Since its first edition in Dallas, Texas, 2015, The African Film Festival (TAFF) has grown to become a veritable cultural, education, and entertainment event to showcase African independent films. This fifth Anniversary edition will be hosted entirely online due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 4-day festival will kick off on Tuesday, June 2nd through Saturday, June 6th with film screenings, online workshops, and training sessions, and TAFF Awards ceremony.
Kelechi Eke, TAFF founder, and Executive Director told The West African Pilot News that “There was much optimistic desire behind the scenes to reschedule the event due to the coronavirus pandemic. Instead, we opted to host it online and stream it globally. With so much uncertainly amid COVID-19, and, since no one can accurately predict when it might actually be possible to host the event in a safe and responsible manner and I personally would not feel good about putting hundreds of people in an arena any time this year.”
An award-winning filmmaker and software engineer, Kelechi Eke exudes that “Moving the African Film Festival online…utilizing the latest streaming and community engagement technologies will certainly allow our pass holders and sponsors including global fans of the festival to watch more movies and uniquely interact with a wider range of celebrities than was possible in the past.”
TAFF will showcase one of a kind African independent films that either promote African culture; address issues affecting Africa; or explore African landmarks and historic leaders. This annual festival strives to “Bridge cultures through films” by inviting a diverse audience to celebrate some of the best films from and about the African continent.
This year’s festival attendees will have the privilege of watching the festival selections in the comfort of their own homes, as well as, on-demand. The film portal ROOTFLIX will showcase the selected films and the awards ceremony. Currently, trailers of the selected films and full-featured films from previous festivals can be viewed on www.rootflix.com. Through ROOTFLIX, enjoy quality, culturally rich narratives, documentaries, animations, series, and special events.
On April 15th, TAFF started the tradition of highlighting each selected film daily with the “Trailer of the Day” spotlight through the festival website and social media handles @TheAfricanFilmFestival and @ROOTFLIX. TAFF 2020 attendees will be treated to an exploration of the African continent through the global lens and voices of talented filmmakers. This edition will be accessible worldwide.
*By The West African Pilot News Staff Writer
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