News
African cinema is coming to Russia
Five films from South Africa, Angola, Kenya, and Tanzania are being screened in St.
Petersburg, Russia, from July 28 to 30 The free screenings are part of the film festival
“Africa. Together into the Future“.
From July 28 to 30, ROSKINO, with the support of the Ministry of Culture of the Russian
Federation, is organizing African Film Days in St. Petersburg—screenings of African films
as part of “Africa. Together into the Future" film festival. The event is part of the second
Russia–Africa Summit.
The ROSKINO screenings include some of the best films of recent years, which have been
presented at many international film festivals and won a number of awards.
African Film Days at the Aurora Cinema will open with a film from South Africa called
1960 This is a 2022 musical detective drama from directors Michael Mutombo and King
Shaft. The film was named Best South African Feature Film at the 43rd Durban International
Film Festival, Africa's oldest and largest film festival. Michael Mutombo co-created the 2009
cult science fiction thriller District 9, which has over 30 wins and over 100 nominations at
various international film festivals, including 4 Oscar nominations.
Kenya is represented by the drama Bangarang directed by Robin Odongo. The drama is
about a poor driver who, after a disputed presidential election in Kenya and street riots, flees
into exile for fear of being falsely accused of the death of a 6-month-old baby. The film won
Best African Feature Film at the 43rd Durban International Film Festival and Best East
African Film at the Uganda Film Festival; was nominated in three categories at the Kalasha
Awards, an annual award presented by the Kenyan Film Commission; and also has a number
of other awards. On July 28, director, Robin Odongo, will take part in the opening ceremony
of African Film Days.Also featured is the 2020 action drama Air Conditioner by Angolan director Mário Bastas.
The film immerses viewers in the atmosphere of Luanda, transmitting its history, and people
trying to rebuild their lives after the civil war. The film was presented in the competitive
nominations of three festivals: the Saint Paul International Film Festival in Minneapolis
(USA), the Friborg International Film Festival (Switzerland) and the Luxembourg Film
Festival.
There are two films from Tanzania: the dramas Kijiji Changu and Mwiga, directed by
Steven Lino. The 2019 film Kijiji Changu is a story about a love triangle and the disastrous
consequences of a woman’s choice. The film received a number of awards, including the
award for Best Actor at the American Golden Pictures International Film Festival. The film
was also presented at the Pan-African International Film Festival, the Zanzibar International
Film Festival (one of the largest African arts festivals), the RapidLion South African Film
Festival and others. Stephen Lino's new film, Mwiga, is about a young man trying to survive
in difficult life circumstances.
African Film Days are also part of the International Film Days project, which ROSKINO
has been implementing with the support of the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation.
The project acquaints Russian audiences with modern films from Asia, the Middle East,
Africa, and CIS. Screenings of Indian, Belarusian, and Iranian cinema have already been held
in Moscow and the Uzbek Film Days in St. Petersburg.