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Mashariki film festival returns for third edition

Friday March 24 2017
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A screening at the Mashariki African Film Festival 2016. The third edition takes place in Kigali from March 25-31 2017. PHOTO| ANDREW I KAZIBWE.

The Mashariki African Film Festival, which returns for its third edition, is growing into a major platform for promoting Africa’s film culture.
The festival held its first edition in 2015, and has registered impressive progress. It is also well received by the public, Tresor Senga, the president of the festival said.
“I am glad that it is now well known; we haven’t faced many challenges in presenting it to the public,” said Mr Senga.

It offers young filmmakers a platform to discover and nurture their talent.
This year’s theme is My Story, My Passion, My Journey. The opening and closing acts take place at the Kigali Conference Exhibition Village on March 25 and 31 respectively.

Florianne Kaneza, the festival’s director said they received 76 entries from 26 countries. Out of this total, 36 films from 17 countries were selected under five categories: Documentary, short films, short documentary, feature fiction and panorama.
“The panorama category features films that are of high quality and have received awards at other festivals. However, they will not take part in this festival’s competition. They are featured with the aim of inspiring our filmmakers and the general public,” said Ms Kaneza.

Films under this category include Fievres by Hicham Ayouch from Morocco, Un film avec toi by Jean-Daniel Lafond from Canada and Tey by Alain Gomis a Senegalese filmmaker.

Other featured countries in the festivals include Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Senegal, Morocco, Niger, Ivory Coast, Bukina Faso, Canada, Ethiopia and the DR Congo. There is an East African category under short fiction film and documentaries. It has attracted all five countries of the regional bloc.

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One the best films at the Mashariki African Film Festival 2016 is awarded. The third edition takes place in Kigali from March 25-31. PHOTO| ANDREW I KAZIBWE

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This year’s festival was meant to include the feature fiction film category, but it was cancelled because it only got entries two entries - from Uganda and Kenya.
The festival will screen films for the public in venues like Impact Hub, Iriba Centre and Goethe Institut in Kigali.

It will also engage local filmmakers, cultural journalists and film critiques in workshops. They will be conducted by experts such as Moussa Touré from Senegal, Olivier Barlet from France and Belgium’s Aurélien Bodinaux. Topics for discussion include low budget productions, criticism and analysis, and raising a production dossier.

“There seems to be a gap in financing and production of feature films, which we think needs to be addressed,” said Ms Kaneza.
Another gap is the low turn out of local female film makers, with only one submission this year.

“As a festival we focus on quality more than gender, so the female film makers need to work harder,” said Ms Kaneza.

Despite attracting more partners and sponsors this year, the Mashariki African Film Festival still faces the challenge of funding.
Mr Senga said about 70 per cent of the sponsorship received for this year’s festival was given mainly in terms of air tickets, hotel accommodation and screening venues, while very few sponsors offered money.

According to Mr Senga, the festival is running on a budget of about Rwf41 million ($50,000) this year, but would need Rwf123 million ($150,000) to cater for all of its financing needs including accommodation, improvement of awards and to facilitate workshops.