press release september 2011
(< Return to Press Releases)Tanzanian Filmmaker Ekwa Msangi-Omari has Traveled Long Way from Mountain View High School to 2011 Silicon Valley African Film Festival
Conversation with filmmaker Msangi-Omari will follow Northern California premier of Taharuki/Suspense at SVAFF, Sat, Oct 15, at Community School of Music and Arts.
(Mountain View, CA) Tanzanian filmmaker Ekwa Msangi-Omari will be revisiting an old stomping ground when she travels to Mountain View from her current residence in Brooklyn to attend the 2011 Silicon Valley African Film Festival (SVAFF). The talented writer/director/producer, a former Mountain View High School student, will be sitting in the audience at the Community School of Music and Arts (CSMA) on Saturday, October 15, when her short film, Taharuki/Suspense (2011) and Weakness (2009), make their Northern California premier.
Set against the backdrop of the start of the devastating post-election violence in Kenya in 2007/2008 that has left tens of thousands homeless, traumatized or dead, Taharuki/Suspense is the fictional account of a man and woman from opposing ethnic tribes who are working for an underground liberation movement to expose a child-trafficking cartel. When something goes terribly wrong, they are forced to make tough decisions to stay alive and complete their mission. Ekwa Msangi-Omari tells this compelling story in 12 minutes, artfully showing what happens when time is running out, lives are at stake and choices can change the course of history.
Even as a child, Ekwa was drawn to films and stories, but she credits her career with taking root when she took her very first film class as a teenager attending Mountain View High School (MVHS) from January 1997-May 1998. Born in Oakland, Ekwa spent her early childhood living in the U.S. in Palo Alto. Her parents, both Tanzanian Fulbright students, were studying at Stanford in the 1980’s, but returned to East Africa when Ekwa was age five. When she became a teenager, as a way of preparing her to attend college in the U.S., her parents sent her abroad to live with her two older brothers who were working and going to school in Silicon Valley.
“I knew that I wanted to go to film school, but I knew nothing about film, film school or the American educational system,” said Ekwa. “Having a year at MVHS was great. . . and was pivotal in preparing me to attend New York University, Tisch School of the Arts for Film/TV production.” In fact, Ekwa believes that she was the first MVHS student at the time to be accepted into this prestigious program. She cites her student involvement and broad experience at MVHS – from taking a Global Connections class to organizing the school’s first multicultural day as part of the Black Students Union and Multicultural Committee – as instrumental in shaping her future. After earning a BFA in Film/TV Production at NYU, she went on to earn an MA in African Film at NYU, Gallatin School of Individualized Study.
Since then Ekwa has directed, written and produced programs for some of the biggest TV shows in East Africa. She has also written for film and produced several shorts. Weakness, which will be shown at the festival, has screened worldwide, including New York, Durban and Brazil and was nominated for a 2010 Kalasha Award and a 2011 African Movie Academy Award. Since 2010, she has been Associate Director in charge of development for The Independent Film School. She has also served since 2009 as Industry and Juror Coordinator for Tribeca All Access, a flagship program at the Tribeca Film Institute.
Although Ekwa currently divides her time between living in Africa (Kenya) and the U.S. (New York), the occasion of the 2011 Silicon Valley African Film Festival will be the first time that she has been back to the Bay Area since leaving Mountain View with her brothers in the late 1990’s. “It’s a real joy for me to be coming back and to see how far the area has come in terms of representing and recognizing the African community in the Bay Area,” said Ekwa. “I am honored to be a part of the film festival.”
Ekwa's film Taharuki will be shown as the festival's opening short narrative film at 12 noon on Saturday, October 15. Her other film Weakness will be shown as the closing short narrative on Sunday, October 16 at 4:30 pm.
The 2011 Silicon Valley African Film Festival (SVAFF) opens on Friday, October 14 at the Community School of Music and Arts. The annual event, now in its second year, shares the true stories, hopes and dreams of Africa through an African lens. The weekend will showcase more than 30 films -- a mix of feature films, shorts and animations from Africa’s seasoned and emerging first-voice filmmakers -- from various African nations, taking audiences of all ages across the continent.
Presented by Oriki Theater in partnership with CSMA, film screenings will be held throughout the weekend of October 14-16, starting on Friday morning with the “Africa in the Classroom Film Series,” a showcase of shorts and animations for middle school students and teachers. A formal opening ceremony with a “Parade of Nations” featuring flags and drum/music performance will be held on Saturday, October 15, 10-11:30 am, with films shown from noon-10 pm. On Sunday, films will be shown from 11 AM-5 pm, with a closing awards ceremony from 7-9 pm. All films will be screened at CSMA at Finn Center, 230 San Antonio Circle, Mountain View.
Additional event highlights include African drumming and dance performances, workshops, panel discussions, special films for children, post-screening talks with filmmakers, and an awards ceremony recognizing best short, best feature, best documentary and Emerging Filmmaker.
In addition to Ekwa Msangi-Omari’s attendance at the SVAFF for her films’ Northern California premier and post-screening conversation on Saturday, October 15, two other distinguished African filmmakers will be attending the festival. One of Africa’s finest filmmakers Zola Maseko from South Africa is scheduled to attend, as well as Rwandan filmmaker Gilbert Ndahayo. Zola’s film Drum, which won the “Etalon D’Or de Yennenga” / Golden Stallion Award at Africa’s biggest Film Festival FESPACO, will be shown on Saturday, October 15. Ndahayo’s compelling documentary Rwanda Beyond the Deadly Pit screens on Sunday, October 16. The film is a personal account of the filmmaker’s journey to forgiveness and healing after his parents and sister were killed during the Rwandan genocide.
In recognition of the festival, Mountain View City council members and other officials will be attending the opening ceremony on Saturday, October 15 at 10:00 AM, at which time Vice Mayor Mike Kasperzak will present a proclamation declaring the 3-day event as “Silicon Valley African Film Festival Weekend” in the City of Mountain View.
“The festival's mission is to promote an understanding and appreciation of Africa and Africans through moving images,” says film festival director Chike C. Nwoffiah of Oriki Theater. “CSMA is thrilled to be home to the Silicon Valley African Film Festival again this year,” says CSMA executive director Moy Eng. “As a non-profit arts education organization committed to providing Arts for All, we know that the medium of film is a powerful and creative art form for promoting cultural literacy.”
Oriki Theater is a Mountain View based nonprofit performing arts company dedicated to the promotion of Africa’s culture and heritage through a unique combination of dance, drama, music, folk stories, chants and the DRUM. From outreach programs in schools to theatrical productions and workshops, Oriki brings to our community a shared experience of Africa, its people and their way of life. For info about Oriki Theater, see www.oriki.org or call 650-968-1598.
The Community School of Music and Arts (CSMA) at Finn Center, a nonprofit arts education center founded in 1968, is committed to providing Arts for All, regardless of age, level, background or economic means. Annually, the school reaches more than 40,000 people throughout the Silicon Valley region through: music, art and new media classes and camps; private lessons; in-school programs; free concerts; lectures; exhibitions; and community outreach events. In keeping with its mission to make the arts accessible to all, the school’s Financial Aid Program awards over $250,000 annually in tuition aid and program subsidies to youth and low-income families. CSMA is the largest non-profit provider of arts education programs in the region and among the top 10 schools of its kind in the United States.
The SVAFF will be held at the Community School of Music and Arts (CSMA) at Finn Center, 230 San Antonio Circle, Mountain View. Limited free on-site and street parking are available. For directions and info about the school’s programs and events, see www.arts4all.org.
The festival offers a variety of ticket purchase options, ranging from $5-$30, including one- and two-day passes, with student/senior discounts offered. Children 12 and under admitted for free. To purchase tickets online, go to http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/196533. Depending upon availability, tickets may be purchased at the door the weekend of the event, October 14-16. For a complete daily schedule of SVAFF events, list of films (run with English subtitles, as needed), country of origin, suggested rating guideline (PG-13, G, R), screening times, and brief film descriptions, go to www.svaff.org, call 415-774-6787, or email programming@svaff.org.