The 2011 edition of the popular African Film Festival features films from eight countries ranging from Ivory Coast to Mali. It moves from the claustrophobic din of one Cape Town flat to the frenetic sprawl of African immigrant culture across Europe, from hair salons in Ghana and Nigeria to an imagined future of an East Africa without water, and even finds time for another visit with the crowd-pleasing, pint-sized animated star Kirikou, back for even more adventures.

This year, the series is complemented by three classics of African cinema from the World Cinema Foundation : Djibril Diop-Mambéty's legendary Touki Bouki (1973), whose African dreamers and hustlers are the cinematic predecessors of those found in Elaine de Latour's raucous Beyond the Ocean; Shadi Abdel Salamâ's Al Momia (1969), acclaimed as one of the greatest Egyptian films of all time; and Trances (1981), with extraordinary footage of the Moroccan music group Nass El Ghiwane.

New or classic, documentary or narrative, the films of the African Film Festival spotlight the changes, moods, and conflicts of a continent then, as now, in flux. While challenging and expanding our image of Africa, they also confirm the importance of self-representation.

Jason Sanders
Film Notes Writer


Thursday, January 27, 2011
7:00 p.m. 
One Small Step
Remi Vaughan-Richards (Nigeria, 2010). One woman turns from hairdresser to fiery community activist in this docu-fictional attack on local corruption in Nigeria. With Akosua Adoma Owusu's short portrait of hair salons in Ghana, Me Broni Ba. (67 mins)

Saturday, January 29, 2011
4:30 p.m. 
Kirikou and the Wild Beasts
Michel Ocelot/Bénédicte Galup (France, 2005). This sequel to the popular Kirikou and the Sorceress finds little Kirikou using his brains and heart to help out his fellow African villagers. Vibrantly colorful animation and a superb soundtrack by Youssou N'Dour and Manu Dibango make Kirikou a fabulous film for all ages. (74 mins)

Thursday, February 3, 2011
7:00 p.m. 
Shirley Adams
Oliver Hermanus (South Africa, 2009). A single mother fights to raise her paraplegic son in the slums of Cape Town in this powerful melodrama from South Africa, winner of the Durban Film Festival's awards for Best South African Film, Best Actress, and Best Debut Film. (92 mins)

Saturday, February 5, 2011
6:30 p.m. 
Beyond the Ocean
Eliane de Latour (France/Ivory Coast, 2008). Two friends from the Ivory Coast try to make it big in Europe-with different results-in this raucous look at the African immigrant underground in Europe. (106 mins)

Thursday, February 17, 2011
7:00 p.m. 
Contemporary African Short Films
These six short films, including three debut projects, variously look back at African history, explore contemporary issues, and imagine a dystopic future. With shorts A History of Independence, Dr. Cruel, Intermittent Delight, Mapping Journey, Atlantique, and Pumzi. (75 mins)



THE AFRICAN FILM FESTIVAL NATIONAL TRAVELING SERIES IS ORGANIZED BY THE AFRICAN FILM FESTIVAL, INC. THIS SERIES HAS BEEN MADE POSSIBLE BY THE GENEROUS SUPPORT OF THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS, THE ANDY WARHOL FOUNDATION FOR THE VISUAL ARTS, NEW YORK STATE COUNCIL ON THE ARTS, LAMBENT FOUNDATION, BRADLEY FAMILY FOUNDATION, AND WEBSIGNIA. SPECIAL THANKS TO MAHEN BONETTI, DIRECTOR, AND TOCCARRA THOMAS, PROGRAM COORDINATOR, AFRICAN FILM FESTIVAL, FOR THEIR ASSISTANCE AND SUPPORT.

THE FESTIVAL AT PFA IS COORDINATED BY KATHY GERITZ, AND COPRESENTED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDIES AND CENTER FOR AFRICAN STUDIES AT UC BERKELEY. PRINTS PROVIDED BY THE AFRICAN FILM FESTIVAL'S NATIONAL TRAVELING SERIES, UNLESS INDICATED OTHERWISE.