The Africa Institute, in collaboration with the June Givanni Pan African Cinema Archive, present a film program titled Decolonizing African Cinema: A History. Launching October 21, this program seeks to situate influential works of African cinema in relation to contemporary films, and highlight the trends and developments that have defined the critical conversations and debates around this cinema.

 

Decolonizing African Cinema: A History will examine the influences that have shaped the foundations of African ideas about cinema. By positioning these perspectives in a broader context, the program discusses how various interventions have been informed throughout history. Presenting a curated selection of films and critical perspectives–which echo across contemporary debates on filmmaking throughout Africa and the African diaspora– the program will explore the impact of the past on present-day African cinema, with its various intersections, continuities and discontinuities.

 

Structured over four webinar symposiums, each session will focus on a theme to be explored by expert discussants. Each symposium will be accompanied by a complimentary set of films for both essential and recommended viewing. The theme of each symposium provides a framework for the discussions and creates a dialogue around the foundations of African cinema, and its significance for contemporary and on-going debates.

 

The symposiums are open to the public, and will be of particular interest to students of African cinema. Both The Africa Institute and the June Givanni Pan African Cinema Archive acknowledge the lack of knowledge and resources for the study of African cinema in Africa, and hope this program serves as an accessible contribution to the field. There is also a recognized need for a reframing of contemporary debates, inviting and encouraging new perspectives that prioritize issues pertinent to the African cultural economy and its future.

 

Read more about the event here

 

You Hide Me:  50 Years On – Webinar Series 

ACTIONS GOING FORWARD

This event will draw together the outcomes from the Webinars organised by the June Givanni Pan African Cinema Archive and partners – SOAS University of London; AFFORD, and the Africa Centre, to celebrate 50 years since the film You Hide Me was made by Nii Kwate Owoo in London in 1970. This event will reflect on and digest the main points and propositions around the restitution of African Art to emerge in the webinars, and to present some of the ideas for action going forward.
 

 

Panellists will include:

The three Moderators of the Webinars in this series:

• Imruh Bakari (Filmmaker, writer and Lecturer in Film Studies University of Winchester)
• Jihan El Tahri (Multi-award-winning film director, writer, visual artist and producer)
• Uzoamaka Madu (Strategic Communications Consultant)

 

And 3 senior partner representatives:

• Lindiwe Dovey of SOAS University of London, Professor of Film and Screen Studies and Principal Investigator African Screen Worlds
• Onyekachi Wambu Chief Executive, AFFORD (African Foundation for Development)
• Belvin Tawuya Head of Marketing and Communications, The Africa Centre

 

Other Commentators will include:

• Nii Kwate Owoo. Director, You Hide Me, and a number of other films

 

Tickets on Eventbrite

 

 

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With Art Fund Support:

  

You Hide Me: 50 Years On Webinar Series

In 1970 Ghanaian filmmaker Kwate Nii Owoo managed to enter the British Museum to make this short film about the valuable African artefacts held there.  His film is held in the June Givanni Pan African Cinema Archive (JGPACA), and together with partners the Africa Centre, SOAS University and AFFORD we bring you a series of Webinar’s in celebration of the 50th anniversary of that film and its prevailing argument for the restitution of African Art.  Panels will feature UK and international curators, filmmakers, artists, writers, cultural activists, museum professionals and academics, including the filmmaker himself.

Watch the film on Vimeo

 

 

JGPACA & SOAS UNIVERSITY OF LONDON

Restitution and the curating and teaching of African Art

Date 7 October 2020, 5pm

• Imruh Bakari – Chair (Filmmaker, writer and Senior Lecturer in Film Studies University of Winchester)
• Didi Cheeka (filmmaker, Curator and archivist)
• Awa Konate (writer, Curator, Founder of Culture Art Society (CAS)
• Errol Francis (CEO, Culture& Org)
• Dr Polly Savage, Lecturer in Art History of Africa, SOAS
• Prof Kofi Opoku Asare (Institute of African Studies (IAS), University of Ghana)
• Kwate Nii Owoo (filmmaker – You Hide Me, Founder of Media Research Unit, (IAS), University of Ghana)

 

Tickets on Eventbrite

 

 

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JGPACA & AFFORD

Restitution of African Art and the Moving Image

Date 20 October 2020, 3pm

• Jihan El-Tahari – (Chair multi- award-winning film director, writer, visual artist and producer)
• Didi Cheeka (filmmaker, curator rand archivist)
• Onyeka Igwe (Visual and moving Image artist)
• Onyekachi Wambu (Executive Director of Afford)
• Kwate Nii Owoo (Filmmaker – You Hide Me)

 

Tickets on Eventbrite

 

 

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JGPACA & Africa Centre

Restitution: Africans involvement in deciding the future of part of their heritage and the role The Africa Centre can play in that process?

Date: 29 October 2020, 4:30pm

• Uzoamaka Madu (Strategic Communications Consultant)
• J C Niala (writer with a background in Anthropology:  at the Horniman Museum described as:  African Collections Researcher and is coordinating the project Rethinking Relationships and Building Trust Around African Collections)
• Sani Sani (Artist)
• Michael Adeyemi (filmmaker)
• Prof Yaw Owusu Frimpong (director School of Communication, Univ of Ghana)
• Kwate Nii Owoo (filmmaker – You Hide Me, Founder of Media Research Unit, (IAS), University of Ghana)

 

Tickets on Eventbrite

 

 

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JGPACA/MDR

(Invitation only) Roundtable drawing together key outcomes from the Webinars & the production of a series of podcasts resulting from the series.

10 November 2020

 

 

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With Art Fund Support: