A TOTAL OF 22 MOVIES produced by filmmakers from 10 countries across Africa have been selected to be screened during the forthcoming seventh edition of Urusaro International Women Film Festival slated in Kigali from October 4-11. Produced by Cine Femme, the annual film festival is dedicated to celebrate women in the film industry, especially through showcasing incredible talent in film. The festival will this year come back to the new normal, having been held virtually last year. It will be celebrated under the theme “Cinema: Tool for Development” to highlight the role of women filmmakers in contributing to the development of the industry, the community and the nation at large. The films selected are from filmmakers from Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, Benin, Burkina Faso, Senegal, Togo, Cameroon, South Africa and Sudan. At least seven films will be screened throughout the week of film celebration during which one open air screening will be embellished by music and other artistic performances. The screening week will see filmmakers with the best works awarded during the closing ceremony scheduled on October 11, at Century Cinema. The jury selected the films under three competition sections namely East African Short Fiction, The African Short Fiction and the African Documentary competition. The films were selected as follows: East Africa Competition Bibi Mtoto (Young Wife) by Walta Gabriel Busulwa (Uganda) Ife by Gentille Constance Kampire (Rwanda) Imuhira (Home) by Myriam Birara (Rwanda) Needle and Thread by Nasser Youssef (Soudan) Sumaya by Esther K Sammy (Uganda) Supastaz by Oprah Oyugi (Kenya) The Girl Inside by Wacira Gatheru (Kenya) African Documentary Competition À la Recherche d’Aline (Seeking Aline) by Rokhaya Balde (Senegal) Catch My Baby by Luyanda Ngcobo (South Africa) Femme en Couleurs (Woman in Colors) by Joseph Avimadje (Benin) Mother’s Heart by Tekou Donchi (Cameroon) Silence Brisé (broken silence) by Yelebo Amanou (Togo) Stain by Herbert Morris Mugisha (Uganda) The Darkside of Women’s Basketball by Shakemore Dereck Nziyakwi (Uganda) Transient by Kalimba Sharon Urusaro (Rwanda) Umwali by Ines Girihirwe (Rwanda) Utapata Mwingine (You Will Get Another One) by Lydia Matata (Kenya) African Short Fiction Competition Astel by Ramata-Toulaye Sy (Senegal) Bibi Mtoto (Young Wife) by Walta Gabriel Busulwa (Uganda) Devoir de soumission by Jean Claude O. Kiswensida (Burkina Faso) En Route by Leslie To (Burkina Faso) Heart Attack by Minenhle Luthuli (South Africa) Ife by Gentille Constance Kampire (Rwanda) Needle and Thread by Nasser Youssef (Soudan) Supastaz by Oprah Oyugi (Kenya) Zalissa by Carine Bado (Burkina Faso) Exploring opportunities Floriane Kaneza, the director of festivals at Cinefemmes shared that there are funding opportunities that some African filmmakers get to know while others miss out on them just because there is no network on how to access them and hence believes the festival will be an opportunity for women filmmakers to share ideas on how they can communicate between them whenever a funding opportunity comes by. “For instance many of us miss out on funding opportunities not because our projects were rejected but because we have idea how to access them. While we project which remain in our mind because we have no resources to produce them, I think, participants at the upcoming festival can build a network via which we can share information on future opportunities so that no one is left behind,” Kaneza said. “Some may have projects that they can’t resources to produce but the more we get funding opportunities, the more the projects would run and hence enough content for distribution,” she added. Other activities scheduled during the festival include a TV Series Mini-Conference which will include a panel discussion with Rwandan producers-directors whose series are locally followed at high consideration. On the conference agenda is also a Master Talk with ZACU TV, the most invested company into TV Series production and distribution. There is also an East African Program which will look at the state of cinema in the region. While the festival will coincide with the celebration of International Day of Girl Child, organisers plan a visit tour to at least two schools for a mini-conference under the sub-theme. “The place and consideration of a girl child in cinema” which will bring discussions on the rights of girls to choose what is right for their future careers, with filmmaking included.
