Shining a spotlight on South Sudanese film: the Juba Film Festival
The fourth Juba Film Festival was held in the capital of South Sudan
BERLIN, Germany, February 20, 2020/ --
A film festival in a country without cinemas: in December, the fourth
Juba Film Festival was held in the capital of South Sudan. It provides
a platform for young local filmmakers. The festival received funding
from the Federal Foreign Office.
Screening venues: residential neighbourhoods
South Sudan gained independence from Sudan only in 2011, and much in the country is still under development. This includes the film industry.
The youngest country in the world may not have any cinemas, but it does
have a film festival. Films are screened after dusk, mostly in
residential areas or on the university campus.
The festival was established in 2016 by South Sudanese filmmaker Simon
Bingo, and in December 2019 it went into its fourth edition. It was
a remarkable success. Some 22,000 people attended screenings at the
festival’s nine venues. One of these drew so many visitors that the
existing loudspeaker system was not sufficient for the size of the
audience. Additional speakers were quickly brought in from the
surrounding neighbourhood.
A strong desire for peace
The festival not only provides entertainment, but also encourages local
filmmakers to tell traditional tales and showcase the young country’s
culture. The South Sudanese contributions have a common overriding
theme: finally achieving peace in South Sudan. The festival displays how the South Sudanese hope to live in a society that respects people and
their rights.
It is also an opportunity to tell positive stories from South Sudan, as Simon Bingo, the festival’s director, explains:
"We want local filmmakers to be able to make good and high‑quality
films – films that meet a high enough standard so that we can
participate in other festivals in Europe, the United States, Kenya, or
anywhere else. That way, we can present an image of South Sudan there,
too".
The three‑day festival featured a total of 46 films, and it concluded
with the awarding of prizes in a wide range of categories. Germany was
also represented at the festival, with the documentary Train to Freedom, which was directed by Sebastian Dehnhardt and Matthias Schmidt and
tells a story in connection with the fall of the Wall and German
reunification.
The United Nations peace mission in South Sudan is now partnering with
the festival. It will bring films from all four of its editions that
address the topic of human rights to the provinces, so that these can be screened at other locations.
Funding from the Federal Foreign Office and the Goethe-Institut
Germany has provided 11,000 euros in funding for the festival. It is
a small amount, but it has made a big difference: without this funding,
the festival could not have been held. The Goethe-Institut in Ethiopia,
which is also responsible for South Sudan, supported further-training
seminars for filmmakers in the run‑up to the festival.The fourth Juba Film Festival was held in the capital of South Sudan BERLIN, Germany, February 20, 2020/ --
A film festival in a country without cinemas: in December, the fourth
Juba Film Festival was held in the capital of South Sudan. It provides
a platform for young local filmmakers. The festival received funding
from the Federal Foreign Office.
Screening venues: residential neighbourhoods
South Sudan gained independence from Sudan only in 2011, and much in the country is still under development. This includes the film industry.
The youngest country in the world may not have any cinemas, but it does
have a film festival. Films are screened after dusk, mostly in
residential areas or on the university campus.
The festival was established in 2016 by South Sudanese filmmaker Simon
Bingo, and in December 2019 it went into its fourth edition. It was
a remarkable success. Some 22,000 people attended screenings at the
festival’s nine venues. One of these drew so many visitors that the
existing loudspeaker system was not sufficient for the size of the
audience. Additional speakers were quickly brought in from the
surrounding neighbourhood.
A strong desire for peace
The festival not only provides entertainment, but also encourages local
filmmakers to tell traditional tales and showcase the young country’s
culture. The South Sudanese contributions have a common overriding
theme: finally achieving peace in South Sudan. The festival displays how the South Sudanese hope to live in a society that respects people and
their rights.
It is also an opportunity to tell positive stories from South Sudan, as Simon Bingo, the festival’s director, explains:
"We want local filmmakers to be able to make good and high‑quality
films – films that meet a high enough standard so that we can
participate in other festivals in Europe, the United States, Kenya, or
anywhere else. That way, we can present an image of South Sudan there,
too".
The three‑day festival featured a total of 46 films, and it concluded
with the awarding of prizes in a wide range of categories. Germany was
also represented at the festival, with the documentary Train to Freedom, which was directed by Sebastian Dehnhardt and Matthias Schmidt and
tells a story in connection with the fall of the Wall and German
reunification.
The United Nations peace mission in South Sudan is now partnering with
the festival. It will bring films from all four of its editions that
address the topic of human rights to the provinces, so that these can be screened at other locations.
Funding from the Federal Foreign Office and the Goethe-Institut
Germany has provided 11,000 euros in funding for the festival. It is
a small amount, but it has made a big difference: without this funding,
the festival could not have been held. The Goethe-Institut in Ethiopia,
which is also responsible for South Sudan, supported further-training
seminars for filmmakers in the run‑up to the festival.
Play online games for free at games.easybranches.com
Guest Post Services www.easybranches.com/contribute