Creative Africa Nexus Weekend 2024: Uniting Global Africa's Creative and Cultural Industries in Algiers

CANEX WKND 2023 (L-R): Tade Ipadeola (Poet and Writer, Event Anchor), Anwuli Ojogwu (Managing Director, Narrative Landscape Press), Dr Eghosa Imasuen (Co-Founder, Narrative Landscape Press), Professor Benedict Oramah (Afreximbank President), Mrs Kanayo Awani (Executive Vice-President, Intra-African Trade & Export Development at Afreximbank), Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (Novelist and Creative Director of the James and Grace Adichie Foundation), Mrs Chinelo Oramah, and Mr Stephen Kauma, (Group Managing Director, Human Resources at Afreximbank)

(Source: Afreximbank)

PRESS RELEASE

Creative Africa Nexus Weekend (CANEX WKND) 2024: Uniting Global Africa's Creative and Cultural Industries in Algiers

his groundbreaking event is scheduled to take place from October 16-19, 2024, at SAFEX in Algiers, Algeria

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ALGIERS, Algeria, August 7, 2024/ -- African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) (www.Afreximbank.com), in partnership with the African Union Commission (AUC), the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, and the Government of the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, proudly announces the return of the Creative Africa Nexus Weekend (CANEX WKND) 2024. This groundbreaking event is scheduled to take place from October 16-19, 2024, at SAFEX in Algiers, Algeria.  CANEX WKND 2024 seeks to build on the success of previous events, most recently CANEX at IATF2023 that was held in Cairo. Last year’s edition brought together delegates from across the continent representing a wide range of creative sectors. The event featured over 21 live performances, 115 industry-leading speakers and experts, 13 masterclass sessions, and an awe-inspiring fashion show. Attendees also enjoyed a high-energy music concert, exciting gastronomical showcases and a vibrant marketplace and exhibition center.  CANEX WKND will further develop conversations and provide even more business to business/government opportunities through a 4-day gathering that will be held under the theme: One People, United in Culture, Creating for the World.  Mrs. Kanayo Awani, Executive Vice President Intra Africa Trade and Export Development stated, "CANEX WKND 2024 represents a pivotal moment for creative and cultural industries in Global Africa to showcase their talent and thrive. By bringing together diverse talents from across the continent and diaspora, we're not just showcasing creativity; we're not just showcasing creativity; we’re building a robust ecosystem that will propel African culture onto the global stage."  Highlights of CANEX WKND 2024 include:  CANEX Music Factory: Hundreds of songwriters and beatmakers will converge at the live recording studios within the heart of the CANEX Exhibition. This year's event will include the launch of an album featuring songs recorded during last year's Music Factory.   CANEX Music Concert: Will take the audience on a rhythmic journey across the continent, featuring some of Africa's most dynamic and groundbreaking artists such as the unstoppable Scorpion Kings, Qing Madi and the soulful Sofia Nzau, just to name a few.  CANEX Fashion Show: This year, we are bringing together 10 of the most innovative and bold designers from across Africa and the Diaspora, all set to unveil their exciting collections at the magnificent Algiers Botanical Gardens.   EXHIBITION: A dynamic business-to-business exhibition area designed for creative brands and organizations, offering exceptional opportunities to sell to international buyers.  GASTRONOMY Showcase: This showcase will be turning up the heat with a special appearance by some of the most celebrated chefs from Africa and the Diaspora. Culinary maestros will bring their stories, expertise, and mouthwatering recipes to life weaving the rich tapestry of African culture into every dish they create. From the vibrant streets of Lagos to the soulful kitchens of the Caribbean and the soothing landscapes of Cape Town, each chef will showcase the diverse flavours that define African cuisine across the globe.  ART EXHIBITION: A stunning visual art installation featuring the works of iconic artists along with emerging talents at the National Museum of Fine Arts in Algiers.   CANEX Book Factory Prize for Publishing in Africa: Celebrating literary excellence   from the continent  CANEX Shorts Awards Ceremony: Recognizing outstanding achievements of young filmmakers in short-form content creation.  Attendance and Registration  While attendance is free throughout the 4 days, pre-registration is essential. For more information or to register for CANEX WKND 2024, visit www.CANEX.Africa and be part of shaping the future of Africa's creative industries.  Join us in Algiers as we celebrate the power of African creativity and its impact on the global stage.  Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Afreximbank.   Media Contact:  Vincent Musumba  Manager, Communications and Events (Media Relations)  Email: press@afreximbank.com  Follow us on: Twitter Facebook LinkedIn Instagram About Afreximbank: African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) is a Pan-African multilateral financial institution mandated to finance and promote intra-and extra-African trade. For 30 years, the Bank has been deploying innovative structures to deliver financing solutions that support the transformation of the structure of Africa's trade, accelerating industrialization and intra-regional trade, thereby boosting economic expansion in Africa. A stalwart supporter of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA), Afreximbank has launched a Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) that was adopted by the African Union (AU) as the payment and settlement platform to underpin the implementation of the AfCFTA. Working with the AfCFTA Secretariat and the AU, the Bank is setting up a US$10 billion Adjustment Fund to support countries effectively participating in the AfCFTA. At the end of December 2023, Afreximbank's total assets and guarantees stood at over US$37.3 billion, and its shareholder funds amounted to US$6.1 billion. Afreximbank has investment grade ratings assigned by GCR (international scale) (A), Moody's (Baa1), Japan Credit Rating Agency (JCR) (A-) and Fitch (BBB). Afreximbank has evolved into a group entity comprising the Bank, its impact fund subsidiary called the Fund for Export Development Africa (FEDA), and its insurance management subsidiary, AfrexInsure (together, "the Group"). The Bank is headquartered in Cairo, Egypt.  For more information, visit: www.Afreximbank.com SOURCE Afreximbank

"Héliopolis" is a Masterpiece in Motion Picture

In 1970, Algeria became the first country in the Arab world to win an #Oscar in the Best Foreign Film category with the Algerian-French production “Z” directed by Costa Gavras.

“Héliopolis", Algeria's entry for the Best International Feature Film category of the 94th Annual Academy Awards is a very powerful historical drama about
the Algerian revolution, directed by Djaafar Gacem.

Synopsis:

In Guelma, Victory in Europe Day is a life-altering event for one Algerian family: French troops are about to commit a massacre against Algerian civilians.

In Guelma, which was once called Heliopolis in ancient times, the daily life of an Algerian family takes its usual course. But on May 8, 1945, the day the end of World War II was announced, demonstrations by the Algerian people against the French colonial power and for the country’s independence took place, which were bloodily suppressed by the French army and French settler militias. The event went down in history as the Sétif and Guelma massacre. 

"Héliopolis" is a masterpiece in motion picture and will end up a classic in the history of filmmaking in Algeria and the rest of the Arab world.

French is the best language of motion picture. 

I predict "Héliopolis" making it to the final nominees for the Best International Feature Film, Best Picture and the Best Original Screenplay.. But I don't know if it can win the second Oscar for Algeria, because of the outstanding films by the other countries competing for the Best International Feature Film award.

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Heliopolis is also the title of an Egyptian film produced in 2009 directed by Ahmad Abdalla.

- By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima,

Publisher/Editor, 

NOLLYWOOD MIRROR® Series
@247 NIGERIA @247nigrria on Twitter

IBM Boosts Africa Expansion With New Angola Office

19 Sep 2011 11:00 Africa/Lagos


IBM Boosts Africa Expansion With New Angola Office
New subsidiary demonstrates company's increased footprint in key growth markets

PR Newswire

LUANDA, Angola, Sept. 19, 2011

LUANDA, Angola, Sept. 19, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- IBM (NYSE: IBM) has announced the opening of a new branch office in Luanda, as part of the company's continued geographic expansion to increase its presence in key growth markets in support of its global strategy.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110919/NY69873-a )

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110919/NY69873-b )

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20090416/IBMLOGO )

The Angolan arm is part of a broad programme of investment that IBM is making in Africa and follows the recent opening of new locations in Dakar, Senegal and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. This gives IBM a direct presence in more than 20 African countries, including South Africa, Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, Morocco, Egypt, Tunisia and Algeria.



The expanded presence in Angola will enable IBM to increase its level of service to clients and partners across the Central African region and deliver more advanced and high-value solutions across many industries.

IBM already serves a number of key clients in Central Africa, spanning sectors including telecommunications, oil & gas, finance and government. For example in Angola, IBM is working with one of the country's major banks to help transform the institution's core banking technology infrastructure and support business growth. With a new system based on IBM Power servers and software technologies, the bank has been able to upgrade its banking services.

IBM is also working closely with other local financial institutions and oil & gas companies in Angola to improve the accuracy and security of information in the country.

"Expanding into Angola offers IBM an important business opportunity as we expand our presence throughout the African continent," said Bruno Di Leo, General Manager, IBM Growth Markets. "This demonstrates IBM's commitment to expand into new markets to provide innovative solutions for our clients and partners. Luanda is one of more than 230 IBM branch offices across 55 growth market countries."

IBM is also engaged in an active programme of corporate citizenship across Africa. Since 2008, IBM has deployed 250 of its most talented employees on projects in Tanzania, Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa, Morocco and Egypt helping to solve local problems with the aim of fostering economic development and job creation.

"By opening a direct presence in Angola and many other markets on the African continent, IBM overcomes one of the biggest barriers to entry in Africa, namely being able to offer local support and insights to their clients and business partners," says Hannes Fourie, Senior Analyst IDC, Middle East and Africa.

The Luanda office is part of IBM's Central Africa operations and will complement IBM's other branch offices in the region. IBM has supplied products and solutions to Central Africa since the 1940's, and IBM equipment was installed in Angola by the company known as Benguela Railways in 1955.

The new office was inaugurated this week at a ceremony for customers, business partners and government officials in Luanda.

About IBM
For more information on IBM, please visit:
http://asmarterplanet.com/blog/2011/06/ibm-in-africa.html

Contacts:
Arlene Wainstein
IBM External Relations, Middle East & Africa
33 (0) 1 5875-5951
Mobile: 33 (0) 672 759574
arlenewainstein@fr.ibm.com

Marie-Anne (Kui) Kinyanjui
IBM External Relations, Growth Markets Unit
254 20 283 4000
Mobile: 254 721 676 543
mariekin@ke.ibm.com

SOURCE IBM

Web Site: http://www.ibm.com


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Two African films compete for Foreign Language Oscar

Two African films, Outside the Law from Algeria and Life Above All from South Africa are among the 9 films that will advance to the next round of voting in the Foreign Language Film category for the 83rd Academy Awards. They were selected from 66 films that qualified in the category.



Notably is Rachid Bouchareb’s "Outside the Law," the French-Algerian film that annoyed French Prime Minister Nicolas Sarkozy's political party, who wanted the film banned at the last Cannes Film Festival, because “it denigrates France and the French military."

"Outside the Law", tells the story of three brothers who fought for Algeria's independence from France after World War II. After losing their family home in Algeria, three brothers were scattered across the globe. Messaoud joined the French army fighting in Indochina; Abdelkader became a leader of the Algerian independence movement; whilst Said moved to Paris to make his fortune in the shady clubs and boxing halls of Pigalle. Gradually, their interconnecting destinies reunited them in the French capital, where freedom is a battle to be fought and won.



"Life, Above All" an emotional and universal drama about a young girl who fought the fear and shame that have poisoned her community. It was directed by South African filmmaker Oliver Schmitz who adapted the international award winning novel "Chanda's Secrets" by Allan Stratton.



Chanda, 16, is a smart and determined South African girl on track to win a scholarship – but she’s suddenly thrust into an impossible situation, forcing her to adopt maturity beyond her years. When we first meet her, she’s making funeral arrangements for her year-old sister, Sara. If people begin to suspect Sara’s death was due to more than a passing flu, Chanda will be faced with shame and stigma, not only for the victim, but also for their entire family.

When Lilian’s (Chanda’s mother) illness becomes impossible to hide, their nosy, eccentric next-door neighbor, Mrs. Tafa, engages a spirit doctor to perform a startling ritual. The spirit doctor determines that a curse is hanging over her and her children. In order to lift it, Lilian must return to the village from where she was banished decades before, leaving Chanda alone to care for her siblings.

Meanwhile, Chanda’s best friend, Esther, has turned to prostitution in a desperate attempt to survive and reunite her own family. Though the community shuns Esther, Chanda refuses to reject her friend. To the horror of those around her, Chanda opens her house to Esther at her friend’s moment of greatest need. That’s just the beginning of Chanda’s fight against convention.

When Chanda discovers that her mother may have gone away to die in order to spare her children shame, she ignores the cautions of the meddling Mrs. Tafa, and embarks on a fateful journey to bring her mother home. And in doing so, challenges the people around her to reject their prejudices and embrace the truth.

The 9 films, listed in alphabetical order by country, are:

Algeria, “Outside the Law”), Rachid Bouchareb, director;
Canada, “Incendies,” Denis Villeneuve, director;
Denmark, “In a Better World,” Susanne Bier, director;
Greece, “Dogtooth,” Yorgos Lanthimos, director;
Japan, “Confessions,” Tetsuya Nakashima, director;
Mexico, “Biutiful,” Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, director;
South Africa, “Life, above All,” Oliver Schmitz, director;
Spain, “Tambien la Lluvia” (“Even the Rain”), Iciar Bollain, director;
Sweden, “Simple Simon,” Andreas Ohman, director.



~ By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima