The 2015 edition of the yearly iREPRESENT International Documentary Film Festival begins on Thursday, March 19 and will run through Sunday March 22 at the Freedom Park, the old Broad Street Prison on Lagos Island. The Festival is conceived and organized by the iRepresent Documentary Film Forum, an affiliate of the West African Documentary Film Forum (WDFF), and the Documentary Network Africa (DNA).
About 12 international guests from countries that include Germany, United States, United Kingdom, France, Cameroon, Gabon, South Africa, Kenya and others are expected at the festival, which will screen about 50 films in the course of its four-day duration. The festival also offers training sessions, workshops, seminars as well as Master Classes for young, aspiring and already practising filmmakers, which usually throng its programme in every edition since 2010 when it was birthed.
This 2015 edition marks the 5th anniversary of the festival, which in its short lifespan has attracted the attention of world documentary film circuits including the People2People Festival in South Africa, the Munich-Germany based Dokfest; South Africa-based Discop; and Cameroon-based Ecrans Noirs.
THEME:
The 2015 edition will explore the theme: REINVENTING DOCUMENTARY FILM MAKING IN A DIGITAL SPACE. Though conceived on the traditional iREP thematic framework of Africa in Self-conversation, the theme is premised on the reality that Digital media technology is expanding narrative possibilities and shaping audiences’ experiences of how realities are articulated.
Prospects Of Digital Era For Documentary Films:
Stated the Festival Executive Director, Femi Odugbemi, “Documentary filmmaking is coming to terms with these new realities and continuously finding hybrid strategies navigate the blurred lines crisscrossing verite and satisfying the ever changing temperament of the digital world that is hip, fun-seeking, chaotic, multi-tasking, and attention sapping”.
Odugbemi adds: “For documentary film making, digital technology presents a challenge and an opportunity that would either remarkably transform and redefine what passes as a documentary film or bury the art in its past. More than ever before, there is a need to reinvent the art of documentary film making within the space of the new elements that are dictating the trend of media consumption and experience globally. We are also conscious of the inevitable movement of Television broadcasting and services into full digital era as envisaged by the Nigeria Broadcasting Commission and that that quite a lot of African nations have set same 2015 as deadline for their full embrace of digital broadcasting on the continent”.
PROGRAMME OUTLINE:
The programme proposition for the 2015 edition will include:
. Screening of a carefully selected films representing the best of recordings of African experiences
. Conference, Seminar and Workshops on the journeys, challenges and prospects of digital broadcasting
. Training Programme for young African filmmakers on the technicalities of digital broadcasting
.The iREP Producers’ Roundtable
.Exhibition of Digital Broadcast equipment
.Live conversation with the public on the prospects of digital broadcasting
.iREP Distinguished Award for Excellence in FilmMaking, Support for Industry
.Unveiling of iREP Tv
ANNIVERSARY COCKTAIL & RECEPTION:
A core item in the 2015 iREP Festival will be the Festival Cocktails & Reception; a ceremonial event that will bear the festive nature of the edition. It will feature a Red Carpet reception with a jazz band performing; a brief keynote on the journey of iREP Film festival so far by Prof. Niyi Coker of University of Missouri, St. Louis, USA; goodwill messages by Mrs Wangi Mba-Uzoukwu, Regional director of MNET West Africa, a key partner of iREP since birth; cutting of anniversary cake by the Director-General of Nigeria Broadcasting
Corporation, Mr Emeka Mba as well as conferment of the iREP Excellence Awards on certain individuals and organisations that have been instrumental to its story since inception. There will also be a Poetry and musical performances by the singer-guitarist, Aduke.
FILM SCREENINGS:
About 50 films have been carefully selected and lined up for screening. The films were curated by the iREP directorate in collaboration with its partners — the US-based African World Documentary Film Festival, AWDFF; the Germany-based Association of Documentary film makers (Ag-Dok): and the British Council, which is supporting the festival for the first time this year. The screening list including award-winning works such as Chameleon (by Ryan Mullins/Canada); Love is All (by Kim Longinotto/UK); Poverty Inc (by Michael Matheson/US); Unforgiven (by Lucas Augustin/Rwanda-Germany); Katlehong (by Irene Loebell/South Africa); Olu Amoda: A Metallic Journey (by Tam Fiofori and Joel Benson/Nigeria); Skyfall (by Juliet Asante/Ghana); A Leaf in the Wind (by John-Marie Teno/Cameroon-France); Scarred: Anatomy of a Massacre (by Judy Kibinge/Kenya); Comrades in Dream (Uli Gaulke/Germany); Deeper Than Black (Sean Addo/USA); The Supreme Price (Joanna Lipper/USA); Unbroken: The John Sunmonu Story (by Toyin Poju-Oyemade/Nigeria) and When I Was Water (by David Forbes (South Africa) among others.
Other programs during the festival include, Film screenings,Trainings and workshops,Producers Round table and Panel discussions.
See Pictures from iREP Film Festival 2014:
For additional information as regards participation and registration for the film Festival; Visit www.irepfilmfestival.com and @irepfilm on Twitter for daily updates and additional news.
