AFRICA DAY – WHAT'S NEXT: YOUNG AFRICAN DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKING

WHAT’S NEXT: YOUNG AFRICAN DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKING

Even though it is the older generation who holds power in African societies and whom one has to pay respect: the future of the continent lies in the hands of the youth. Almost half of the population is younger than 25 years. A new generation of filmmakers seizes its place in the international film scene. It is them who can convey an contemporary image of the African continent beyond well-known clichés.

Showcasing three forward-looking debut films by emerging filmmakers from Kenya, South Africa and Gabon, the Africaday 2018 gazes into the future of African documentary film. Eva Munyiri takes us with WAITHIRA on a personal journey of discovery, which not only leads us into her family history but also into the Kenyan colonial past. With SILAS Hawa Essuman and Anjali Nayar present a political activist from Liberia, who is fighting corruption and land grabbing with his mobile phone. In BOXING LIBREVILLE we finally step into the ring: Amédée Pacôme Nkoulou draws the portrait of a young boxer, while en passant telling the story of the upcoming presidential elections in Gabon.

After the screenings we are going to discuss with the filmmakers and experts: Which stories in what form do they consider suitable in order to present African realities? How do they assess the future of documentary filmmaking in view of the artistic trend of Afrofuturism? And to what extent is their creative work of economical and political importance?

The event will be held in English.

Panel discussion

8pm–9.30pm WHAT’S NEXT: YOUNG AFRICAN DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKING
The purchase of a film ticket enables you to access the discussion event.

Panel discussion participants:

Hawa Essuman

Filmmaker of SILAS, Kenya

Born in 1980 in Hamburg, Hawa Essuman first performed in Kenya and directed several theatre plays and acted in films before moving into film and TV production which eventually led her behind the camera. Her film Soul Boy screened at over 40 film festivals and won several awards. Since then she has directed music videos and documentaries. SILAS is her first feature lenght documentary. She is currently developing a feature length narrative film DJIN, which set in a Swahili coastal town.

Amédée Pacôme Nkoulou

Filmmaker of BOXING LIBREVILLE, Gabon

Born 1988 in Libreville, the young Gabonese director Amédée Pacôme Nkoulou started as an assistant director for feature films and documentary series. In parallel with his creations, he works at the Gabonese Institute of Image and Sound. His first short fiction film MOANE MORY (2014) was selected at FESPACO, at Ecrans Noirs among other African Film Festivals. Boxing Libreville is his first full-length documentary.

Philipp Hoffmann

Managing Director Rushlake Media, World Sales WAITHIRA, Germany

Philipp Hoffmann is the founder and managing director of Rushlake Media, a sales and distribution company, which is specialized in the international sales of African films and the African market as well as the digital market. Philipp conducts seminars about sales and distribution at various renowned schools and programs like the University of Popular Music and Music Business (Mannheim), ifs internationale filmschule (Cologne) and at the German-French Masterclass (Ludwigsburg).

Don Edkins

Producer at STEPS, South Africa

Don Edkins is a South African documentary filmmaker and producer based in Cape Town. He has produced documentary projects that have been broadcast and screened to audiences around the world, such as Steps for the Future, Why Democracy? and Why Poverty? He is currently Executive Producer of AfriDocs, the first primetime broadcast and online documentary strand across sub-Saharan Africa, and of Dare to Dream Asia, a new project with Asian filmmakers. He has co-authored a book on documentary filmmaking, Steps by Steps.

Moderation: Barbara Off (DOK.network Africa)

Afterwards reception in the foyer