A ground-breaking live link-up between Bristol and Nairobi looking into how digital technologies can help expand the audience for the African moving image takes place next Friday as part of Bristol’s pioneering Afrika Eye film festival.
The continent-spanning event follows on from an initial discussion at Bristol’s Encounters film festival in September when delegates explored ways of harnessing the power of the city's burgeoning creative and technology sectors to helo bring African film, video and TV to a wider audience.
The panel discussion will take place simultaneously at Bristol’s Watershed and Nairobi’s iHub, live-linked by video.
Bristol panellists include renowned Southern African film director Simon Bright – co-founder/director of Afrika Eye – and Andrew Mugoya, founder of Afriapps.com.
In Nairobi will be Wanuri Kahiu, director of Pumzi, John Mwangi, owner of Zenj Multimedia Communications and Bob Nyanja, director of The Rugged Priest.
Additionally, David Tosh Gitonga, director of Nairobi Half Life, will join the discussion from Los Angeles.
The event, which kicks off the Afrika Eye festival takes place at Watershed between 2pm and 4pm. Places at this free event can be reserved by calling 0117 927 5100. Bristol Business News is honoured to be media partner and support of Afrika Eye.
Afrika Eye launches this Friday with a vibrant blend of African film and Jamaican music and dance – inaugurating a festival that celebrates 50 years of Jamaican independence and pays tribute to the power of healing trauma in Africa.
The festival opens with a new film from Senegalese director Moussa Touré. Winning a standing ovation at this year’s Cannes festival, La Pirogue is the moving story of a group of Senegalese men who, desperate to escape poverty, set off for Europe on a simple fishing boat, hoping for a better life. This will be followed by Afrika Eye’s famed opening night party in the Watershed bar, this year bringing together a Jamaican dance and MC turntable collaboration from Ripton Lindsey and Mr Benn. The night also features Jamaican folk song and dance from local Bristol group Tan Teddy and a short Jamaican dance interpretation by pupils from Cotham School. For more information on the programme of films, talks and workshops, click here.
