From the Artistic Director - Renaiance Spirit: A Festival Against the Odds

The festival provides an opportunity to showcase some of the latest films by African filmmakers in its competition sections and to introduce audiences also to older films and others that they may not have had the opportunity to see, out of competition, including a country focus this year inviting Addis audiences to look back at some of the films from the post-apartheid South African Film Industry, at a country which has had a very unique journey of renewal.

In keeping with the festival's origins at the Blue Nile Film and Television Academy, concerned with supporting and training the next generation of African filmmakers, the festival is able to present this year a series of topical workshops to educate and to inspire them. The festival is also blessed to have the co-operation of the Sudanese filmmaker TaghredElsanhouri on the jury who will also conduct the workshop around a selection of short films from North Sudan Cultural Healing' and South Sudan Juba Youth': and Mohamed Said-Ouma from the Reunion and Comores who is also a Jury member, will conduct the workshop featuring short films from the network of festivals of African islands in the Indian Ocean (Reunion/ Madagascar/Comores/Mauritius) whose impact on the cinema of the continent is growing.

The team is honoured to have a retrospective of the films of the award-winning Nigerian filmmaker Newton Aduaka who will also be conducting a workshop around his feature films which will be shown in a short retrospective of his work in the festival. His award-winning film Ezra; his first feature Rage and his latest feature film One Man Show will be shown this year. The festival is particularly blessed to have the generous collaboration of Newton and 3 other African filmmakers as jury members this year. The festival is also pleased to present two debut feature films in competition from Nigeria, and 3 short films from Nigerian filmmakers.

The festival could not take place this year without remembering one of the most historic events of 2014, so early in the year, the passing of Nelson Mandela - Madiba - The Great Man of Peace who has marked humanity. Two documentaries made by South African filmmakers will be shown to pay tribute to Madiba. Nelson Mandela:The Struggle Is My Life by the ANC member Lionel Ngakane who helped to raise the profile of the anti-apartheid struggle while in exile and working as a filmmaker in the UK; and the filmmaker Clifford Bestall who made the film Project Mandela, as part of the MNet series on African leaders.

In addition to the Madiba Tribute; the South African films in competition (one feature, one documentary and 3 short films); and the small repertory programme on South African cinema, they are pleased to have, the film last from one of South Africa's prolific feature film directors Oliver Schmitz, Life Above All, which will have its Ethiopian premiere as the opening film of this year's festival.

There is much to take in at this year's festival, come and laugh, ponder, learn, reflect and be transported to worlds beyond your own. The team looks forward to seeing an audience at the screenings and festival events and hope that the festival continue to entertain and inspire people this year and many years to come.

LINK:	http://nfvf.co.za/article/from-the-artistic-director-renaissance-spiri...
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