"In another location, the film workshop tutored by US based Ethiopian
filmmaker Haile Gerima in which 40 young filmmakers are participating,
including 20 Egyptian and 20 Africans. For the first time, the workshop had
visiting filmmakers coming from the African countries such as Eritrea,
Comoros, Madagascar, Burundi and Rwanda. Gerima is assisted by Daniel
Williams and Ambessa Jir Berhe, filmmakers and US based film professors who
once were his students"
http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/danny-glover-attends-opening-of-3rd-annual-luxor-african-film-festival
Danny Glover Attends Opening of 3rd Annual Luxor African Film Festival
by Sayed Fouad
March 24, 2014 4:56 PM
In its 3rd edition (18-24 March), the *Luxor African Film Festival *organized
a press conference for the American star Danny Glover and the
Bissau-Guinean director Flora Gomes as part of their tributes. The
conference was moderated by film critic Sherif Awad.
After thanking the festival's organizers for their hospitality and the
tribute, Glover spoke about his film The Children's Republic which was
presented at the opening, revealing that he had a chance to visit some
African countries in 2004 only to see the effects of civil war on children
in particular and also the presence of about one million mines on the
border areas in Africa that caused the fall of many of the victims, and the
arming of children to be part of the allies in conflicts.
Glover added that he felt the project gives an idea of how changes are
happening in Africa with dreams of peace and prosperity, since women and
children are always the first casualties in any conflict, and therefore
must be the basic construction of a new state.
On his first visit to Luxor, Glover said that this is his fourth time to
visit Egypt and his wife's first time to do so. He revealed that his wife
is Brazilian and works as a professor of education with a focus on the
education of children of African descent. He added that their experience
together was great especially when they viewed the temples and the Valley
of the Kings.
About his participation in African films, Glover said that he had this
desire a long time which made him shoot seven African films including a TV
film for HBO where he played Mandela. From his side, director Flora Gomes
thanked the festival's organizers and the French producer of his film that
was presented at the opening because it helped the film to see the light.
Gomes added that his friend Danny Glover supported the film from the first
minute and helped to realize his dreams to cast an American star. Gomes
also revealed that he was influenced by many since his childhood including
the Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser and he is currently preparing an
epic about an African leader.
In another location, the film workshop tutored by US based Ethiopian
filmmaker Haile Gerima in which 40 young filmmakers are participating,
including 20 Egyptian and 20 Africans. For the first time, the workshop had
visiting filmmakers coming from the African countries such as Eritrea,
Comoros, Madagascar, Burundi and Rwanda. Gerima is assisted by Daniel
Williams and Ambessa Jir Berhe, filmmakers and US based film professors who
once were his students. At breaks, the students were taken by the
festival's shuttles to daily visits to Luxor monuments at the West Side and
Karnack Temple.
On March 18, the festival's 3rd edition kicked off with the presence of
Luxor Governor Tareq Saad former Prime Minister of Egypt , Dr Essam Sharaf
, and a large number of Egyptian artists including Elham Shahine, Hala
Sidky, Jehan Fadel and Mamdouh Abdel-Aleem, Sabri Fawaz, Manal Salama, Hind
Akef, and Egyptian directors like Magdi Ahmed Ali, Omar Abdel-Aziz, Sharif
Mandour, Amir Ramses Mandour , and Egyptian singers Essam Karika and Samo
Zein.
The celebrations began on the heart of the Nile River, where guests were
imported on Nile Cruises from their hotel to Luxor Temple where the opening
ceremony was held.
On March 24, Senegalese singer Didier Awadi will perform in Egypt at the
closing ceremony of the festival at Luxor Rowing Club's open air space. His
performance comes as part of the tribute that the festival gave to Senegal
during this edition. The Closing ceremony will see the distribution of the
awards and the showing of the films done during Haile Gerima's workshop.
Received on Tue Mar 25 2014 - 12:34:05 EDT