Award winning short film Aissa’s Story alongside 4 Afrinolly shorts (Timothy, Henna, Once, The Dutiful Wife) will screen at this year’s Durban International Film Festival. Directed by American based Nigerian, Iquo Essien, Aissa’s Story won the Best Student Short at the 2014 Africa International Film Festival. It also screened earlier at the 2015 Pan African Film Festival (FESPACO). Aissa’s Story follows the story of Aissatou Bah. After telling a lie to be granted asylum in US, she is met with distrust when she reports the sexual assault by a wealthy guest at the hotel where she works. The film is inspired by the infamous case of the former IMF Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn. Aissa’s Story will screen on 19 July at Suncoast 8 and on 26 July at Elangeni.
The four Afrinolly shorts are part of the Afrinolly Cinema4Change project which was done in partnership with Ford Foundation. A total of seven films were produced with a grant from Ford Foundation. In addition, a series of capacity building workshops and training were organised for the filmmakers who worked on the films. All the films are aimed at bringing about social change. Drug abuse is the subject Ejiro Onobrakpor’s Timothy while Ishaya Bako’s Henna shines a light on child marriage. Once by Jay-Franklyn Jituboh explores ethnic and cultural issues through the eyes of children while impotency is the subject of Soji Ogunaike’s The Dutiful Wife. Festival goers will be able to watch all four films on 20 July at Dennis Hurley, 23 July at Elangeni, 25 July at KZNSA Gallery and 26 July at Suncoast 6.
Two Nigerian features, Flower Girl and 30 Days in Atlanta will also premiere at the festival. Click here for dates.
For more information about Durban International Film Festival, click here.