Africa film fest promises action and drama

Africa Film TT (AFTT) which is celebrating five years of showcasing films from the African continent and diaspora provides an opportunity to travel through film and explore diverse lives and experiences from Nigeria, Sudan, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Kenya, South Africa, and beyond.

The festival offers a movie for everyone in the line-up –from comedy to drama, action and romance. It runs from May 20-26 at the Little Carib Theatre, White and Robert Streets in Woodbrook

In a media release festival director Asha Lovelace said, “This year, the festival joins countries around the world in commemorating Africa Day, on May 25, and the formation of the historic Organisation of African Unity (OAU) in 1963. AFTT 2019 celebrates these achievements and highlights a wide range of African films emerging from a continent of 54 countries – home to different cultures that have impacted every part of the globe.”

At the gala opening night, May 20 at the Central Bank Auditorium, Port of Spain, AFTT will screen The Burial of Kojo by award-winning director, musician and TED Fellow, Blitz the Ambassador. The director, who is born in Ghana and based in New York, will be at the opening.

The week-long festival will also present A day of South African films, on Africa Day, May 25, in collaboration with the South African High Commission to TT.

For children, teens and families, AFTT Jr will include screenings every morning from May 23-26, at the Little Carib Theatre, the main venue of the festival.

The festival closes, on May 26 with My Friend Fela – a unique picture of the iconic musician and activist Fela Kuti, by Brazilian director and Fela’s official biographer, Joel Zito Araujo, who will be in Trinidad to present the film and conduct a workshop on documentary filmmaking on May 24, 1-3 pm.

AFTT always takes film to the community and will stage free family movie nights, at the basketball court in Never Dirty, Morvant, the Brian Lara Promenade, and Arima’s netball court, on May 10, 17 and 18, respectively.

For more info: africafilmtt.com or 796-8988