The thought-provoking film by Moussa Sene Absa, titled, Xale, is the opening film for the highly anticipated 2023 Jo’burg International Film Festival, which begins on January 31 and runs till February 5. Regarded as a phenomenal celebration of local and international cinema, the festival will showcase some of the finest films from over 35 countries from across the world including 20 African and 27 South African premieres. In all, the festival, which is returning after about two years hiatus, will be showcasing 60 expertly curated commercial and author driven narrative films including animation, documentaries, and features. The screenings, according to the organisers, will hold at Ster-Kinekor theatres at Sandton City and Maponya Mall, Cinema Nouveau at Rosebank Mall, The Bioscope in Maboneng and the Theatre on the Square at Nelson Mandela Square. Xale, a Senegalese feature, takes viewers through a storyline of family values, love, life and betrayal. It follows Awa, a 15-year-old African schoolgirl, who is enjoying adolescence alongside her twin brother, Adama, who wishes to travel to Europe. Festivalgoers say they cannot wait to see the thought provoking film that was shot with a lot of verve. Now in its fifth year, the Jo’burg film festival has from inception showcased the best in global cinema and celebrates African cinematic excellence. The festival aims to be Africa’s Premier film festival by showcasing 60 expertly curated commercial and author driven narrative films including animation, documentaries, and features. Some of the films to be showcased at this edition of the festival include, Silence In The Dust, directed by Li Wei, Music My Life, directed by Mpumi Supa Mbele and The Cloud and the Man, a film by Abhrnandan Banerjee. Details of the festival selection can be sourced at https://joburgfilmfestival.co.za/
AMAA Organisers Reiterate Call For Entries
Organisers of the Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) have reiterated the call for entries for the 2023 edition. The organisers said in spite of AMAA founder’s death on January 10, the 19th edition would still hold as planned. AMAA founder, Peace Anyiam-Osigwe, passed on in a medical facility in Lagos after a brief illness. She was aged 53. The call reiterated that submissions started on December 1, 2022 and will be open till March 31, 2023. However, late entry deadline is said to be June 30, 2023. The organisers also stated that the nominations for this year’s AMAA will be announced in August 2023, with only films produced and released between January 2022 and 30th March 2023 maybe submitted. According to the organisers “each completed entry for 2023 entries must be accompanied by all the supporting materials listed on the submission forms, including a synopsis of the film, the list of credits, marketing stills of the film, filmographies of the directors and producers, emails of cast and crew submissions can be made on filmfreeway.” The organisers also said, “all films must indicate the year of copyright. The Africa Film Academy will not accept any film that exceeds the 120-minute run as a feature film or a short film that is longer than 40 minutes.” AMAA awards two major categories of short films and animation. The Academy also awards the category for Best Africa Film in the Diaspora and Best Diaspora Short Film Awards, inclusive of Caribbean Shorts and Caribbean features. The 19th edition of the AMAAs will be held on October 29, 2023 in Lagos in partnership with the Lagos State government and will be televised globally. Information on AMAA can be soured at http://www.ama-awards.com follow us on our social media handles
Submission Of Entries For Indigenous Language Film Festival Ends February
Filmakers who want to be part of the maiden edition of the African Indigenous Language Film Festival (Ailff) have until February 28 to submit their entries. Organisers had announced that the festival would hold between March 28 and 31, 2023 at the Prestigious Viva Cinema, Ikeja – Lagos. Call for submission opened on December 1, 2022 and will close on February 28. Festival Director and promoter, Osezua Stephen-Imobhio, disclosed that the festival is aimed at projecting and furthering the progress of African Indigenous language filmmaking through film screening, training workshops and conferences to proffer lasting solutions to distribution and monetisation challenges of indigenous language film genre. Stephen-Imobhio also announced the festival jury will be chaired by Prof. Jeremiah Methuselah, Rector of the National Film Institute, Jos, Plateau State. Members of the jury include, Nigerian award winning actors, Mallam Sanni Mu’azu, Chief Ngozi Ezeonu, former president of the Actors Guild Nigeria (AGN) Emeka Ike; Doyin Amodu (UK based filmmaker and Chairperson, TAMPAN UK chapter), Ketsia Fridjon (Cameroun-based film lecturer, dubbing producer and distributor of African content). Ailff, which focuses exclusively on films shot in African indigenous languages, also has Ms. Rahab Njeri Kimani, Nairobi, Kenya-based film distribution expert and Frank K. Hemans, Ghanaian Indie Filmmaker resident in South Africa as jurors. Submission of entries is only through https:// filmfreeway.com/Africanindegenouslanguagefilmfestival
