Directing talents from six African countries invited to festivals in Rotterdam and Santa Barbara
African Metropolis premieres in Europe on 26 January 2014 at the renowned International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR). On top of that, the short film programme revisits North America in February for their USA premiere at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival in California. The compilation of six short fiction films, set in six major African cities, tells urban tales about life in African metropolises. Besides the screenings and a panel discussion in Rotterdam, Marie KA, one of the African Metropolis directors, will talk about her experiences at Berlinale Talents 2014, the Berlin International Film Festival‘s annual platform for the most promising emerging filmmakers.
The African Metropolis Short Film Project is an initiative of the Goethe-Institut South Africa and South African executive producer Steven Markovitz, with support from Guaranty Trust Bank and the Hubert Bals Fund of International Film Festival Rotterdam.
With short films set in Lagos (Director: Folasakin Iwajomo), Abidjan (Philippe Lacôte), Dakar (Marie KA), Johannesburg (Vincent Moloi), Cairo (Ahmed Ghoneimy) and Nairobi (Jim Chuchu), the filmmakers’ work shows the face of a modern and cosmopolitan Africa and challenges long-standing clichés about the continent.
Gertjan Zuilhof, International Programmer and Peter van Hoof, Head of Short Film Programme of IFFR, say: “Big city films from African big cities is just what we have been waiting for. It is about time we move on from pre-colonial nostalgia. The best would be if this project could work as a model for the future.”
Facebook: AfricanMetropolis
Twitter: @Africanmet
Dates:
International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR):
26.01.2014:
– Boost! coproduction workshop with Steven Markovitz
– Premiere Screening, followed by a panel discussion
– Party hosted by African Metropolis and Boost!
Berlinale Talents:
08.-13.02.2014 (exact date tba):
– Participation of director Marie KA as an expert in a session focusing on “filmmakers that ‘broke some rules’ in their films, making things visible in their stories that hadn’t been seen before, setting things in motion by doing so and using their films to make people think”
Santa Barbara International Film Festival:
06.02. + 08.02.2014:
– Screenings
For screeners, visual reference and more information please contact:
Ben Keuffel
Goethe-Institut South Africa
Phone: 011 442 3232
Cell: 082 769 3254
