AFRO FUTURE(S) FORUM
18 NOV & 19 NOV SINEMA TRANSTOPIA
AFRIKAMERA FUTURE & UTOPIAS
CURATED BY ADYAM TESFAMARIAM, KANTARAMA GAHIGIRI AND MAISHA MAENE
The AFRO FUTURE(S) FORUM forms part of the 16th edition of AFRIKAMERA, Current Cinema from Africa, which takes place from 14th to 19th of November across Berlin. The 2023 festival presents a selection of cinematic (future) visions from the metropolises of the African continent, ones that imagine a future beyond Western patterns of imagination.
The two-day curated program at SİNEMA TRANSTOPIA explores the entanglement of past, present and future African and Afrodiasporic identities. An immersive offering into Afrofuturism & Magical Realism through film, music and talks, the selected feature and short films range from Science Fiction to Surrealism and deal with multiple perspectives on mythologies and futurity. Here, Afrofuturism acts as a framework from which to embark on a journey through Black creativity, liberation, resistance. The current age presents immense potential for alternate visions of the future that lie beyond Western production, not only as messages of hope but also roadmaps to other possible worlds. Spanning classics by Souleymane Cissé to contemporary shorts, this program offers an intergenerational view on these important and intertwined topics. (AT)
Kantarama Gahigiri
is an artist and filmmaker from Rwanda. Alumna of Realness Residency, La Fabrique, and Vienna’s Q21, she journeys in an exploration of identity, sovereignty and on-screen representation.
Maisha Maene
is a Congolese screenwriter and director based in Goma, DR Congo. As an artist, he works on issues of human rights and the environment. In addition to various collaborative projects, Maisha has written and directed five short films.
Adyam Tesfamariam
is a DJ, Empowerment & Diversity Trainer & Afrofuturism expert. She has been researching and facilitating workshops & talks around Afrofuturism since 2018, bringing together her passion for writing & the weaves of past present and future of black/african identities.
Funded by the Fund for German film festivals de⁺ of the Goethe-Institut in cooperation with the German Federal Foreign Office.and German Africa Foundation
SAT 18 NOV
19:00 SİNEMA TRANSTOPIA
YEELEN
Souleymane Cissé I Mali / Burkina Faso / France 1987 I OV with engl. subs I 106 min
Nianankoro is on the threshold of adulthood and is therefore to be familiarised with the knowledge and abilities of the forces surrounding him. His father, a powerful magician, wants to prevent his son from becoming his equal and is even prepared to kill him if necessary. To prevent this, his mother sends him on a journey. Classic of African cinema, awarded the Grand Jury Prize in Cannes.
SAT 18 NOV
21:30 SINEMA TRANSTOPIA
PERFORMANCE & FESTIVAL PARTY ASTAN KA, EXOCÉ EXISTE & DARIUS MICK
followed by DJ SET with RAFUSH
SUN 19 NOV
14:30 SINEMA TRANSTOPIA
AFRO FUTURE(S) SHORTS
Nigeria / Uganda / USA / France 2014-21 I OV with engl. subs I 79 min
The short film programme explores contemporary Afrofuturism and magical realism. Among others, AFRONAUTS by the Ghanaian filmmaker Nuotama Frances Bodomo will be shown. Inspired by true events, she tells an alternative story to the race for the moon.
SUN 19 NOV
16:00 SINEMA TRANSTOPIA
PANEL: ANCIENT VISIONS OF THE FUTURE
with Kantarama Gahigiri (CH/RW) & Maisha Maene (DR Congo)
Moderation: Adyam Tesfamariam
Free admission
A panel discussion to deepen our understanding of Afrofuturism and visions of the African continent and its diaspora and the power that lies within.