African Film Weekend Returns to University of Richmond After Three-Year Hiatus; Celebrates First-Time African Filmmakers

UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND — After a three-year hiatus due to the pandemic, African Film Weekend will return to the University of Richmond on Sept. 8-9.

Free and open to the public, African Film Weekend, now in its 16th year, will celebrate the work of first-time African filmmakers. Spanning genres from romantic comedy to documentary, the films presented will focus on the issues raised by this young generation of filmmakers as they turn to the future. Each film reflects on the ways African and African Diasporan peoples would like to depict themselves as they face the challenges of a global society.

Mamadou Dia, an award-winning Senegalese film director, screenwriter, and co-founder of the production company Joyedidi, is the special guest presenter.

“I hope that for a weekend, the University and the greater Richmond community will gather under our symbolic baobab tree to view how issues of importance are conveyed by young African filmmakers,” says Kasongo Kapanga, chair of the department of languages, literatures, and cultures and organizer of the event.  

The films include:

You Will Die at Twenty
SEPTEMBER 8 | 3 & 7:30 P.M.
Directed by Amjad Abu Alala 
Sudan, 2019

La Colère Dans le Vent (Anger in the Wind)
SEPTEMBER 9 | 8:30 A.M.  
Directed by Amina Weira
Niger, 2016

L'arbre Sans Fruit (The Fruitless Tree)
SEPTEMBER 9 | 9:45 A.M.  
Directed by Aïcha Macky
Niger, 2016

Atlantique (Atlantics)
SEPTEMBER 9 | 11:15 A.M.
Directed by Mati Diop
Senegal, 2019

The Wedding Party
SEPTEMBER 9 | 2:15 P.M.
Directed by Kemi Adetiba
Nigeria, 2017

All films will be screened in the Ukrop Auditorium of the Robins Business School at the University of Richmond.  

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