The African Film Festival of Cordoba, 10 Years Breaking Stereotypes of the African Continent

The African Film Festival of Cordoba, 10 Years Breaking Stereotypes of the African Continent

Over 60 films from 24 different countries will be screened in the capital from the 11th to the 19th of October


Córdoba, 6 de septiembre de 2013. The African Film Festival of Cordoba-FCAT returns to the city from the 11th to the 19th of October, celebrating its 10th anniversary since its inception in 1993. Following a long history of curating emblematic titles, awarded worldwide, this edition enjoys the anniversary to introduce various surprises and to melt themes, titles and spaces for a better understanding of the neighbouring continent through its film cultures.

The African Film Festival of Cordoba-FCAT has been challenging the widespread stereotypical images of the continent for a decade now, placing itself as the only festival in Spain showcasing these cinemas. In order to better represent the multicultural reality of these countries, the programme includes over 60 films made in 24 different countries, not just by Africans in the continent but also, in the diaspora, as well as those made by Europeans that are approaching African narratives.

After eight years in Tarifa (Cadiz), the festival – organised by the NGO Al Tarab, and sponsored by the City Council of Cordoba- moved to this Caliphal city, whose streets reveal an Arab heritage that emerged as the best space to welcome also film titles from the Middle East. In this 10th edition, Cordoba cements its place as the city hosting this unique platform in Spain showcasing African and Middle Eastern cinemas. During these nine days, Cordoba will be able to walk on Africa and the Arab world, rekindling indeed a heritage that is particularly notorious in Andalusia.

Once again, following the success of the carefully selected venues last year, Cordoba-FCAT will be repeating the opening and closing ceremony at the majestic Teatro Góngora, used throughout the festival period as a screening venue along with the Filmoteca de Andalucía, Rey Heredia Veintidós or Casa Árabe. However, these will not be the only spaces tasting these narratives. There will be activities for professionals, for citizen participation, under a variety of shapes, and an exhibition enjoying precisely the similarities of the Spanish and African cultures.

The Cordoba-FCAT is a festival devoted to discovering films that have never been shown before, in order to address a wide range of audiences that love the seventh art. But also, it is a festival that attempts to educate the gaze and thus encourage a critical analysis of these cinemas. This is why after having included a short African film course in previous editions, directed by Federico Olivieri, this year, enjoying the celebration of the 10th anniversary, there will be instead a film review workshop, conducted by leading academic, researchers and experienced professionals in the field. This course, absolutely free of charge and directed by the renowned Alfonso Crespo, will be carried out from the 14th to the 18th of October, offering an opportunity to a professional guidance for this field. Applications close on the 27th of September.

Matching with the celebration of the 10th anniversary of the African Film Festival of Cordoba-FCAT, the theme of the retrospective, a category of the festival that aims to overcome the lack of visibility of these cinemas, is love. It is indeed an acute choice, as it overlaps with the ten years of a collective that decided to put together their love for African cinemas under the shape of a film festival, a unique initiative in Spain that is taking over the responsibility and challenge of bringing world cinemas to the country.

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