A total of 57 from about a thousand movies submitted, are expected to be screened at the forthcoming seventh edition of Mashariki African Film Festival scheduled December 10-17, in Kigali. The annual film festival did not take place last year due to the ban on entertainment events as one of preventive measures to contain the spread of Covid-19. According to organisers, the festival is celebrating filmmaking as a language and culture, telling stories that bring Africa as a protagonist and showing how African filmmaking is capable of showing, dreaming and courageously speaking out for the future of the continent. This year’s festival will be held under the theme ‘Tell the Tale’, to encourage filmmakers to tell stories that can build a healthy and safe community. The week-long film festival will take place at two designated venues, Kigali Convention Centre and Canal Olympia Cinema in Rebero. The movies selected for the screening at the festival are divided in six categories namely long feature, short films, documentary, TV and web series, international and Iziwacu Rwanda (films produced in Rwanda and b Rwandan filmmakers). The lineup is dominated by worldwide and East African premieres. According to the agenda shared to Weekender, the festival will open on December 10, at Canal Olympia, Rebero with the film ‘Tug of War (Vuta N’Kuvute) by Tanzanian director Amil Shivji. The film is the first Tanzanian period drama to be made and adapted from Adam Shafi’s award-winning Swahili novel. Set in colonial-era Zanzibar, “Tug of War” tells the story of Denge (Gudrun Columbus Mwanyika), a young Mswahili revolutionary fighting for a free Zanzibar and Yasmin (Ikhlas Gafur Vora), a recent runaway Indian-Zanzibari bride whose equal rebelliousness drives her to seek her own forbidden freedom. ‘Tug of War’ is a rare African film on the continents colonial history that tells its story from the perspective of people and their struggle for freedom. The festival will also hold workshops and masterclasses by African and international and filmmakers for them to share experiences on their best practices During the festival, a special session will also celebrate France as Guest Country of Mashariki 2021. Besides recognising the best performing filmmakers, special screenings and a panel discussion on the relation between France and African cinema will be organised with special guests and filmmakers as an occasion to exchange filmmaking experiences. This year’s edition will mark a defining moment for the Mashariki African Film Festival and DISCOP Africa as the two get prepared to join hands for a leading business to business (B2B) market for film, television, and digital content distribution and co-production business in Sub-Saharan Africa. DISCOP Africa is next month celebrating its 25th edition in an event that will take place in Kigali from December 12-14.
