Nigerian Photographer in final for Photoafrica Award in Spain

Press release:

Nigerian Photographer Adolphus Opara Competes in Spain for Photoafrica Award

May 20th, Tarifa, Spain – Award-winning Nigerian photographer Adolphus Opara competes with his work “Urban Insomnia” in finale of 4th Photoafrica contest, which takes place within the 8th African Film Festival of Tarifa (FCAT) in Spain, from June 6th to 19th. Adolphus Opara thematizes in his work, among other themes, also modern African cities and their dwellers. Opara won or was nominated for several domestic and international awards for his work including World Press Photo Joop Swart Masterclass 2010. He regularly exhibits his work in Nigeria as well as in Europe. The 4th Photoafrica contest offers €3,000 in prize money through 3 awards.

The topic of this year Photoafrica is “Urban Space” of African cities seen through the photographers eyes. The exhibiton of altogether 27 large format photographs will be inaugurated and installed outdoors in Tarifa before and through the festival and after its closure will be travelling the whole year through Spanish and African cities. The Photoafrica is co-organized by Andalusian Centre Of Photography.

“This year we registered record number of 75 photographers from all over the Africa, who sent more than 400 photographs to the competition and from which we chose 27 final photographs to be inaugurated in Tarifa and on the following tour.” says Gaetano Gualdo, Photoafrica coordinator and continues: “The jury will select three absolute winners, which will get 3 awards endowed with 1 500, 1 000 and 500 euros respectively.”

While topics of previous editions were “Borders” in 2009 and “Independence” in 2010, this year topic is “Urban Space”. “We decided for this topic, because more and more Africans resettle from villages to cities and this predicts a lot of radical changes of the continent in the future. We want to capture this process.” adds Gualdo.

4th Photoafrica participants represent newcomers as well as experienced photographers, in some cases participants or even winners (Mimi Cherono or Adolphus Opara) from previous editions. The winning photograph from last year “Portrait of the artist as a young woman” of Mimi Cherone was selected as the official visual of this year African Film Festival of Tarifa.

The most entries (23) came this year from South Africa and 16 of them made into the finale. Surprisingly the average age of South African finalists is between 20-30 years and some of them have started to make photographs already in their teen years.

From Tarifa 4th Photoafrica exhibition will be travelling through Spanish and African cities till the end of the year.

There have been 215 photographs from 120 photographers exhibited within Photoafrica since it has started in 2008.

25 photographers competing at 4th Photoafrica:
● Abdelmohcine Nakari, Morroco
● Aboubacar Traore, Mali
● Adolphus Opara, Nigeria
● Djibril Drame, Senegal
● Georges Senga, RDC
● James Muriuki, Kenya
● Hlompho Letsielo, Lesotho
● Resta Nyamwanza, Zimbabwe
● Mário Macilau, Mozambique
● Marwen Trabelsi, Tunis
● Mimi Cherono Ng'ok, Kenya
● Noncedo Charmaine Mathibela, South Africa
● Roanne Sutcliffe, South Africa
● Anthony Purnell, South Africa
● Bianca Kerstein Vinay, South Africa
● Cendyl Charlton, South Africa
● Chandre Busschau, South Africa
● Costas Christodoulou, South Africa
● David Kutlwano Moagi, South Africa
● Davina Gokool, South Africa
● Hayden Brawn, South Africa
● Ihsaan Haffejee, South Africa
● Jessica MacLeod, South Africa
● Kristi Bailey, South Africa
● Mack Magagane, South Africa


About FCAT
African film festival of Tarifa (FCAT – Festival de Cine Africano de Tarifa) is an independent and competitive film festival and one of the biggest African film festivals in Europe. The FCAT celebrates its eighth edition from 11th to 19th June in Andalusian town Tarifa - the closest town of continental Europe to the African continent - the two continents are in fact only 14 km apart from one another in this geographical area.
This year FCAT will screen up over hundred African films and it will bring together some of the most distinguished African filmmakers. Its aim is to spread knowledge about African film production by exhibiting a representative wide variety of audiovisual African works every year: from the classics to more innovative and recent films, from documentaries to feature length fiction films, from South Africa to Morocco and from Senegal to Ethiopia. More on www.fcat.es


Contact:
Filip Hruby
International Press Officer
African Film Festival of Tarifa (FCAT)
Mobile: +420/775 011 550
Skype: filip.hruby2409
gabineteprensa2@fcat.es
www.fcat.es