Ahead of the launch of the 5th annual ‘Africa Rising International Film Festival (Ariff)’, the social impact film festival announced the films it’ll be showing and shared the schedule for the four-day festival, which will be held across three locations: The Bioscope, Atlas Studios and Ster Kinekor, Rosebank.
This year Ariff will open with the thought-provoking “Of Good Report” by Jahmil XT Qubeka.
The festival is set to give the film the premiere it never had as the film was banned on its planned release date back in 2013.
“Jahmil XT Qubeka and Layla Swart of Yellowbone Entertainment have cemented their mark in the South African film and television industry with award winning films such as ‘Knuckle City’ and their recent groundbreaking fantasy epic series ‘Blood Psalms’,” said festival director Ayanda Sithebe.
“It was a natural fit that Ariff would want to be part of our film selection this year to give them the premiere they never had. They are pioneers of the new age of filmmaking.”
Closing the film festival will be Akin Omotoso’s “Rise”, which is a biography on the most celebrated basketball family plying their trade in the NBA, the Antetokounmpos.
The film is a story about how a family of Nigerian immigrants moved to Greece and the subsequent rise to basketball game of sons Giannis, Thanasis and Kostas. They are the first family trio to become NBA champions in league history.
“The basketball film, ‘Rise’, is almost a mirror image of Omotoso’s own story and journey as a filmmaker,” says festival chairperson Lala Tuku.
“For us Omotoso reflects where we come from, where we are and where we are going. His work as a filmmaker transcends the globe.”
Other films that will be showcased across the festival’s four days include “Aristotle’s Plot” by Jean-Pierre Bekolo, which will be showing on Friday at The Bioscope, and “Gangster’s Paradise: Jerusalema” by Ralph Ziman, which will be showing on Saturday at Ster-Kinekor The Zone.
Sunday, the final day, will feature “A pair of Boots and a Bicycle” by Vincent Moloi, “Chikin Biznis” by Ntshaveni Wa Luruli, before closing with “Rise” by Akin Omotoso at Ster-Kinekor The Zone.
More information available at http://www.ariff.co.za/