ABRAHAM- HAILE-BIRU
Colours of the Nile International Film Festival (CNIFF) will take place from 5–9 February 2014 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The East African festival is calling for submissions from across Africa for feature-length and short fiction films, as well as feature-length and short documentaries. The entry deadline is 15 November 2013.
“The inaugural edition of CNIFF that took place in November 2012 was very successful," ” says Abraham Haile Biru, president of CNIFF and an award-winning African cinematographer. "The overwhelmingly positive response of the African film community and audiences encouraged us to host the festival annually instead of biennially as originally planned."
Film curator June Givanni,
who has worked with the British Film Institute, Toronto International Film
Festival and Focus Feature's Africa First, is the new festival director, while
CNIFF's competition section will be
judged by an international jury consisting of African filmmakers and
leading industry professionals.
ANDREW DOSUMU (Last year winner Restless City)
“The theme is Lenses on
Africa’s Renaissance,” says Abraham.
"We want to get the message across that cinema is a powerful medium
for educating, inspiring, promoting peace, and freedom of expression; all vital
for the renaissance of our continent.”
The topic reinforces the theme of the 50th anniversary of the OAU/AU and
affirms the AU’s charter for African Cultural Renaissance.
In out-of-competition
screenings, CNIFF will spotlight South African films in its Africa Special
Section and films from other continents in the World Cinema Corner. Abraham
says, “South Africa offers a good example in setting favourable policy and
framework conditions for the promotion of cinema. More and more films are
coming from South Africa, reaching wider African and international audiences. This
is definitely an experience other African countries can take lessons from to
revamp their film industries.”
