About The Carlow African Film Festival
The Carlow African Film Festival now in its 6th year is Ireland’s First African Film Festival. It provides an annual platform to celebrate and explore the intellectual and aesthetic diversity of African culture and promotes social interaction and integration by bringing together the various communities of Africa, Ireland and indeed the World. It aims to celebrate and promote excellence in African Filmmaking by showcasing and honouring best works and also provide artistic links between African and Irish communities and artists.
The Carlow African Film Festival (CAFF) was founded by Ade Oke in September 2005 with support from local businesses, Carlow Local Authorities' Arts Office and KCLR96FM. Following on from the success of the first Festival, an Executive Committee was constituted the following year. This committee has developed and expanded the remit of the festival to what it is today. Members included the founder, Ade Oke (now festival Director), Sinead Dowling Arts Officer, Carlow Local Authorities, Mags Murphy and David Donohue, (Dave worked with the Committee for one year.) In 2007, Dr. Orla Ryan (IT Carlow) was asked to join the committee and since then the committee has increased in size to include Yuvi Basanth and Julius Buameh (Honorary Treasurer).
In the last 6 years, CAFF has played host to Special Guests such as Presley Chweneyagae, lead actor in the South African Film that won the Academy Award (Oscar) in 2006, Tsotsi, Bonnie Henna (with her husband also an actor), who starred in Catch a Fire, alongside Tim Robins, Mbong Odungide, who starred in the Nigerian Movie, The Amazing Grace, Jeta Amata, Writer and Director of The Amazing Grace and Professor Mbye Cham, Professor of African Cinema at the Department of African Studies, Howard University, Washington, DC