Africa at the Pictures comes to Liverpool

Between 9th- 15th November 2006, Greenland Street - Liverpool’s major new venue for contemporary art - will host Africa at the Pictures, an initiative which promotes African film in the UK and Europe.

Africa at the Pictures will screen thirty films, offering a vibrant insight into the culture and politics of Africa. Amongst them is Moolaadé directed by Ousmane Sembene (Senegal), widely recognised as the father of African cinema and Rage, directed by Newton Aduaka, which was the first independent film by a black film-maker to gain a national release in Britain.

Six of Africa’s leading film makers will visit Liverpool to screen their movies at Greenland Street and share their knowledge and skills with young people in the city. Screenings are free and open to all.

Students at Liverpool Community College will receive tips and advice from some of Africa’s top film producers and directors as part of Africa at the Pictures.

Over 100 Media Studies students, all studying cinema as part of their course at Liverpool Community College, will take part in a series of film workshops developed in partnership with arts venue Greenland Street. The students are studying at Liverpool Community College’s Arts Centre and Toxteth TV, the city’s film and media education facility.

During the sessions, film makers from South Africa, Nigeria and Senegal will discuss funding opportunities available to young movie makers, how to take an idea to the screen and the best way to pitch a film idea. Budding directors and producers will also develop their digital camera skills, scriptwriting talents and ability to tell non fiction stories through cinema.

Workshops will be run by Lovinsa Kavuma, a Ugandan-born female filmmaker; Newton Aduaka – one of Africa’s most talented independent film makers, originally from Nigeria; writer and filmmaker Ben Diogaye Beye - a pioneer of Senegalese cinema; female Director Taghred Elsanhouri who captures the conflicts of Sudan - her country of birth - in her films, and director Khalo Matabane who addresses a range of South African issues through his work.

Highlights from the programme include:

Moolaadé (dir. Ousmane Sembene, Senegal) a powerful film by the 81-year old director, depicting the clash between entrenched religious tradition and modern secular society.

Conversations on a Sunday Afternoon (dir. Khalo Matabane, South Africa), the story of a tormented young poet desperately trying to make sense of the world.

The Portrait of a Young Man Drowning (dir. Teboho Mahlatsi) explores the quest for redemption of a young man who has defended his community to the point of spilling blood.

Karmen Gei (dir. Joseph Gai Ramaka), Bizet’s classic Carmen completely recast using Senegal’s finest musicians and choreographers. The film explores what the myth of Carmen means in the 21st century, with a black Carmen plunged into the magical and chaotic urbanity of an African city.

For full details of films and screening times visit www.africaatthepictures.co.uk