Iowa African Film Festival crowns first winners

The first Iowa African Film Festival announced its winners following its debut festival held Aug. 6–8 at Drake University.

The event brought together filmmakers, directors, cultural leaders, community organizations, sponsors and audiences who all shared the same curiosity and excitement for film. Industry professionals came from Iowa and the Midwest to attend and meet one another, exchange ideas and build relationships. More than 500 films were submitted from around the world, with 30 films from 22 countries ultimately selected for the inaugural program across categories including feature film, documentary and shorts.

“The conversations blended Iowa and African stories, allowing participants to look at culture, identity, community
and lived experiences from different angles,” said Jack Chimbetete, the festival’s founder and director. “CultureALL
provided a critical forum for dialogue and belonging.”

Egyptian director Soliman Mohamed Hamza’s short “Beat the Saddle” led the awards, winning both Best Picture and Best Director. Other winners include:

• Best Documentary: “Destiny of a Migrant,” Omar Brams Mbaye (Senegal)
• Best Feature: “The Coruskan,” Fred Eyriey (France/Réunion)
• Best Short: “Till Death,” Yana Bille-Chung (United States)
• Best Screenplay: “Tribes,” Youssef Ghariani (Tunisia)
• Best Score: “4 Letters,” Natasha Chirambo, Scott Paton-Levin, Simamkele Mrwetyana and Thabiso Holele (South Africa)
• Best Emerging Filmmaker: “What Is the Black Body?,” Amira Barret (United States)

Sponsors included Drake University, Petra Tours and Travel, Palms DSM, Cleaning for Hope and Carokims Media.

More information about the films and finalists is available on the festival’s website.