Film festival to tackle African stereotypes

THIS weekend, the Galway One World Centre will host the sixth Galway African Film Festival (GAFF).
Kinvara-resident Trisha Buddin is one of the organisers and has been involved in the festival since the beginning. The festival will present a series of contemporary African feature films, shorts and documentaries, all of which will be free of charge.

“I work for Galway One World Centre and six years ago, as part of Africa Day celebrations which take place on May 25 each year, we decided that we would do something a bit different and celebrate Africa as a whole and the countries of Africa,” Trisha explained.

With greater cultural diversity in Galway’s towns and villages, Trisha believes the festival helps to break down stereotypes about the continent and its people.

“We would like to open people’s minds a bit more and balance out the negative publicity. We want to bring a more positive side of African culture and people than people get to see and hear about in the news and media. Most of the films are directed or produced by African people, so it highlights their perspective. They are telling their own stories really,” she said.

“I think it has changed people’s views. We have asked people who have attended and they say it has opened their eyes to a different side of things. So much of the media is concerned with poverty, aid and the negative side of things. We wanted to show something more positive and the talent out there and give a different perspective to what we would see in Hollywood films, which contain pretty stereotypical views of Africa and African people,” she outlined.

Trisha and Heike Vornhagen source the films for the festival by looking at other festivals around the world. They also take into account the African Academy Awards and watch trailers for new movies, as well as considering what is popular in the various African countries.

Screenings will take place at the Huston School of Film and Digital Media on Earl’s Island near Galway Cathedral but Trisha said she would like to see the festival expanded.

“We would love to bring some of it to Kinvara and all around the county but it is reliant on funding. We would love to take it out into the county using a mobile cinema and bring films out to the schools.

“We have a school screening on Monday but it would be nice to be able to tour around the county. Hopefully, we can do that in the future,” she said.

This year’s festival will highlight films about finding and creating identity in a variety of familial, social and political situations. Some will focus on individual adventures, others on the social struggles of ‘otherness’ and the search for recognition. According to Trisha, the films cater for a diverse selection of tastes.

“I would encourage everyone to come along. There are some shorts, some good comedies and there are films for adults and children alike and all the films are free,” she commented.

This year’s GAFF coincides with the 50th anniversary of African unity, which is a unique opportunity to reflect on the progress and transformation that has taken place across the African continent and to clarify issues that continue to impede development.

The full line-up can be found at www.galwayafricanfilmfestival.org.