By Wilson Morales
The 26th New York African Film Festival(NYAFF) kicks off at BAM Film on Thursday, May 23, and runs through Monday, May 27, as a part of BAM’s popular dance and music festival.
The popular festival includes 68 films of multiple genres from 31 countries across the diaspora, and is presented by FLC and African Film Festival, Inc. (AFF).
Continue reading “The 26th New York African Film Festival opens at Lincoln Center May 30 – June 4”
By saanchi kaushik
The highly anticipated “Coming to America” sequel is well underway. Moreover, It seems as the original film’s leading man, Eddie Murphy, has seriously taken Akon’s suggestions. This to cast authentic African natives in the movie to heart. Continue reading “Ghanaian-American, Micheal Blankson, may get role in Eddie Murphy’s ‘Coming to America’ Sequel?”
Egyptian-American Oscar winner, Rami Malek, has hinted he would appear as a villain in the latest James Bond film starring Daniel Craig, alongside a cast including Ralph Fiennes and Lea Seydoux.
Rami Malek, who won the Oscar for his performance as Freddie Mercury in “Bohemian Rhapsody”, said in a video message: “I promise you all I will be making sure Mr Bond does not have an easy ride in this”.
By Joseph Longo
Rafiki, based on the Ugandan short story “Jambula Tree” by Monica Arac de Nyeko, follows a Kenyan Romeo and Juliet romance between the daughters of rival politicians. Kena (Mugatsia) and Ziki (Sheila Munyiva) explore first-time love in a country where being gay is illegal. Doused with saturated colors and tender performances, Rafiki is a rarity in queer cinema with a bright and hopeful tone.
By Angy Essam
Famed Egyptian/American actor Sayed Badreya is currently shooting his role in “Vanguard” movie alongside the megastar Jackie Chan.
Badreya told Egypt Today that ‘’Vanguard’’ will be a massive global production.
Continue reading “Egyptian star Badreya to co-star with Jackie Chan in “Vanguard””
By Chantilly Post
Coming To America 2 is in the works and Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall have already begun their fittings for the anticipated film. While fans are looking forward to the resurgence of McDowell’s, Akon included, the “Right Now” music maker advises the lead actors to make sure they cast real African stars.
In his feature film debut The Burial of Kojo, Blitz Bazawule tells a story of two brothers through the gaze of a gifted girl who travels between gorgeous lands that exist in life and death.
It’s not your ordinary narrative film, but a cinematic fable that is surreal, magical and infused with Afrofuturistic elements. Yes, it is complex and yes, it will probably make your brain bleed with its visual prowess, but Bazawule isn’t here to give you normal. He’s here to change the game while rattling your senses with a dose of global and inclusive storytelling. As Bazawule said, “Nobody cares about normal, right?”
By Glenn Kenny
When musicians turn to film directing, it doesn’t always work out. Ask anyone who’s seen Bob Dylan’s nearly-five-hour musical romance “Renaldo and Clara” (although that oddity does have its wary admirers).
But it more than works out with “The Burial of Kojo,” written, directed and scored by Blitz Bazawule, a Ghana-born musician now based in New York who traveled back to his birth country to make this dazzling modern fable.
Kris Mokwunye, 25, is a Nigerian filmmaker, content creator and a lover of creative works generally. All his life, from secondary school to university education, he has been doing creative works.
An award-winning short filmmaker, his showbiz career started with organising an event, Chill with a Star, before branching into filmmaking, which saw him garlanded at the Abuja International Film Festival in 2017.
So far, he has done and directed eight short films, for himself and for others.
Continue reading “Kris Mokwunye takes Nigerian short films to America”
By Ernest Bazanye
Ms Lupita Nyong’o pleased news magazines when she announced that she is in works to produce a TV miniseries based on Americanah, the award-winning bestselling novel from Chimamanda Ngozie Adichie.
This news, from the star of Us, has made Africa ecstatic. If you feel left out, here is the simple explanation.
Continue reading “Why is Lupita Nyong’o making Chimamanda’s Americanah?”
On April 1st 2019, The Official Convention of The National Association of Theatre Owners (NATO), CinemaCon recognized the Nigerian movie industry with the Emerging Market Award at Ceasar’s Palace, Las Vegas, U.S.A.
The award was presented to CEO of The Filmhouse Group, Kene Okwuosa and MD, FilmOne Production and Distribution, Moses Babatope.
Continue reading “CinemaCon celebrates Nigerian cinema with the Emerging Market Award in Las Vegas”
Kenyan Lupita Nyong’o has said the Horror film Us took an emotional toll on her and it was exhausting as she had to play different versions of the same character
“This movie stretched me, it bent me, it cost me a whole lot,” she told the BBC’s Radio 1Xtra. Us is a horror film written and directed by Oscar-winner Jordan Peele – the man behind Get Out.
Continue reading “Lupita Nyong’o: Horror film Us took an emotional toll on me”
Global streaming giant Netflix has appointed Kenyan award-winning TV producer and Spielworks Media chief executive Dorothy Ghettuba as its manager for International Originals.
The move comes after global streaming giant Netflix announced last year that it would commission original shows from Africa by 2019.
This could increase demand for the platform among viewers from the region and eventually reduce the cost of access.
“Telling our African stories. Onwards and Upwards,” said Ms Ghettuba in an Instagram post announcing her appointment.
Continue reading “Netflix appoints Kenyan as manager International Originals”
Award-winning U.S. actress Viola Davis is set to produce an adaptation of Octavia Butler’s science fiction novel, Wild Seed, which the script is set to be written by Nigerian-American author Nnedi Okorafor and Kenyan filmmaker Wanuri Kahiu.
Continue reading “Okorafor, Kahiu to work on movie based on U.S. author Octavia Butler’s book”
By Margaetta wa Gacheru
The team was offering aspiring young filmmakers a chance to take an online documentary film-making course run by Atlanta-based filmmakers Bud Simpson and James Martin. Kenyans selected for the course would then take part in making a film short or two that highlighted elements of contemporary Kenyan culture.
“More than 300 Kenyans applied to take the course,” says Evie Maina, the former anchorwoman of local TV shows like KBC’s Art-itude and Arts and Culture as well as KTN’s Artistic Thursday.
Continue reading “US Online course jumpstarts Kenyan film-making”