iREPRESENT, the biggest documentary film festival on the West African coast, is in its sixth edition, and it is scheduled to hold from Thursday 24th to Sunday 27th March 2016, at Freedom Park Lagos.
The theme for the 2016 edition of the festival is #CHANGE – Documentary Film as Agent Provocateur. Though conceived in the traditional iREP thematic framework of Africa in Self-conversation, the 2016 theme is premised on the whirlwind of complex issues confronting us today on many fronts, which challenge our understanding of the world, of ourselves, and how we sustain our pursuit of Peace and Prosperity.
In a world bedeviled with—poverty, epidemic, terrorism, wars, corruption, imperialism, racial and economic inequalities—documentaries provide an opportunity to think about this urgent and critical challenges. Documentary films explore the issues of our time, offer perspective, historical context, and possibilities. Documentary is not a deliberate art form. It starts from questions not answers. Its success relies not in having all the answers, but in asking the right questions.
The programme proposition for the 2016 edition will include:
Film Screenings-Screening of over 30 carefully selected international films representing the best new works relevant to the theme of Africa-in-Self-Conversation. The films were selected with iRep’s co-curators, African World Documentary Film Festival (AWDFF) and AGDOK Germany.
Special International Guests-Some of the most respected documentary filmmakers and critics, Professor Manthia Diawara, Professor Niyi Coker Jr., Steven Markovitz, Jean Mote, Camilla Nielsson, are expected to be at this year’s edition.
iREP Producers’ Roundtable-Also, invited producers will participate in the Producers’ Round Table. This annual round table discussion is known to provide insightful solutions and pro-active prognosis into opportunities that can impact the documentary film genre.
Paper Presentations and Panel Discussions-This year, New York University (NYU) Professor Manthia Diawara, would deliver the opening Keynote. He would speak to the 2016 theme #Change—Documentary Films as Agent Provocateur.
Training and Workshop-iREP Training and Workshop platform, has empowered over 200 young and upcoming filmmakers in the rudiments of film Making and in understanding the documentary film art. This year the festival has expanded the platform to accommodate a larger number of participants.
IREP Awards and Cocktail/Award Ceremony.The festival ends with a cocktail and award ceremony. Awards will be presented to deserving individuals who have made distinguished contribution to the growth of documentary film in Nigeria.
iREP festival is supported by Goethe Institut, Freedom Park, Ford Foundation, AV Edge, AWDFF, AGDOK, Africa Magic, DSTV, CORA, ASIRI Magazine.
