African Film Festival 2013

1/23/13 to 2/5/13

The 2013 edition of our annual African Film Festival provides a striking opportunity to learn about Africa and the African diaspora through recent films from Egypt, the Republic of Congo, Mali, Kenya, Sudan, Morocco, Haiti, and South Africa. Whether through documentary, animation, or narrative forms, these films open a window on everyday lives and the histories of these varied countries.

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  • Upcoming
    Films
  • Upcoming
    Events
  • Selected
    Objects
  • Past
    Films
  • Past
    Events

Past Films

  • Microphone

    Wednesday, January 23 7 pm
    Ahmad Abdalla (Egypt, 2010). This kinetic, colorful modern-day city symphony follows a young Egyptian who discovers a vibrant underground culture of skateboarders, hip-hop musicians, and graffiti artists. “Highly radical in the context of contempo Egyptian and Arabic cinema” (Robert Koehler). With a magical short, The Journey of Stones (Seydou Cissé, Mali, 2012). (131 mins)
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  • Black Africa, White Marble

    Sunday, January 27 3 pm
    Clemente Bicocchi (U.S./Republic of Congo/Italy, 2011). The story, told with archival materials and animation, of Italian-born Pietro Savorgnan di Brazzà, who explored Central Africa beginning in the 1870s, erupts into the present. “A family story with operatic twists and turns” (New York Daily News). With the haunting short Tomo (Bakary Diallo, Mali, 2012). (93 mins)
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  • Monica Wangu Wamwere: The Unbroken Spirit

    Tuesday, January 29 7 pm
    Jane Murago Munene (Kenya, 2011). Monica Wangu Wamwere, the mother of a detained human rights activist, and her unceasing search for justice in Kenya are movingly detailed in this spirited documentary portrait. With an animated short about a Nigerian asylum seeker, Lack of Evidence (Hayoun Kwon, France, 2011). (80 mins)
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  • How to Steal 2 Million

    Saturday, February 2 8:20 pm
    Charlie Vundla (South Africa, 2011). This stylish updating of the crime drama genre, set in the “jungle” of Johannesburg, tracks an ex-con suckered into one last heist, with inevitable results. “A slow-burn heist movie that resonates with strong performances and classic noir ambience” (Seattle Film Festival). (89 mins)
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  • Our Beloved Sudan

    Sunday, February 3 2:30 pm
    Taghreed Elsanhouri (Sudan, 2011). The complex history of Sudan, from its establishment in 1956 to its partition in 2011, is detailed through interviews, rare archival footage, and the personal experiences of one mixed-race family. “An eye-opening account of an issue that hasn't received nearly enough international attention”(Rolling Stone). With short Farewell Exile (Lamia Alami, Morocco, 2011). (107 mins)
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  • Broken Stones

    Tuesday, February 5 7 pm
    Guetty Felin (Haiti/France/U.S., 2012). Guetty Felin in person. Broken Stones observes everyday life as it resumes after the Haitian earthquake of 2010, amid the ruins of the once beautiful and grand cathedral, affectionately called Notre Dame de Port-au-Prince. Preceded by Africa Shafted: Under One Roof, a portrait of the residents of Johannesburg's tallest building (Ingrid Martens, South Africa, 2011). (117 mins)
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