Rollaball – debuting a sport that highlights talent, survival and dignity

Written by Shirlene Alusa-Brown | August 28, 2012 | Leave a Comment

‘Rollaball‘ is a documentary that highlights the extreme sport of skate soccer, a mix of soccer and skating. The players are very unique–a group of young men that have survived childhood polio. First played in Lagos, Nigeria, it has become quite popular in West Africa. The hope is that this documentary will bring awareness to the sport and allow the players to petition for its inclusion in the Paralympics.

Rollaball

Tags: , AC Milan, anne wafula, big world cinema, Durban International Film Festival, encounters, Ghana, jambula tree, kickstarter, Nigeria, rollaball, skate soccer, steven markovitz, Sulley Muntari, viva riva

Jamati: The year that was

Written by Wanjiru Ndung'u | December 31, 2011 | Leave a Comment

It was a great year at Jamati, this past 2011. We got the chance to celebrate with great African personalities both in Africa and the Diaspora.

Nicolas Anelka

Tags: , Adèle Dejak, AFrican Fashion Week, Blitz the Ambassador, Cesaria Evoria, Ellen Baanda-Aaku, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, Eto'o, Femi Kuti, Leymah Gbowee, Liz Ogumbo, London Fashion Week, Meffe Tega, Mukoma Ngugi, Nelson Mandela, Nicholas Anelka, Pyromaniac, Rugged Priest, Sean Kuti, Tinariwen, viva riva, Wangari Maathai, Yaya Toure

Viva Riva – An award-winning film from the Congo

Written by Shirlene Alusa-Brown | July 12, 2011 | Leave a Comment

‘Viva Riva‘ is a raw look at modern Kinshasa, showing the sides we know, and the ones we might not be so aware of. Riva (Patsha Bay) is a young man who has come back to town after being away for 10 years. He is glad to be back and eager to spend the money that he has in his pocket. Unfortunately the money belongs to his old boss in Angola who is in active pursuit of him. He goes to the club and is enamored by Nora (Manie Malone), the kept woman of a local gangster.

Determined to have her, he throws caution to the wind and pursues her. His former boss is on his tail, leaving a trail of bodies and mayhem behind him. Nora’s boyfriend is also after Riva, determined to defend his honor. Riva’s night starts to look more like a nightmare as he deals with all the people trying to find him.

Tags: , African Movie Academy Awards, Djo Tunda Wa Munga, Pan African Film Festival, viva riva

‘Viva Riva’ and ‘Sinking Sands’ lead 2011 AMAA nominations

Written by Ameyaw Debrah | February 28, 2011 | Leave a Comment

Jimah-proposes-to-pabi1 For the second year running, Ghanaian film maker, Leila Djansi made a huge impression on the Africa Movie Academy by receiving multiple nominations for the 2011 Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA). Unlike the previous year when she topped the list of nominations; this year, she comes a close second to Djo Tunda Wa Munga’s ‘Viva Riva’ from Congo. Leila’s widely acclaimed ‘Sinking Sands’, a psychological drama about a love affair that turns into a relationship full of abuse, received 9 nominations including Best Film, Best Screenplay, Best Director, Best Cinematography and others.