KIVU RUHORAHOZA, a Rwandan moviemaker, has been selected among 15 filmmakers whose artistic movies are set to be premiered in the Berlin International film festival, a platform that aims at developing innovative filmmakers. He was selected due to his recent movie, ‘Father’s Day’ and he is the only African film maker in the competition. Ruhorahoza is internationally known for his feature film ‘Grey Matter’ which won the Jury Special Mention for Best Emerging Filmmaker at the 2011 Tribeca Film Festival and the Ecumenical Jury special mention at the 2011 Warsaw Film Festival. He also scooped the Grand Prize of the Tübingen French Film Festival, Best Director and Signis Award of the Cordoba African Film Festival as well as the Jury Special Prize of the Khouribga African Film Festival in Morocco. Carlo Chatrian, the Artistic Director at Berlinale, said that the competition is bringing together writers from different corners of the world, after two years of the affected global health efforts. “After a year and a half spent in not-so-splendid isolation, we are moved by seeing that many filmmakers have chosen dialogue as the most appropriate form to overcome fences, distances and confinements, and they are keen to keep mapping the land we called cinema,” he said. “We consider the competition to be a vibrant section and a safe haven for a community, as we have invited filmmakers that do not consider cinema as a predefined art form, with a standard that has to be reached, but rather as a field in an ongoing expansion - like the universe we inhabit,” added Carlo. Among 15 movies from 15 different countries where Africa is only represented by Rwanda, the jury will award the best film and the best director, each receiving a golden bear plaque as their trophy. Having started in 1951 after the Cold War, Berlinale brings together thousands of movie makers around the world to create a platform of intercultural exchange.
