Brazil African Film Festival takes place in São Paulo from July 6th to 20th
Hybrid event presents unreleased films, international guests, and occupies several spaces in São Paulo
Among this year’s highlights is the South African thriller "Mlungu Wam", by Jenna Bass and Babalwa Baartman. Being a commentary on post-apartheid South Africa racial relations, it had its well-awarded premiere on Toronto Festival and opens our Festival screenings with the presence of the filmmakers, on Cinesesc. "Marcher sur l'eau" marks the first venture on directing of Franco-Senegalese Aïssa Maïga, who comes to São Paulo to present her documentary film. A well-regarded name of French cinema, Aïssa has a extensive career as actress, screenwriter and activist. On her film, she documents the effects of climate change and globalization in a Nigerien village.
“Otiti”, by Nigerian filmmaker Ema Edosio, makes its global premiere on the Brazil African Film Festival, with the story of a seamstress that takes upon the responsibility of caring for her sick father, even though she was abandoned as a child by him. Ema also comes to Brazil to present a masterclass on her experiences as an independent filmmaker in Nigeria. From Kenya, the unreleased comedy film "Tales of the Accidental City", by Maimouna Jallow, shows an eclectic group that gathers online for an anger management class.
“Nous”, by Alice Diop, is a documentary film that focus on six women who travel on a railway that crosses Paris, including the filmmaker herself. Set on the periphery of Chad’s capital city, the drama film “Lingui”, by Mahamat-Saleh Haroun, follows a mother and her 15-year-old daughter, both condemned by religion and by law for seeking an abortion clinic for the teenager.
A total of 28 feature films will be screened, 15 of which from the official selection of the Festival’s curators Ana Camila Esteves and Beatriz Leal Riesco, to be screened on Cinesesc, and 13 films from the partnership with the French Institute, to be screened on Circuito Spcine as an alternative programming. In addition to including titles from previous editions, the schedule brings back classics such as “Sama Traoré” (Burkina Faso, 1992) and the restored copies of "Caméra d'Afrique" (Tunisia, 1983) and "Mandabi" (Senegal, 1968).
“Brazil African Film Festival returns to movie theaters in grand style to celebrate Brazil’s biggest African film festival”, says Ana Camila, the Festival’s director. “The schedule broadens its reach and relevancy by bringing African filmmakers to Brazil and by promoting the cinematographies of the continent among Brazilian audiences”, she adds.
GUESTS AND SPECIAL SESSIONS
With the support of the French Embassy in Brazil and the São Paulo Goethe-Institut, the Festival brings this year nine international guests, including filmmakers, researchers and curators. In addition to filmmakers Ema Edosio, Aïssa Maïga, Maimouna Jallow, Jenna Bass and Babalwa Baartman, the Cameroonian documentary filmmaker Jean-Marie Teno, one of the most prominent names of the history of African cinemas, will also be presenting his feature film “Afrique, je te plumerai”, which celebrates its 30-year anniversary this year. In São Paulo (Cinusp), Teno will also be part of a conference on the trajectory of the documentary in African cinemas, alongside professors and researchers Alexie Tcheuyap (Cameroon) and Sada Niang (Senegal). In Curitiba, Teno will offer a masterclass on his trajectory as a documentary filmmaker in Africa and will exhibit short films from the Patrimoine-Heritage project, which are the results of the training of young documentary filmmakers under his supervision, in Cameroon.
In partnership with Cinusp, we will promote an entire week of screenings in the University of São Paulo, with two daily sessions from July 11th to 15th. The festival also occupies two spaces from the Circuito Spcine – the projection room Lima Barreto and the Library Roberto Santos – with films from the collection of the Cinémateque Afrique of the French Institute, from July 14th to 20th, in addition to work in collaboration with Cineclube Spcine in several spots of São Paulo. In these spaces, the schedule is free of charges.
The Brazil African Film Festival in São Paulo will promote sessions with debates, roundtables, and conversations with the guest filmmakers about the meanings of the filmmakers’ craft in the African continent and the possibilities of collaboration with Brazil. All these activities will take place in-person and with simultaneous translation.
SHORT FILMS SCHEDULE – in-person and online
The short films schedule of the 2022 Festival edition brings a vast and diverse collection of contemporary African production. Two schedules bring together a selection of recent titles from various African countries, curated by Kariny Martins and Bea Gerolin from Cartografia Filmes, with productions from Senegal, Burkina Faso, Niger, Guinea-Bissau, Egypt, Tunisia, South Africa, and Mali, among other countries.
During other session, 11 short films from the new generation of Angolan filmmakers will be exhibit, with curatorship of the Angolan producer Generation 80, through the Cine Generation Project. Produced during the pandemic, the films show the strength of cinematography production of the country and allow for an overview of what’s coming in the next years.
With the exception of the short films scheduled in partnership with the Cinemateca da França, all of the other short films will be exhibit online through the Sesc Digital platform and will be available for the entire Brazilian territory during the Festival. The event will also offer the course “Olhares femininos nos cinemas africanos” (Female point of views in African cinemas), led by professors Jusciele Oliveira and Morgana Gama. The course will be free of charges and offered online for the entire Brazilian territory.
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The 2022 Brazil African Film Festival is made by Sesc São Paulo from the concept developed by Ana Camila Comunicação & Cultura, in partnership with Cartografia Filmes, Spcine and Cinusp, and cultural support from the French Embassy in Brazil, Cine France, French Institute and Goethe-Institut.
Brazil African Film Festival 2022
Full Programme
Conheça os filmes e as atividades
São Paulo (SP) schedule, from July 6th to 20th:
CineSesc São Paulo (R. Augusta, 2075 - Cerqueira César): from July 6th to 13th
Cinusp (R. do Anfiteatro, 109): from July 11th to 15th
Circuito Spcine: Sala Lima Barreto (CCSP - Rua Vergueiro, 1000) and Sala Roberto Santos (Rua Cisplatina, 505): from July 14th to 20th
Sesc Digital (online short films): sesc.digital
