A date with Shiri The film programmer

FOR more than two hours that the screening lasted, Keith Shiri, an international film curator and advisor to the London African Film Festival, sat patiently, brimming with smiles and confidence. As soon as it ended, there was a prolonged clapping of hands. After waiting for a few minutes, the artistic director of the African Film Festival (AFRIFF) got up and hurried down to the foyer of the elegantly built film mall at the Calabar Marina, where he had interview appointment with some journalists.
   He was conservatively dressed, in a suit, which seemed to have been specially cut for his shoulders. His hair was carefully cut and his chin clean-shaven.
   Asked how it felt with the choice Of Good Report as the opening film of the 2013 AFRIFF, the man, who wore so much of confidence, in an impressionable voice, whispered, “I’m excited.”
   He talked about the film in loud exclamation. He went on to reel out its technical qualities. The African Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) 2014 was a fitting testimonial to AFRIFF’s decision to have the film open its 2013 edition, as it cleared most of the awards it was nominated for.
   He shook his head and said after, “it was the film of the moment, and I needed to make a quick decision after Half of a Yellow Sun was withdrawn. That film was topical and it came handy, even as an opportunity for people to see what South Africans are doing, in terms of cutting-edge cinema. After the opening, I heard different conversations from filmmakers about the style of filmmaking, which was, indeed, different from what you mostly see around.”

   With a broad smile, he added, “hope you will be around to see other films.”
   And many indeed saw the motley of films that were screened.
   If anything, Shiri was happy that the film created the right buzz for the 2013 AFRIFF. The ingenuity of the Zimbabwean programmer contributed immensely to the success of the festival, which held in Calabar, Cross River State, in November last year.
   The festival, no doubt, has become a study in determination and tenacity of purpose. Created out of a desire to have Nigeria entrenched in filmic landscape, Shiri said, “it emerged from ION, a travelling film festival, and Chioma Ude, the CEO of AFRIFF, adopted it and said it had to remain in Nigeria. That was how people like us came in, determined to give it the best support and ensure that we have a truly international film festival coming out of Nigeria. However, the idea is not just to celebrate Nigerian output, but that of the entire continent. And Nigeria, I must say, has got the means.”
   He took in a deep breath to steady himself, as if on cue, and added, “I know the challenges of the African man. But at the end of the day, how we handle them says much about how we define ourselves. AFRIFF has done exceedingly well in the last four years. All over the continent, there are possibilities. And I have always looked at Nigeria, for example, as a country to look up to. This, for me, began back in the days when I read novels like Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe and all the collections of Wole Soyinka. They have always been a point of reference. Looking at the possibilities in Nigeria, I see the country as a powerhouse. And with its huge population, it should be able to take a leading position. You can see a country like Burkina Faso struggling to do what is called the biggest festival in Africa called FESPACO (Festival of Pan African Cinema). In that country, people commit themselves to the ideals of cinema. But then, of course, it is a model, which is part of the Francophone idea — nevertheless, it is there.”
 
AT the last Cannes Film Festival, he met with filmmakers from Africa and other parts of the world. The platform also gave him opportunity to see some great feature films, documentaries and short films. He also shared his concern for the AFRIFF projects, and the possibility to network with international people.
   “I remember talking to Ben Gibson, the director of the London Film School, to come to Nigeria. I made him understand our challenges. This is because one of the things I would like to suggest to AFRIFF is that, rather than just showcase films, it should find a way, where we can bring people from the outside world and explore the opportunities that we can gain from them. Getting somebody like Gibson will give us an idea of how the British film policy operates,” he said.
   According to him, “I am trying to see how Nigeria can begin to define its film policy such that it will create a platform where co-production treaties can happen. South Africa, for example, has got co-production treaties with the UK and Germany. And this can just serve as an incubator, where things grow. It’s a place where we come to celebrate every year and people can begin to engage with Nigerian filmmakers. Also, content-wise, we invite filmmakers from all over the continent for competition and provide the panorama programme. That way, we can choose to have a film from Mexico or Brazil or Indonesia.”
   On the 2014 festival, Shiri said the organisation is concluding arrangements for a successful outing. “I have been watching films from the beginning of this year, so, I know what my opening and closing films are going to be like. I’m still doing all that I need to do: meeting the people I should meet, just to seal deals. The next time I will be meeting the AFRIFF team, we will have at least, a skeleton of the programme that we will start working on. I am still on the road, but Durban International Film Festival (DIFF) will be my very last for this year before I really go back to Nigeria for the final preparation for AFRIFF, which will be happening in November,” he breathes.
   For Shiri, African filmmakers are able to see what others are doing from the rest of the world. “That’s why it is international. It is not a Nigerian film festival, but an African film festival. But of course, the home brands have to benefit than the others, because people have the opportunity of seeing more filmmakers from Nigeria. Besides, it is also an opportunity for Nigerians to show the world what they have got.”
   From 2013, when he took over as the Programmer for AFRIFF, the level of success recorded by the festival has been encouraging. He said, “the feedback has been positive. I was encouraged by the fact that from the outside, people started noticing that this thing is really possible. For instance, the governor and people of Cross River State provided us with the support that I never expected would happen- the filmmakers all came.”
   He added, “I just feel we have to do it again. We have to do it better than last year’s. Don’t forget that some of the big film festivals have existed for so long. But for AFRIFF, this is just the 4th edition. So, to have achieved that kind of network, people should applaud themselves, particularly the team of AFRIFF. They are an amazing kind of people.”
   He sidestepped the question of what film would open or close the 2014 festival, but added, last year, AFRIFF had full commitment from everyone before it decided to announce the films. But for reasons only known to producers of Half of a Yellow Sun, they decided to pull out. “That’s not going to happen this time. I am going to ensure it will never happen again. And I must say we are being careful this time around,” he says, with what seems a note of finality.”
   He recalled, “the closing film was a Nigerian film, of course. The opportunity for us to be so flexible means that we have got a lot of films from the continent. We got such a diverse range of the genres, diverse range of individual’s approach. Of Good Report is a very great film. It’s dominating everywhere. I’m glad that we decided to pick it.”
 
HOW much film entries have been received so far, and in terms of the countries that will be participating this year?
   “We are doing great! I am getting a lot of things online. So far, we are getting a lot of interesting inputs from the continent. I want to have at least one World Premiere in AFRIFF this year and a number of African premieres as well. We are working seriously to develop a character for AFRIFF. I don’t want the festival to just be yet another film festival. We really want it to create its own brand, its identity and its own space,” Shiri said.
   Would you want to disclose the names of your opening and closing films now?
   “No!” he shrugged. “I won’t because we are going to have a proper press conference at some point, while we will also unveil the programmes for AFRIFF 2014. I need to keep all that under wraps. The earliest you will hear from me on the programme will be August, because I would have gone to DIFF and back.”
  In a raspy voice, he said, “one of the things I’m impressed with, is how well Timbuktu, a film by Abderrahmane, is doing. I’m negotiating with the sales agent for AFRIFF’s possible screening. As a continent, I think we also need the support mechanism because this film can be claimed by any of the African country as our own. This is a way to say this is our brand and this is what we can do in our continent.”