The African Film And Arts Foundation Announces its Third Annual African Film Festival Atlanta
[ATLANTA, GA] (August 28th, 2023) – The excitement is building as the third Annual African Film Festival Atlanta, powered by The African Film & Arts Foundation inc, gears up for its highly anticipated run from September 21st – September 25th, and October 7th – 8th, 2023 as a hybrid format, seamlessly integrating both virtual and physical experiences across diverse locales within the metro Atlanta area. The in-person screenings will take place at The Auburn Avenue Research Library on African American Culture and History, Tara Cinemas and Studio Movie Grill in Alpharetta. This year’s festival promises an extraordinary cinematic experience that celebrates the rich tapestry of African and diasporic stories, cultures, and voices.
The themes explored in the films submitted this year range from migration, the Chibok girls, being African in America, LGBTQ+ stories from the continent and child trafficking for war. The Festival received 150 film submissions from 33 different countries. Out of these, a carefully chosen collection of 65 films will be showcased during the 2023 edition. We worked with a film selection committee made up of a group of dedicated movie enthusiasts and Film industry professionals who closely watched and evaluated all the films submitted, and we selected the most outstanding group of films. We extend our heartfelt appreciation for the unwavering dedication, enthusiasm, and unparalleled skill that our committee members have demonstrated.
“We feel blessed and are excited to be able to bring our 3rd edition of the festival to you as a hybrid version this year. We look forward to showcasing an international slate of films and making new connections with filmmakers from across the African diaspora,” says Mojisola Sonoiki, founder and creative director of the African Film & Arts Foundation.
- Centerpiece Feature: Maka
- Director: Elia Moutamid
- Georgia Premier
- Documentary Feature
- Country: Italy | 2023 | 51 mins
- Original Language: Arabic, English, Italian
- Recipient of the Integrazione Film Festival Bergamo's Best Documentary award, "Maka" resides at the heart of our festival's cinematic tapestry. Maka tells the story of Geneviéve Makaping’s life as the first Black news editor in Italy amidst her perilous migration journey from Cameroon.
- Return to Chibok
- Director: Professor Branwen Okpako
- Documentary Feature
- Country: Nigeria | 2023 | 107 mins
- Original Language: English, Hausa
- In rural Nigeria, Borno State, 276 teenaged girls were abducted from their school by the militant Islamist group, Boko Haram in 2014,. A few escaped, some were later released, but nearly a decade later about 100 are still missing. Return to Chibok explores the abduction and how we understand the stories about it.
The 3rd Annual African Film Festival Atlanta goes beyond the silver screen, offering an array of enriching experiences, including thought-provoking panels that delve into the intersection of cinema, culture, and technology:
FESTIVAL PANELS
1. Animating Africa & its diaspora : Why representation matters Panelists discuss the power of using animation as a visual storytelling tool to shape perceptions, explore diverse cultures and document life and culture.
2. Artificial Intelligence (AI) & Afrofuturism: The Evolution of Artificial Intelligence (AI) : Impact on Afrofuturism and the future of the film industry
As we count down the days to this momentous event, we invite you to follow us on social media and visit our website for the latest updates. For those passionate about supporting the magic of cinema and fostering cultural exchange, sponsorship inquiries can be directed to development@africanfilmartsfoundation.org.
Join the Center for Studies on Africa and Its Diaspora (CSAD) at Georgia State University, Alliance Francaise d’Atlanta, Consulate of France in Atlanta, Fulton County Dept of Arts & Culture, The Auburn Avenue Research Library on African-American Culture & History, Urban Geekz, the Big Idea Summit, Activate North Fulton, Studio Movie Grill Alpharetta and the Creative Media Industries Institute at Georgia State University, in partnering with and supporting the 2023 festival.
The full festival schedule will be released next week. Please follow our social media handles and visit our website for updates. There is an African proverb that says, “Until the lions have their own historians, the history of the hunt will always glorify the hunter.”At the African Film Festival, we will be telling our own tales.
ABOUT AFAF
African Film & Arts Foundation Inc. (AFAF) is a non-profit 501(C )(3) media arts organization based in Atlanta, Georgia, that aims to be a conduit for changing the imagery and narrative of Africans and people of African descent through the lens of arts and culture.
Launched in 2019, AFAF partly realizes its mission through two of its signature events: Cinema for the Culture (CFC), a monthly film screening, and in conversation sessions with filmmakers and the African Film Festival Atlanta. The inaugural screening of ‘Cinema for the Culture’ was funded by Georgia Humanities and screened Sudan’s official submission to the 2021 Academy Awards – “You Will Die at Twenty”, directed by Amjad Abu Alala.
SOCIAL HANDLES AND HASHTAGS
African Film Festival Atlanta
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African Film and Arts Foundation
Instagram: @africanfilmarts
Twitter: @africanfilmarts
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/africanfilmartsfoundation
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