Blog
"Da Yie" is Africa in Motion's 2020 Short Film Competition Jury Award Winner
27th November 2020
We are pleased to announce that "Da Yie" (Good Night) has been chosen as this year’s jury award winner of the Africa in Motion Short Film Competition.
On restoring Farida Benlyazid's "Door to the Sky"
27th November 2020
This year, Africa in Motion is presenting a newly restored version of Farida Benlyazid’s Bab Al-Sama Maftuh (Door to the Sky) (1989). The film explores numerous themes such as grief, religion, and community in a journey of self-discovery and female emancipation.
Staff Pick: Luna Issa, Marketing Intern
25th November 2020
Our Lady of the Nile, based on the novel of the same name, tells the story of a group of girls who attend a Belgian-run boarding school in Rwanda. Set in 1973, the story addresses some of the issues which led to the genocide.
Staff Pick: Carmen Thompson, Festival Co-director
23rd November 2020
“We’re at Malika’s place… the gatekeeper of the void. ”
– Chawki Amari (Algerian journalist, writer and actor)
Algerian filmmaker Hassan Ferhani brings us an understated gem in his second feature-length documentary 143 rue du désert (143 Sahara Street).
Staff Pick: Ane Lopez Lopez, Marketing Coordinator
17th November 2020
South African filmmaker, visual artist and film theorist Jyoti Mistry leaves us speechless with her film Cause of Death; a poetic yet painful and visceral experimental autopsy report on how women have been written out of history.
Staff Pick: Liz Chege, Festival Director
13th November 2020
"He goes all the way to the madness of the act of questioning"
-António Tavares
Nuno Miranda and the Negrume Collective's vision Kmêdeus (EatGod) is a spell-binding tapestry blending folktale, collective memory and an inquiry into the notion of legacy.
Interview with Joel Haikali
6th November 2020
Interview with Joel Haikali, director of KaunaPawa (Invisibles), conducted by Ilia Ryzhenko, member of the Short Film Competition Viewing Committee. IR: Before we start, I'd like to say that your film, for me, was one of the most memorable cinematic experiences of this year.
My Experience Volunteering with Africa in Motion
3rd November 2020
By Rebecca Lee, Member of the Short Film Competition Viewing Committee
I first volunteered to be a part of the Africa in Motion Film Festival team all the way back in March of this year.
Staff Pick: Myriam Mouflih, Programme Coordinator
2nd November 2020
J’ai Tante Aimé (I Loved So Much) follows the life of seventy five year old Fadma, who at the age of twenty, was recruited as sex worker by the French Army during the Indochina war.
Interview with Mouaad Al Salem
30th October 2020
Interview with Mouaad Al Salem, director of This Day Won't Last, conducted by Milda Valiulytė, member of the Short Film Competition Viewing Committee.
Interview with Olive Nwosu
28th October 2020
Interview with Olive Nwosu, director of Troublemaker, conducted by Ilia Ryzhenko, member of the Short Film Competition Viewing Committee. IR: Before we start, I would like to say just how much I admired your short film.
Thoughts on Sun and Moon by Amira El Badry
28th October 2020
By Chang Xu, member of the Africa in Motion Short Film Competition Viewing Committee. My name is Chang, I am graduated master’s student from University of Glasgow and a current volunteer for Africa in Motion.
Interview with Shehab Satti
22nd October 2020
Interview with Shehab Satti, director of Serotonin, conducted by Federica Bianco, Postgraduate in Film and Television Studies 2020/2021, University of Glasgow, and member of the Short Film Competition Viewing Committee. FB: First of all, I want to thank you again for allowing me to set up this written interview.
Africa in Motion Announces Finalists for Short Film Competition & Jury
21st October 2020
Africa in Motion Film Festival (AiM) is delighted to announce the shortlist for the annual Short Film Competition. Due to the unique circumstances of this year’s competition, the screenings of the films will be completely free and online for the duration of the festival.
Free Events at Africa in Motion 2020
21st October 2020
This year AiM will be held entirely online and will be available to audiences across the UK. The festival runs 30 October - 29 November, with new films and events taking place each day.
URGENT CALL FOR THE RELEASE OF HAJOOJ KUKA AND THE FOUR ARTISTS IMPRISONED WITH HIM
28th September 2020
To increase awareness of Hajooj Kuka’s wrongful imprisonment and demonstrate the value of artistic and political expression, we at Africa in Motion film festival along with the TANO consoritium of African film festivals in the UK are calling for the immediate release of Kuka and the four other artists who have been jailed...
Notes on Fatma 75 by Tharwa Boulifi
20th July 2020
Girls of my generation grew up with the idea that men and women are perfectly equal, that fundamental rights (access to education, to the labour market, individual freedoms etc…) are natural and evident.
Experience Africa in Motion from home this June
26th May 2020
We may not be able to meet in the cinema at the moment, but Africa in Motion (AiM) Film Festival will continue to bring amazing cinema to our audiences in Scotland, and beyond – at home.
AiM 2019: Meet The Curators
21st October 2019
This year, for the 14th edition of Africa in Motion Film Festival, we have taken a collaborative approach to the curation of our programme.
Staff Pick: Stefanie Van de Peer, Curator
18th October 2019
Battledream Chronicle
This animated feature film from the diaspora is an underappreciated master stroke.
Staff Pick: Myriam Mouflih, Programme Coordinator
14th October 2019
I first saw Mostafa Derkaoui’s ‘De Quelques Evenments Sans Signification’ at Berlinale in February. People crowded into a small cinema to watch the film for the first time.
Staff Pick: Fiona Halliday, Volunteer Coordinator
10th October 2019
I am most excited about the documentary Tchindas, which follows the life of Tchinda and her trans sisters as they prepare for a Carnival. Shot in Mindelo, the island of Sao Vicente, this documentary is a beautiful depiction of a trans inclusive community.
AiM 2019: LIVE
7th October 2019
This year we have a host of unforgettable live events taking place across Edinburgh and Glasgow. From an Afrofuturist dance party to a restored classic with a brand new live score, get ready to experience film from Africa and diaspora like you never have before.
A New Wave of South African Cinema at AiM 2018
25th October 2018
South African film scholar Lizelle Bisschoff reflects on the new wave of South African cinema on offer at AiM 2018
Some have called it a new wave of South African cinema, and whatever you’d like to call it, it is clear that South African cinema has come of age and internationally...
Staff Pick: Wacera Kamonji, Marketing Coordinator
25th October 2018
Supa Modo a Kenyan film by Likarion Wainaina, follows a young girl battling a terminal illness, who finds comfort and strength through a super hero alter ego she creates inspired by the action films that she has watched.
STAFF PICK: NENE CAMARA, PROGRAMMING TRAINEE
25th October 2018
My staff pick for AiM 2018 is Djon Africa, a colourful film that follows Djon, a young endearing rebellious boy caught between the transitional period of teen-hood into adulthood.
An evening of reggae, reflection and Caribbean beats
23rd October 2018
What an amazing phenomenon reggae is; a unique genre of music created in a small island that can now be heard in every corner of the globe.
STAFF PICK: Stefanie, North Africa Programme Co-ordinator
22nd October 2018
AiM has always lived by a pan-African spirit, and includes films from North of the Sahara on its diverse programme every year. Among the recent crop of films by Morocco's star directors, Volubilis really stands out.
STAFF PICK: Justine, Festival Producer
18th October 2018
This year marks the centenary of not one South African icon, but two. The legacy of Nelson Mandela is known all over the world, however this year we are also remembering the ‘mother of the nation’ – Albertina Sisulu.
STAFF PICK: Myriam, Programme Assistant
16th October 2018
I found it so difficult to choose a staff pick as this year’s programme is jam packed with a huge array of amazing films.
Zanzibar International Film Festival (ZIFF) announce new directorship
4th October 2018
We are delighted that one of our partner festivals, the Zanzibar International Film Festival (ZIFF), have appointed new directors for their 22nd edition, influential South African film duo Faith Isiakpere as CEO, and Firdoze Bulbulia as Festival Director.
Africa in Motion 2018 programme launch!
23rd September 2018
Africa in Motion is Scotland’s major annual celebration of African cinema, and is delighted to return for the 13th year to bring audiences in Edinburgh and Glasgow a wide variety of creative stories from across the African continent.
Tentative Thoughts on Metalepsis in Black by Finn Daniels-Yeomans
29th October 2017
Finn Daniels-Yeomans is sharing some tentative thoughts regarding Aryan Kaganof’s difficult yet vital documentary about Fallism in contemporary South Africa, Metalepsis in Black.
STAFF PICK: KATIE, Marketing Volunteer
26th October 2017
This is my second year with Africa in Motion and in this short time I’ve already had the opportunity to experience some fantastic films from across Africa.
ENJOY AiM 2017 ‘FREE FEST’ IN GLASGOW
24th October 2017
Tragically the festival is coming at the end of the month and we can picture you browsing the programme and thinking you will miss on the fun? Don't worry we thought of everything with 16 free events taking place in Glasgow next week!
AFRICA’S LOST CLASSICS
Our symposium on Saturday 28 is...
Get your fill at AiM2017!
23rd October 2017
Discover the diverse tastes of Africa this autumn at Africa in Motion!
This year the festival has a range of exciting food events to enable the people of Scotland to sample unique and exciting flavours from across Africa.
Staff Pick: Myriam, AiM Trainee
23rd October 2017
My pick of the fest is the stunning debut feature of writer and filmmaker Abdellah Taïa. Set in Casablanca, L’Armée du Salut (Salvation Army) tells the story of a young gay Moroccan boy who is teased by his mother and sisters and idolises his older brother.
AiM 2017 INTERVIEW | Women and Film in Tunisia : An Interview with Filmmaker Selma Baccar
17th October 2017
By Hélène Audureau
I had the great opportunity recently to interview the first female film director in Tunisia, Selma Baccar, a few days before the screening of her pioneering movie on female activism in North Africa called FATMA 75.
Staff Pick: Stefanie, Africa's Lost Classics Curator
17th October 2017
I have worked on and off in different positions for AiM since 2007. It was first established in 2006, so I only really missed one year of films. I have loved the festival with all my heart from the start.
AiM 2017 Interview | An Interview with Justin Sihera, Producer
11th October 2017
Justin Sihera is the producer of Vanishing Sails and will be in attendance at the film's Edinburgh screening on Thursday 2 November
How did the idea for the film come about and how long did it take to make?
The director, Alexis Andrews is a commercial photographer based in Antigua for the...
Staff Pick: Justine, Festival Producer
11th October 2017
I’m Justine Atkinson, Festival Producer. I’ve been working for Africa in Motion for the last five years now, and over that time I’ve seen many incredible films from across the African continent. My staff pick for this year is the new documentary-animation hybrid Liyana.
Animated Africa - Stories behind the films
10th October 2017
Some of Disney’s favourite fairy tales were developed from the Grimm brother’s folktales and poems of medieval Europe, while 20th Century Fox brought us Anastasia (1997) based on the story of the legendary lost Russian princess.
AiM 2017 Interview | Restoring Joe Bullet: An Interview with Ben Cowley (Gravel Road)
10th October 2017
When a mysterious gangster begins to sabotage the chances of The Eagles football team of winning an important cup final, only one man has what it takes to find out the identity of the criminal mastermind behind the scandel and take them down: Joe Bullet (played by Ken Gampu).
Staff Pick: Manon, Marketing Coordinator
10th October 2017
I could not be prouder to work for a festival showing films such as Tess! It is a very brave film which highly deserves to be seen I can think of no better context than the Africa in Motion film festival to catch this little gem of a film.
Breaking Slavery Silence -The Transatlantic Slave Trade and its Effects by Ailsa Cole
9th October 2017
My history classes at school taught me about William Wallace and both World Wars, yet colonialism and empire were never discussed. 1745 (Gordon Napier, 2017) is one of the films screened on the night.
AiM 2017 at Filmhouse Edinburgh!
5th October 2017
Bookings for Africa in Motion screenings at Filmhouse are now open!
Are you feeling a little lost in the programme? Our historic venue Filmhouse has something for everyone so let us guide you through what’s on offer!
A FESTIVE OPENING
Do not miss the Africa in Motion opening! It is your chance to...
From Grenada to Glasgow – Curating inspired by personal experiences by Elizabeth Williams
3rd October 2017
Sitting in the Africa in Motion offices in Glasgow one day this summer, I felt very emotional.
Welcome to AiM 2017!
23rd September 2017
Africa in Motion is Scotland’s major annual celebration of African cinema, and is delighted to return for the 12th year to bring audiences in Edinburgh and Glasgow a wide variety of creative stories from across the African continent.