Known for credibility and professionalism of global best practices, the Africa International Film Festival, AFRIFF, presents an A-list of jury members known for their dedication and diverse knowledge of film business in Africa and beyond.
The jurors who will be overseeing about 139 films in the AFRIFF competitive segment include, Pedro Pimenta, the new festival director of Durban International Film Festival (DIFF); Serge-Armand Kouami Noukoue, co-founder and Executive Director of NollywoodWeek Paris; Soheir Abdel Kader, director of the Cairo International Film Festival; Prof. Hyginus Ekwuazi, a Professor of Broadcasting & Film, Department of Theatre Arts, University of Ibadan.
The rest are Asha Lovelace, one of the Caribbean’s most significant voices in the development of film production and lecturer of Film Production and Film Studies at the University of the West Indies; Teddy Mattera a Film and Television Producer in South Africa, CEO of Dungamanzi Films and Carnegie Fellow at Wits University; Dr. Abigail Ogwezzy-Ndisika, an Associate Professor and currently heads the Department of Mass Communication, University of Lagos, Nigeria.
“At AFRIFF, we do not compromise quality. The jury members are some of the best hands that have come out of Africa. Their pedigree is unequal, but most importantly is their passion and dedication to the advancement of the art and business of filmmaking in Africa,” said Ms. Chioma Ude, Founder/CEO of AFRIFF.
Meanwhile, AFRIFF 2015 programme, as announced by the festival’s Artistic Director, Keith Shiri reveals a series of industry sessions, master classes and movie screenings totaling 180 films.
Intended participants have been advised to register at www.afriff.com, as admittance will be for only registered and duly accredited delegates.
The weeklong event will have its sessions at the Silverbird Galleria, Victoria Island, Genesis Duluxe Cinema, Lekki, and City Mall Cinema, Onikan.
A breakdown of the about 180 films in showcase reveals that there are 36 feature length films, 25 Panorama, 27 documentary films, 58 short films, 17 Student ‘Shorts’, and 13 animation films.
Full Profile of Jurors
PEDRO PIMENTA
Mr. Pedro Pimanta, the new festival director of Durban International Film Festival (DIFF) started his film career with the National Film Institute of Mozambique in 1977. Since then, he has produced, co-produced or line produced numerous short fiction, documentaries and feature films in his country as well as in other African countries such as Angola, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia and South Africa. He is a co-founder of Ebano Multimedia Lda., leading independent production company in Mozambique. He is the founder and Director of DOCKANEMA, a documentary film festival in Mozambique and consults with the National Audiovisual and Film Institute (INAC).
SERGE-ARMAND KOUAMI NOUKOUE
Serge is the co-founder and Executive Director of NollywoodWeek Paris, a Nigerian film festival that showcases the best of Nollywood around the world and currently takes place annually in Paris. Serge is also a columnist for Le Monde Afrique, a major publication in France and in Francophone Africa. He was born in France to Beninois parents and spent most of his childhood traveling to and living in various countries throughout West and Central Africa. He holds a Masters in Cultural Projects Management and has worked in the media arena in France, Brazil, South Africa and Ivory Coast. Trilingual in English, French and Portuguese, Serge is very versatile and has experience leading acquisitions of film & TV content and organizing various types of workshops and conferences dealing with the African media landscape.
SOHEIR ABDEL KADER
Soheir Abdelkader is a director of the Cairo International Film Festival and has worked in Arab and African cinema, strategizing Cairo International Film Festival and Children Festivals, including building the local, regional, and international communication and relations network to maintain its success and sustainability for more than twenty five years.
She has served as President of Jury, Moscow International Film Festival for Children, on the Jury of several festivals such as San Francisco Film Festival (USA), Isfahan Film Festival (IRAN), Sousse Film Festival (TUNISIA)Lucas International Film Festival for Children (GERMANY) nd has been a regular guest at the official opening ceremony of Cannes Film Festival since1987.
PROF. HYGINUS EKWUAZI
Hyginus EKWUAZI, PhD; is a Professor of Broadcasting & Film, Department of Theatre Arts, University of Ibadan, Nigeria. An Adjunct Professor, School of Media & Communication, Pan Atlantic University, Lagos. Founding Director, National Film Institute (NFI), Jos; and former Director General of Nigeria Film Corporation (NFC).
He has taught courses at both the undergraduate and postgraduate levels: film/TV/theatre studies; motion picture scripting & production; radio production; photojournalism; broadcast programme design & management; and broadcast economics & management. Consultant/Chairman; Committee on National Film Policy for Nigeria; Multi-Media Consultant, Commonwealth Heads of State Meeting, Abuja, Nigeria [2003]; Member of the African film Academy and Jury member of the African Movie Academy Awards (AMAA.
ASHA LOVELACE
is a one of the Caribbean’s most significant voices in the development of film production and has been lecturing in Film Production and Film Studies at the University of the West Indies for the past three years and is also the founder of The Young Cinema Society (YCS), a film club engaging and exposing global cinema to primary school children.
She was a member of the Jury for Diaspora Films at the 23rd Edition of the renowned FESPACO film festival in Burkina Faso. Asha also attended the 9th Congress of Pan African Federation of Filmmakers (FEPACI) in South Africa, where she currently holds the position of Secretary General for the Caribbean Diaspora for FEPACI.
TEDDY MATTERA
Teddy Mattera is a Film and Television Producer in South Africa, a Carnegie Fellow at Wits University and currently has his own production company, Dungamanzi Films. His filmography includes his debut feature film Max and Mona (2005) is an acclaimed creation which he wrote and directed amongst many other short films and television productions.
He has just completed one of South Africa’s most memorable and expensive music videos to date for Ms. Simphiwe Dana’s ‘Bantu Biko Street’ and is getting ready to film his next feature film with DV8 films.
DR ABIGAIL OGWEZZY-NDISIKA
Dr. Abigail Ogwezzy-Ndisika is an Associate Professor and currently heads the Department of Mass Communication, University of Lagos, Nigeria. She has industry experience in broadcasting, public relations and advertising; and consults for various multilateral and bilateral agencies, management consulting firms and various ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) of the Nigerian government. She was a member of the editorial board of a national newspaper; member, panel of judges for the 9th OAAN Poster Awards and Wole Soyinka Award for Investigative Reporting Award (WSIRA), 2008, 2012 and2015 editions;panellist, African Media Barometer-Nigeria 2011; reviewer of several technical documents; discussant and panellists at various fora; and produced several development documentaries.
She is a recipient of ELF Petroleum Coy Ltd and British Chevening scholarships; laureate of the Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA), laureate of the African Association of Political Science, (AAPS)/Harry Frank Guggenheim (HFG).
