The New Wave in African Cinema Film Series is a joint venture between the University of British Columbia and The Cinematheque, Vancouver that will bring ten feature films and ten short films to Vancouver to screen from November 1st – 7th 2013.
Full Screening Schedule at the Cinematheque available here.
In the past few years, a new wave of African filmmaking has changed the landscape of African cinema dramatically. The weight and extent of this shift has largely gone unnoticed, particularly as the programming of African cinema internationally is often sporadic and idiosyncratic. The new wave in African cinema is characterized by a younger generation of filmmakers who are engaging in a much more philosophically personal, visually daring and intellectually engaged form of filmmaking than previous generations of African filmmakers. These films, while taking on some of the same subject matter as their predecessors, privilege interiority and poetics over the more didactic or overtly political and nation-building approaches of past cinematic production. Seen together, these films herald a new wave of African cinema led by directors from across the continent who confine themselves neither to a purely African space nor to the diaspora but are deeply committed to the contemporary social, political and moral questions facing the continent.
As part of the film series, the Liu Institute will be hosting a Directors Roundtable on 4 November 2013. his roundtable will feature several filmmakers as well as academics in a discussion of the role of this new wave in filmmaking in the representation of trauma, conflict, social justice and post-conflict reconciliation. The directors will also address common themes in their work such as gender, urbanization, diasporic identities, xenophobia and social repair. See here for full details.
This week-long event will also include several workshops and panel discussions bringing together students, scholars, practitioners, filmmakers and members of the public to discuss the state of African cinema and the engagement of cinema with pressing social, historical, economic and political concerns.
For questions or to get involved contact Dr. Julie MacArthur: julie.macarthur@ubc.ca