Category: Fictional section

Synopsis

It’s dawn in the capital of Mozambique. Young people are leaving the nightclubs. In the backyards, women are starting their day. A man is running, a woman is coming back from a trip, a tourist is walking, a worker is taking public transport, and Maputo Nakuzandza radio announces the disappearance of a bride.

Biofilmography

Ariadine Zampaulo holds a bachelor’s degree in Cinema and Audiovisual from Universidade Federal Fluminense. In 2020, she qualified in Directing by the course “Cinema and Thought : Black Narratives”, from Centro Afrocarioca de Cinema Zózimo Bulbul. In 2017 and 2018 she studied and researched local cinema history and practice. During this period, she also curated Brazilian films at the 9th edition of KUGOMA – Fórum de Cinema Moçambique, edited the documentary Nenha (2018) and directed her first film, “Maputo Nakuzandza”.

Synopsis

In the Gardens of Carthage, a district of Tunis initiated by the former Regime which construction stopped at the beginning of the Revolution, two cops, Fatma and Batal, find a burnt body in one of the lots. As construction slowly resumes, they start looking into this mysterious case. When the event repeats itself, the investigation takes a puzzling turn.

Biofilmography

Youssef Chebbi was born in Tunisia in 1984. After studying art, he directed two short films, “Vers le Nord” and “Les Profondeurs” selected in several international festivals. In 2012 he codirected a documentary “Babylon” which won the Jury Prize at the FID of Marseille and was presented at MoMA. “Ashkal” is his first feature.

Synopsis

A French woman of African descent manages to escape after being arrested in the Dominican Republic. She finds shelter in the most dangerous district of Santo Domingo, where she is taken in by a group of children living on their own. By becoming their protégée and maternal figure, she will see her destiny change inexorably.  

Biofilmography

Born and raised in Santo Domingo, Ivan Herrera is a Dominican director, producer, and screenwriter. Passionate about photography, it is by observing the world through the lens of his camera that he finds inspiration and interprets humanity. His short film “La Pasión Original” received the Jury Prize at TIFFxInstagram Shorts Festival in 2016. He also made “Pueto Pa’ Mi” (2015) and “El Ave Del Paraíso” (2012).

Synopsis

In Iyi village, villagers worship the mermaid deity Mami Wata and turn to their healer Mama Efe, the intermediary between them and Mami Wata, as well as Mama Efe’s daughter, Zinwe, and her protégé, Prisca. When the children begin to die and disappear, Jabi, a local resident, casts doubt on the population, while Zinwe flees, driven by her own anguish. Soon, the arrival of a rebellious warlord, Jasper, tips the scales in Jabi’s favor. Mama Efe is murdered and Jasper takes the opportunity to take control of the village, while Prisca and Zinwe must plot to save Iyi and restore Mami Wata’s glory.

Biofilmography

C.J. Obasi has directed features and shorts such as Ojuju (2014), Hello, Rain (2018), Juju Stories (2021), featuring in over 80 film festivals, including Gothenburg, BFI London, Fantasia, Oberhausen and Locarno. In 2016, Obasi and co-directors, Abba Makama and Michael Omonua founded a cinema collective called Surreal16 to challenge the Nollywood status-quo by creating boundary-pushing surreal genre films. Mami Wata is his latest project.

Synopsis

The experienced old truck driver “Abu Saddam” gets a transportation mission on the North Coast Road after he stopped working for years. He decides that he wants to complete his mission perfectly to complement his working reputation, but he faces a small situation on the road, and this get out of control…

Biofilmography

Nadine Khan earned her BA in film directing from the Egyptian Higher Film Institute in 2001. Since then, she has directed several fiction films, commercials, TV series and music videos. Her debut feature film “Chaos/Disorder/Harag w’Marag” won the Jury Prize at the Dubai International Film Festival (2012), and the Best Film award at the Oran Film Festival, Algeria. Khan’s sophomore film Abu Saddam (2021) has been premiered at the 43rd Cairo International Film Festival winning best actor award (Mohamed Mamdouh).

Synopsis

In a West African plantation in the 60s, a young determined girl must battle family and society to preserve her late father’s legacy, a colonial plantation, amidst disagreements, betrayal and secrets. A musical comedy drama, an allegory of Neo-colonization.

Biofilmography

Young Eystein Dingha is a 30-year-old enthusiastic filmmaker from Cameroon. He has written and directed short films Chicha (2016), Massa doctor (2017), Kalamba (2017), The Kaffi (2016) (docu-drama), Mbutuku (2019), Revenir (2020) which screened in festivals like African International film Festival, Slum Film Festival and Lake International Pan-African Film Festival. His documentary Clando has screened on Arte France and Germany.