District 9–There Are Aliens Among Us
Neill Blomkamp is a South-African, based in Vancouver, British Columbia who has an interesting background. He picked up the Cannes Lions 2008 – Film Lions Grand Prix for the ‘HALO’ “combat” web commercial; directed several short films and advertisements; and just embarked on an ambitious project–a full feature sci-fi film called ‘District 9′.
Chiwetel Ejiofor is Back In the Post-Apocalyptic Film 2012
British actor, Chiwetel Ejiofor is back in the post-apocalyptic film, 2012.
Ejiofor’s resume continues to grow, as he has appeared in such films as Amistad, Dirty Pretty Things, Inside Man, and American Gangster. His most recent film, 2012, has him in the role of Adrian Helmsley, a scientific advisor to the President (played by Danny Glover). 2012, according to the Mayan calendar signifies a major change on Earth; a change that many have interpreted to be the end of the world. “Never before has a date in history been so significant to so many cultures, so many religions, scientists, and governments. A global cataclysm brings an end to the world and tells of the heroic struggle of the survivors.” » Read more…
FILM REVIEW: Jackson 5 In Africa
This past week, I had the great pleasure of checking out a rare gem of a film at Harlem’s National Black Theater. ImageNation, the organization responsible for putting together the screening and Q&A, is a Harlem-based media arts organization.
Malawian Film Goes To A Higher Level
We all live in a fantasy world; we all try to hide our real characters and that is the message that Malawian film maker, Michael Usi, is putting across in his new movie ‘Living On Perfume’ that premieres in Blantyre on August 1.
Usi, popularly known in Malawian film circles as Manganya, said in an exclusive interview that his new movie was showcasing some of the human vices that people tend to hide. “People tend to feign their real characters. [Many] times people hide their real character because they need to survive, and that is exactly what I am exposing in my new film. I want to teach people that we have to live as our real selves, not in a sheep’s skin while we are wolves” he said. » Read more…
FILM: PARIAH
Alike (Adepero Oduye) is a teenager, who one could say has three strikes against her by being 1) a female, 2) Black and 3) a lesbian. Shot in New York City, Pariah explores what it means to juggle multiple identities and the toll that can take. Alike juggles these identities in order to gain acceptance from her family and friends but, at some point, this becomes too much. As Alike finds, many of the gender constructs that society imposes apply not only to relationships involving men and women, but also same gender relationships.
Pariah has screened at over 40 locations, including the Sundance Film Festival and the Pan African Film Festival. Currently, the film is a semi-finalist in the Netflix Find Your Voice Film Contest. To cast your vote for Pariah, click here. » Read more…
Danny Glover will be at the Zanzibar International Film Festival
The Zanzibar International Film Festival (ZIFF) is growing in stature each year, featuring a wider selection of truly great films as it gains recognition internationally. The list of films that have been chosen for screenings are listed here and represent a great cross-section of Africa and the Diaspora. To view the screening schedule, visit this page.
Nollywood stakes its claim in Hollywood
Actor Hakeem Kae-Kazim was joined by Hollywood Celebrities for the “4th Annual Nollywood Convention’s VIP Banquet”. African actors Caroine Chikezie, Amanda Annan, Raz Adoti joined Hakeem to support this red carpet event for one of the biggest film industries in the world.
Attendees enjoyed Nigerian delicacies, a crowd stopping perfomance by soul singer “Sammie Jay”, Nollywood Films which were followed by Nigerian music. Also enjoying the evening were Alice Amter (The Big Bang Theory), Treva Etienne (Terminator Salvation), Ed Gale (Howard The Duck) and Julio Hanson (Angels and Demonds).
The banquet was a culmination of a 3-day Nollywood Convention at the Palomar Hotel in Westwood to raise awareness of the Nollywood industry to Hollywood. The Nollywood Foundation’s president, Professor Sylvester Ogbechie, shared that the Nigerian film industry has grown rapidly to become one of the largest film producing industries in the world. » Read more…
South African Short Film Scoops Award at the “Tarifa Film Festival”
Izulu Lam (My Secret Sky), written by Madoda Ncayiyana and Julie Frederikse has recently won the “Best Actress” award at the Tarifa International Pan Film Festival which took place in Spain. The film is about a journey of two young Kwazulu Natal kids as they re-adjust their lives from a life lived in the rural outskirts of South Africa to the gloomy city, after they mother’s death.
Meet Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, the Talent behind “Youssou N’dour: I Bring What I Love”
At an early age, Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi was well on her way to being a masterful and accomplished Director. At just 24 years old, she won the Best Director Award at the 2003 Tribeca Film Festival for her documentary debut film – A Normal Life. It was after this that she decided to shift gears and in her own words, her next project was “to make an uplifting film about Africa and thought that music was one way to do it”. Her subject choice was none other than the best selling and most influential African artist of all time, the legendary Youssou N’dour.
“Youssou N’dour: I Bring What I Love” opens in NYC Theaters!!
After 5 years of dedication, hard work, and an incredible journey with Africa’s most influential and talented artist of all time, Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi ’s documentary, “Youssou N’dour: I Bring What I Love”, opens in theaters in New York city on June 12th, 2009.
Chai, a Princeton graduate in comparative literature, is the American director and producer behind the documentary that retraces the daily life of N’dour throughout a 2 year period in Africa, Europe, the United States, and the Middle East, following his controversial Grammy award winning album “Egypt”, which brought a lot of criticism and rejection in his native country, Senegal, due to his release and performances during the holy month of Ramadan. » Read more…
One Day In Africa – A Journey Through 6 African Lives
Africa is a mix of modern and traditional co-existing in a sort of uneasy existence. Many movies capture one aspect of the culture or the other, very well, but few capture both sides in their entirety as well as this documentary about life in Africa.
The film takes you through the lives of 6 Africans from different countries in Africa and lets them tell you their tale. Some tales are of living in poverty or chauvinism, while others highlight the opulence that is also Africa. Listen to the stories that they tell, understand the reasons behind the customs. There was some irony in the part of the film where a man stated that if “If we leave the farm work the women will just stay in the house and sleep”, while a man who is obviously in a deep sleep is stretched out in the background. Such are the ironies of Africa. » Read more…
African Events Calendar
Upcoming Events
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July 14 - 17, 2010
Africa Fashion Week New York (AFWNY) in New York
USA - North East
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March 20, 2010
FACE Africa 1st Annual Gala
USA - North East
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March 11 -15, 2010
Sixth Annual New African Films Festival
USA - North East
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April 10, 2010
RUNWAY LIBERIA: Silver Spring,MD
USA - North East
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