Amsterdam – September 7th – 16th
Locations: Filmhuis Rialto, Club Bitterzoet, Podium Mozaïek, Imagine IC free open air cinema throughout Amsterdam.
Parallel programme
Rotterdam, The Hague, Eindhoven, Nijmegen & Den Bosch.

African Film is experiencing a transformation! Africa in the Picture – the annual platform in Europe for African cinema and African Diaspora cinema (North and South America, Europe, Surinam, the Caribbean) demonstrates these developments in over 80 films. The varied programme contains feature films and shorts, documentaries and animation films at no less than 17 different locations! The film makers reveal a remarkable commonality in their resistance against traditional Western perspectives and cinematographic narratives. Searching for authentic imagery, they show a modern Africa, their own Africa and their own Diaspora: Reframing Tradition!

Opening
Africa in the Picture is open to all and will thus once again kick off in the open air. This time Oud-Zuid will host the opening, featuring the Senegalese film ‘Wrestling Grounds’ (‘L’appel des Arènes’), in presence of its director Cheikh N’Diaye.
Thursday, September 7th, 8.30 PM, Marie Heinekenplein, Amsterdam. Entry: free of charge

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE MOTHERLAND presents the very best of African cinema. The selection is made up of: the first Nigerian 35 mm film ‘Amazing Grace’ van Jeta Amata), ‘Africa Paradise’ by Sylvestre Amoussou, the banned Senegalese film ‘And If Latif Were Right’ (‘Et si Latif avait Raison’) by Joseph Ramaka. Film makers will all be present!

AFRICAN DIASPORA contains films from Europe and the Americas which deal identity and the colonial past. Selected films are: ‘The Twelve Disciples of Nelson Mandela’ by Thomas Allen Harris about twelve ANC activists who were forced to leave south Africa, and the “coming of age” film by ‘Cherps’ by Kolton Lee, about the hilarious struggles of black men with their identities. Directors present!

Homosexuality is still taboo in many African and African Diaspora communities. The GAY AFRICA selection features films depicting the lives and struggles of brave African gays and lesbians. Examples are: ‘Destiny’ by Mohamed Camara, the Guinean film that disappeared right after its release and resurfaced only recently, and the South African short ‘Rape for who I Am’ by Lovinsa Kavuma, about the reality of brutal rape south African lesbians face on a daily bases.

MAGHREB IN THE PICTURE, contains controversial films and documentaries from Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Egypt. This time, double focus is set on ‘battling women’, in films like ‘Hamlet of Women’ (‘Douar de Femmes’) by Mohamed Chouikh, en French Beur cinema such as ‘Beur, Blanc, Rouge’ (Mahmoud Zemmouri), ‘Bab El Web’ by Merzak Allouache and the Dutch première of ‘Indigènes’ (the entire male cast was given the ‘Best Actor’ award at Cannes 2006) by Rachid Bouchereb. Saturday, September 9th, 7.30 PM, Rialto, Amsterdam.

This year, special focus will be on three subjects:
CONGO TRIPPIN’, Congolese films depict the hope, vitality, and innovation of a war torn nation that saw its first democratic elections in over 40 years this past July. With ‘A Love during the War’/‘Un amour pendant la guerre’ (Oswalde Lewat-Hallade), ‘A Bewitched Life’ (‘Sorcière la vie’) by Monique Mbeka Phoba, and ‘Congo River’ van Thierry Michel. Also, the docu-drama ‘Raising the Flag’ by the Congolese film maker Petna Ndaliko Katondolo will see its world premiere at the festival.

AFRICANIMATED!, depicts Africa’s wealth of animation cinema. This special focus shows the extraordinary harvest of fresh new talent. Featuring: ‘The legend of Black Tom’ van Deron Albright, an unusual combination of text and live-action animation

FUNKY LINE UP! Offers films about musical cross pollination between Africa, the Caribbean and the West. The slave trade’s descendants sang their cheerful melodies and feisty lyrics of protest with a special sense of humour, while sending out into the world their message of pain, beauty and social displeasure. Thanks to them, today’s music will never be the same. Featuring artists such as: Mighty Sparrow in ‘Calypso@dirty Jim’s’, the Neville Brothers in ‘Make it Funky’, Congolese Jupiter featuring his Okwase band in ‘Le Danse le Jupiter’ and the Cuban Hip Hop collective Fabrik-K.
Saturday, September 9th to Sunday, September 16th, Club Bitterzoet, Amsterdam

Debates
Africa in the Picture will host several debates about traditional Global and multi-cultural issues from current affairs. Together with Baobabconnections.org, a unique interactive live debate with Congo is organised via satellite connection, called ‘Congo Trippin’; in ‘Getting out of the Banlieues’ Patricia Pisters (professor of film sciences at UvA) will lead a discussion about French Beur cinema; and of course the main theme debate ‘Reframing Tradition’, an in-depth discussion of the cinematographic perspective of a new generation of African (Diaspora) film makers.
‘Reframing Tradition’, Monday, September 11th, 5 PM, Rialto, Amsterdam
‘Congo Trippin’, Friday, September 15th, 8-10 PM, Bitterzoet. Amsterdam
‘Getting out of the Banlieues’, Saturday, September 9th, 5 PM, Rialto, Amsterdam

September 13th, Rialto film theatre will host a special theme day al about Women, with various films about women’s themes. And…if you bring your mother, she gets in free of charge!
The occasion is the premiere of ‘Hey mam vertel es’ / ‘So mom... do tell’ (Anna Spohr) the film will also be the kick off of a tour around Hamams (Turkish baths) and community centres around the Netherlands.
Africa in the Picture and AllAboutUs FilmFactory welcome all mothers and daughters, veiled or unveiled, to join in for the premiere of ‘Hey mam vertel es’ and the subsequent party: ‘An ode to the mother’.
Wednesday, September 13th, 5-10 PM, Podium Mozaïek, Amsterdam

Open Air Cinema Amsterdam, 9 PM (unless otherwise specified)
Thu Sept 7th, Wrestling Grounds, Oud-Zuid, Marie Heinekenplein
Fri Sept 8th, On the Verge of a Fever, Westerpark, Ketelhuis
Sat Sept 9th, Le Grand Voyage, Geuzenveld-Slotermeer, West Beach Filmfestival, Sloterparkbad
Sat Sept 9th, Marock, Oost-Watergraafsmeer, Steve Bikoplein
Sat Sept 9th, 10 PM How to Conquer America in one Night, Centrum, Kleine Wittenburgerstraat (behind Oosterkerk)
Sun Sept 10th, Delwende, Oud-West, Kwakersplein
Wed Sept 13th, Zaïna, Rider of the atlas, Zeeburg, Timorplein, together with Kriterion film theatre
Thu Sept 14th Le Grand Voyage, Slotervaart, August Allebé-plein
Fri Sept 15th, Zaïna, Rider of the atlas, Noord, Florapark
Sun Sept 17th, Marock, Bos en Lommer, Podium Mozaïek