Silicon Valley African Film Festival

The Silicon Valley African Film Festival (SVAFF) is an annual film festival held in California to promote an understanding and appreciation of Africa and Africans through moving images.[1] Nigerian filmmaker Chike Nwoffiah founded the SVAFF in 2010 and has served as its director since.[2] According to Nwoffiah, "People’s understanding of Africa was limited to the Tarzan narratives of Africa as backward, untamed and uncivilized. Those who thought they knew better, at best, saw Africa as a 'country' with starving children and a people ravaged by disease and war." He founded the SVAFF to change that.[3]

History

Year Dates Venue Notes
2010
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2011
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2012
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2013 October 11-13 Mountain View, California It featured an interactive forum titled African Women in Technology - A Future of Promise, in partnership with the African Diaspora Network and Institute of International Education.[4]
2014
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2015
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2016 October 14-16 Mountain View, California Movies screened include My Mother's Story by Flora Suya and Fastest Woman in Africa - Rwanda’s First Cyclist Woman by Faustin Niyigena.[5][6] Brazil's diaspora was given a special spotlight.[7] Danny Glover attended the festival.[8]
2017 September 29-October 1 Historic Hoover Theatre, San Jose, California Ghanaian-Nigerian romantic comedyPotato Potahto by Shirley Frimpong-Manso premiered at the festival.[9][10]
2018
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2019 October 4-6 Historic Hoover Theatre, San Jose, California Films screened include Zimbabwean romantic comedy Cook Off, by Tomas Brickhill.[11]
2020 October 9-11 #LANDoftheBRAVEfilm, directed by Tim Huebschle, won the prize for the Best Narrative Feature.[12] The short film Mébét, produced and directed by Ousman Jarju, was selected by the festival.[13]
2021 October 8-10 Hybrid Screened films include L’enfant de l’autre by Cameroonian-born Patricia Kwende; [14] Two Good Hearts; and Wedding Dress.[15][16] Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine won the Cultural Icon Award.[17]
2022 October 13-16 Historic Hoover Theatre, San Jose, California The Ugandan film Your Turn was screened.[18]

References

  1. ^ "Flora Suya invited to screen 'My Mother's Story' in America - Malawi Nyasa Times - News from Malawi about Malawi". www.nyasatimes.com. 2016-09-06. Retrieved 2022-07-26.
  2. ^ "Chike Nwoffiah — Silicon Valley African Film Fest founder — to get San Jose's Cornerstone of Arts Award". TheGrio. 2022-10-14. Retrieved 2022-11-16.
  3. ^ Mary (2015-11-15). "The 6th annual successful Silicon Valley African Film Fest does it again". San Francisco Bay View. Retrieved 2022-11-16.
  4. ^ "Silicon Valley African Film Festival". www.international.ucla.edu. Retrieved 2022-07-27.
  5. ^ "Flora Suya invited to screen 'My Mother's Story' in America - Malawi Nyasa Times - News from Malawi about Malawi". www.nyasatimes.com. 2016-09-06. Retrieved 2022-07-26.
  6. ^ "VIDEO: TNT video nominated for Silicon Valley African Film Festival award". The New Times. 2016-09-20. Retrieved 2022-11-16.
  7. ^ "SVAFF 2016 booklet by Silicon Valley African Film Festival (SVAFF) - Issuu". issuu.com. Retrieved 2022-11-16.
  8. ^ "Silicon Valley African Film Festival Wraps Successful 7th Year". Mountain View, CA Patch. 2016-10-21. Retrieved 2022-11-16.
  9. ^ Johnson, Ayodele (2017-09-30). "Movie on failed marriage premieres at Silicon Valley African Film Festival". Pulse Nigeria. Retrieved 2022-07-27.
  10. ^ "Your Silicon Valley African Film Festival Itinerary". San Jose. Retrieved 2022-07-27.
  11. ^ Zimbabwe, New (2019-07-03). "'Cook Off' movie set for UK premiere". NewZimbabwe.com. Retrieved 2022-07-27.
  12. ^ Matthys, Donald (2020-10-13). "#LANDoftheBRAVEfilm Team Celebrates Narrative Feature Win at Silicon Valley African Film Festival". Retrieved 2022-11-16.
  13. ^ UNESCO [63373] (2021). "The African film Industry: trends, challenges and opportunities for growth".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  14. ^ "Cameroonian filmmaker at Silicon Valley African Film Festival". Journal du Cameroun (in French). Retrieved 2022-07-27.
  15. ^ Marunya, Kundai (2021-09-14). "Zimbabwe: Local Documentary Picked for Us Festival". allAfrica.com. Retrieved 2022-07-27.
  16. ^ "Wedding Dress: Assia Mutoni's movie to compete in international film festival". The New Times | Rwanda. 2021-07-25. Retrieved 2022-07-27.
  17. ^ Namutebi Phiona. "American - Ugandan actor Ntare wins Silicon Valley African Festival award". Capital Radio. Retrieved 2022-07-27.
  18. ^ "Ugandan movie "Your Turn" to screen at Silicon Valley festival – Kampala Sun". UGNEWS24. 2022-07-26. Retrieved 2022-07-27.