Government of the Republic of South Africa and the government of Ireland have joined forces to co-produce films.

The agreement which was finalized and signed at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival states that the two parties are:

“Seeking to enhance cooperation between their two countries in the area of film; Desirous of expanding and facilitating the co-production of films which may be conducive to the film industries of both countries and to the development of their cultural and economic exchanges; Convinced that these exchanges will contribute to the enhancement of relations between the two countries”

This agreement is being facilitated through the South African National Film and Video Foundation and Irelands Irish Film Board.  They are currently seeking submissions for films to be produced. 

For specifics you can check out the official agreement on the National Film and Video Foundation website HERE.

Article source: http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/south-africa-and-ireland-join-forces

Brits got to taste Sundance for the first time this year; apparently it was successful/encouraging enough that the Sundance Institute has announced a 2nd and 3rd year of Sundance London.

Details via press release from Sundance below: 

The O2, London, 22 October 2012 — Robert Redford, Sundance Institute and AEG Europe announced today that following the success of the first-ever Sundance London film and music festival in April 2012, the event will return to the world famous London venue, The O2, for a further two years, in 2013 and 2014. Passes and ticket packages for the 2013 event will go on general sale on 9 November at www.sundance-london.com.

The second Sundance London will take place from 25-28 April, 2013, and host the international and UK premieres of American independent films fresh from the 2013 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, U.S.A., as well as live music performances, panels and events. The 2013 programme will continue its 2012 focus on presenting new work by American filmmakers and music artists. Sundance Institute, which annually presents the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, U.S.A, will select the films and related programming.

The first Sundance London featured screenings of 27 films, including many European premieres, and performances by 17 musical acts. Highlights included the Royal Premiere of HARMONY: A New Way of Looking at Our World attended by HRH, The Prince of Wales; an intimate performance by Rufus and Martha Wainwright following the world premiere of Lian Lunson’s film about the music of their mother; the Opening Night event An Evening With Robert Redford And T Bone Burnett; Tricky and Martina Topley-Bird performingMaxinquaye; and screenings of 14 feature-length and eight short films from the 2012 Sundance Film Festival.  Audiences were also treated to several thought-provoking panels featuring industry experts and artists discussing topical film and music issues.

Robert Redford, President Founder of Sundance Institute, said: “Sundance was warmly welcomed to London last year, by engaged and adventurous audiences eager to take a chance on independent film, and this makes a second year all the more exciting for us.”

“The vibrant arts community in London has informed this decision as much as anything,” continued Redford. “Seeing what comes of nurturing a broader global community for new voices and varied perspectives in American independent film and music, seems a worthy 21st Century endeavour.”

Alex Hill, Chief Finance and Strategy Officer at AEG Europe said: “The O2 has long been known for hosting some of the world’s most exciting music acts and sports spectacles, and our growth into film with the hugely successful Sundance London film and music festival is a perfect complement to our current calendar. We’re thrilled to be hosting Sundance London again in 2013 and 2014, building even further on the achievements of our inaugural year.”

John Cooper, Director of the Sundance Film Festival, said: “In addition to exposing European audiences to American film and music, we will continue connecting with the UK and European filmmaking community through workshops, panels and conversations designed to create a forum for identifying commonalities of independent filmmaking as well an exchange of best practices and new ideas.”

For more information visit www.sundance-london.com or follow @SundancefestUK on Twitter.

Article source: http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/sundance-will-return-to-london-in-2013-and-2014

This is GREAT news for New Yorkers! Both films will be making their New York premieres; in fact, I believe La Pirogue will be making its USA premiere. 

But this should excite a lot of you… I hope. Both films have received lots of coverage on this site; I saw part of the 3-hour epic drama Toussaint L’Ouverture at the Pan-African Film Festival in LA (the night that it screened was my last night at the festival, and I couldn’t stay for the entire screening, because I had a flight to catch), and I haven’t seen anything of La Pirogue at all, so both of these will essentially be first-timers for me, and I’m looking forward to it!

The news, in brief…

The International Organization of La Francophonie and The African Diaspora International Film Festival present screenings of: first, the festival’s Centerpiece film, Philippe Niang’s Toussaint L’Ouverture, on Saturday, December 1 at 5pm, at Teachers College, Cowin Center; and second, the festival’s Gala screening of Moussa Touré’s La Pirogue, on Tuesday, November 27, 7PM also at Teachers College, Cowin Center.

La Pirogue tells the story of a group of Senegalese men who set off for Europe on a simple fishing boat, hoping for a better life. But it’s so much more than that, as I’ve explained numerous times in previous posts about the film, which you can revisit.

As for Toussaint L’Ouverture, I think the title says it all!

The African Diaspora International Film Festival (ADIFF), here in New York City, kicks off  its 2012 edition (also its 20th anniversary, a milestone year) on November 23rd, running through December 11th.

Nigerian filmmaker Tony Abulu’s cross-continental drama/thriller, Doctor Bello, a film SA readers should also already be familiar with, is this year’s opening night film!

So… a great-looking lineup thus far! 

More to come…

Article source: http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/yes-toussaint-louverture-la-pirogue-are-centerpiece-gala-screenings-for-adiff-2012

It’s not all doom and gloom when it comes to black cinema in The Netherlands, despite recent posts.

The Africa in the Picture (AITP) Film Festival is an independent film festival and platform for African and African Diaspora Cinema, happening annually in Amsterdam. 

Every year AITP organizes a film festival showcasing a unique selection of films from all over the world.

The 15th edition began today, October 19 and will run through the 28th, with a lineup of more than 80 films, as well as a program of visual arts, workshops, lectures, debates and more.

Alain Gomis’ 3rd feature film titled Tey (or Today in English) – photo above – opened the festival. 

I’m late on the announcements and festival highlights, because I’m just learning about it today! But Skimming through the list, I see several films we’ve covered, and some that we haven’t; so I’ll take some time to scrub the lineup and return with individual highlights over the next week.

In the meantime, here’s a good, in-depth conversation with Heidi Lobato, Director of the Africa In The Picture Film Festival, in which she talks about the structure and highlights of this year’s festival, the need for a transnational consciousness to see how continents are connected, and more.

Thanks to Smart Monkey TV for the interview:

Article source: http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/amsterdams-africa-in-the-picture-film-festival-oct-19-28-opens-w-alain-gomis-tey

The upcoming new film from documentary master Ken Burns, titled, The Central Park Five, which Burns co-directed with his daughter Sarah Burns, and his son-in-law David McMahon, had its North American premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September. 

A quick recap…

The documentary, a tale of racial injustice, examines the case of the Central Park rape, in the late 1980s, that triggered strong emotions in New Yorkers, and the sensational media storm across the US that followed.

Five black and Latino teenagers were arrested and convicted for the brutal rape and assault of Tricia Meili, only to be released after the real attacker confessed in 2002.

As we noted recently, the film’s producers were hit with a lawsuit by the city of New York, who want to look at outtakes and unused interview footage from the film, that they believe could assist them in defending a still pending $50 million federal lawsuit filed by the defendents nine years ago.

Burns said that it was ironic that the city would issue the subpeonas now, since the city has spent years turning down his requests for interviews, which would have explained their actions in their defense, which he would’ve included in the film.

Naturally, the filmmakers are fighting the subpoena.

The film made its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in May, where Burns expressed his hopes that the film gets a theatrical release (before heading to PBS in 2013) unlike his past documentaries, stating, “We want to release it theatrically because the running time makes it managable and there’s something urgent about it.“

Movieline has an exclusive first look at the film’s official poster, which tells the story of injustice in a simple image showing the imbalanced scales of justice, in black and white, with the title of the film in a shade of grey.

Check it out below; the film’s trailer is underneath:

Article source: http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/ken-burns-racial-injustice-doc-the-central-park-five-gets-an-official-poster-in-black-white

The fall film festival beat marches on, as the African Diaspora International Film Festival (ADIFF), here in New York City, kicks off  its 2012 edition (also its 20th anniversary, a milestone year) on November 23rd, running through December 11th.

As we continue to look forward to seeing what this year’s full lineup of films looks like (a few titles have already been teased), New Yorkers will be especially glad to know that the opening night film for this year’s event will be Nigerian filmmaker Tony Abulu’s cross-continental drama/thriller, Doctor Bello, a film SA readers should already be familiar with, as we’ve been covering it since it began production earlier this year.

The Nollywood/Hollywood collaboration stars Isaiah Washington, Vivica A. Fox, Jimmy Jean-Louis, Bern Cohen, Genevieve Nnaji (maybe the most internationally well-known Nollywood actress), Stephanie Okereke (also a well-known Nollywood actress) and Victor Browne.

Its story centers on  an American oncologist (played by Washington) who will risk everything to get his hands on the cure for cancer, which has been found in the Nigeria.

Here’s the full synopsis:

Brilliant Cancer specialist Dr. Michael Durant ( Isaiah Washington) is emotionally troubled, wrestling with the traumatic loss of his 10 year old daughter from Cancer. Immersing himself in his work in the hospital, away from his wife ( Vivica A. Fox) he forms an unlikely bond with a sick, loving, but rambunctious 11 year old boy Sam, the son of a rich Jewish couple who are major contributors to the hospital Cancer research fund.Unfortunately, Sam’s health deteriorates drastically, and with only a few days to live. Dr. Durant becomes desperate, willing to risk anything to save the child’s life. A surreptitious Nigerian Nurse convinces him to seek the help of Dr. Bello ( Jimmy Jean Louis), an uncertified Nigerian Doctor with a controversial past, known in the Brooklyn-African underground as a miracle worker. Dr. Bello secretly administers a strange African potion, replete with incantations to Sam and miraculously, the child begins to recover, the Cancer speeding into remission. Little did Dr. Durant know that this would start a criminal investigation by the hospital board, and eventually lead him to a mysterious, riveting journey of self discovery, love, forgiveness, and hope in the mysterious “Garden of life,” lodged deep in the recesses of Nigeria’s sky mountains.

The film made its world premiere late last month at the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts, in Washington, DC, and it’ll now have its New York premiere, as well as the honor of opening the African Diaspora International Film Festival, as it celebrates its 20th anniversary - one of the oldest and most regarded diaspora film festivals in the country, if not the world.

None of us at SA has seen the film yet, so this is a nice surprise, as well as an opportunitiy to be one of the first to see it. And of course, we’ll share our thoughts about it when that time comes.

And as we’ve noted in previous posts, we’re big fans of these kinds of cross-continental, diaspora collaborations – in this case, between African American and African talents – and we’re looking forward to seeing what the end result looks, sounds and feels like.

Isaiah Washington in anything dramatically raises expectations.

You can purchase ADIFF festival pases today at a discount;  The VAP (Very Artsy Person) Pass (discounted to $225 from $250 until October 15)gives access to all festival events, including Opening Night, Closing Night and all special events. The Regular pass gives access to all the regular screenings for $160, or $145 before October 15.  Tickets can be purchasd HERE.

Over 60 Films are scheduled to screen over the course of the 19-day Festival; we’re looking forward to learning about the rest.

Check out the ADIFF opening night announcement poster, as well as the film’s trailer, below:

Article source: http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/cross-continental-drama-thriller-doctor-bello-will-open-20th-african-diaspora-international-film-fest

This is just a tease, not the full lineup.

70 films are expected to be screened this year (with more than 30 of the filmmakers in attendance), over the 10 days of the festival (now in only its 2nd year), including several titles we’ve highlighted on this site throughout the year, like Mahamat-Saleh Haroun’s comedy Sex, Okra and Salted Butter on the narrative side, and the acclaimed documentary on activist fights to repeal Uganda’s homophobic laws titled Call Me Kuchu, leading the documentary charge. 

This year’s festival will see 27 London premieres, as well as the return of the Silver Baobab award which celebrates the Best Short African Film, by giving the winner £2,000 towards their next production. Last year’s winner, Rungano Nyoni, a name we’ve mentioned a few times on this site, will be present to hand out the award to this year’s winner.

Key programming strands for this year’s festival are:

Continental crossings – mainly documentaries about Africa’s long and on-going involvement with countries such as Burma, Cuba, China, India and Ukraine.

Elections and democracy – in the wake of the recent Marikana mine incident in South Africa and the upcoming Ghanaian and Kenyan elections, this strand puts the spotlight on films that explore election processes in Africa and ordinary people’s struggles for democracy.

Mama Africa – four years after the passing of ‘Mama Africa’ herself – star singer and activist Miriam Makeba – we will pay tribute to her on our closing night and show a wide range of fiction and documentary films that look at motherhood and mother-daughter relationships in the continent.

Spotlight on sexualities – as gay people in South Africa continue to suffer extreme violence for simply being who they are, we have brought together recent films that have been made from South Africa to Uganda in condemnation of such violence as well as films that look in a more celebratory light at all kinds of sexuality in different African contexts.

Sport – keeping the Olympics spirit going is the aim of this strand, which celebrates the athletic talent and diverse sporting achievements of Africans, with fiction and documentaries about, for example, wrestlers in Senegal, Ethiopian and Sahrawi long distance runners, The Tour of Rwanda bicycle race, and the power of football across Africa.

Public space and citizen journalism – this strand recognises that Africans are increasingly teaming up to make films in collectives rather than as individuals which often speak out in favour of democracy, free speech and the creation of free public spaces for everyone to be heard; come to our own free public space, ‘Picha House presents…’ taking place at Rich Mix where you will watch thought-provoking films on this topic and join the discussions.

Expect panel discussions, professional and educational workshops, family activities and Film Africa LIVE! music nights.

Over 2,000 people attended last year’s festival and as London is home to one of the largest African communities outside of the continent, the 2012 festival is set to build upon those numbers – making it the biggest yet.

“Our programming team has travelled far and wide, from Kenya to South Africa to Ethiopia, and to festivals all over the world, to bring you the best programme of contemporary African film possible. We have viewed more than 300 African films in the process of making our final selection and we’re excited to show you what the continent has to offer,” says program director, Lindiwe Dovey.

Look out for individual profiles of this year’s lineup.

Article source: http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/film-africa-londons-largest-annual-african-film-festival-returns-november-1-to-11

News that I think will thrill a lot of you, who’ve emailed me over the last 8 months or so, asking when Victoria Mahoney’s impressive feature film debut, Yelling To The Sky (which I saw at the Gen Art Film Festival last year) will be commercially released.

Thanks to an owl (Harry Potter reference) sitting on the fire escape right outside my bedroom window this morning, I’ve learned that the film is expected to be released by the end of this year. I can’t tell you specific dates or formats yet, but the film is expected to be out within the next 3 months.

Look for an official announcement, with all the goodies, soon.

You’ll recall that, last year, MPI Media Group picked up North American rights to Yelling to the Sky, a drama starring Zoë Kravitz, Antonique Smith, Gabourey Sidibe, Tim Blake Nelson, Jason Clarke, Yolonda Ross, Shareeka Epps, and others.

Kravitz plays 17-year-old Sweetness O’Hara, determined to correct the mistakes of the past, takes control of her life, as her family falls apart.

A Sundance Institute Screenwriters and Directors Lab selection, Mark Silverman Maryland Film Fellowship, and Annenberg Film Fellowship winner, Mahoney’s Yelling To The Drama debuted at the Berlin Film Festival in 2011, commencing its film festival circuit travels, attracting acclaim, and some controversy, along the way.

I’m sure it’ll inspire lots of conversation on this site, when most of you eventually get to see it.

Here’s the trailer as a refresher:

Article source: http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/victoria-mahoneys-acclaimed-drama-yelling-to-the-sky-expected-to-be-released-by-end-of-2012

I attended the festival for the very first time this year, and was overwhelmed by the number of films screened; truly one of the largest black film festivals in the world, in terms of volume alone. It was also where films from the likes of comedies like Think Like A Man, to historical dramas like Toussaint L’Ouverture, and several other notable titles, made their USA (and in some cases world) premieres.

I’ll be back next year; and maybe your film will be in the lineup; and if you haven’t yet submitted, you better get to it because the early deadline (October 15) is just around the corner; Late submissions will be accepted until November 21.

Applications are available via the PAFF website at www.paff.org, by emailing ao@paff.org or calling (310) 337-4737.

Official selection announcements will be made beginning December 15.

The 21st annual PAFF will be held on February 7-18, 2013 in Los Angeles.

ELIGIBILITY:

The PAFF is currently accepting applications for films and videos made by and/or about people of African descent. (Please note: the filmmaker(s) need not be of African or African American descent.) Films should preferably depict positive and realistic images and can be of any genre — drama, comedy, horror, adventure, animation, romance, science fiction, experimental, etc. PAFF accepts features and shorts both narrative and documentary. The film festival will accept submissions of works in progress; however, the final version of the film must be completed no later than January 5, 2013.

COMPETITION:

The PAFF competition categories are: Best Narrative Feature, Best Narrative Short, Best Documentary, Best Director — First Feature, plus, Audience Favorite Awards for Narrative Feature and Favorite Documentary. Films in competition must be copyrighted no earlier than 2012. With the exception of Audience Favorite Awards, all films are judged by industry professionals, selected by PAFF. In addition to competition awards, other programming and festival special prizes will be awarded.

SUBMISSION:

For information about the festival, submission procedures, fees and registration, visit www.paff.org or call 310. 337-4737. Submissions will be accepted from July 2, 2012 through October 15, 2012. Late submissions will be accepted until November 21, 2012. Official selection announcements will be made beginning December 15, 2012.

Article source: http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/deadline-imminent-for-pan-african-film-festival-call-for-submissions-last-call

The 16th Urbanworld Film Festival is underway; in fact, the festival actually wraps up today; so if you’re in NYC, you’ve got today to catch as many film screenings as you can, especially if you haven’t seen many of these films.

Today’s closing lineup includes both shorts and features, docs and fiction, and span genres and themes. 

The highlight of course is the closing night film - Ava DuVernay’s Middle Of Nowhere, its New York premiere. A packed house is expected for that one, as the filmmaker and star of the film - Emayatzy Corinealdi - are expected to be present.

Other highlights include: on the documentary side, Byron Hurt’s exploration of the dark side of the food industry and the growing food justice movement that has been born in its wake – Soul Food Junkies; From Fatherless To Fatherhood directed by Kobie Brown, which explores the causes, effects and possible solutions on the absence of fathers in households; a portrait of slain Chicago basketall phenom Ben Wilson, Benji, directed by Chike and Coodie; Terence Nance’s Triptych – a profound documentary series profiling some of the most outspoken visual artists of our time – Sanford Biggers, Wangechi Mutu and Barron Claiborne; Caskey Ebeling’s Getting Up: The TEMPT ONE Story, on the life of artist Tony ‘TEMPT‘ Quan, a legendary LA graffiti artist, social activist and publisher; and finally BMF: The Rise and Fall of a Hip-Hop Drug Empire, directed by D. Sikorski, based on the true story of the Black Mafia Family drug empire that’s said to have initiated one of the most expansive DEA investigations in USA history.

On the fiction side, there’s Matthew Cherry’s The Last Fall, which delivers an earnest look at life after professional football; Mariette Monpierre’s Elza, a touching tale on racial prejudice in the Caribbean, as a daughter searches for the father she never met; Joshua Sanchez’s indie drama Four, an adaptation on an off-Broadway play by Christopher Shinn, which centers on the relationships between a 16-year-old white boy, and a closeted, married black man he met on the Internet, and the black man’s 16-year-old daughter and a white 20-year-old low-level drug dealer; Delila Vallot’s e gritty suspense thriller Tunnel Vision, which tells the tale of a jury that fails to convict the serial killer who savagely murdered a man’s family, and the man’s journey to rise above his desire for revenge and descend into the deranged world of a sadistic predator, in order to uncover the truth and finally get justice.

There are also 3 short film programs today, with a variety of works from the likes of Salli Richardson-Whitfield and Hill Harper, as well as new short films by filmmakers whose past work we’ve highlighted, like Tina Mabry and Tahir Jetter, and some shorts we’ve previewed but haven’t officially premiered yet, like The Bluest Note, and The Last / First Kiss. 

Each short film block is about 2 hours, so you’ll be getting your feature-film money’s worth.

There’ll also be a few repeat screenings of films that have already screened, so check out the full schedule for today HERE and see all that’s available today.

Article source: http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/urbanworld-2012-closing-day-screening-highlights-what-to-see-at-the-festival-today-9-22