Category: Indie Film Reviews

The Black Star International film Festival opens today with a cocktail screening and discussions with the filmmakers of our opening films, Nirvana from Ghana and ‘life in my shoe’ from Uganda.

Nirvana premieres on the 21st August at 6pm while ‘Life in my shoe’ premieres on 22nd August at 3:30pm; both at the Silverbird Cinemas.

All BSIFF films start screening from 11am each day. Tickets available at venues, DSTV headoffice and tradeupmarket.com.

Please find the festival and film schedule here

You may email us at info@blackstarinternationalfilmfestival.org

After watching films, learning, or networking at the panel sessions, make sure to get your tickets for the music concert which happens Friday at the Silver Star Towers.

We take the opportunity to welcome our guest from Nigeria, Brazil, Uganda, Kenya, France, the United States and all 28 countries.

Enjoy your stay in Ghana and let’s have the biggest film party to hit GH!

The Black Star International Film Festival is Connecting Cultures through film in 2019; join us to help launch Ghana as the a film hub in the region

Popular American actor and film director; Danny Glover was at the African Film Market; a Black Star International Film Festival 2019 event, to show support to the festival.

During his brief stay at the event, Mr. Glover took the opportunity to share some thoughts with the participants. Amongst other things, he encouraged African filmmakers to tell stories that Africans (both in and outside Africa) identify with and also to collaborate with fellow filmmakers from other African countries. He said, ‘Wakanda may be a great vision, but what about the great Ashanti Kingdom?’

He also expressed excitement at seeing young filmmakers gathered to enhance their careers and ‘make a difference’ in the industry.

The event, held at the Oak Plaza Hotel (East Airport) on 22nd August 2019 provided a platform for filmmakers, distributors, investors and other stakeholders of the film industry to meet, learn, network and do business. It was attended by several people of different nationalities.

The subjects discussed at the panel sessions include were:

1. Co-productions:

Panel

–          Mawuko Kuadzi (Casting Director and CEO of MK Casting),

–          Cecil Sunkwa (MD of Multichoice Ghana)

–          Dr. Chidia Maduekwe (MD of Nigerian Film Commission)

–          Juliet Asante (CEO of Eagle Productions and Founding President of BSIFF)

–          Christian Epps (Founder of Light, Camera, Diaspora)

2. VOD/SVOD: Opportunities for African Filmmakers

Panel:

–          Aaron Olayemi (Head of VAS, Mobile and Digital Content Distribution Anglophone West Africa at TRACE)

–          Funmi Onoma (Country Manager of Silverbird Cinemas, Ghana)

–          Honeil Jelani Nelson (Founding President and CEO of Atlanta Blackstar)

–          Donisha Prendergast (Filmmaker, Storyteller and Activist)

3. Film Financing

Panel:

–          Eugene Odame (Business of Film lecturer at the National Film and Television Institute)

–          Roberta Annan (Co-Founder and Managing Partner of the Impact Fund for African Creatives)

After four days of great events and activities including the Opening Ceremony, Masterclass class with Christian Epps, the African Film market and panel sessions, and the Blackstar Music Concert (BMC), the Yaa Asantewaa Awards Night 2019 happened on 24th August, 2019 at the Snap Cinema inside the Accra Metropolitan Assembly Headoffice.

It was a night of fun with cultural, musical and poetry performances attended by diplomats, actors, film directors, film lovers and several industry players from in and outside Ghana.

The Black Star International Film Festival wishes to once again congratulate all filmmakers whose films made it to the 2019 Official selection list and particularly those who won awards on the night.

Below is the list of winners at the Yaa Asantewaa Awards 2019:

Best Documentary (USA) The money Stone by Stuart Harmon

Best Feature (USA) The House Invictus by Uche Aguh

Best Short (GHANA) Nirvana by Richard Governor Owusu

Women in Film (NIGERIA) Oriki by Nkiru Njoku

Best Student Film (SOUTH AFRICA) Nomvula by Jason Maselle and Advik Beni

Africa Rising (GERMANY) Divine419: Hawkers Hustle by Johannes Krug

Best Animation ( GHANA) Azumah:The Ghanaian Hero by Nii Ofei Kyei Dodoo (Indegene BROS)

The Black Star International Film Festival set to open film submissions for 2020

The biggest film festival in Ghana, the Black Star International Film Festival (BSIFF) is set to open submissions for films into the Festival for the year 2020.

Submissions would open from the 16th December and close latest by the 20th March, 2020 at 11:59pm GMT. The categories for submission include:

– Documentary

– Feature film: Should be a minimum of 60 min.

– Short Film: Film should be less than 60 min.

– Student Film: This category is set to award student filmmakers thus, the film must be made entirely by students. Evidence of a student card and an email confirmation from a head of department is a must.

– Women in Film: Film must have a predominant female crew. Either the Producer, Director, Cinematographer and/or Writer must be a woman. Any three of the above.

– Animation: An animated film

– Africa Rising: Film that connects to the special story of Africa and stories that highlight special issues peculiar to the continent of Africa.

– The ‘Odehye3’ Award: To award the next generation of Ghanaian filmmakers. Films must have predominantly Ghanaian crew. Either the Producer, Director, Cinematographer and/or Writer must be Ghanaian.

Aside from the astounding cash prizes to be won, BSIFF offers an intimate international community experience in which filmmakers’, film buffs and industry professionals mingle and sit side by side in screening rooms to discover emerging filmmakers who have compelling stories to tell.

The Black Star International Film Festival is going into its fifth year and focused on the business of film, the Festival has in four years, become a growing festival on the continent, attracting top level acts, distributors, filmmakers, agents and press.

BSIFF is known for not compromising on the quality standards of films that make it into the Festival and as such, that reputation would be strictly maintained in the coming year, 2020.

Filmmakers can use the following platforms to submit their films:

– Film freeway : https://filmfreeway.com/bsiff

– Festhome: https://festivals.festhome.com