African films to be showcased at Dubai Film Festival

The programme will allow audiences to discover new cinematic voices, and some of the most celebrated contemporary filmmakers, from the two diverse regions offering tales of hardship, love, and the struggle for freedom.

Director of the AsiaAfrica programme, Nashen Moodley said: "The films selected for this year's AsiaAfrica programme will enthrall audiences with their gripping storylines, brave and poignant themes, and moving performances. This segment is about providing access to a truly global box office, uniting DIFF audiences with film lovers around the world in their experience of these wonderful stories."

African films

Thandie Newton ('Crash') and Chiwetel Ejiofor ('12 Years a Slave') shine in a lavish screen adaptation by Biyi Bandele of the Orange Prize-winning novel 'Half of a Yellow Sun' by Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. The story spans a generation of Nigerian history through the tumultuous late 1960s, when the country fell into civil war. Through the historical looking glass, two fiercely intelligent sisters battle for love and independence in a patriarchal society in the throes of ethnic strife.

The disturbing 'Of Good Report' is a neo-noir from South African director Jahmil XT Qubeka, depicting the dark side of a rural township where an unassuming teacher arrives at the local school. Despite his excellent references and innocent demeanour, he promptly starts an affair with one of his students, which leads to horrendous consequences. The film was banned, and then unbanned, by the South African censor board earlier this year.

For more, go to www.dubaifilmfest.com.