12 minute read
Narrative Short
15 Years Later
Sunday | 11AM | Studio 1
17 minutes / 2022
Director: Sally Thitu Muiruri
Country: United States
A Kenyan woman reunites with her daughter in the United States, after a long 15-year separation. The reunion is laced with feelings of betrayal and abandonment.
Akwụna
Saturday | 6PM | Theatre
15 minutes / 2022
Director: Oluyinka Davids
Country: United States
Set behind the backdrop of modern-day America, Ebere chooses survival above everything else, including herself.
Astel
Sunday | 11AM | Studio 1
24 minutes / 2021
Director: Ramata-Toulaye SY
Country: Senegal
It’s October, the end of the rainy season in Fouta, an isolated region in the north of Senegal. Astel (13) accompanies her father every day in the bush. Together, they look after their herd of cows. But one day, in the middle of the desert, the meeting between the young girl and a shepherd disrupts the peaceful daily life between Astel and her father.
BLVCK GOLD
Saturday | 1PM | Studio 2
19 minutes / 2021
Director: Ez Eldin Deng
Country: Australia
Tormented about his past by ongoing nightmares, amateur athlete Tino uses running as a way to escape old wounds. His attempts are foiled when a childhood friend – Frederick, who is fresh out of prison – reconnects with him and, seeking to redeem himself, presents Tino with a plan and a mysterious object wrapped in a paper bag.
A Better Friend
Saturday | 6PM | Studio 1
9 minutes / 2021
Director: Jumic Emma Anderson
Country: Ghana
A short teen drama, melodrama that exploits love in its purest form through the eyes of two teenagers. That innocent inclusiveness it can be built upon.
Amagama ka Nokutela
Saturday | 2:30PM | Studio 2
10 minutes / 2022
Director: Zimisele Ngubane
Country: South Africa
‘Amagama ka Nokutela’ (Nokutela’s words/names) is a South African women collective’s homage to Nokutela Mdima-Dube (1873-1917), a pioneering newspaper and school co-founder, educator, philanthropist, activist, musician and essayist.
‘Amagama ka Nokutela’ is a tribute to one of the ‘Hidden Figures’ behind the success of ANC and whose self-sacrifice and leadership is a great source of inspiration for all African women.
Be Somebody
Sunday | 3:30PM | Studio 2
15 minutes / 2022
Director: Edelawit Hussien
Country: Ethiopia
Be Somebody is a meditation on culture, society, and selfexploration set against a backdrop of a metropolitan city experiencing a renaissance. The short narrative film follows three Addis Ababa-based teenage boys as they embark on a road trip to Lake Langano. Throughout this journey, they must navigate cultural differences and shifting societal expectations that ask them to engage with ways of being that are not their own.
CAI-BER
Friday | 2PM | Studio 2
17 minutes / 2021
Director: Ahmed Abdelsalam
Country: Egypt
Hours before her one way trip out, Nour‘s last night in Cairo turns to be a troublesome journey of struggle with a patriarchal society and a fight within to keep her hidden secret.
Douleur Silencieuse / Silent Pain
Sunday | 11AM | Studio 2
11 minutes / 2022
Director: Aïssa Diaby
Country: France
In a traditional West African family, Ami, a studious and discreet 17 year-old, suffers from an oppressive secret. One evening, as the whole family comes together during dinner, Ami decides not to let it go any longer.
Hadassah: Queen Esther
Saturday | 2:30PM | Theatre
25 minutes / 2021
Director: Ira Mallory
Country: United States
Queen Esther faces off with the woman she is set to replace on the royal throne in twenty-four hours: Queen Vashti. This leads to a remarkable meeting never explored in the history books.
Half Soul
Sunday | 3:30PM | Studio 2
23 minutes / 2021
Director: Trabelsi Marwen
Country: Tunisia
In a world materialized and devoid of humanity the sale of souls becomes a very successful business, suicidal offers their souls against a monetary value offered to their family, it is the fantastic story of a father who is obliged to sell his soul to save the life of his dying baby girl.
Clippers
Sunday | 5:15PM | Studio 2
11 minutes / 2022
Director: Gbenga Adeoti
Country: Nigeria
Jumoke Shonaiyan, a foremost and only female barber in her community, borrows money to fund the expansion plans for her barbershop, Clippers. Her decision to mentor a pickpocket leads to a boycott of her shop and presents a dilemma.
Eating Papaw on the Seashore
Saturday | 1PM | Studio 2
19 minutes / 2022
Directors: R. Wiltshire, N. Layne
Country: Guyana
A coming-of-age film about two queer Guyanese boys, who are navigating their feelings in a homophobic society.
Haiti Is Africa
Saturday | 1PM | Theatre
4 minutes / 2021
Director: Issouf Baguignan
Country: United States
Haiti is Africa explores the relationship between Haiti, other African countries and the rest of the world.
Have I Told You That I Love You?
Saturday | 1PM | Studio 2
19 minutes / 2022
Director: Ciomara Morais
Country: Portugal
“Já Te Disse Que Te Amo?” or “Have I Told You That I love You?” is a short movie about a couple, based in Lisbon. Sara is the owner and CEO of a life style magazine, André is the CEO of a large business group based in Zurich. Their love is strong, as their secrets.
Ijo: A Love Story
Saturday | 2:30PM | Studio 2
15 minutes / 2021
Director: Fatimah Binta Gimsay
Country: Nigeria
Meaning dance in the Yoruba language, Ijo is a Nigerian tale of love and hurt as a depressed young man seeks closure and healing through dance after a lover’s quarrel.
In the Stillness
Sunday | 3:30PM | Theatre
24 minutes / 2022
Director: Naira Adedeji
Country: United States
Two creative entrepreneurs struggle to maintain their passion and identities. The blossoming romance turns volatile when the pair is suddenly thrust into the spotlight and a family heirloom becomes a vengeance tool. “In the Stillness” explores themes of loss/death, mental health, domestic violence, ethnocultural sensitivity, and self-discovery.
Jenny & the Betjies
Sunday | 11AM | Studio 2
33 minutes / 2022
Directors: Melissa De Vries-Joseph, Marlon Du Plooy, Angelo Cloete
Country: South Africa
In this feel-good film, out of work actress, Jenny (played by Melissa De Vries) begrudgingly takes a job preparing the students of Elizabethfontein Primer Prep for the upcoming Riel Dance Competition. Before long the students help Jenny find her true purpose.
King
Of The
street
Sunday | 12PM | Theatre
5 minutes / 2022
Director: Mantegaftot Sileshi
Siyoum
Country: Ethiopia
KING OF THE STREET is an ironic description of a little, poor boy on the street in the city garbage who wakes up from the sudden heavy rain at night from living a decent life in his dream and runs for shelter. He encounters two rowdy robbers and saves a young couple by informing the ambush to their family. But he cannot make sense of his reward in the heavy rain.
Magicland
Sunday | 11AM | Studio 1
3 minutes / 2021
Director: Rose Okeke
Country: Nigeria
A heartwarming story about meeting a perfect stranger and making their dreams come true.
Intermission
Sunday | 12PM | Studio 2
21 minutes / 2022
Directors: Famous Odion Iraoya, Chidozie C. Ahaiwe
Country: Nigeria
Intermission is a short film that explores the crushing impact of conservative pressures on the tender bond that is family in an increasingly progressive and fast changing world. Set in socially conservative Nigeria, against the backdrop of a 2014 law that criminalizes same-sex relationships, Intermission is the story of one young man’s quest to do right by society while seeking no more than the space to love who he loves.
Joy’s Garden
Saturday | 2:30PM | Studio 2
14 minutes / 2020
Director: Ngwatilo Mawiyoo
Country: Kenya
Edwin is no one’s ideal Dad. Can he step up when his estranged daughter Joy needs a home?
Life Note
Sunday | 2PM | Studio 1
19 minutes / 2021
Directors: Said Mohammed Zerbouh, Fathiya Khedir
Country: Tunisia
Taher just finished writing his next song, it deserves a special celebration. this celebration will change Taher’s life forever.
Mother Earth
Saturday | 1PM | Studio 2
20 minutes / 2021
Director: Geronimo Ebang
Nguidang
Country: Equatorial Guinea
A young Equatoguinean woman returns to her native country 20 years later to find out why her mother did not go with her to Europe.
Night Skies
Saturday | 12:30PM |Theatre
10 minutes / 2022
Director: Brian “Sham” Green
Country: USA
The mayor of bankrupt Detroit is pleased with the safe city she has provided for the residents. However, her successful efforts to rid the city of criminals comes with a price – a pact with the Vampire Lord, Dimitri. Soon, the Mayor and the Vampire Lord realize that to save the city and their way of life, they must first save themselves from each other.
Our Story
Sunday | 5:15PM | Studio 1
6 minutes / 2022
Director: Sahra Hashi Maxwell
Country: USA
Our Story follows Talal, a Somali American teenager who struggles to balance his identity and culture.
Plus One
Sunday | 12PM | Theatre
9 minutes / 2022
Director: Marcus Lorenzo Wells
Country: United States
A black woman celebrates the biggest promotion of her career, but things take a turn when her ex shows up with an uninvited white woman.
Pressed
Sunday | 2PM | Theatre
6 minutes / 2022
Director: Stacie Hawkins
Country: United States
When Carmen is peer pressured into a full makeover for her big date, she is unpleasantly surprised by her date’s reaction.
One nice dress
Sunday | 3:30PM | Studio 2
10 minutes / 2022
Director: Omnya Abdelwahab
Country: Egypt
A young lady with a dress that she never wore and dreams that she already quit to realize that It is not about falling, it is about getting up.
Paths Of Wrath
Sunday | 3:30PM | Studio 2
18 minutes / 2021
Director: Lina Arious
Country: Morocco
Jade, is a teenager who flees the hard reality of his life playing football, until the day he is forced to leave with his family of miners their native village after the closure of the mine which was the only source of employment.
Portrait of Princess Tutu
Sunday | 11AM | Studio 2
11 minutes / 2022
Director: Bayo Hassan Bello
Country: Côte d’Ivoire
An encounter with Princess Tutu inspires artist, Ben Enwonwu to paint timeless portraits of her. Synopsis: A fictional account of an avant-garde story. Based on Princess Tutu and the timeless paintings by artist Ben Enwonwu, which she inspired. The film is set between 1973 to 1975 in the palace of King Adesoji Aderemi in Ile-Ife and Ben’s studio in Lagos, Nigeria.
PUSH!
Saturday | 2:30PM | Theatre
15 minutes / 2022
Director: Sanelle Sibanda
Country: Zimbabwe / USA
As the country fights an invisible enemy, two immigrant brothers Zugu and Manhe suddenly find themselves face-toface with the virus, and Zugu must make fast decisions to save a life.
Retreat
Saturday | 6PM | Theatre
8 minutes / 2022
Director: Marcus Smith
Country: United Kingdom
A young couple reconnects in nature.
Stay in the Light
Friday | 2PM | Studio 2
20 minutes / 2021
Director: David Alves
Country: Brazil
Brothers living in the slums dreams of living off music, but the difficulties they face to survive make their dreams seems impossible to realize. Each brother lives a different musical rhythm. Samba, rap and funk are the soundtracks that weaves the narrative, so as the generations each one represents. While the brothers struggle to achieve their dreams, the trafficking, violence and the payment of the end of the month are the challenges that they need to overcome.
Tender Threads
Saturday | 6PM | Studio 1
25 minutes / 2021
Director: Ouijdane Khallid
Country: Morocco
The routine of daily life between Radia and her mother generates an awful discomfort and becomes a major obstacle to Radia’s emotional future and her relationship with her mother. This monotony therefore cause an unexpected cleavage.
The Catch-Up
Saturday | 6PM | Studio 2
6 minutes / 2021
Director: Annabel Grace
Country: United Kingdom
Our romance drama follows Emma who thought she’d never see the man she loves again, but when Jamal turns up amidst COVID-19, she can’t deny her feelings. Will love run free, as the world stands still?
Second Wind
Saturday | 6PM | Theatre
12 minutes / 2022
Director: Celestina Aleobua, Sochima Nwakaeze
Country: Canada
After experiencing years of mental torment, Tebogo, a young and creative final-year university student, finds the courage to confront her classmate Antoine, on a journey down an isolated
Straight, Yet Narrow
Sunday | 2PM | Theatre
18 minutes / 2022
Director: Danie Etienne
Country: United States
Straight, Yet Narrow is a dance film about a young black woman who is faced with the decision to undergo a procedure that would permanently alter her hair follicles causing her hair to grow straight. This film sparks conversation surrounding black communities’ convoluted relationship to their hair, discrimination against those with tightly coiled hair, and against what darker-skinned people face within their own spaces.
The Blouse
Sunday | 3:30PM | Studio 1
7 minutes / 2022
Director: Jaleigha B Jones
Country: United States
An eccentric storyteller illustrates the journey of her distressed blouse during her first visit to the laundromat.
The Egg
Friday | 2PM | Studio 1
23 minutes / 2021
Director: Rayane Teles
Country: Brazil
In a dystopian Bahia where the entire population is infertile and governed by a populist dictatorial regime, a couple of hotel chambermaids and bakers can’t reach a consensus in choosing their daughter’s name, exposing structural problems in marriage and in society.
The Novelist
Sunday | 5:15PM | Studio 1
14 minutes / 2020
Director: Andile Joshua Gumbo
Country: South Africa
An aspiring writer struggles to finish her novel but finds inspiration in a peculiar painter who she decides to make the protagonist of her book.
The Sound Of Sugar Cane
Flowers
Friday | 2PM | Studio 2
21 minutes / 2021
Director: Nicolas Séry
Country: France
Ray, a teenager from Reunion, wants to join his friends’ Léa and Jonathan’s metal band. But for that, he needs an actual drum. His father, a sugar cane farmer, offers him a solution.
Why is it difficult to understand women at times?
Sunday | 12PM | Studio 1
6 minutes / 2022
Director: Emercio Simione Mabjaia
Country: Mozambique
The short film is a comedy that portrays the story of a man who, in order to satisfy his wife’s desires, is forced to face several daily challenges, some of which end up putting his own life at risk.
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The Power is Yours
Sunday | 5:15PM | Studio 1
7 minutes / 2021
Director: Steeven Kodjia
Country: France
I am not African because I was born in Africa but because Africa was born in me.” - Kwame Nkrumah (First President of Ghana). Inspired by these words, words, “The Power Is Yours” isa fashion film that parades Africa before our amazed eyes. Mixing times and fights. The KODJIA berets speak of the memories of the great leaders of the motherland and its Afro-descendants. Their silhouettes tell of the commitment of the Black Panther Party. The film denounces the fixed ideals to overcome to build an Africa carried by its youth and carries a message that addresses itself to a whole people.
The Star
Friday | 2PM | Studio 2
14 minutes / 2021
Director: Kevin Mavakala
Country: Congo DRC
With the means at hand, a director does his utmost for the success of the shooting of his film, unfortunately for him, he comes across an actress who does not make it easy.
Zohar “who is who”
Saturday | 2:30PM | Theatre
18 minutes / 2021
Director: Asma Mohamed EL mouttaki
Country: Morocco
Zohar, a young Moroccan man of Jewish heritage returns from the United States after living there for 20 years to start his military service “Garin Tzabar” in Israel but first decides to visit his old “family” house in Morocco before reporting for service. During his stay at his home in Morocco, which has been uninhabited since the death of his grandparents many years ago, he meets eight year-old Ali. Their friendship changes Zohar’s perspective and unwittingly helps free both of them from their fears.
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