are always looking for new opportunities to train and flex their media muscles. We have a history of supporting talented young people to tell untold stories, and the story of Black Theatre in Britain is most certainly a hidden gem.’
Filming took place throughout the summer months in 2011 and the film will receive its London premiere at the Royal Court Theatre, Sloane Square on Friday 11th May.
After the premiere the film will be screened at venues throughout London, Birmingham and the rest of the country and made available to theatres, arts and community groups and other interested groups later on this year. Visit this link for screenings.
Film Society of Lincoln Center (FSLC) and African Film Festival, Inc. (AFF) have again joined forces to present the 19th New York African Film Festival (NYAFF). Presented under the theme “21st Century: The Homecoming,” this year’s festival will explore the modern notion of home and homeland, from the legacy of music legend Miriam Makeba—subject of the Opening Night Film Mama Africa—to Diasporic visions like the New York-set Restless City. The NYAFF will also mark the 100th anniversary of the African National Congress (ANC) and the 50th anniversary of independence for Algeria, Burundi, Jamaica, Rwanda and Uganda, as well as give a unique look into the life of President Obama through a film on his half-sister, The Education of Auma Obama. The NYAFF will run from April 11 through 17 at Film Society of Lincoln Center, and throughout April and May at The Jerome L. Greene Performance Space, Columbia University’s Institute of African Studies, Maysles Cinema Institute and the Brooklyn Academy of Music’s BAMcinématek.
“This is a continuation of the discussion about the shape of Africa that has taken place since Independence and that is now not being embraced by the younger generation,” said African Film Festival, Inc. Executive Director and Founder Mahen Bonetti. “Though these young people have not in many ways been thrown a lifeline as post-Independent conflict emerged, they have somehow managed, through technology, to craft their own narrative, unconsciously drawing on the past and creating something new and very modern without having disavowed the past.”
Special events and highlights include the Opening Night film Mama Africa by Mika Kaurismäki (Special Jury Recognition—Documentary at the 2012 Pan African Film Festival) on April 11, and the Centerpiece film Relentless by Andy Amadi Okoroafor, starring internationally renowned Nigerian-German hip hop and soul singer Nneka, on Friday, April 13. With the election year in full swing, the NYAFF will present a film that offers a window into the African family of President Barack Obama and insight into his father, with The Education of Auma Obama by Branwen Okpako; the film won the Viewers’ Choice Award at the 2011 Africa International Film Festival and the Festival Founders’ Award at the 2012 Pan African Film Festival. The film noir How to Steal 2 Million by Charlie Vundla features the top South African actors, Rapulana Seiphemo, Terry Pheto and John Kani.
“African cinema was born in the same year as the New York Film Festival—1963—and it’s always been a source of great pleasure and pride for me that for 50 years our programs have provided a vital showcase for the best in African filmmaking,” said Film Society of Lincoln Center Program Director Richard Peña. “We also salute our dear friends and partners at the New York African Film Festival, which for almost twenty years has worked successfully to make African cinema a reality around the United States.”
The popular blog Africa is a Country (africasacountry.com) will present ”Africa is a Country: Talking Media and Russian Archives,” a free panel discussion, on Saturday, April 14 from 1:30 pm to 4 pm in the Frieda and Roy Furman Gallery at the Walter Reade Theater. Featured bloggers and special guest will examine the relationship between Africa and the Soviet Union in the 1960s and 1970s, as is evidenced by Russia’s extensive film archive of the continent, and then explore the relationship between film and social media movements on the continent (e.x. Tahrir revolutionary cinema, which documented the Egyptian Revolution in Tahrir Square, and Kony 2012).
“Africans in the Diaspora: Expatriates and the Homecoming,” a free festival preview will take place at The Jerome L. Greene Performance Space on April 5 at 6:00 pm to welcome audiences to the 19th edition of the NYAFF; the event, moderated by renowned journalist Femi Oke, will include a special performance by popular artist-emcee DJ Spooky in which he rescores Father of African Cinema Ousmane Sembene’s Borrom Sorret, filmmaker-scholar Yemane Demissie and music and African cinema critic Beatiz Leal. The festival then kicks off at the Film Society of Lincoln Center’s Walter Reade Theater at 165 W. 65th Street, Plaza Level, from April 11 through 17, then heads to Columbia University’s Institute of African Studies on Thursday, April 19 for a daylong, free public program exploring the themes of the festival. It picks up on May 4 and 5 at the Maysles Cinema Institute in Harlem and culminates over Memorial Day Weekend at the Brooklyn Academy of Music BAMcinématek—part of the dance and music festival DanceAfrica. For details, visit African Film Festival online at www.africanfilmny.org.
December 6-9, the 9th Annual BAHAMAS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (BIFF), a first-class destination event renowned by filmmakers and fans alike opens. Taking place in an idyllic, tropical resort, BIFF features a top-notch film program, stunning landscapes, and balmy temperatures providing the perfect setting for filmmakers, industry professionals, and film lovers from around the world to connect and celebrate independent cinema.
The Festival has showcased more than 600 films from 50 countries in just under a decade. BIFF’s unique and thoughtful program includes films of every genre and type, “New Visions” for first and second-time directors, and the Spirit of Freedom Competition which explores cinema’s potential to express the human spirit as well as humanity’s relationship to freedom. Showcasing a handpicked combination of narrative and documentary features, this section provides insight into the mosaic of cultures that make up our world. Other BIFF programming categories include Films for the Family, Short Films, and the Caribbean Spotlight. BIFF additionally rewards Screenplays related to the Bahamas or Caribbean region.
All accepted filmmakers that attend BIFF receive complimentary festival passes and are encouraged to also attend the Filmmaker Retreat. In the past the Festival has honored and welcomed A-List celebrities including Heather Graham, Johnny Depp, Alan Arkin, Sir Sean Connery, Nicholas Cage, Laurence Fishburne, Roger Corman, Daryl Hannah, Sophie Okonedo, Anna Faris, Naomie Harris, and Zoe Kravitz. The deadline to enter your film is April 16, 2012. Visit here for details.
This year’s African Movie Academy Awards nominees have been announced in Banjul, Gambia to a start studded crowd. And the nominees are:
AMAA 2012 BEST SHORT FILM
JAMAA – Uganda
Look Again – Kenya
Maffe Tiga – Guinea
Braids On Bald Head – Nigeria
Hidden Life – South Africa
Mwansa The Great – Zimbabwe
Chumo – Tanzania
The Young Smoker – Nigeria
AMAA 2012 BEST DOCUMENTARY
African Election – Nigeria / Germany
Beyond The Deadly Pit – Rwanda
Awa Ogbe An African Adventure – Algeria
Dear Mandella – South Africa
White & Black, Crime And Colour – Tanzania
The Niger Delta Struggle – Ghana
There Is Nothing Wrong With My Uncle – Nigeria
How Much Is Too Much – Kenya
AMAA 2012 BEST DIASPORA FEATURE
Toussanat Louverture – France
Ghetta Life – Jamaica
High Chicago – Canada
Elza – Guadelupe
Better Must Come – Jamaica
Kinyanrwanda – USA
AMAA 2012 BEST DIASPORA DOCUMENTARY
The Education Of Auma Obama – Germany
White Wash – USA
Almendron Mi Corazon – Guadeloupe
All Me The Life And Times Of Winfred Hubert – USA
AMAA 2012 BEST DIASPORA (SHORT FILM)
John Doe – USA
White Sugar In A Black Pot – USA
The Lost One – USA
AMAA 2012 BEST ANIMATION
The Legend Of Ngog Hills – Kenya
Oba – Nigeria
Climate Change Is Real – Kenya
Egu – South Africa
Chomoka – Kenya
AMAA 2012 BEST FILM BY AN AFRICAN LIVING ABROAD
Mystery Of Birds – USA / Nigeria
Housemates – United Kingdom / Nigeria
Ben Kross – Italy / Nigeria
Paparezzi Eye In The Dark – USA / Nigeria / Ghana
AMAA 2012 ACHIEVEMENT IN PRODUCTION DESIGN
Somewhere In Africa – Ghana
Phone Swap – Nigeria
Otelo Burning – South Africa
Adesuwa – Nigeria
How To Steal 2 Million – South Africa
AMAA 2012 ACHIEVEMENT IN COSTUME DESIGN
The Captain Of Nakara
Adesuwa – Nigeria
Rugged Priest – Kenya
Somewhere In Africa – Ghana
Queens Desire
AMAA 2012 ACHIEVEMENT IN MAKE-UP
Rugged Priest – Kenya
State Research Bureau – Uganda
Adesuwa – Nigeria
Somewhere in Africa – Ghana
Shattered – Kenya
AMAA 2012 ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUNDTRACK
Otelo Burning – South Africa
Alero’s Symphony – Nigeria
Adesuwa – Nigeria
How To Steal 2 Million – South Africa
Somewhere In Africa – Ghana
AMAA 2012 ACHIEVEMENT IN VISUAL EFFECTS
Behind The Mask
Somewhere In Africa – Ghana
Adesuwa – Nigeria
State Research Bureau – Uganda
Otelo Burning – South Africa
AMAA 2012 ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND
State Of Violence – South Africa
Otelo Burning – South Africa
How To Steal 2 Million – South Africa
Man On Ground – South Africa
Algiers Murder – South Africa
AMAA 2012 ACHIEVEMENT IN CINEMATOGRAPHY
How To Steal 2 Million – South Africa
Otelo Burning – South Africa
Rugged Priest – Kenya
Masquerades – Ghana
Man On Ground – South Africa / Nigeria
AMAA 2012 ACHIEVEMENT IN EDITING
Algiers Murder – South Africa
Man On Ground – South Africa / Nigeria
Unwanted Guest – Nigeria
How To Steal 2 Million – South Africa
Otelo Burning – South Africa
Alero’s Symphony – Nigeria
AMAA 2012 ACHIEVEMENT IN SCREENPLAY
Ties That Bind – Ghana
Mr & Mrs – Nigeria
How To Steal 2 Million – South Africa
Otelo Burning – South Africa
Unwanted Guest – Nigeria
Two Brides And A Baby – Nigeria
AMAA 2012 BEST NIGERIAN FILM
Unwanted Guest
Family On Fire
Alero’s Symphony
Adesuwa
Phone Swap
AMAA 2012 BEST FILM IN AN AFRICAN LANGUAGE
Chumo – Tanzania
State Of Violence – South Africa
Family On Fire – Nigeria
Otelo Burning – South Africa
Asoni – Cameroun
AMAA 2012 BEST CHILD ACTOR
Rahman Junior Bande (Greg) – Behind The Mask
Tsepang Mohlomi (Ntwe) – Otelo Burning
Reginna Danies (Jenny) – Bank Job
Benjamin Abemigisha and Racheal Nduhukire (Derick and Margaret) – JAMAA
Ayinla O Abdulaheem – ZR-7
AMAA 2012 BEST YOUNG / PROMISING ACTOR
Neo Ntatleno (OJ) – State Of Violence
Ivie Okujaye (Alero) – Alero’s Symphony
Iyobosa Olaye (Adesuwa) – Adesuwa
Martha Ankomah – Somewhere In Africa
Thomas Gumede and Sihle Xaba – Otelo Burning
AMAA 2012 BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Rapuldna Seiphemo (Twala) – How To Steal 2 Million
Fano Mokoena – Man On Ground
Hafiz Oyetoro – Phone Swap
Okechukwu Uzoesi – Two Brides And A Baby
Godfrey Theobejane – 48
Lwanda Jawar – Rugged Priest
AMAA 2012 BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Terry Phetto – How To Steal 2 Million
Ebbe Bassey – Ties That Bind
Empress Njamah – Bank Job
Ngozi Ezeonu – Adesuwa
Thelma Okoduwa – Mr & Mrs
Omotola Jalade Ekeinde – Ties That Bind
AMAA 2012 BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Menzi Ngubane – How To Steal 2 Million
Majid Micheal – Somewhere In Africa
Chet Anekwe – Unwanted Guest
Jafta Mamabolo – Otelo Burning
Karabo Lance – 48
Wale Ojo – Phone Swap
Hakeem Kae-Kazim – Man On Ground
AMAA 2012 BEST ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
Nse Ikpe Etim – Mr & Mrs
Yvonne Okoro – Single Six
Ama K. Abebrese – Ties That Bind
Rita Dominic – Shattered
Uche Jombo – Damage
Millicent Makheido – 48
Kudzai Sevenzo-Nyarai – Playing Warriors
AMAA 2012 BEST DIRECTOR
Adesuwa – Lancelot Oduwa Imaseun
Ties That Bind – Leila Djansi
Rugged Priest – Bob Nyanja
How To Steal 2 Million – Charlie Vundla
State Of Violence – Khalo Matabane
Man On Ground – Akin Omotoso
Otelo Burning – Sara Bletcher
AMAA 2011 PRIZE FOR BEST FILM
State Of Violence – South Africa
Adesuwa – Nigeria
Otelo Burning – South Africa
Rugged Priest – Kenya
How To Steal 2 Million – South Africa
Ties That Bind – Ghana
Man On Ground – South Africa / Nigeria
Ethiopia is known for it’s beautiful people, it’s unique culture, it’s past Monarchy and the superior athletes it has produced. The documentary ” Town of Runners” tells the story of , Bekoji a rural town in Ethiopia’s Southern Highlands, which has produced many of the world’s
greatest runners in the last twenty years. In the Beijing Olympics, its runners won all four gold medals in the long distance track events – more than most industrialised countries.The success of runners from Bekoji is partly due to the dedication of Sentayehu Eshetu, a former PE teacher in the local primary school. Since his protégé Derartu Tulu became the first African woman to win an Olympic gold in 1996, he has trained and inspired countless elite runners including world champions Kenenisa Bekele, Tariku Bekele and Tirunesh Dibaba. Here is the trailer from the film:
The Tribeca Film Festival is one of the best festivals in the United States and their selection of cinematic offerings always pleases one’s desire to see quality films. This year they have a a great line up of films that is of interest to Sugarcane readers. To purchase tickets and to check showtimes , visit here.
Stones in the Sun (Woch nan Soley), directed and written by P. Benoit. (USA, Haiti) – World Premiere, Narrative. In the 1980s, in the midst of increasing political violence, a young couple, two sisters, and a father and son are driven from Haiti to New York, where they must confront the truths of their interlocked pasts. In her impassioned, penetrating feature film debut, Haitian director P. Benoit steers clear of clichés about immigrants and refugees, authentically tapping into the reality of the unique Haitian-American experience. In English, Haitian Creole with subtitles.
El Gusto, directed and written by Safinez Bousbia. (Algeria, Ireland, UAE) – North American Premiere, Documentary. A rhythmic cocktail of European and Arabic traditions, chaabi music was the heart and soul of cosmopolitan Algiers in the 1940s, but the war of independence with France tore apart the peaceful Muslim and Jewish communities that came together to play this unique music. A group of over-the-hill but still fiery musicians reunites after five decades apart in this spirited, gorgeously shot documentary about music’s power to transcend cultural boundaries. In French, Arabic with subtitles.
Benji, directed by Coodie and Chike. (USA) – World Premiere, Documentary. In 1984, 17-year-old Ben Wilson was a symbol of everything promising about Chicago: a sweet-natured youngster from the city’s fabled South Side, and America’s top high school basketball prospect. His senseless murder on the day before his senior season devastated the city of Chicago and sent ripples of anguish nationwide. A stirring portrait of a phenom admired both on the court and off, Benji tells the story of a legend who might’ve been.
Wavumba, directed by Jeroen van Velzen, written by Jeroen van Velzen and Sara Kee. (Netherlands) – North American Premiere. Mysticism and color reign in this stunning documentary steeped in the fishermen lore of Kenya. Revisiting a childhood fairy tale of a spirit-filled island with the magic to either bless or curse a fisherman’s journey, Dutch filmmaker Jeroen van Velzen explores his memories via Masoud, a real-life legend of shark fishing. His glory days long gone, Masoud relives his youth through grandiose stories told with swaggering pride and heartbreaking nostalgia. In English, Swahili with subtitles
The Virgin, the Copts and Me (La Vierges, les Coptes et Moi), directed by Namir Abdel Messeeh, written by Namir Abdel Messeeh, Nathalie Najem, and Anne Paschetta. (France, Qatar) – North American Premiere. In his feature debut, French-Egyptian filmmaker Namir Abdel Messeeh sets out to investigate the phenomenon of supposedly miraculous Virgin Mary apparitions in Egypt’s Coptic Christian community. But when the secular director faces opposition from skittish producers and his Coptic family, Namir turns the camera on his wonderfully smart-alecky mother and reimagines his film as a touching, uniquely hilarious portrait of family and heritage. In Arabic, French with subtitles.
The Jamaica Film Academy announces the Call for Entries in the 2012 Jamaica Reggae Film Festival, to be held from 17th-21st April in Kingston, Jamaica, veneue to be annouced soon.
In keeping with the format initiated at the inaugural event in February 2008, the Festival will showcase films in which aspects of Jamaica’s Reggae music culture are displayed, documented and memorialized in feature, documentary and short films, animation and music videos. In the five years since its inception, the Reggae Film Festival has included films made by Jamaicans, as well as global reggae researchers and fans from the Caribbean, UK, USA, Canada, Spain, Germany, Serbia, Italy, Japan, Iran, France and Ethiopia. The focus of many documentaries on the history of Jamaican music and music makers, ensures an archive of historical material on the genre that preserves the oral memories of a culture that has spread to and been honored by the world.
In 2012, in recognition of the 50th year of Jamaica’s independence, the Jamaica Reggae Film Festival will be presented internationally in cities of the Jamaican Diaspora, with selected screenings of The Best of the Reggae Film Festival in Toronto, London, Birmingham and New York.
In keeping with the objective of the Jamaica Film Academy to increase and improve the output of Jamaican film making, the annual Make A Film In 24 Hours competition has inspired and produced new Jamaican film making talent, while the Festival has discovered a surprising wealth of Jamaican talent in digital animation. The acknowledged expertise and innovation of Jamaican music video makers exposing the talents of Jamaica’s powerful musical artists, provides another area highlighted by the Reggae Film Festival.
Annual Awards are presented in several categories and and the international interest in the unique music and culture of Jamaica. has given prize-winning films further international awards and distribution. The Festival’s identification of the genre of ‘reggae films’ creates a digital archive of films available for research into a variety of aspects of the Jamaican culture that emerged from the Rastafari movement and spread with the music of reggae legend Bob Marley. For more information on the festival-visit http://reggaefilmfestival.com/
Here is the article about the Canadian film “Rebelle” about conflict through the eyes of a young girl. The film was a hit at the Berlin International Film Festival and the lead actress Rachel Mwanza from Quebec Best Actress award at the festival awards show. Below you will find the trailer and Miss Mwanza’s Win at the Berlin International Film Festival:
Spray Uzi, kings of Kenya’s nascent graffiti scene, are on a mission to show the world that there is more to Africa than child soldiers, emaciated babies and unaccountable despots.
These four artists have been invited to travel to Djibouti, to help with the renovation of a youth community centre. The trip will take them through Ethiopia, where they will join forces with local artists and youth organizations for a series of public art shows and installations.
Katy Fentress, a freelance journalist residing in Kenya, has decided to video-document the trip. She sees this as an innovative way to attempt to readjust some of the negative PR that Africa and Africans are subjected to.
The film will aim to be a playful way of conveying an important message that is often willfully ignored by the media and the global aid industry. This is a unique opportunity to show people across the world that we have spent too much time looking at Africans as if they are helpless victims.
Spraycan Safari aims to subvert the current understanding of Africa and Africans, by presenting us with a group of talented, savvy, modern youth, who do graffiti to brighten people’s surroundings and address some of the problems that we all face in society today.
By using graffiti/African street art as the backdrop around which the documentary will be framed, the aim is to speak to the younger generations. The ones that have been brought up on a diet of Mtv and jackass style television and who are enthusiastic about the idea of spray can art.
Spraycan Safari does not aim to revolutionize the world nor resolve the real and difficult hardship that is experienced by thousands of people in “developing” countries everyday. However Spray Uzi, the central characters of the documentary, are exactly the kind of role models that inspire their peers and give them scope to think that another future is possible.
Here is a great film that is nominated for and Academy Award for Best Animated Feature called Chico and Rita. The film is about Cuba in 1948. Chico is a young piano player with big dreams. Rita is a beautiful singer with an extraordinary voice. Music and romantic desire unites them, but their journey – in the tradition of the Latin ballad, the bolero – brings heartache and torment. From Havana to New York, Paris, Hollywood and Las Vegas, two passionate individuals battle impossible odds to unite in music and love. Here is the trailer for the film:
