14th Annual New York African Film Festival schedule of events

On Monday, April 9, I will attend and take notes at a panel discussion during the 14th Annual New York African Film Festival. Below are details for the entire festival:

14TH ANNUAL NEW YORK AFRICAN FILM FESTIVAL

Celebrating 50 Years of Independence and Cinema:

April 4th – April 12th; April 20th - 21st; May 25th -28th

MANHATTAN * THE BRONX * BROOKLYN

As the fiftieth anniversary of the independence of Ghana— the first sub-Saharan African nation to gain Independence from colonial rule — 2007 marks an important milestone in Africa’s history. Co-presented with the Film Society of Lincoln Center, the 14th New York African Film Festival, will reflect this momentous anniversary by paying attention to cinema which engages the struggles for liberation; seeks to undo the cultural legacy of colonialism; and contributes to shaping the political, historical and cultural identities of relatively newly independent nations and cinemas in the intervening years. In addition to commemorating this milestone celebration with a selection of rare archival footage of early post independence nations, new works by talented directors who represent the future of African cinema will also be screened.

The festival runs at the Film Society of Lincoln Center’s Walter Reade Theater, April 4 through April 12. The second presentation of the NYAFF will be held at the Bronx Museum of the Arts , April 20 and 21. The festival concludes with screenings at BAMCinematek (Brooklyn Academy of Music) from May 25 through May 28.

2007 NYAFF Schedule:

April 4 – 12, 2007 Walter Reade Theater, Lincoln Center

April 20- 21, 2007 The Bronx Museum of the Arts

May 25 – 28, 2007 BAM Rose Cinemas, Brooklyn Academy of Music

The program for the 2007 African Film Festival will also include themes and highlights such as:

§ A panel discussion with notable African Diaspora scholars and filmmakers on Monday, April 9 will offer audiences and filmmakers alike the opportunity for further rumination on the complex and multifaceted role of cinema in post-colonial, national and pan-African liberation.

§ Recounting History Beyond Documentary—Films such as Jean Marie Teno’s The Colonial Misunderstanding and Rostov-Luanda by Abderrahmane Sissako, demonstrate the myriad ways African filmmakers have explored some of Africa’s complex historical issues outside the confines of traditional documentary cinema. Sissako, whose highly-acclaimed current release Bamako was a hit of the 2006 New York Film Festival, has been quoted as saying that Rostov-Luanda, (the precursor to Bamako), is his favorite film.

§ Mid-Career Retrospective—The progressive films of Burkinabè director Fanta Regina Nacro will be highlighted. Nacro’s feature, Night of Truth, is a raw fable that powerfully represents the tragedy of countless civil conflicts plaguing contemporary Africa.

§ “Ethiopia: Then and Now”—Ethiopian films will include 2007 Berlin Film Festival Crystal Bear Award and 2007 FESACO short film prizewinner Menged, by Daniel Taye Workou. Menged will be preceded by Ethiopian Campaign, a 1941 archival film on the return of Haile Selassie to Abyssinia after his exile during the Italian occupation.

§ “Women of Zimbabwe” —The films of female directors from Zimbabwe will include: Growing Stronger, by Tsitsi Dangarembga, which examines the lives of two very different but remarkable women living with HIV: ex-model Tendayi Westerhof and resilient AIDS activist Pamela Kanjenzana.

§ “Young Rebels”—The U.S. premiere of Meokgo & The Stick Fighter by South African director Teboho Mahlatsi is one of a short series from up-and-coming male directors.

§ “Hope in the Time of Crisis” —Rape as a weapon of war and divided families, the subjects of A Love During the War, (U.S. premiere and mention spéciale du jury, Vues d’Afrique and FESPACO 2005), are only some of the human right issues being taken up in this series, which is co-presented with the Human Rights Watch International Film Festival.

§ A Photography Exhibit - “African Cinema in Pictures,” an exhibition of photographs by Antoine Tempé and Stephan Zaubitzer, will be presented under the banner “Celebrating 50 Years of African Independence and Cinema” in the Frieda and Roy Furman Gallery at the Walter Reade Theater. The exhibit, open daily from March 19 through April 26 from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m., will feature Tempe’s black and white portraits of personalities from the African movie industry and Zaubitzer color images of the movie theaters of Burkina Faso.

FOR A COMPLETE LISTING OF FILMS, SCHEDULE & TO PURCHASE TICKETS, VISIT:

www.africanfilmny.org