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| Winner of FESPACO Golden Prize for Best film Gomis |
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| Newton Aduaka |
Nigeria was not so
lucky at this year’s edition of the Festival of Pan African Cinema in
Ouagadougou dubbed FESPACO. Two of its entries--One Man Show by French based Nigerian born filmmaker Newton Aduaka
Ifeanyi and Heroes and Zeroes by Niji
Akannu failed to clinch any of the FESPACO top prizes. Aduaka whose film
featured in the main category missed the top prize—Etalon D’or while Akanni’s Heroes and Zeroes missed the prize in
the video category. It was the
Senegalese director Alain Gomis who clinched the Golden Stallion prize for best
film at the ten day long festival, which closed on March 3. Gomis film titled Tey (Today) starring Saul
Williams and Aissa Maiga which examined the relationship between the living
and the dead was adjudged the best film of the biennial festival out of over 20
other films including Nigeria's Newton Aduaka's One Man Show. It will be the first time that a Senegalese film will
receive the FESPACO top prize. The
FESPACO jury described the film by Gomis as one “cinematic grace”. In accepting the top prize, Gomis
dedicated the prize to his home country Senegalese and its citizens. He said he
felt proud to win the top prize. Gomis paid glowing tributes to his colleagues
in Senegal who battle to make films under very difficult conditions. ''This is
for all Senegalese especially those that have over the last few years
struggled, toiled and persevered to make films in difficult conditions."
Gomis said.
Nigeria however got a
consolatory prize. The side jury of the Federation of African Critics (FACC)
named Aduaka’s film as their pick for the best film of the festival. The FACC
jury also listed the Algerian film Yema by Djamila Sahraoti and Children of
Troumaron a film by the Mauritian for special mention. Nigerian movie
practitioners have not been lucky to have their films accepted in official
competition of FESPACO. The organizers of FESPACO have always insisted that to
be eligible for the main category, films must be shot on celluloid. The issue
of format of production has remained one reason why no movie produced by a core
Nollywood practitioner has been able to make it beyond the video stage in the
last 20 years. All the mention Nigeria has had at the main category of Fespaco
in recent years has been films made by Europe based Nigerian filmmakers. At the
last edition in 2011, two Nigerian films on the shortlist--Champion of Our Times (which got second place prize in the video
category) and Figurine featured in
the video category. Even when Tunde Kelani had his film Arugba shortlisted in 2009, it was in the video category. But
Andrew Dosumu, a United States based Nigerian born filmmaker had his film Restless City in main competition in
2011 likewise Newton Aduaka whose film Ezra won the top prize--Etalon D'or de Yennenga in
2007. Both films were shot on celluloid. In fact Aduaka’s feat in 2007 marked the third time a film from 'Anglophone' Africa
grabbed the festival's most prestigious award after Ghanaian Kwa Ansah's Heritage Africa and South African Zola
Maseko's Drum in 2005. Adauka would
have made it second for Nigeria and fourth winning for Anglophone Africa if he had
picked the top prize this time. The
other prize winners at FESPACO include Yema by Algerian Djamila Sahraoui, (Silver
Stallion), and La Pirogue (The Dugout) by Senegalese Moussa Touré (Bronze
Stallion). The
award for Best First Feature Film
went to Les
Enfants De Toumaron by Harri
Krisna and Sharvan Anenden
from Mauritius. Nadia El Fani got the award for Best documentary for the film
Meme Pas Mal while the award for Best
Short Film went to Les Souliers de l'Aid by Anis
Lasoued from Tunisia. Held under the theme “African Cinema and Public Policy in Africa” and
promoted as a platform that allows filmmakers to network and catch up on
the latest trends in African cinema, FESPACO berthed in 1969 to contribute to the expansion and development
of African Cinema.
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