Silicon Valley African Film Festival
Annual film festival in California
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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 | - | - | - |
| 2011 | - | - | - |
| 2012 | - | - | - |
| 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 | - | - | - |
| 2015 | - | - | - |
| 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 | - | - | - |
| 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] |