Lara Lee and other top filmmakers set for 2nd Eko International Film Festival

Korean-Brazilian filmmaker Iara Lee [Photo: Michael (Yeong-ung) Yang, The Korea Central Daily News]


International award winning Korean Brazilian film producer and director Lara Lee is among the leading filmmakers who have already submitted films for the 2nd Eko International Film Festival coming up from Saturday July 9 to Thursday July 14, at the Silverbird Galleria in Lagos, Nigeria. The popular filmmaker who is based in New York City celebrated as the director of the documentaries Synthetic Pleasures and Modulations, as well as for her involvement with the "Gaza Freedom Flotilla", in which at least nine pro-Palestinian activists were killed by Israeli naval forces.
She is the founder of the Caipirinha Foundation and a member of the Council of Advisors to the National Geographic Society.

Lee was the producer of the São Paulo International Film Festival.
"Synthetic Pleasures", which deals with the impact of high technology on mass culture was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize for Documentary at the Sundance Film Festival, and won the Jury Award for Best Documentary at the Ft. Lauderdale International Film Festival.

In 1998, she released the multimedia project "Modulations", which traces the evolution of electronic music. Her most recent film was "Beneath the Borqa", a 2000 short documentary film about the lives of women and children under the Taliban regime in Afghanistan.
Her Cultures of Resistance, which celebrates creative acts of political struggle is a special selection of the Eko International Film Festival.

Other notable filmmakers are Gugu Michaels, a Nigerian American director who is an accomplished filmmaker who has worked as a director and producer on a number of commercial and independent projects including the feature films "Thugz", "Repentance" and "Dangerous County". He has also helmed a number of campaigns for retailers like Cadillac, Lamborghini and Porche. Prior to co-founding New Era Pictures, Michaels served as president of Dallas based Redrumm Records and worked with such artists as hip hop giants UGK; Alix François Meier from Essen / Germany. An editor for documentaries at SPIEGEL TV, and since 1992, a director for documentaries and commissioned producer for public television and private broadcaster. He has a natural fondness for France and Spain: from the culinary bon-vivant image down to the catacombs in Paris, the half-Frenchman loves anything and everything to do with the two countries. But he particularly likes widening his horizons. This is what has already taken him half way round the world to meet protagonists in unusual situations and get them to tell their story. Meier's "The King of Palma – Life according to Bruno“ is one of the top documentaries to be screened at the festival; and another notable filmmaker is the international award winning Nigerian director Chike Ibekwe, whose feature "Eternal" shared the Golden Screen best film award with “An Unusual Woman” by Burkinabe director Abdoulaye Dao.at the 14th annual “Ecrans noirs” Film Festival in Yaounde (Cameroon) in 2010.

Another special selection is the award winning short documentary Dream for Nigeria produced by McNally Temple Associates, Inc. It is based on the challenges and achievements of seven female members of Nigeria’s House of Representatives, and the role they play in their country’s political, social and economic development.

The final list of the selected films will be announced on June 25, 2011.


~ By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima

Africa’s Academy Awards attract thousands to the Niger Delta

Africa’s Academy Awards attract thousands to the Niger Delta

The excitement is in the air this Sunday evening as thousands throng the Gloryland Cultural Centre in the capital city of Yenegoa in the oil rich Bayelsa State in the Niger Delta, to join African film makers, movie stars and movie buffs for the 2011 African Movie Academy Awards (AMAA).

The African Movie Academy Awards has all the glitz and red carpet fanfare that can only be compared to the glamorous and prestigious Oscars of the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences(AMPAS)in Hollywood as AMAA celebrates the best of Nigeria’s Nollywood and the rest of Africa in one unforgettable night as African movie stars strut the red carpet to compete for the coveted trophies of the AMAA in different categories. AMAA has attracted notable Hollywood stars like Danny Glover, Forest Whitaker who won an Oscar for Best Actor for his thrilling portrayal of Ugandan military tyrant Idi Amin in "The Last King of Scotland", Cuba Gooding Jnr who won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his memorable portrayal of Rod Tidwell in Cameron Crowe's 1996 film "Jerry Maguire", Courtney Vance, Vivica A. Fox and Angela Basset.


South Africa dominates the 2011 AMAA with 27 nominations and followed by the host nation Nigeria with 23 nominations.

“The four South African films in competition include Hope Ville with nine nominations, Izulu Lami, seven nominations Shirley Adams, five nominations and A Small Town Called Descent with six nominations. Combined together, South Africa had the highest nominations by a country with a total of 27 nominations,” said Ms. Peace Anyiam-Osigwe, the CEO of AMAA.

Ghana and Congo are also competing with great movies receiving the highest nominations. Ghana’s "Sinking Sound" with 10 nominations. Kenya’s "Soul Boy" got 6 nominations.

Nigeria is a strong contender with four films. Tunde Kelani’s "Maami", Jeta Amata’s "Inale", Niyi Akanji’s "Aramotu" and Mahmood Alli-Balogun’s "Tango with Me" are movies to watch.

The most coveted prizes are the AMAA for the Best Actor and Actress in a leading role; Best Director, Best Cinematography and Best Achievement in Visual award.


Famous Nigerian actress Genevieve Nnaji is nominated for Best Actress in Leading Role


Best Short Film

Bougfen – Petra Baninla Sunjo (Cameroun)
Weakness – Wanjiru Kairu (Kenya)
No Jersey No Match – Daniel Ademinokan (Nigeria)
Duty – Mak Kusare (Nigeria)
Bonlambo – Zwe Lesizwe Ntuli (South Africa)
Zebu And The Photofish – Zipporah Nyarori (Kenya)
Dina – Mickey Fonseca (Mozambique)
Allahkabo – Bouna Cherif Fofana (Togo)

Best Short Documentary

Symphony Kinsasha – Diendo Hamadi & Dinta Wa Lusula (Congo)
Naija Diamond (Feature On Dr. Rahmat Mohammed) – Nform Leonard (Nigeria)
After The Mine – Diendo Hamadi & Dinta Wa Lusula (Drc)
Stepping Into The Unknown – Rowena Aldous & Jill Hanas-Hancock (South Africa)
Yeabu’s Homecoming – Jenny Chu (Sierraleone)

Best Documentary

Kondi Et Le Jeudi Nationale – Ariana Astrid Atodji (Cameroun)
Headlines In History – Zobby Bresson (Kenya)
Co-Exist – Adam Mazo (Rwanda)
State Of Mind- Djo Tunda Wa Munga (Congo)
Naija Diamonds- Nfrom Leonard (Nigeria)

Best Diaspora Feature

Suicide Dolls – Keith Shaw (Usa)
Tested – Russell Costanzo (Usa)
Nothing Less -Wayne Saunders (Uk)
The Village -Wayne Saunders (Uk)

Best Diaspora Documentary

Stuborn As A Mule – Miller Bargeron Jr & Arcelous Deiels (Usa)
Momentum – Zeinabu Irene Davis (Usa)
If Not Now – Louis Haggart (Usa)
Motherland – Owen Alik Shahadah (Usa)
Changement – Chiara Cavallazi (Italy)

Best Diaspora Short Film

Cycle – Roy Clovis (Usa)
Under Tow – Miles Orion Feld (Usa)
Habitual Aggression – Temi Ojo (Usa)
Little Soldier – Dallas King (Usa)
The New N Word – Sowande Tichawonna (Usa)
Precipice – Julius Amedume (Uk)

Best Film For African Abroad

Anchor Baby – Lonzo Nzekwe (Nigeria/Canada)
In America: The Story Of The Soul Sisters- Rahman Oladigbolu (Nigeria/Usa)
Mirror Boy – Obi Emelonye (Nigeria/Uk)
Africa United – Debs Gardner-Brook (Rwanda/Uk)

Best Production Design

Tango With Me
Viva Riva
Hopeville
6 Hours To Christmas
Maami

Best Costume Design

Inale
Yemoja
Sinking Sands
Aramotu
Elmina

Best Make Up

Inale
Sinking Sands
A Private Storm
Viva Riva
A Small Town Called Descent

Best Soundtrack

Aramotu
Nani
Who Owns Da City
Inale
A Small Town Called Descent

Best Achievement In Sound

Sinking Sands
Shirley Adams
Izulu Lami
Viva Riva
Tango With Me

Best Cinematography

Soul Boy
Sinking Sands
Hopeville
Shirley Adams
Izulu Lami

Best Nigerian Film

Maami – Tunde Kelani
Aramotu – Niji Akanni
Tango With Me – Mahmood Ali- Balogun
Inale – Jeta Amata
A Private Storm – Lancelot Oduwa Imaseun/Ikechukwu Onyeka

Best Film In African Language

Aramotu – Niji Akanni (Nigeria)
Izulu Lami – Madoda Ncayiyana (South Africa)
Soul Boy- Hawa Essuman (Kenya)
Suwi – Musola Catherine Kaseketi (Zambia)
Fishing The Little Stone – Kaz Kasozi (Uganda)

Best Child Actor

Sobahle Mkhabase (Thembi), Tschepang Mohlomi (Chili-Bite) And Sibonelo Malinga(Khwezi) – Izulu Lami
Eriya Ndayambaje – Dudu In Africa United
Jordan Ntunga – Anto In Viva Riva
Ayomide Abatti – Young Kashi In Maami
Benjamin Abemigish a- Zebu In Zebu And The Photofish
Shantel Mwabi – Bupe In Suwi

Best Young Actor

Yves Dusenge (Child Soldier) And Roger Nsengiyumua (Footballer) – Africa United
Samson Odhiambo And Leila Dayan Opou – Soul Boy
Edward Kagutuzi – Mirror Boy
Donovan Adams – Shirley Adams
Junior Singo – Hopeville

Best Actor In Supporting Role

Osita Iheme – Mirror Boy
Hoji Fortuna – Viva Riva
Mpilo Vusi Kunene – A Small Town Called Descent
John Dumelo – A Private Storm
Desmond Dube – Hopeville

Best Actress In Supporting Role

Mary Twala – Hopeville
Joyce Ntalabe – The Rivaling Shadow
Marlene Longage – Viva Riva
Tina Mba -Tango With Me
Yvonne Okoro – Pool Party

Best Actor In Leading Role

Themba Ndaba – Hopeville
Patsha Bay – Viva Riva
Jimmy Jean-Louis – Sinking Sands
Ekon Blankson – Checkmate
Antar Laniyan – Yemoja

Best Actress In Leading Role

Idiat Shobande -Aramotu
Omoni Oboli- Anchor Baby
Manie Malone – Viva Riva
Amake Abebrese- Sinking Sands
Denise Newman -Shirley Adams
Genevieve Nnaji – Tango With Me

Best Director

Soul Boy – Hawa Essuman
Shirley Adams – Oliver Hermanus
Viva Riva – Djo Tunda Wa Munga
Aramotu – Niji Akanni
A Small Town Called Descent – Jahmail. X. T Qubeka
Sinking Sands – Leila Djansi

Best Film

Viva Riva – Djo Tunda Wa Munga (Congo)
Sinking Sands – Leila Djansi (Ghana)
Aramotu – Niji Akanni (Nigeria)
Soul Boy – Hawa Essuman (Kenya)
Hopeville – John Trengove (South Africa)
A Small Town Called Descent – Jahmil X.T Qubeka (South Africa)

Coming Soon: 30 Day Rule, a fantastic romantic comedy

Ambitious young African American director Rahiem Shabazz is excited about his his first romantic feature the 30 Day Rule. The romantic comedy tests the premise that 'a man's lies come with an expiration date of thirty-days'.

Rahiem has directed special music videos in the US and worked on projects involving Russell Simmons, the co-founder, with Rick Rubin of successful hip-hop label Def Jam, and Wanya Morris of Boyz II Men.

He was an Executive Producer of the award winning SAG-accredited short film "The Sun Will Rise" and film consultant and casting director on "The Kissing Bandit", a full-feature film currently touring the film festival circuit. He worked as a production assistant for Tyler Perry’s "Why Did I Get Married", "Why Did I Get Married Too" and "For Colored Girls".


Rahiem Shabazz and Writer Christal Jordan

Rahiem has won 5 awards so far, including the 2007 Atlanta Hip-Hop Film Festival for his Short Film and the YGEA Award in 2010 for Video Director of The Year and he has been a notable speaker at several film festivals and received international coverage on BET, MTV and Starz In Black.

“Every hurdle I've surpassed has been leading up to this film. Over the years I've taken compliments and accolades on my writing style coupled with my cinematic vision to heart and I believe that I have a voice that needs to be heard in film, “said Rahiem Shabazz on his upcoming film 30 Day Rule.

Rahiem's company Rasha Media Group Inc specializes in filmmaking, screenwriting talent relations and strategic marketing.

View the exclusive Photo Shoot Directed by Rahiem Shabazz.




The Synopsis of 30-Day Rule

How long can a player truly get away with a lie?

30-day rule is a romantic comedy with a message that nothing in life comes without a cost. Rome, a good-looking smooth-talking brother in his mid-twenties feels he is on top of the world. He believes he can talk any woman he meets into doing what he wants them to do. He lies, schemes and cheats all in the name of scoring and feels no guilt about his actions. Best friend Trent advises Rome that there is a 30 day expiration date on the lies he tells woman and that no good will come of his evil ways and eventually he will meet his match. Enter Katina, the beautiful vixen Rome is captivated by simply because of her beauty. Unbeknownst to Rome, Katina is the female version of himself, however her feline ways give her the unfair advantage as he under estimates her agenda because of her beauty.

Sit back and enjoy the ride as both Rome and Katina learn some very important lessons that have comedic consequences and repercussions for both sides.


~ By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima

Farewell Elizabeth Taylor, Queen of Hollywood

Farewell Elizabeth Taylor, Queen of Hollywood


Dame Elizabeth Rosemond "Liz" Taylor, DBE (February 27, 1932 – March 23, 2011)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_TaylorElizabeth Taylor, our beloved Liz, the beautiful and wonderful Queen of Hollywood passed on yesterday at 79.

Elizabeth Taylor was the quintessential American Sweetheart of Tinsel town from her very first film Universal Pictures’ There's One Born Every Minute, at the tender age of nine in 1942 to MGM's National Velvet that shot her to limelight in 1944. She was fantastic in many other films, but it was in Cleopatra the 1963 film directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz that she attained her golden age in Hollywood and earned her crown as the Queen of Hollywood.

She won the Academy Award for Best Actress twice and many other coveted awards for her awesome talents as an actress of all seasons from the Golden Era of Hollywood to the end.

Liz was world famous for getting married eight times to seven husbands.
She passed away on March 23, 2011 in the loving arms of her four children at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California.
May the beautiful soul Elizabeth Taylor rest in peace.



23 Mar 2011 15:05 Africa/Lagos




Elizabeth Arden Statement on the Passing of Elizabeth Taylor

PR Newswire

NEW YORK, March 23, 2011

NEW YORK, March 23, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Elizabeth Arden, Inc. (Nasdaq: RDEN), a global prestige beauty products company, has issued the following statement regarding the passing of Elizabeth Taylor.

"It is with deep sadness that we learned of the passing of Elizabeth Taylor, the legendary actress, activist and businesswoman. As her business partner in the fragrance industry, we have held her in the highest esteem and have had tremendous respect for her extraordinary compassion, creativity and business acumen.

"With the launch of her first fragrance in 1987, Elizabeth Taylor's Passion, she built a fragrance empire and one of the most successful brands in fragrance history. White Diamonds remains a best seller almost 20 years after its 1991 introduction, a testimony to her transcendent and enduring appeal. Our best tribute to Elizabeth Taylor will be to continue the legacy of the brands she created and loved so much.

"Her sense of humor, passion for life, never-ending dedication and generosity of spirit will be remembered by all of us. She will be deeply missed."

E. Scott Beattie

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

About Elizabeth Arden:

Elizabeth Arden is a global prestige beauty products company with an extensive portfolio of prestige beauty brands sold in over 100 countries. The company's brand portfolio includes Elizabeth Arden skincare, color, and fragrance products, PREVAGE® anti-aging formulas, the celebrity fragrance brands of Britney Spears, Elizabeth Taylor, Mariah Carey, Taylor Swift, Hilary Duff, and Usher; the designer fragrance brands of Juicy Couture, Alberta Ferretti, Alfred Sung, Badgley Mischka, Bob Mackie, Geoffrey Beene, Halston, John Varvatos, Kate Spade, Lucky Brand, and Rocawear; and the lifestyle fragrance brands Curve, Giorgio Beverly Hills, and PS Fine Cologne.

SOURCE Elizabeth Arden, Inc.

CONTACT: Gretchen Dowling, Elizabeth Arden, +1-212-261-1249, gretchen.dowling@elizabetharden.com

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

International Family Film Festival Set for Raleigh Studios

Nigeria and other countries are going to participate in the 16th edition of the International Family Film Festival taking place at the Raleigh Studios in Hollywood from March 16-20, 2011. The details are in the following press release from the organizers.


28 Feb 2011 15:00 Africa/Lagos


International Family Film Festival Set for Raleigh Studios on March 16-20
16th edition to feature Screenings, Panels & Awards
Opening Press Conference at 1 p.m. Wednesday, March 16

PR Newswire

HOLLYWOOD, Calif., Feb. 28, 2011

HOLLYWOOD, Calif., Feb. 28, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- It's the film festival with a global reach and a family heart.

The 16th International Family Film Festival - unspooling over 85 family-friendly films from around the world - is set for March 16-20 at Raleigh Studios in Hollywood. This year's festival includes 33 feature-length films, opening with Cafe, a Philadelphia-based drama with Jennifer Love Hewitt, Amish Grace, a biographical drama with Kimberly Williams (We Are Marshall), plus high-profile shorts such as Chapman University's Without Wings, starring Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit).

A large Chinese film delegation will be on hand to support local entries, and Chinese actress Ruoming Huar of the Mongolian-language film Horizon, is scheduled for 6 p.m. March 19. Other filmmakers are traveling to the festival to support film projects from as far as Australia, Syria, Nigeria and Alaska. A half-dozen student filmmakers from Sydney will be on hand to cheer on Almost 100, a short about life-threatening teenage challenges. Another entry, a feature-length survival drama entitled 48 Below! - employed many residents of Sterling, Alaska, to assist in its production, and a local contingent will travel to the fest.

Last year's IFFF drew 5,000-plus film fans and industry professionals. The festival market generally produces several film-distribution deals, and many screenplays from its screenwriting readings have secured option deals following the Screenwriter's Showcase being held this year on Sunday, March 20th. A film produced from a 2010 IFFF screenplay winner, First Dog, has been accepted into the film competition this year.

The festival wraps Sunday, March 20th with a full awards ceremony that is both uplifting and entertaining. Annually IFFF recognizes outstanding achievement in multiple feature and short-film categories, acting and screenwriting. The fest also screens the finalists of the "Movies With A Message" contest (www.messagemovies.org) sponsored by Happy House - Good Choices, a non-profit that encourages youth to make inspirational movies with their families.

TICKETS:

$250 all-festival pass (includes all films and panels)


$40 all-day pass (includes all films)


$25 opening-night film and reception


$15 individual panels


$10 film tickets, $8 for IFFF members or group rate of 10 or more


For schedule and tickets visit www.iffilmfest.org or call 818-230-2572 or 661-257-3131.

SOURCE International Family Film Festival

CONTACT: Carl DiOrio, IFFF publicist, +1-310-415-9003, carldiorio@gmail.com

Web Site: http://www.iffilmfest.org

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Africa International Film Festival Celebrates Cinema in Port Harcourt

The first edition of the annual Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF) opened Wednesday December 1, 2010, in the oil city of Port Harcourt in Rivers State, Nigeria. The film fiesta celebrates cinema as an African panorama of the global village.

Chioma Ude, Founder and Project Director of the Festival, who produced the successful 6th ION International Film Festival (IONIFF) (a touring festival originating from Hollywood) in the same city says they have a competentorganizing committee of experts, including Peace Anyiam-Osigwe the founder and CEO of the annual AMAA Awards, Caterina Bortolussi, the co-producer of ION International Film Festival, Soledad Grognett, Ilaria Chessa, June Givanni, Alessandra Speciale and Celine Loader. They are poised to make AFRIFF the numero uno of film festivals in Nigeria and the rest of Africa.

Click here for more details

Two U.S. 'YOUR BIG BREAK' Finalists to Travel to New Zealand to Make Films with Barrie Osborne, Judged by Peter Jackson

100% Pure New Zealand's Filmmaking Competition will Premiere Winning Film on IFC leading into 25th Film Independent Spirit Awards on March 5, 2010



Los Angeles and Auckland, New Zealand (January 21, 2010) /PRNewswire/ — Academy Award®-winning producer Barrie Osborne (The Lord of the Rings) and a panel of judges named the five finalists in the 100% Pure New Zealand Presents Your Big Break short film competition today. American finalists Kristi Simkins from Auburn, Wash., and Aya Tanimora from Santa Monica, Calif., will now travel to Queenstown, New Zealand, where they will work with Osborne and world class post-production facility Park Road Post Production to shoot and direct their own short films capturing the essence of the world's youngest country. Academy Award®-winning director Sir Peter Jackson will select the winning entry.


Barrie Osborne


After Jackson personally views and judges the five finalists' films, he will select one overall winner whose film will air on IFC just prior to the Spirit Awards live broadcast on March 5 at 8 p.m. Pacific/11 p.m. Eastern.

As if the opportunity to travel to Queenstown and work with the Academy Award-winning team responsible for The Lord of the Rings trilogy wasn't enough, all finalists' films will premiere in front of hundreds of the entertainment industry's brightest at the 100% Pure New Zealand lounge at the 25th Film Independent Spirit Awards, of which 100% Pure New Zealand is a Principal Sponsor, and on the Your Big Break Web site, www.your-big-break.com.

"The diversity of excellent entries demonstrates the passion people have for New Zealand," says Tourism New Zealand Chief Executive Kevin Bowler. "Many of the screenplays capture the spirit of New Zealand including the country's extraordinary landscapes, people and culture; the judges had their work cut out for them selecting just four."

While Osborne and a panel selected four of the finalists, Your Big Break site visitors voted for Aya Tanimura's film as the "People's Choice" finalist.

The other three finalists include Andrés Borghi from Buenos Aires, and Tim McLachlan and Rajneel Singh from Auckland, New Zealand.

"Putting the spotlight on emerging filmmakers is the essence of the Spirit Awards, and giving the "Your Big Break' finalists the opportunity to present their work on IFC is a fantastic way to cultivate new filmmaking talent," said Jennifer Caserta, Executive Vice President and General Manager of IFC.

All of the finalists are aspiring filmmakers who've dabbled in multiple aspects of the entertainment industry. The protagonist in Simkins's film "Something Special" seeks to fulfill a promise with his trip to New Zealand, while the main character in fellow American Tanimura's script "Sweet As," uses her imagery of the world's youngest country to impress. New Zealand native Singh's submission "Blank Spaces," plays off New Zealand's pure, untouched and unmapped image, while his fellow Kiwi McLachlan's entry "Mr. Whippy and the BMX Kid," focuses on a young Maori boy's conversation with an old man searching for renewal. Borghi's screenplay for "Working Day" centers on New Zealand's creation and aims to take advantage of his post production prowess.

"Many of the entries were stellar, but our five finalists' films displayed a combination of humor, imagination and passion that brought New Zealand's spirit to life," says Osborne. "I'm looking forward to working with all of these talented individuals."

The submission and voting period ran from December 9, 2009 until January 15, 2010 on www.your-big-break.com. More than 1,000 aspiring directors from around the globe entered a screenplay for a three-minute short film that captured the spirit of New Zealand and any supporting content they thought would aid their selection. The five finalists will produce their films in New Zealand in early February.

Useful Links:
Your Big Break website: www.your-big-break.com
On Facebook: www.facebook.com/YourBigBreak
On Twitter: http://twitter.com/YourBigBreakNZ
For inspiration: www.newzealand.com

For information about New Zealand's extensive vacation options, log onto the 100% Pure New Zealand website at http://www.NewZealand.com.

For other media information, log on to http://www.media.newzealand.com. For high-resolution images, visit http://www.images.newzealand.com.

ABOUT THE FILM INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AWARDS The Film Independent Spirit Awards is a celebration honoring films made by filmmakers who embody independence and originality. Televised in millions of homes and covered internationally by the press, the Spirit Awards has become the vanguard event in independent film, recognizing the achievements of independent filmmakers and promoting independent film to a wider audience.

Media Contact:
Andrew Reynolds
Hill & Knowlton for Tourism New Zealand
949-223-2307
andrew.reynolds@hillandknowlton.com

News Video Report: Africa's Cinemas Go Dark in Ouagadougou

The FESPACO film festival opening this weekend is an increasingly rare chance for cinema buffs in Africa to see works made by fellow Africans. Across the continent, movie theatres are going dark, victims to the flood of cheap DVDs. In Senegal's capital there are almost no movie theatres left.