AISHA
Monday, March 14, 7:15 PM
Aisha, a young ambitious businesswoman living in the city, returns to the village of her youth to attend her little sister's wedding. As she re-connects with her past, catching up with family and old friends, something unexpected happens and the consequences are devastating. Everyone else would rather turn a blind eye, but Aisha decides to fight a tough battle for justice. This film is dedicated to all women who have gone through the same extraordinary suffering as Aisha. DIR Chande Omar; SCR Hamadi Mwapachu; PROD Amil Shivji. Tanzania, 2015, color, 112 min. In Swahili with English subtitles. NOT RATED
afrikafe, TransAfrica Forum & AFI Present:
Event: NEW AFRICAN FILM FESTIVAL (March 11 - March 18)
Theme: Opening Night - LAMB (ETHIOPIA)
Date: Friday, March 11
Time: 7:15 PM Opening Film; 9:30 PM NECKTIE YOUTH (SOUTH AFRICA)
Address: AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center
8633 Colesville Rd. -- Silver Spring Metro
Silver Spring, MD
Cost: Opening Night, $13, including Post-Screening Reception
Contact: Do Not RSVP
Details:
afrikafe and its partners are proud to host the 12th annual New African Film Festival featuring the vibrancy of African filmmaking from all corners of the continent. This year's festival —the biggest yet!— showcases 21 films from 17 countries. To purchase tickets online or for more info go to: www.AFI.com/Silver. Tickets reserved and purchased online must be retrieved in person at the AFI Silver box office. The same credit card used must be presented to the cashier to redeem your tickets.
African Marketplace
Saturday, March 12, 1 PM – 7 PM
New this year, AFI Silver hosts an African Marketplace on Saturday, March 12, presented by Fenton Street Market. From 1 PM – 7 PM, ticketholders* can shop local vendors selling African home goods, clothing, books and art in the atrium lobby. Vendors are still being added to the marketplace; early confirmations include pan-African book seller Tutu's Storybooks, African textile clothing designer Ankara Streets by Jess, Ethiopian painter and fine artist Fetun Amedie, jewelry and housewares artists South African Bazaar Craft Cooperative and pan-African home goods, accessories and apparel merchant Ode Studio ODE.
***A ticket to a film is required to visit the African Marketplace.
OPENING NIGHT screening of LAMB
Friday, March 11, 7:15 PM - Post-screening reception to follow; (Also showing Sunday, March 13, 4:45 PM )
Yared Zeleke's remarkable feature debut tells the story of young Ephraim, a half-Jewish Ethiopian boy who is sent by his father to live among distant relatives after his mother's death. Ephraim uses his cooking skills to carve out a place among his cousins, but when his uncle decides that his beloved sheep must be sacrificed for the next religious feast, he will do anything to save the animal and return home. Beautifully shot against the majestic backdrop of Ethiopia's southern mountains, this is an affecting tale about what people will risk in order to take charge of their own destinies. 2015 Oscar Selection, Ethiopia; Special Jury Prize, 2015 Denver Film Festival; Official Selection, 2015 Cannes, Toronto and London Film Festivals. DIR/SCR Yared Zeleke; PROD Laurent Lavole, Ama Ampadu, Johannes Rexin. Ethiopia/France/Germany/Norway/Qatar, 2015, color, 94 min. In Amharic with English subtitles. NOT RATED
Post-Screening Reception courtesy of Abol Ethiopian Cuisine, www.abolethiopian.com
Tickets $13/$ AFI members. No passes accepted.
NECKTIE YOUTH
Friday, March 11, 9:30 PM; Wednesday, March 16, 5:15 PM
A wealthy white teen has hanged herself from a tree, using her school necktie. To make matters worse, her death has been live-streamed. From there, the filmmaker follows other teens peripherally connected to the girl, all of whom make up a contemporary generation perdue - young people who are wrecked and defeated, unsure of the present and the future. With polished black-and-white cinematography, the film rings true beyond its focus on post-apartheid South Africa, and speaks more generally to a millennial tragedy. (Note courtesy of AFI FEST). Best South African Film, Best Director, 2015 Durban Film Festival; Official Selection, 2015 AFI Fest, Berlin, Tribeca and London Film Festivals. DIR/SCR Sibs Shongwe-La Mer; PROD Elias Ribeiro, John Trengove. South Africa/Netherlands, 2015, b&w, 93 min. In English, Afrikaans and Zulu with English subtitles. NOT RATED
BEATS OF THE ANTONOV
Saturday, March 12, 1:15 PM; Monday, March 14, 5:15 PM
Sudan has been in an almost constant state of civil war since it achieved independence in 1956, and it split into a pair of sovereign states in 2011. On the border between the two, Russian-made Antonov planes indiscriminately drop bombs on settlements in the Nuba Mountains below. Yet, incredibly, the people of the Blue Nile respond to adversity with music, singing and dancing to celebrate their survival. This documentary explores how music binds a community together, offering hope and a common identity for refugees engaged in a fierce battle to protect cultural traditions and heritage from those trying to obliterate them. Winner, People's Choice Documentary Award, 2014 Toronto Film Festival. (Note courtesy PBS). DIR/SCR Hajooj Kuka; PROD Steven Markovitz. Sudan/South African, 2014, color, 68 min. In Arabic with English subtitles. NOT RATED
CUCKOLD
Saturday, March 12, 3 PM
Smanga (filmmaker Charlie Vundla, HOW TO STEAL 2 MILLION, 2012 New African Film Festival) is a celebrated young professor whose life begins to unravel when his wife leaves him. His path of self-destruction is interrupted when he meets an old schoolmate, Jon, whom he invites to move into his place. Jon convinces Smanga to sell the marijuana growing in the backyard and use the cash to pay off his mounting debts. Smanga's wife abruptly returns and also moves back into the house, and these three misfits begin a unique living experiment. Things become complicated by an unexpected pregnancy, and as the tension in the house rises, Smanga faces a complex decision that will define the lives his tribe. Official Selection, 2015 Toronto and Chicago Film Festivals. DIR/SCR/PROD Charlie Vundla; PROD Jeremy Nathan, Moroba8 Nkawe. South Africa, 2015, color, 95 min. In English and Zulu with English subtitles. NOT RATED
FIFTY (2015)
Saturday, March 12, 5 PM
After the smashing success of HALF OF A YELLOW SUN, filmmaker Biyi Bandele tells the story of four middle-aged friends who are forced to take stock of their personal lives, while juggling careers and family in the upper middle-class neighborhoods of Lagos. Tola is a reality TV star whose marriage to lawyer Kunle never stood a chance, thanks to an unpleasant family secret. Elizabeth is a celebrated obstetrician whose penchant for younger men has estranged her from her daughter. Maria's affair results in some unexpected news, while Kate's battle with a life-threatening illness has plunged her into religious obsession. In this tender but unflinching exploration of love and lust, power and rivalry, life and loss, these women rise triumphantly to the challenges of contemporary life. Featuring appearances (and music!) by King Sunny Ade, Femi Kuti, Nneka, Tiwa Savage and the irrepressible Waje. DIR Biyi Bandele; PROD Tope Oshin Ogun. Nigeria, 2015, color, 101 min. In English. NOT RATED
PRICE OF LOVE
Saturday, March 12, 7:15 PM; Wednesday, March 16, 7:15 PM
A recovering addict, Teddy drives his cab across the sprawling Addis Ababa, in the hopes of making an honest living. But when Teddy picks up the beautiful prostitute Fere, just as she's escaping an abusive john, he's thrust back into the world of trouble he tried to escape. After an act of retribution, which leaves Teddy's cab stolen, he joins forces with Fere in the hopes of saving both their lives. As romance blossoms between the two outsiders, they learn the hard way that love comes with a price. One of the leading female filmmakers from Ethiopia, Hermon Hailay, examines tough social issues with great finesse in this gripping contemporary drama. Special Prize, 2015 FESPACO Film Festival; Official Selection, 2015 Toronto Film Festival. DIR/SCR Hermon Hailay; SCR/PROD Max Conil. Ethiopia, 2015, color, 99 min. In Amharic with English subtitles. NOT RATED
EYE OF THE STORM (2015) [L'OEIL DU CYCLONE]
Saturday, March 13, 9:30 PM
In an unidentified African country plagued by civil war, Emma is a young idealistic lawyer, officially assigned to defend a rebel accused of heinous war crimes. He was a former child soldier; does this explain or even excuse his behavior? As everyone around her begins to question her actions, Emma becomes even more resolute to stand up for justice and offer her client a fair trial. Maimouna Ndiaye and Fragass Assande both won acting awards at the FESPACO Film Festival for their brave performances in this thrilling feature debut from Sekou Traore. DIR/PROD Sekou Traore; SCR Luis Marques, Christophe Lemoine; PROD Axel Guyot, Philippe Braunstein. France/Burkina Faso, 2015, color, 104 min. In French with English subtitles. NOT RATED
Ousmane Sembene Tribute
SEMBENE!
Sunday, March 13, 1 PM
In 1952, Ousmane Sembene, a dockworker and fifth-grade dropout from Senegal, began dreaming an impossible dream: to become the storyteller for a new Africa. This documentary tells the unbelievable true story of the "father of African cinema," the self-taught novelist and filmmaker who fought, against enormous odds, a monumental, 50-year-long battle to give African stories to Africans. The story is told through the experiences of the man who knew him best, colleague and biographer Samba Gadjigo, using rare archival footage and more than 100 hours of exclusive materials. This true-life epic follows an ordinary man who transforms himself into a fearless spokesperson for the marginalized, becoming a hero to millions. After a startling fall from grace, can Sembene reinvent himself once more? Official Selection, 2015 AFI Fest, Sundance, Cannes and New York Film Festivals. DIR/SCR/PROD Samba Gadjigo, Jason Silverman. Senegal/U.S., 2015, color, 82 min. In English and French with English subtitles. NOT RATED
New DCP Restoration! 50th Anniversary!
BLACK GIRL [LA NOIRE DE ...] Double Feature with BOROM SARRET
Sunday, March 13, 2:45 PM
A young woman (Mbissine Therese Diop) leaves Senegal with dreams of a more carefree and glamorous existence in France, where she procures a job as a live-in maid and nanny for a young couple in the French Riviera. She is gradually deadened by the endless routines and tasks and rhythms of life in the tiny apartment, and by the dissatisfactions felt by husband and wife, which they project onto their "black girl." Sembene's "perfect short story," wrote Manny Farber, naming it as the best movie of 1969, "is unlike anything in the film library: translucent and no tricks, amazingly pure, but spiritualized." (Note courtesy New York Film Festival). DIR/SCR Ousmane Sembene; POD Andre Zwoboda. Senegal/France, 1966, b&w, 65 min. In French with English subtitles. NOT RATED
BOROM SARRET
The genesis of Black African cinema can be traced to this short, stark masterpiece that chronicles a day in the life of a Dakar cart-driver. DIR/SCR Ousmane Sembene. Senegal, 1963, b&w, 18 min. In French with English subtitles. NOT RATED
U.S. Premiere!
MADAME COURAGE
Sunday, March 13, 6:45 PM; Friday, March 18, 5:20 PM
Omar ekes out a meager living in the slums of seaside village Mostaganem, snatching valuables off passerby to feed his addiction to Madame Courage: Artane tablets, popular for their euphoric effect of invincibility. When he crosses paths with Selma, a beautiful girl with a shiny necklace he pockets, Omar finds a new obsession. But his stalking is met with intrigue and the two form a dangerous connection. Algerian filmmaker Merzak Allouache (THE REPENTANT, 2013 New African Film Festival) brings a gritty intensity to this delicate examination of the male psyche, buoyed by incredible performances by his two young lead actors. Official Selection, 2015 Venice and London Film Festivals. DIR/SCR/PROD Merzak Allouache; PROD Antonin Dedet. Algeria/France, 2015, color, 90 min. In Arabic with English subtitles. NOT RATED
MORBAYASSA
Sunday, March 13, 8:45 PM
Thirty-year-old (singer Fatoumata Diawara, previously seen in Oscar-nominated TIMBUKTU) works in a mafia-run cabaret in Dakar, struggling to accept the limitations of her miserable life. Having given up her daughter for adoption 15 years prior, Bella is wracked with guilt over her past actions. But when she meets Yelo, a fellow Guinean, working for the U.N., she has a chance for redemption as the two set out to find her daughter and rebuild a life worth living. This inspiring drama celebrating the female spirit comes from filmmaker Cheick Fantamady Camara (CLOUDS OVER CONAKRY, 2008 New African Film Festival). Official Selection, 2015 Seattle, FESPACO and Zanzibar Film Festivals. DIR/SCR/PROD Cheick Fantamady Camara; SCR Marc Gautron, Catherine Foussadier. France/Guinea, 2015, color, 124 min. In French with English subtitles. NOT RATED
AISHA
Monday, March 14, 7:15 PM
Aisha, a young ambitious businesswoman living in the city, returns to the village of her youth to attend her little sister's wedding. As she re-connects with her past, catching up with family and old friends, something unexpected happens and the consequences are devastating. Everyone else would rather turn a blind eye, but Aisha decides to fight a tough battle for justice. This film is dedicated to all women who have gone through the same extraordinary suffering as Aisha. DIR Chande Omar; SCR Hamadi Mwapachu; PROD Amil Shivji. Tanzania, 2015, color, 112 min. In Swahili with English subtitles. NOT RATED
SUGARCANE SHADOWS [LONBRANZ KANN]
Monday, March 14, 9:30 PM
Farmers Marco and Bissoon spent their lives working on sugarcane fields, but as tourism increased on the tropical island of Mauritius, their fields were razed to make way for ritzy hotels and lush golf courses. As tensions rise between residents both new and old, Marco and Bissoon must forge a new path not just for themselves, but for their besieged culture. Filmmaker David Constantin, credited with putting Mauritius on the cinematic map, has crafted a thoroughly modern narrative, exploring the downsides of globalization with impressive cinematography and performances from non-professional actors. Best Screenplay, 2015 Durban Film Festival; Official Selection, 2015 Seattle Film Festival. DIR/SCR/PROD David Constantin; SCR Sabrina Compeyron. Mauritius/France, 2014, color, 88 min. In Creole, English and French with English subtitles. NOT RATED
THINGS OF THE AIMLESS WANDERER
Tuesday, March 15, 5:15 PM; Thursday, March 17, 9:30 PM
When the first explorers visited East Africa, the local Bantu populations called them wazungu, from the verb kuzunguka, "to spin around," as a result of the explorer's propensity to get lost in their wanderings ... A white man meets a black girl. Then the girl disappears. The white man tries to understand what happened to her and eventually finish a travelogue. The story plays out over three mesmerizing vignettes in this complex meditation on colonialism from Rwandan filmmaker Kivu Ruhorahoza (GREY MATTER, 2012 New African Film Festival). Official Selection, 2015 Sundance, Rotterdam, Beijing and Sydney Film Festivals. DIR/SCR/PROD Kivu Ruhorahoza; PROD Antonio Rui Ribeiro. Rwanda/UK, 2015, color, 78 min. In English. NOT RATED
KATUTURA
Tuesday, March 15 7:15 PM
Married ex-con Dangi is struggling to lead a clean and law-abiding life while juggling a relationship with his ex-mistress and their son, neither of whom his wife knows about. Shivago, Katatura township's most notorious gangster, is a drug dealer looking for a new market to sell his product. Kondja, a teenager in a wheelchair with a penchant for helping street kids, experiences his first love. The collision of their lives creates a powerful and volatile story of both the brutality and hopefulness of life in the township. DIR/SCR Florian Schott; SCR/PROD Obed Emvula. Namibia, 2015, color, 112 min. In English. NOT RATED
CRUMBS
Tuesday, March 15, 9:30 PM; Thursday, March 19, 5:15 PM
Set against the backdrop of spectacular post-apocalyptic Ethiopian landscapes, the film follows a strange-looking scrap collector, Gagano (the charismatic Daniel Tadesse). Alternately gripped by daydreams and constant fears, the diminutive Gagano has had enough of collecting the priceless crumbs of decayed civilization, including the most valuable: merchandise from Michael Jackson and Michael Jordan. When a spaceship that has been hovering high in the sky for years starts showing signs of activity, Gagano must overcome his fears - as well as a witch, Santa Claus, and second-generation Nazis - to discover things aren't quite what he thought. Official Selection, 2015 Rotterdam, BAFICI, Los Angeles and Denver Film Festivals. DIR/SCR/PROD Miguel Llanso. Ethiopia/Spain/Finland, 2015, color, 68 min. In Amharic and Afrikaans with English subtitles. NOT RATED
THE BODA BODA THIEVES [ABAABI BA BODA BODA]
Wednesday, March 16, 9:30 PM
Fifteen-year-old Abel is forced to provide for his family and man their boda boda (moto taxi) after his father is injured in a traffic accident. Looking for a quick fix, he gets lured in by a local hustler who offers him the chance to be a getaway driver, diving headfirst into a world of easy money and quick thrills. But after Abel is robbed of his taxi, the lies pile up as he searches for the stolen motorbike through the underbelly of Kampala. Filmmakers Donald Mugisha (THE KAMPALA STORY, 2014 New African Film Festival) and James Tayler drew inspiration from the Italian neo-realist film THE BICYCLE THIEF to create this updated African homage. Official Selection, 2015 Seattle and Vancouver Film Festivals. DIR/SCR/PROD Donald Mugisha, James Tayler; SCR/PROD Wanjiku Sarah Muhoho. South Africa/Germany/Kenya/Uganda, 2015, color, 85 min. In Luganda with English subtitles. NOT RATED
THEY WILL HAVE TO KILL US FIRST
Thursday, March 17, 7:15 PM
Music is the beating heart of Malian culture. But when Islamic hardliners took control of northern Mali in 2012, they enforced one of the harshest interpretations of sharia law in history and banned all forms of music. Radio stations were destroyed, instruments were burned and Mali's musicians faced torture, even death, and were forced into hiding or exile. But rather than lay down their instruments, the musicians are fighting back, standing up for their cultural heritage and identity. With a specially commissioned soundtrack from Mali's most exciting artists, a score written by the Yeah Yeah Yeah's Nick Zinner, this documentary leaps headfirst into a tale of courage in the face of conflict. Official Selection, 2015 SXSW and London Film Festivals. DIR/SCR/PROD Johanna Schwartz; SCR Andy Morgan; PROD Sarah Mosses, Kat Amara Korba. Mali/UK, 2015, color, 105 min. In French, Songhay, English, Bambara and Tamasheq with English subtitles. NOT RATED
RAIN THE COLOR BLUE WITH A LITTLE RED IN IT [AKOUNAK TEDALAT TAHA TAZOUGHAI]
Friday, March 18, 7:15 PM
This rollicking rock-u-drama tells the universal story of a musician trying to make it "against all odds," set against the backdrop of the raucous subculture of Tuareg guitar. The protagonist, real life musician Mdou Moctar, must battle fierce competition from jealous musicians, overcome family conflicts, endure the trials of love and overcome his biggest rival - himself. Carried by stunning musical performances from Mdou, the story was drawn from his own experiences while stylistically borrowing from Prince's 1984 classic PURPLE RAIN. DIR/SCR Christopher Kirkley; SCR Mdou Moctar. Niger, 2015, color, 75 min. In Tamashek with English subtitles. NOT RATED
THE CURSED ONES
Friday, March 18, 9 PM
A series of misfortunes leads a West African village to accuse a young girl, Asabi (Ophelia Klenam Dzidzornu,) of witchcraft. Their pastor (Fred Nii Amugi, BEASTS OF NO NATION) insists that salvation lies in her exorcism and death, using his compelling rhetoric to incite fear into the people and turn Asabi's mother (Ama K. Abebrese, BEASTS OF NO NATION) against her own daughter. Disillusioned reporter Godwin (Oris Erhuero, SOMETIMES IN APRIL) finds himself swept up in the witch hunt. With the help of a young school teacher (Joseph Otsiman), he attempts to save Asabi's life, fighting back against corruption and false prophets (Jimmy Jean-Louis, JOY, HEROES). Based on true events, this is a story of morality, corruption and community in the heart of Africa. DIR/SCR Nana Obiri-Yeboah, Maxmilian Claussen; SCR Nicholas K. Lory. Ghana/UK, 2015, color, 100 min. In English. NOT RATED
I've attached the full announcement and a postcard for the film festival. Please include the link below as well. CLICK HERE
No comments:
Post a Comment