Kannywood Awards 2016

After many apologies for being gone from this site for two years (!), we resume service.

One of the big Kannywood Stories these days are the upcoming Kannywood Awards to be held beginning at 7pm in Abuja next week, 12 March, in Abuja, at the NAF Conference Centre.

 

For more information about the awards, check out their official website. And also this interview with producer Dr. Sarari in Leadership and this opinion piece about the Kannywood Awards by Al Amin Ciroma that reviews last year’s awards and makes predictions for 2016.

Call for Papers: Second Kwara State University Conference on African Cinema, “African Cinema and the Supernatural” Nov 26-29, 2014. Abstract Deadline: 1 October 2014

(Apologies for the long absence from this blog. The blog administrator was busy trying to finish her PhD. She will try to update this blog more frequently from now on -CM)

Second Call for Papers and Panels

Second Kwara State University Conference on African Cinema (November 26-29, 2014).

Conference Theme:

“African Cinema and the Supernatural”

Venues:

Kwara State University/ Kwara Hotels, Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria

Call for Papers

African cinema, especially Nollywood, has shown a remarkable proclivity towards the reiteration of the supernatural. For the most part, the supernatural is embodied in religious precepts and practices. In the world that the African film, especially the Nollywood film, invokes, the representations of gods and goddesses, priests and priestess of different religions are often invested with supernatural powers, which are made to govern everyday activities in the earthly polis. It is for this reason that the loudest criticism of the Nollywood film is focused on the undue emphasis on the supernatural in the world of consumer capitalism. Birgit Meyer cautions that we must place this West African phenomenon in the “wider social context to which it speaks and from where its narratives are drawn (1999).” In other words, it is important that we understand the direct role that religion plays in this visual practice. Jean Comaroff and John L Comaroff (2000) offer a different insight. They argue, for instance, that the “triumph of global capitalism at the millennium, its Second Coming,” has given way to “the exuberant spread of innovative occult practices and magic money, pyramid schemes and prosperity gospel, the enactment, that is, of a decidedly neoliberal economy whose ever more inscrutable speculation seems to call up fresh specters in their wake.” Common to both observations is the belief in religion expressed as the supernatural means of coming to terms with the social and economic debilities of the world in which we live. There is little doubt that the Nollywood film expresses the anxiety of millennial capitalism, the rise of Christian Pentecostalism and the spread of occult practices. This conference solicits papers and panels dealing with the broad themes of religion and superstition in Nollywood. Topics dealing with the role of Nollywood in Africa’s cinematic practices are also welcomed. Of particular interest to the organizers are papers and panels dealing with the representations of different religions; religion and the city; religious consumption in the Nollywood film; representations of local cultures and superstitions; descriptions of evil, the devil, God, magic and “occult economies;” case studies of evangelical church movements in Nollywood; violence, religion, women and the occult economy.

Submissions for individual papers and panels must reach the organizers on or before October 1, 2014. Selected papers will appear in the special issue of Nollywood in Journal of Pan African Studies, California, US.

Confirmed speakers include Professor Jonathan Haynes (Brooklyn College), Professor Afe Adogame (University of Edinburgh, UK), Professor Ken Harrow (Michigan State University, US) and Professor Awam Ampka (New York University). Send queries, paper and panel proposals to: ookome@ualberta.ca, femi.abiodun@kwasu.edu.ng, kwasuworkshop@kwasu.edu.ng simultaneously. 

Kannywood Award 2013 held tonight at 8pm

The Kannywood Award 2013 is being held tonight in Kano to begin at 8pm, honouring Kannywood in the film categories of Best Lead Actor, Best Actress, Best Comic Actor,  Best Sounds, Costume, Best Picture, Cinematography, Best Actor in a Villain Role, Best Editor, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Set Design, Soundtrack, Supporting Actress, New Coming Actress, New Coming Actor, Visual Effects, Best Kid Actor, Best Original Story, and finally Best Film. In the Music categories, they will be giving awards for Best Music, Best Lyrics, Best Background Singer Male, Best Background Singer Female.

For more information on the actors to be honoured, see the post by Kannywood Gossip Arena.

And for a complete list of nominees for the award categories and a copy of the invitation, see A Tunanina.

 

Call for Film Submissions to the 4th Eko International Film Festival: Deadline 30 September 2013

 

The 4th edition of the Eko International Film Festival, Lagos, which will take place from 18-23 November, is accepting film submissions until 30 September (with late submissions accepted until 15 October 2013).  See the rules on their site or quoted below:

SUBMIT ENTRIES FOR THE 4TH EKO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL, NOVEMBER 18-23, 2013, LAGOS, NIGERIA.

SUBMISSION DEADLINES

Standard Deadline: September 30, 2013.

Late Deadline: October 15, 2013.

Call For Entry Form

THE MAIN SECTIONS

Feature Film
Short Film
Fiction
Comedy
Drama
Horror
Documentaries
Student Film
1 minute short films.

ELIGIBILITY

Films must fit into one of the nine categories:Feature,Short, Fiction, comedy, documentaries, drama, Horror, Student Film 1 minute.

All music and other copyrighted materials used in the films must be original or filmmakers must have obtained permission in writing from the owner, such permissions to be submitted with the film.

All films must be submitted in English or subtitled in English.

GENERAL RULES:

Films must be submitted on DVD NTSC or PAL (please test before sending) and be available for screening on 35mm composite condition, Beta SP or Digi-Beta Video (NTSC only for festival screening).

Films must be available for screening during the Eko International Film Festival.

Narrative and Documentary films with U.S. distribution (obtained prior to being selected for EKOIFF screening) or films produced, financed or initiated by a major film studio or television network are ineligible for competition, but may be considered for special screening. Selection for screening will be determined no later than one month prior to the festival. Films that have screened at major cinemas and on cable network or distributed to theaters prior to the festival dates are also ineligible for competition.

Films that have played in Nigeria in a theatrical setting to a public audience are not eligible to be screened at the EKOIFF 2013.

Additional Narrative Feature Film Entry Requirements:

Feature-length Films must be 60 minutes or longer (recommended length 90 minutes).
Open to anyone (and all nationalities) who wishes to enter.

Additional Narrative Short Film Entry Requirements:

Films must be short narratives of 40 minutes or less (recommended length 10 minutes).
Open to anyone who wishes to enter.

Additional Narrative Student Short Film Entry Requirements:

Films must be short narratives of 40 minutes or less (recommended length 10 minutes).
Open only to students (must include proof of enrollment from accredited university or college).

One Minute Short Film Entry Requirements:

Entries must be short films of 1 minute (recommended length).
Award will be given to the best 1 minute film.
Open to any form of animation.
Open to anyone who wishes to enter.

Additional Documentary Feature Films Requirements

Films must be Documentaries, 40 minutes or longer
Open to anyone who wishes to enter.
Additional Documentary Short Film Requirements
Films must be Short Documentaries, 40 minutes or less
Open to anyone who wishes to enter.

SUBMISSION IS FREE

Please Note: Eko International Film Festival does not collect entry fees.
In a similar respect the EKOIFF does not solicit films to be in competition.
Only films submitted will be considered for competition.

Returns and Acknowledgments:
VHS tapes, DVDs, and press materials will not be returned under any circumstances. They will be destroyed after the final screenings at the film festival.
Include a self-addressed, stamped postcard for each submission if you wish acknowledgment of the receipt of your entry.

Safety and piracy issue

The festival is concerned that filmmakers’ rights should be protected against piracy. EKOIFF is establishing procedures that will guarantee these are up to profession’s best practice. These are inspired by the anti piracy actions taken in the USA and worldwide.

FILM COMPETITION AWARDS:

Eko International Film Festival welcomes partners and sponsors for the following prizes.

Nollywood Divas Awards

Jury Awards:

Narrative Films Awards

Documentary Films Awards

Short Film Awards

Eko International Film Festival Film Submission Agreement Form

Submissions from July 1- October 15, 2013
I, (first name:)…………………………………………………..
(last name:)…………………………………………………………..
Act as right owner hereafter described as “The filmmaker” own right for the following film (film name)…………………………..

The filmmaker grants permission to Eko International Film Festival (EKOIFF) and Supple Communications Limited to use clips of your film for promotional use.

The filmmaker grants the non-exclusive right for EKOIFF and Supple Communications Limited to screen, exhibit and distribute your film in its entirety for any promotion or project under the festival or foundation’s name for up to one year after the 2012 festival. EKOIFF and Supple Communications Limited may also actively pursue other distribution opportunities for your film.

The filmmaker grants EKOIFF and Supple Communications Limited and other third parties at their discretion the right to film, videotape and/or photograph your appearance or voice for any and all marketing and promotional activities for the festival.

Your submission of an entry into the Eko International Film Festival constitutes an agreement between you and EKOIFF and Supple Communications Limited, and that by submitting your film for consideration, you agree to all of these rules, terms and agreements.

Date../../2013
Name: ………………………………
Signature: …………………………

Send with your DVD to
Hope Obioma Opara
The President
Eko International Film Festival
Supple Co mm unications Limited
1, Bajulaiye Road,
Morocco Bus Stop
Shomolu, Lagos,
Nigeria.
Email: submissions@ekoiff.org

PS: ONLY SPONSORED PRIZES WILL BE AWARDED.

Call for Papers from Studies in the Humanities: Cityscape- Deadline for abstracts 15 August 2013

Call for Papers

A Call-for Papers for a an edited book and subsequently a special double issue of the journal Studies in The Humanities on the subject of cityscape as discursive node and character.

The changes that have been wrought in the urban experience of space, time, identity, locality, and subjective imaginary, have resulted in the increasing appearance of  the global cityscape virtually as character in cultural studies discussions, drama, literature, film and documentary.  Papers can address conventional modes of representing the cityscape, such as location or background; or new ways in which the local/global dynamic in the metropolis cityscape is remapped; or compare and contrast the two modes of representation in terms of Benjamin’s flaneur, postmodernity, postcolonialism or Gilles Deleuze’s concept of modernity as constituted around a viewing, rather than an (re)-acting, subject. Papers might consider how the old cityscape is demolished in terms of a postculture of dissapearance and replaced by the production of urban imaginaries that articulate new urban visions, rearticulate old distinctions between private and public spaces through new urban militant movements, negotiate changing urban values, and critique problematic urban transformations. Of interest are questions of how the global metropolis is constituted as a cultural, dramatic, literary and cinematic character, how literature, culture, drama and cinema produces the global cityspace, and how these representations of cityspace challenge or confirm conventional understandings not only of cityscape but of citizenry as well. Papers might take up questions of how sexuality, race, class and politics; considerations of genre, nationality, and history intersect with the changing cityscape.

Detailed abstracts of articles and essays (as well as a biographical note of the author) for the edited book are invited by August 15^th, 2013.  The edited book will examine cinematic, and televisual cultural studies “remapping” of the cityscape and its emergence as character as a form of registering the changed metropolitan city in globalism.

Articles, essays as well as book reviews for the special issue of the  journal will include analyses of literary and dramatic texts on the subject as well cinematic, televisual cultural studies, can be submitted in email consultation with the editor for a publishing schedule of  December, 2014. For the special double issue of the journal, book reviews on the thematic of one book or monograph or several works (at least 750 words and no more than 1,000words) may be discussed and addressed to Ozum Hatipoglu <oh46@cornell.edu.

Studies in the Humanities is a multidisciplinary journal of theoretical investigations in literature, film, drama, and cultural studies, published bi-annually at Indiana University of Pennsylvania since 1968. We encourage articles that reach across disciplines and cultures to deepen our understanding of a work, an artist, a genre, an artistic milieu, or the conditions of artistic production. Studies in the Humanities also publishes reviews of recent books in the areas of our publishing interests. Studies in the Humanities is indexed in the annual MLA Bibliography, the Film Literature Index, the American Humanities Index, An Index to Book Reviews in the Humanities, and the Journal of Abstracts of English Studies.

The manuscript (at least 10,000 words in length but no more than 12,000 words although longer essays will also be considered with good reason), double-spaced, in 12-pt. Times New Roman font using Chicago style of documentation should be electronically submitted to dubereena@gmail.com/ reena.dube@iup.edu. Please do not include your name anywhere on your manuscript or book review. Place it in a separate attachment. Also please do not use embedded endnotes or footnotes. Footnotes should be at the end of the essay with no page division between them and the text or the Works Cited list that should follow it. Email inquires regarding possible essay topics may be sent to: dubereena@gmail.com/ reena.dube@iup.edu; or Reena Dube, Editor, Studies in the Humanities, Department of English; 110 Leonard Hall; Indiana University of Pennsylvania; Indiana, PA 15705.

September 2013 “One Fine Day Film Workshops” in Kenya, Application Deadline 1 May 2013

Crossposted from DW Akademie

Thank you to Aminu Gamawa for making us aware of this opportunity.

“One Fine Day Film Workshops”: young filmmakers from Africa telling their story. The DW Akademie joint project is now accepting applications for the workshop beginning September 2013 in Kenya.

It was a moving experience when Tosh Gitonga last fall premiered his first feature film “Nairobi Half Life” in Berlin. The packed audience gave Gitonga a lengthy round of applause. The film has been running in Kenya for half a year and is considered to be Kenya’s most successful film ever.

Tosh Gitonga at the premiere in Berlin

“Nairobi Half Life” is the result of the first “One Fine Day Film Workshop” held in 2010. Another film, “Something Necessary”, resulted from the second workshop and recently started showing in Nairobi. The film is touring Germany this February and will be shown in several cities.

Africa’s film industry is attracting international interest thanks to the joint project run by ONE FINE DAY FILMS and DW Akademie. The first workshop and ensuing film production phase has already drawn attention to many talented African filmmakers.
The fourth workshop gets underway in Kenya this September. Starting now, African directors, camera operators, editors, scriptwriters, sound engineers and production designers can apply for this intense two-week workshop.

Hands-on seminar

“One Fine Day Film” workshop in Nairobi, Kenya

The workshop is closely adapted to the needs of today’s African film enthusiasts and is aimed at professionalizing the craft of filmmaking. International filmmakers will train and guide a select group of up-and-coming talents involved in various aspects of filmmaking. Participants will then go on to shoot and produce their own film.

Participants will not only learn how to develop their ideas and put them into practice but will also receive support in how to attract African and international film markets.

Creating a group setting where budding filmmakers can exchange experiences and share a common goal also sustains their enthusiasm over the long run.

The One Fine Day Film workshops are a joint project by DW Akademie, ONE FINE DAY FILMS and GINGER INK. The project is supported by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, the Film und Medienstiftung NRW, the Goethe-Institut Kenya and ARRI Film & TV Services.

Application deadline: May 1, 2013

Workshop: September 2 – 13, 2013

Contact: mail(at)onefinedayfilms.org

 

Other relevant information

A) QUALIFICATION
Your  application  for  the One  Fine  Day  Film Workshop will  only  be  processed  if  you  meet  the  following requirements:
1. You  fill  out  the  application  form  correctly and  fully! UNCOMPLETED  APPLICATION  FORMS WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED OR READ! In case you are selected as participant, please be aware that your data may be published on
our website and on other public materials as provided by you.
2. You have worked on at least one short  film and/or you are a student at a  film school or in a film program and/or you have experience in the film industry.
3. You have submitted a complete application.
4. You are a citizen of an African country and reside in Africa and be at least 18 years of age by September, 1st 2013.
5. You  are  fluent  in  English  language,  written  and  spoken.  The  courses  will  be  conducted  in English.
6. If  you  apply  for  the  Editing  workshop,  you  know  how  to  work  with  either  Avid  Media Composer or Final Cut Pro (basic knowledge will not be sufficient).

Expenses
The  training course is conducted  free of charge. All  teaching materials and  relevant course  related costs will be covered by One Fine Day Film Workshop.
During the workshop catering will be provided for all workshop participants.
For participants travelling from abroad (and outside Nairobi), the One Fine Day Film Workshop will cover
the following costs – within the limits of pertinent German regulations –
• Accommodation for the duration of the workshop
•Costs for return journey between place of stay and Workshop location
Travel and hotels will be organized in coordination with One Fine Day Film Workshop. Please let us know if you have friends and family in Nairobi where you can stay during the time of the workshop.
Please note: There  is  no  provision  of  per  diems.  Participants  not  living  in  country  of  workshop should bring enough means for individual expenses to cover miscellaneous expenses, like phone calls home, laundry, and other
individual costs. Furthermore One Fine Day Film Workshop does not take out health, third party-liability or accident insurance.
Please note: do not consider taking part on the One Fine Day Film Workshop as a source of income.

Durban International Film Festival 18-28 July 2013, Call for Entries, Deadline 15 March 2013 for shorts and documentaries, 5 April 2013 for Feature Films

Media Release

Durban International Film Festival Call for Entries for 34th edition

The Durban International Film Festival (DIFF), invites filmmakers to submit their entries for its 34^th edition which takes place from 18^th to 28^th July 2013. DIFF, the largest film festival in Southern Africa, features over 250 screenings of cutting-edge cinema from around the world with a special focus on films from South Africa and Africa. The festival hosts a film competition component and also presents screenings in township areas where cinemas are non-existent.

The festival considers films completed in 2012 and 2013, and there is no charge for entry. All submissions must be entered via the Eventival online system at http://vp.eventival.eu/cca/diff2013. Please create a visitor account to submit. The deadline for all entries, including receipt of samples, is 15^th March 2013 for short films and documentaries; and 5^th April 2013 for feature fiction films.

The extensive seminar and workshop programme featuring local and international filmmakers and industry professionals includes the 6^th Talent Campus Durban (19^th to 23^rd July) in cooperation with Berlinale Talent Campus, and the 4^th Durban FilmMart (19^th to 22^nd July) in partnership with Durban Film Office.

 

cross-posted from H-AFRLITCINE

DURBAN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2013
DIFF 2013 – CALL FOR ENTRIES
The Durban International Film Festival (DIFF), invites filmmakers to submit their entries for its 34th edition which takes place from 18th to 28th July 2013

SUBMIT NOW!

DIFF, the largest film festival in Southern Africa, features over 250 screenings of cutting-edge cinema from around the world with a special focus on films from South Africa and Africa. The festival hosts a film competition component and also presents screenings in township areas where cinemas are non-existent.

The festival considers films completed in 2012 and 2013, and there is no charge for entry. All submissions must be entered via the Eventival online system at http://vp.eventival.eu/cca/diff2013. Please create a visitor account to submit.

The deadline for all entries, including receipt of samples, is:

Short Films and Documentaries – 15th March 2013

Feature Fiction Films – 5th April 2013

The extensive seminar and workshop programme featuring local and international filmmakers and industry professionals includes the 6th Talent Campus Durban (19th to 23rd July) in cooperation with Berlinale Talent Campus, and the 4th Durban FilmMart (19th to 22nd July) in partnership with Durban Film Office.

visit our website<http://www.durbanfilmfest.co.za/> | follow on Twitter<https://twitter.com/DIFFest> | like on Facebook<http://www.facebook.com/DurbanInternationalFilmFestival>

FESTIVAL ENQUIRIES:
Phone: +27 (0)31 260 2506/1816
Fax: +27 (0)31 260 3074
Email: diff@ukzn.ac.za<mailto:diff@ukzn.ac.za>

The festival is supported by the National Film and Video Foundation, the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Economic Development and Tourism, the City of Durban and other valued funders and partners.

Call For Papers: Human Rights, Literature, the Arts, and Social Sciences, 21-23 November 2013, Abstract Deadline: 31 March 2013

cross-posted from H-AFRLITCINE

Call For Papers: Human Rights, Literature, the Arts, and Social Sciences International Conference, Central Michigan University, Mt. Pleasant
November 21-23, 2013

The persistence of repressive and discriminatory national policies, cultural practices, wars, genocide, religious conflict, ethnic cleansing, terrorism, rape, child-soldiering, sex-trafficking, and other forms of violence threaten the maintenance of human rights.  These conditions remind us of the ever pressing need to safeguard our humanity through the preservation of human rights.

For this year, the conference will focus on the following topics: a) Women’s rights/violations of women’s rights; b) children’s rights/violations of children’s rights; c) and Indigenous Rights & Sovereignty.

The envisioned international conference will focus on the role of literature (the Humanities), the arts, Social Sciences and the Law in the discussion, representation, and promotion of human rights, paying special attention to the areas delineated. We wish to bring writers, artists, theorists, scholars, lawyers, and NGOs into a series of conversations that engage the issue of human rights, including the ethical, political, social, economic, and cultural implications of either violations or the constructions of human rights.

We invite presentations that address human rights as they relate to the areas identified above or specific topics by themselves or through comparative lenses. Topics/themes include, but are not limited to:

*   The novel, poetry, drama/theatre/performance
*   Ethics and international law
*   Films/cinema and human rights
*   Women’s rights in film/literature
*   The role of NGOs in the human rights debate
*   The role of NGOs in Women’s rights
*   Holocaust/Genocide/War crimes/Crimes against humanity
*   Sex trafficking, slavery, child soldiering
*   Rape as a weapon of war
*   Migration and refugee rights
*   Environmental rights
*   Human rights in the age of globalization
*   TRC or Truth Commissions (Here we want to move beyond South Africa)
*   Women’s rights in cultural, regional, national contexts;
*   Human rights compliance

Presentation formats: Papers, panels, poster sessions, debates, discussions, seminars, lectures, forums, and/or performances, and workshops.  Send abstracts to:

Professor Maureen N. Eke, Department of English
Central Michigan University, Mt. Pleasant, 48859
Email: eke1mn@cmich.edu; Maureen.eke@cmich.edu         OR

Professor Sterling Johnson, Department of Political Science
Email: johns1s@cmich.edu                                                                 OR

Professor Benjamin Ramirez-Shwegnaabi Department of History
Email: ramir1b@cmich.edu

Abstract Deadline: March 31, 2013

Hausa hiphop artist Nazir Hausawa (Ziriums) featured in Recording a Revolution: Hiphop and Social Change in Africa, Alachua County Library Headquarters, Gainsville, Florida, USA, 23 February 2013

Hausa hiphop artist Ziriums (Nazir Hausawa) will take part in an African Hip Hop event at the Alachua County Library Headquarters, in Gainesville, Florida, USA, on Saturday 23 February 2013. Ziriums was featured in the documentary Recording a Revolution, by Alex Johnson and Saman Piracha, which will screen 10am-11am. Ziriums will host a Q&A from 11am-12pm The event also features discussions with founding member of Dead Prez M1, Kamau Ngigi, founding member of Kalamashaka, a Kenyan Hip Hop group, and Michael Wanguhu, the director of the award winning documentary Ni Wakati (It’s Time), which will screen from 1-2pm.

The event is sponsored by the Center for African Studies at the University of Florida and the Alachua County Library District.

For more information, see the poster and the press release below.

Recording a Revolution: Hip Hop and Social Change in Africa

Event Time: Saturday February 23, 2013: 10 am-5 pm

Event Location: Alachua County Library Headquarters, 4^th floor

Recording a Revolution is an event that brings together artists, scholars and documentary filmmakers to discuss hip hop, the visual arts, and political activism in Africa. Two new documentaries will be presented along with a panel including the films’ directors/producers and featured hip hop artists, including American hip hop artist M1, founding member of dead prez. This panel will discuss the challenges and opportunities associated with the representation of and by artists/activists of Africa and the African diaspora, and open up a public dialogue about social and political concerns in Africa. As it coincides with Black History Month, this event will also encourage a discussion between the historical linkages between Africa and its diaspora.

The two African hip hop artists – Nazir Hausawa (aka ‘Ziriums’) of Nigeria and Kamau Ngigi of Kenya – will arrive several days before the event. If anyone is interested in meeting with them on Thursday or Friday (February 21-22), or would like more information about the featured movies or artists, please contact Sue O’Brien (smobrien@ufl.edu).

This event is sponsored by the Alachua County Public Library, as well as the Center for African Studies and the Samuel Proctor Oral History Program at the University of Florida.

2012 in review

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2012 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

4,329 films were submitted to the 2012 Cannes Film Festival. This blog had 48,000 views in 2012. If each view were a film, this blog would power 11 Film Festivals

Click here to see the complete report.