The second edition of Colours of the Nile International Film Festival (CONIFF) launches today, Monday 24 March 2014, highlighting 48 African film offerings from around the continent, all of which will be African, East African or Ethiopian premieres from African directors or producers. There will be competitive categories for features, documentaries and short films, with ten awards being given out, including The Great Nile Award for Best Feature Film Director.
The feature selection of 11 films spans a number of debut features: Chika Anadu’s B for Boy, Kenneth Gyang’s Confusion Na Wa, Soussaba Cisse’s Rumours of War, David Tosh Gitonga’s Narobi Half Life, Shams Bhanji’s Zamora: to the more established names of Lincino Azavedo’s Virgin Margarida; Moussa Toure’s La Pirogue; Ntshaveheni Wa Luruli (Elelwani) and Judy Kibinge’s Something Necessary. The list is completed with the Second feature from Ethiopian Director Yidnekachew Shumete, Nishan.
“The festival provides an opportunity to showcase some of the latest films by African filmmakers in its competition sections and to introduce audiences also to older films that they may not have had the opportunity to see, out of competition, including a country focus this year inviting the audience to look back at some of the films from the post-apartheid South Africa, a country which has had a very unique journey of renewal” says June Givanni, the artistic director of the festival.
The line-up of seven impressive documentaries in competition includes both of the films which are from North Africa in this festival: Bout de Vie: Bout de Reve (Algeria/France) and Boxing with Her (Tunisia) presenting unusual and radical perspectives of the world. All of the films in this section were made in the last two years. Here again, established names of Jean Marie Teno (Leaf in The Wind), William Mbye (President Dia): rub shoulders with the rising stars such as Mati Diop; Lovinsa Kavuma; and Shannon Walsh & Arya Lalloo (Jeppe on a Friday).
The short films competition contains 14 films which were all made in the last 12 months and which provide a kaleidoscopic vision of images, sounds and stories of the continent that will provide audiences with a real treat. The section included five films which have resulted from the Focus Features Africa First Short Film Programme, Twagga, Security, Adamt, Kwaku Ananse, and Berea. The range of genres and styles attest to the fact that the skills and ambitions of young filmmakers remain as varied and ambitious powered with a Renaissance vision and spirit.
In its country focus section dedicated fully to South African cinema this year, CONIFF programmed a tribute to Nelson Mandela – Madiba, the Great Man of Peace who has marked humanity. Nelson Mandela: “The Struggle Is My Life” by the ANC member Lionel Ngakane will be one of the films to be screened in this section. Oliver Schmitz’s Hijack Stories and Mapantusla, Zola Maseko’s Drum and Madoda Ncayiyana’s Izulu Lami are the other films screened in the South African focus together with a documentary by David Forbes, The Cradock Four.
The non-competitive section of the festival “Best of the Rest” includes a retrospective of the works of Newton Aduaka and an important ‘Mockumentary’ by Cameroun Director Jean-Pierre Bekolo that sets a challenge to spirit of Renaissance (The President). The feature Kinshasa Kids by Marc-Henri Wajnberg and three engaging documentaries Creativity in Exile: Joy its Nina; and Messages by Music that are linked in their expressions of migration and PanAfricanism, complete the out of competition section.
“Our selection captures the shifting paradigm in African cinema that is brought forward by extremely talented young African filmmakers. At the same time the festival upholds and celebrates the extraordinary work of established names of African cinema. This flavour opens a new window to dive into the captivating yet unexplored world of African cinema” says Abraham Haile Biru, CONIFF’s founder and president.
Oliver Smitz’s film Life above All will open the festival.
The 2nd Edition of Colours of the Nile International Film Festival is organized by Blue Nile Film and Television Academy in partnership with the Ethiopian Filmmakers Association. The festival is made possible with the generous support of the European Union, Institut Francais, UNESCO, Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie, Alliance Ethio-française d’Addis-Abeba, Embassy of the Republic of France in Addis Ababa, Embassy of the Republic of France in Kenya, The Italian Cultural Institute, Timret Lehiwot Ethiopia, W/Loul Travel and Tour, Reporter News Paper, KETA Printers Plc and Leyu Design.
Life above All
Oliver Schmitz/South Africa, germany/2011/100’/ Southern Sotho/English Subtitles
FEATURE COMPETITION
1. Por aqui tudo bem (All is Well)
Pocas Pascoal | Portugal, Angola | 2011 | 94’ | Portuguese | English subtitles
2. B for Boy
Chika Anadu/ Nigeria/2012/ 118’/ Igbo/ English subtitles
3. Confusion Na Wa
Kenneth Gyang /Nigeria/2013/104’/ English/Pidgin/English subtitles
4. La pirogue
Moussa Touré /Senegal/ 2012/ 87 min/Wolof/French/Spanish/ English subtitles
5. Nishan
Yidnekachew Shumete/Ethiopia/2013/105’/ Amharic/English Subtitle
6. Something Necessary
Judy Kibinge/Kenya / Germany /2013/85’/ Swahili, Kikuyu, English & Kalenjin/English subtitles
7. Virgin Margarida / Virgem Margarida
Licínio Azevedo/Mozambique/2012/ Portuguese/English Subtitle
8. Zamora
Shams Bhanji/Tanzania/2012/96’/ Swahili/English Subtitles
9. Ngunu Ngunu Kan (Rumors of War)
Soussaba Cissé/Mali/ 2012/90’/Language/English Subtitle
10. Nairobi Half Life
David Tosh Gitonga/Kenya/2012/96’/Swahili,Kikuyu,Sheng,/English Subtitles
11. Elelwani
Ntshaveni Wa Luruli/South Africa/2013/103’/ Venda/English Subtitles
DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION
1. Bouts de vies bouts de rêves/Pieces of lives, Pieces of Dreams)
Hamid Benamra/Algeria / 2012/100’/French/English subtitles
2. Jeppe on a Friday
Shannon Walsh & Arya Lalloor /South Africa/2012/87’/English & Zulu/English Subtitles
3. Leaf in the Wind
Jean-Marie Teno /Cameroon, Gabon/2013/ 55’/English, French/English Subtitles
4. President Dia
Ousmane William Mbaye/Senegal/ 2012/54’/French/English Subtitles
5. Curse of an Addict, Zanzibar
Lovinsa Kavuma/Tanzania/2013/25’/Language/English Subtitles
6. Boxing with Her
Latifa Robbana Doghri & Salem Trabelsi / Tunisia / 2011 / 52’/ Arabic/ English subtitles
7. Mille Soleils (A Thousand Suns)
Mati DIOP/Senegal/ 2013/45’/wolof/English Subtitles
SHORT COMPETITION
1. Adamt (Listen)
Zelalem Woldemariam/Ethiopia/2013/19’/Amharic/English subtitles
2. Cleaning Time (Etzlenu)
Alamork Marsha/Ethiopia/2013/15:17/Amaharic & Hibrew/English Subtitles
3. Hold Strong
Marius Bonfeu /South Africa /2013/15:17/Amaharic & Hibrew/English Subtitles
4. Meniscus
Marc Thomas & Chloe Speller/South Africa/2012//10’/English
5. Sodique
Adeyemi Michael/Nigeria/2013/16:9/English/English Subtitles
6. Parameter
Tigist Selam/Ethiopia, USA/2013/3:33/English
7. Security
Mark Middlewick/South Africa/2013/15’/English
8. Shoeshine
Amil Shivji/Tanzania /2013/24’/ Swahili /English Subtitles
9. Touch
Shola Amoo/Nigeria,UK/2013/14’/English
10. Twaaga
Cedric Ido/ Burkinafasso, France /2013/30’ /French/English Subtitles
11. Kwaku Anansi
Akosua Adoma Owusu/Ghana/2013/25’/Twi/English Subtitles
12. The Line Up
Folasakin Iwajomo/Nigeria/2013/13’/ English, Pidgin, Yoruba/English subtitles
13. The Other Woman (L’autre Femme)
Marie KA/Senegal/2013/12:15min/ French /English subtitles
14. Berea
Vincent Moloi./South Africa /2013/15’/ English
15. The secret of Love
Alemayhu Wosen/Ethiopia/ 2014/7:48m/ Amharic / English Subtitles
A TASTE OF SOUTH AFRICAN CINEMA
1. Hijack Stories
Oliver Schmitz /2000/South AFRICA/Oliver Schmitz/90’/English
2. Drum
Zola Maseko’s/South Africa/2004/’94/Afrikaans & German/English sub title
3. Izulu Lami
Madoda Ncayiyana/South Africa/2008/90’/Zulu/English Subtitle
4. Mapantusla
Oliver Schmitz/South Africa/1987/104’/Zulu | Southern Sotho | Afrikaans | English subtitles
5. The Cradock four
David Forbes/2010/’92/ English / English Subtitle
6. Nelson Mandela: The Struggle Is My Life
Lionel Ngakane/South Africa/1985/45’/English
7. Mandela
Clifford Bestall/South Africa/2009/52/English
BEST OF THE REST
1. The president
Jean Pierre Bekolo/Cameroun /2013/’65/ French/English subtitle
2. Kinshasa kids
Marc-Henri Wajnberg./Belgium-France/2012/’85/English Subtitle
3. Creation in Exile
Daniela Ricci/France/2013/’52/English
4. Message By Music
Cornelia Strasser/Switzerland,Senegal/2013/76’/French Wolof/English Subtitle
5. JOY IT’S NINA
Jane Thorburn/ NIGERIA, UK/2012/’35/English
6. Ezra : Newton Aduaka: Retrospective
Newton Aduaka/Nigeria/2008/’110/English
7. Rage; Newton Aduaka: Retrospective
Newton I. Aduaka/UK/1999/’100/English
8. One Man’s Show: Newton Aduaka: Retrospective
Newton Aduaka/Nigeria,France/2012/’75/French,english,Latin.Beti/English Subtitle
WORKSHOPS
1. Making of an independent low budget film
By Newton I. ADUAKA
2. Writing Short Film & Directing Feature Film
By Solomon Bekele Weya
3. Hands on Documentary Filmmaking
By Hamid Benamra
4. Film Criticism and Curating
By June Givanni
5. Festival Organization and Management
By Dr. Lizelle Bisschoff
6. Cinema for peace and dialogue
By Designed and facilitated by Taghreed Elsanhouri
7. Acting for the Big Screen
Susan Wanjiru and Eric Mugambi Nthiga
8. Indian Ocean Short Films
