The Carlow African Film Festival (CAFF) was founded by Ade Oke in September 2005 with support from Carlow Local Authorities, Arts Council of Ireland, KCLR96FM and local businesses.
Following on from the success of the first Festival, an Executive Committee was constituted the following year. This committee developed and expanded the remit of the festival to what it is today. Initial members included the founder, Ade Oke (now festival Director), Sinead Dowling, Arts Officer, Carlow Local Authorities, Mags Murphy and David Donohue. In 2007, Dr. Orla Ryan (IT Carlow), Yuvi Basanth and Julius Buameh joined the committee.
Several top African artistes, filmmakers and film pundits/academics have been special guests at this yearly festival, amongst them are Nollywood’s Desmond Elliot, Lancelot Imasuen, Yemi Blaq, Jeta Amata and Mbong Odungide. South Africa’s 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, South Africa’s Kenneth Nkosi, Rapulana Seiphemo, Professor Mbye Cham, Professor of African Cinema at the Department of African Studies, Howard University, Washington, DC amongst others.
Previous Years
2005
2005 marked the beginning of the Carlow African Film Festival in the Seven Oaks Hotel, Carlow where a number of African films were screened over a weekend period. The reception and support received from the local community was great and encouraging for future development of the festival.
2006
A committee was constituted to expand and raise the profile of the festival. That year, the festival officially adopted the name, “Carlow African Film Festival.” 2006 was unique in the history of the festival as one of the films screened, Tsotsi won the Academy Award (Oscar). The festival flew Presley Chweneyagae who played the lead role in the film to Ireland to be a Festival Guest alongside Hollywood Producer, Arthur Lappin. In 2006 the festival moved to screening films on 35mm
Films Screened in 2006:
Kirikou and the Sorceress-Michel Ocelot (Children’s Animated Film)
Boy Called Twist-Tim Greene (South Africa)
Night of Truth- Fanta Régina Nacro (West Africa)
Le Grand Voyage-Ismaël Ferroukhi (Morocco)
Tsotsi Gavin Hood (South Africa)
2007
In 2007, the Festival continued to grow from strength to strength with Symposium introduced into the programming of the Festival. Dr. Orla Ryan, (Ph.D in Film Studies) developed the symposium. The Symposium’s main Speaker was Professor Mbye Cham, an expert in African Cinema from Howard University, Washington D.C. United States. Amongst the festival guests in 2007 were Jeta Amata, Director, The Amazing Grace, Mbong Odungide, lead actress in the Amazing Grace and South African Actress, Bonnie Henna who starred in Catch a Fire along with her husband, also an actor.
Films Screened in 2007:
Daratt-Mahamat-Saleh Haroun (Chad)
Moolaade-Ousmane Sembene (Senegal)
Bamako-Abderahmane Sissako (Mali)
U-Carmen Ekhayelitsha-Domford-May (South Africa)
The Amazing Grace-Jeta Amata (Nigeria)
Catch a Fire-Philip Noyce (South Africa)
2008
In 2008, the festival's programming was expanded to include Children Story Telling and Arts and Craft by Mara Menzies from Edinburgh. The intention is to give African Children and children of other backgrounds a flavour of African story telling. Special Guests included Obi Emelonye, Director of London Successor, Florence Ayisi, Cameroonian Film maker and Lecturer at University of Wales, Newport, Dr. Hal Weaver, Founding Chairman of Africana Studies, Rutgers University and Fellow at Harvard University and Anthony Monjaro, Star of London Successor
2008 also saw the festival declared Winner of Excellence in Embracing Diversity at the Carlow Chamber Business Awards.
Films Screened in 2008:
Zanzibar Soccer Queens—Florence Ayisi (Tanzania)
Days of Glory-Rachid Bouchareb (Morocco)
Confessions of a Gambler-Amandla Lane (South Africa)
London Successor-Obi Emelonye (Nigeria/London)
Amandla-Lee Hirsch (South Africa)
2009
The Festival inaugurated Mr. Rudolph Walker OBE as her Patron. Mr. Walker is best known for his role as Patrick Trueman in the British Soap, EastEnders. He was knighted by the Queen of England in 2006 and is amongst the 100 Great Black Britons.
Special Guests that year included, Mr. Rudolph Walker, Nollywood’s Desmond Elliot, Lancelot Imasuen, Kenya’s filmmaker, Susan Wamburi amongst others.
Films Screened in 2009:
Jerusalema-Ralph Ziman (South Africa)
Kirikou and the Beast-Michel Ocelot & Benedicte Galup
Home in Exile-Lancelot Imasuen
The Fighting Spirit-George Amponsah (Ghana)
3 Documentary Shorts on Ecological and Cultural Issues-Susan Wamburi (Kenya)
2010
The 2010 edition was opened by the Minister for Integration, Equality and Human Rights, Ms. Mary White TD amidst colourful performances. That year, the Festival launched its first Award for Best Film with the decision placed in the hands of the audience through a rating process
Special Guests included Lancelot Imasuen, Yemi Blaq and Rudolph Walker.
Films Screened in 2010:
Soul Boy-Hawa Essuman (Kenya)
Backyard Shorts-Alan Cameron (South Africa)
IMANi-Caroline Kamya (Uganda)
Haunting-Lancelot Imasuen (Nigeria)
Soul Boy-Hawa Essuman (Kenya)
The 1st Carlow African Film Festival's Best Film Award went to Lancelot Imasuen's Haunting
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