2012 New African Films Festival
March 8–13

AFI Silver is proud to host the 8th annual New African Films Festival, co-presented by AFI, TransAfrica and afrikafé. The vibrancy of African filmmaking from all corners of the continent is on display in this year's acclaimed selections.

MAMA AFRICA

The late, great singer Miriam Makeba (1932–2008) was one of the most charismatic African performers of her time. At the height of her popularity in Africa, Makeba boldly took a public anti-apartheid stand that led to the revocation of her passport and the beginning of a lifetime in exile. Director Mika Kaurismäki uncovers stunning archival footage that offers a rare glimpse into Makeba's personal life, highlighting the admiration and gratitude that she felt for Harry Belafonte, who managed her career in the United States. This documentary reveals private moments which illuminate this legendary artist's political activism. Official Selection, 2011 AFI Fest presented by Audi. – Courtesy of AFI Fest presented by Audi

DIR/SCR/PROD Mika Kaurismäki; SCR/PROD Don Edkins; PROD Rainer Kölmel. Finland/Germany/South Africa, 2011, color/b&w, 90 min. In English and French with English subtitles. NOT RATED

LUCKY

How can a recently orphaned 10-year-old boy be called Lucky? Over the grave of his mother, Lucky promises to make something of himself. Leaving his small Zulu village he arrives in the big city at the doorstep of his deadbeat uncle. But an elderly Indian woman with a pathological fear of Africans takes him in when she hears of a government program for AIDS orphans and sets out to find the boy the security and support he needs. Based on the 2006 short film of the same name which won 43 international film festival awards and was short-listed for an Oscar. Official Selection, 2012 Palm Springs and 2011 Toronto International Film Festivals. – Courtesy of the Palm Springs International Film Festival

DIR/SCR Avie Luthra; PROD Lance Samuels, Christopher Wilmot. South Africa, 2011, color, 100 min. In English, Zulu and Hindi with English subtitles. NOT RATED

THEMBA

An emotional journey from hopelessness to hopefulness, this is the story of a talented young soccer player who, like so many boys around the world, wants to follow in the footsteps of his heroes and dreams of becoming a soccer legend. But the reality in the round-hut village he calls home could not be more different than his dream. Beautifully set and shot in the Eastern Cape of South Africa, this inspirational film is about a boy who braves the battlefield of African reality to discover that anything is possible. Audience Award, Favorite World Feature, 2010 Mill Valley Film Festival; UNICEF Child Rights Award, 2010 Zanzibar International Film Festival.

DIR/SCR Stefanie Sycholt, based on the novel by Lutz Van Dijk; PROD Ica Souvignier, Michael Souvignier, Josef Steinberger. South Africa/Germany, 2010, color, 108 min. In English and Xhosa with English subtitles. NOT RATED

COME BACK, AFRICA
"A heroic film...a film of terrible beauty." – Martin Scorsese

In 1959, Lionel Rogosin secretly filmed COME BACK AFRICA, a historical wonder and an honest glimpse into the harsh reality of life under the South African apartheid government. A jarring view of a largely concealed environment of injustice, the film honestly and sincerely captures images of the long faces of a people oppressed. Actors added their own dialogue, to make the film a more authentic representation of the living conditions of the time. Taking its name from the title of an African National Congress slogan, the film premiered at the 1959 Venice Film Festival where it won the Critics Award.

DIR/SCR/PROD Lionel Rogosin; SCR Bloke Modisane, Lewis Nkosi. US, 1959, b&w, 95 min. In English and Afrikaans with English subtitles. NOT RATED

GREY MATTER [Matière Grise]

Set in modern-day Kigali, Rwanda's capital, this radiant, unapologetically self-referential film-within-a-film describes the process and vision of an astute, determined filmmaker named Balthazar hustling for funds for his first feature, THE CYCLE OF THE COCKROACH. But the themes of his haunted and trenchant drama — the aftermath of genocide on a brother and sister — find no support from agencies interested in funding upbeat policy-related films. Powerful, passionately aware filmmaking from Rwandan director Kivu Ruhorahoza makes this much more than a "message film," while offering bracing insight into the nature of political violence. Official Selection, 2011 Tribeca Film Festival. – Courtesy of the Global Film Initiative (GFI)

DIR/SCR/PROD Kivu Ruhorahoza; PROD Dominic Allen. Rwanda, 2011, color, 110 min. In Kinyarwanda and French with English Subtitles. NOT RATED

Co-presented by the Global Film Initiative; part of the Global Lens 2012 film series. For more information, visit globalfilm.org.

BORN ON THE 25th OF JANUARY [Moloud fi Khamsa we Aishreen Yanair]

This eye-opening documentary follows filmmaker Ahmed Rashwan into Tahrir Square as he witnesses the making of a revolution first hand. Through four months of violence, blood and determination, Rashwan was there, interviewing the citizen militia, women, children and artists who came together to overthrow a dictator. January 25 may have been the beginning, but May 27 is not the end — because the revolution continues.

DIR/SCR/PROD Ahmed Rashwan. Egypt/United Arab Emirates, 2011, color, 80 min. In Arabic with English subtitles. NOT RATED

A MILLION COLOURS
In Person: director Peter Bishai

This sweeping romantic drama follows the story of Muntu Ndebele, once South Africa's most famous black teen actor, who fell from grace after the early 1970s blockbuster E'LOLLIPOP made him a beloved childhood star. Forced into hiding after participating in the June 16, 1976, student uprising in Soweto, Ndebele's life spiraled downward into crime and despair. Separated from the love of his life, he becomes a fugitive and struggles to survive apartheid. This film is an inspiring true story of danger, adventure, romance, betrayal and redemption, set against the turbulent background of a nation in crisis. Official Selection, 2011 Montreal World Film Festival. – Courtesy of the Hollywood Black Film Festival

DIR/SCR Peter Bishai; SCR/PROD Andre Pieterse; PROD Michael Mosca. Canada/South Africa, 2011, color, 120 min. In English. NOT RATED

HOW TO STEAL 2 MILLION

Five long years...that's how long Jack spent in prison after getting pinched for robbery. His partner in crime and best friend, Twala, never got caught and Jack never talked. But Twala proved to be as treacherous as Jack is honorable by marrying Jack's former fiancee while Jack was behind bars. The two ex-partners are forced to team up one last time when the payoff is too big to ignore. First-time filmmaker Charlie Vundla joins up-and-comers like Djo Munga (VIVA RIVA!) in ushering in a new wave of African cinema with this slick, stylish noir.

DIR Charlie Vundla; PROD Karen Johnson, Jeremy Nathan, Mfundi Vundla, Michelle Wheatley. South Africa, 2011, color, 109 min. In English. NOT RATED

NO MORE SELECTIONS! WE WANT ELECTIONS!
In Person: director Sengbe Kona Khasu

In 2005, the Liberian people took to the polls to vote for a president. It would be the nation's first democratic elections since the bloody coup of 1980. From former child soldiers to village elders, Liberians gathered at voting booths (many for the first time in their lives) to vote for a president. The Liberian people chose Ellen Johnson Sirleaf over soccer superstar George Manneh Weah, making her Africa's first democratically-elected woman President. Emphasizing the voices of Liberia's largely unheard majority, this documentary chronicles the amazing story, capturing the hopes of a people struggling to rise from a difficult past and rebuild.

DIR/SCR/PROD Sengbe Kona Khasu; PROD Stephanie C. Horton. Liberia, 2011, color, 70 min. In English and Liberian with English subtitles. NOT RATED

IMANI

A child soldier returns to the parents who could not protect him, a woman fights to get her wrongly-accused sister out of jail and a youth dance troop leader struggles to simply get through a hometown performance. These seemingly disparate stories slowly fuse into a profound singular narrative in this vibrant take on life in modern day Uganda. Caroline Kamya's fast and confident directing effortlessly makes the most of the beautiful Ugandan setting in this award-winning film. Official Selection, 2011 Palm Springs International Film Festival. – Courtesy of the Palm Springs International Film Festival

DIR/PROD Caroline Kamya; SCR Agnes Kamya. Sweden, 2010, color, 82 min. NOT RATED

AN AFRICAN ELECTION

This documentary grants viewers unprecedented access to the anatomy of Ghana's 2008 presidential elections. Capturing the intrigue of electioneering, the intensity of the vote-counting process and the mood of the countrymen whose fate lies precariously in the balance, director Jarreth Merz's coverage unfolds with all the tension of a political thriller, revealing the emotions, passions and ethical decisions that both threaten and maintain the integrity of the democratic process. The film illuminates a beacon of hope for Africa and for the value and vitality of democracy today. Official Selection, 2011 Sundance Film Festival. – Courtesy of the Sundance Film Festival

DIR Jarreth J. Merz, Kevin Merz; SCR Erika Tasini, Shari Yantra Marcacci; PROD Tiziana Soudani. Ghana/US/Switzerland, 2011, color, 89 min. In English and Akan with English subtitles. NOT RATED

TIES THAT BIND

Adobea, Buki and Theresa (Kimberly Elise, DIARY OF A MAD BLACK WOMAN) are three women from different walks of life bound together by a similar pain; the loss of a child. In a destined meeting in a small village in Kroboland, the women journey together to redemption, love, life and forgiveness as they renovate a dilapidated clinic for the villagers. Acclaimed BAFTA-winning filmmaker Leila Djansi, directed the film to nine Ghana Movie Awards including Best Picture, Best Actress and Best Directing.

DIR/SCR Leila Djansi; PROD Dave Harper. US, 2011, color, 110 min. In English. NOT RATED

PEGASUS [Pegase]

Zineb is an emotionally exhausted psychiatrist assigned to uncover the mystery behind Rihana, a pregnant young woman found in the street. As the traumatized girl slowly opens up to Zineb, a flashback sequence returns us to Rihana's childhood, where her dictatorial father, the chief of his tribe, raises her as the son he needs to carry forward his legacy. But as Rihana's story awakens repressed regions of Zineb's own troubled mind, reality for both women merges in a haunted fever dream churning fear, lies and denial. Tense, dramatic and visually striking, Mohamed Mouftakir's psychological thriller took top honors at Africa's 2011 FESPACO festival. – Courtesy of GFI

DIR/SCR Mohamed Mouftakir; PROD Fouad Challa. Morocco, 2010, color, 104 min. NOT RATED

Co-presented by the Global Film Initiative; part of the Global Lens 2012 film series. For more information, visit globalfilm.org.