The spotlight is shining on African cinema at the ongoing Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival in France. This year’s edition of the festival, which kicked off on January 31 and runs until February 8, features a special focus on African cinema, with its African Perspectives section. The section includes two programmes of short films, A1 and A2.
Among the African films showing at the Festival includes the Kenyan movie, We Shall Not Forget by Brian Obra in the A1 section. The film tells the story of youths taking into the street to fight the government’s anti-youth financial bill. It also includes Alazar by Beza Hailu Lemma, also joins the A1 section. Alazar is a collaboration between Ethiopia, Canada, and France. It tells the story of a farming community being disrupted by a prominent family’s disappearance from his grave.
Other films in the A1 section include Is It War? by Timeea Mohamed Ahmed from Sudan; Time to Change by Pocas Pascoal from Angola, and Portugal; Breastmilk by Ifeyinwa Arinze from Nigeria, USA; and Who’s a Good Boy by Bennie Fourie from South Africa.
In the A2 section, Algerian and France collaboration film Deadlock by Mahdi Boucif and Lucien Beucher leads the selections. The film tells the story of Sifou and Mahrez, two childhood friends who grew up in Sidi Lekbir, Algiers, and both have an older brother who fled to Europe. South African film, Fleas by Jordy Sank also joins the selections. The film tells the story of a young Zimbabwean boy living in a South African township, anxiously awaiting his mother’s return from work at nightfall.
The A2 selected films includes I Told You So by Malak AlSayyad and Amaan Stewart from Egypt, USA; Black Tide by Kim Yip Tong from Mauritius, France, Reunion Island; Punter by Jason Adam Maselle from South Africa, USA; and On the Edge by Sahar El Echi from Tunisia.
Here are the African films showcasing at the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival
A1 Section
1. We Shall Not Forget by Brian Obra (Kenya)
2. Alazar by Beza Hailu Lemma (Ethiopia, Canada, France)
3. Is It War? by Timeea Mohamed Ahmed (Sudan)
4. Time to Change” by Pocas Pascoal (Angola, Portugal)
5. Breastmilk by Ifeyinwa Arinze (Nigeria, USA)
6. Who’s a Good Boy by Bennie Fourie (South Africa)
A2 Section
1. Deadlock by Mahdi Boucif and Lucien Beucher (Algeria, France)
2. Fleas by Jordy Sank (South Africa)
3. I Told You So by Malak AlSayyad and Amaan Stewart (Egypt, USA)
4. Black Tide by Kim Yip Tong (Mauritius, France, Reunion Island)
5. Punter by Jason Adam Maselle (South Africa, USA)
6. On the Edge by Sahar El Echi (Tunisia)
