July 27-Aug. 2/ AFRICA FILM TRINIDAD & TOBAGO

Africa Film Trinidad and Tobago is a film festival dedicated to showcasing the very best of contemporary African cinema. With the United Nations having declared 2015 to 2024 the International Decade of People of African Descent there is added emphasis to the importance of recognition, justice and development of African cinema. Founded by Asha Lovelace, the festival aims to promote African cinema, which remains largely unexplored in Trinidad and Tobago. Although the main focus of AFTT is contemporary African cinema, there is also a space for classic African films. The festival aims to bridge the gap between African filmmakers and the local film industry in addition to making a variety of African films available to a local audience.

This inaugural Africa Film TT will open on July 27th at the Digicel IMAX theatre with the 2015 Oscar Nominee for Best Foreign Language Film, Timbuktu by Abderrahmane Sissako. In association with the UWI Film Programme Africa Film TT will present three evenings of screenings of African Film Classics from Tuesday 28th to Thursday 30th July at 7:00pm. The Little Carib Theatre is the centre of activity for the film festival for the last three days starting on Friday 31st and continuing throughout Emancipation weekend. Screenings at the Little Carib Theatre are at 2pm, 5:30 pm and 8 pm.

Africa Film TT proudly presents a selection of award-winning narrative features, shorts and documentary films such as the winner of Best Animated Short at the Chicago International Film Festival, Yellow Fever by Ng’endo Mukii. There are other highly regarded films including the Nigerian crime thriller Render to Caesar directed by Desmond Ovbiagele and best documentary film at Fespaco 2013 Nadia El Fani’s Meme Pas Mal. The festival closes with Alain Gomis’ Tey, winner of River Run International Film Festival’s Best Narrative Feature and the esteemed l’Étalon d’Or de Yennenga at Fespaco 2013.

AFTT would not be possible without the kind sponsorship of the Ministry of Arts and Multiculturalism, the University of West Indies, Republic Bank Limited, Unit Trust Corporation, Blue Waters and NGC. The AFTT Main Programme and African Classics Series are sponsored in part by Flow.

Tickets are available at the Little Carib Theatre Box office and UWI screenings are free to the public.

For more information, visit www.africafilmtt.com 

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