Is this the last year of Africa in the Picture? The Amsterdam Art Council has advised the municipal executive to no longer support the festival in the coming years. That would not only put a further professionalization at risk, but it would also mean the end of a unique festival which attracts more visitors each year, which is an international meeting place for film makers and film fans, and it would mean the end of an organization which not only stands for diversity but also puts it into practice. Nevertheless if it comes to diversity we probably keep on begging. What would you like us to do?

...do we have to BEG, BORROW OR STEAL?

We decided to make it this years slogan inspired on the concept which we are known for. CHANGE – from the worn-out, clichéd representation of Africa. HOPE – to the victory of diversity. INSPIRE – for people who want to be inspired by the versatile reality of Africa.
And a special gift of 50 icons from our past and present, inspiring leaders from the worlds of music, sport and politics. LEADERSHIP pur sang with a vision for the future, people with a DREAM, people with a feeling for JUSTICE and people who dare to SPEAK...

...even if they had to BEG, BORROW OR STEAL?

Africa experiences turbulent times. Attempts at democracy often lead to civil wars lasting decades. After 27 years of war, Angola is going to the polls again on September, 6th. In Kenya, unprecedented violence broke out after the elections. In Zimbabwe, fear rules. Therefore this years festival within the framework of LEADERSHIP, including a short series about the shadows over Africa of assassinated leaders such as Thomas Sankara, Felix Moumi and Patrice Lumumba. With African rappers who feel betrayed in DEMOCRACY IN DAKAR. They brought President Wade to power with their rap, to then discover that he was not doing anything for the people. Well-known African rappers in FANGAFRIKA call from Burkina Faso for the leaders to take on their leadership responsibilities. The beautiful, almost surrealistic Mozambique film TERRA SOMBULA – SLEEPWALKING LAND shows, like a painful dream, the consequences of a long war and the lack of prospects for a better future.

Another genre but an absolute leader in the African film industry is Nollywood: independent Nigerian films, entirely in their own style with their very own stories, not missing out the African spirit world and superstition either. With CHECKPOINT, we show you a real African action movie. Africa has been searching for its own style for some time, as the Ugandan DIVIZIONZ also shows.

Meanwhile, in the African diaspora, in North America, the first Afro- American president is on the way. The son of a Kenyan immigrant, the charismatic Barack Obama, has already been made a world leader before the elections. On September 4th Africa in the Picture will campaign an evening long together with Democrats Abroad Netherlands in film and discussions. Americans living in the Netherlands can register to vote at our main location Het Ketelhuis in Amsterdam.

For people who still consider blacks to be only beautiful, exotic and sexy, must see the Afro-American film in particular A GOOD DAY TO BE BLACK AND SEXY, which breaks through the clichés about ‘black’ sexuality in a very sensual way! More doubtful perceptions fall flat in WHAT BLACK MEN THINK, an ironic film about prison statistics and own prejudices.

We open on September, 3th with the sensual Antillean music film PANMAN, RHYTHM OF THE PALMS, Saint Maarten’s first independent film. Finally, I would hereby like to thank our faithful funders, subsidisers and partners for their trust and support, making it possible to present a great festival once more in 2008.

Heidi Lobato - Festival Director