The Cascade Festival of African Films opens this Friday, Feb. 5 with a showing of the award-winning "Teza" at 7 p.m. at the Hollywood Theatre. The opening night film will be attended by its Ethiopian director Haile Gerima. All films in the festival are free and open to the public.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the film festival, sponsored by Portland Community College Cascade Campus, that has one of the largest collections of African films in the Northwest. The festival runs Thursdays through Saturdays from Feb. 5 to March 6 at PCC Cascade's Moriarty Auditorium, 705 N. Killingsworth St.; McMenamins Kennedy School Theatre, 5736 N.E. 33rd Ave.; and the Hollywood Theatre.
In addition to Gerima, there will also be the following filmmakers in attendance:
• John Kani, a South African actor, playwright and director, will present his film, "Nothing But the Truth" on Feb. 12. The film is an adaptation of Kani's stage play and took second place at the film festival in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
• George Amponsah, a director, will present his latest documentary, "The Fighting Spirit," on Feb. 25. The film focuses on boxing in Accra, Ghana.
• Joséphine Ndagnou, also a director, comes to town with her first feature-length film, "Paris or Nothing," on March 5. She not only directed the film, but wrote the screenplay and has a role in the film, as a woman from Cameroon who moves to Paris.
Visit the festival's website here
Saturday, Feb. 6
DEMOCRACY IN DAKAR (Senegal)
preceded by WATER FIRST (Malawi)
2 p.m., Moriarty A&H Bldg. 104, PCC Cascade
SANKOFA (Ghana/Jamaica/USA)
7:30 p.m., Moriarty A&H Bldg. 104, PCC Cascade
Thursday, Feb. 11
NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH (South
Africa), 12 p.m.
WRESTLING GROUNDS (Senegal),
2 p.m., Moriarty A&H Bldg. 104, PCC Cascade
Documentary Night
BEHIND THE RAINBOW (South Africa)
7:30 p.m., Moriarty A&H Bldg., 104, PCC Cascade
Friday, Feb. 12
Showcase Film
with Film Director John Kani
NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH (South
Africa)
7 p.m., Hollywood Theatre, 4122 N.E. Sandy Blvd.
Saturday, Feb. 13
WRESTLING GROUNDS (Senegal)
7:30 p.m., Moriarty A&H Bldg. 104, PCC Cascade
Thursday, Feb. 18
ADIOS MOMO (Uruguay), 12 p.m.
DIVIZIONZ (Uganda), 2 p.m.
Moriarty A&H Bldg. 104, PCC Cascade
Documentary Night
MY NEIGHBOR, MY KILLER (Rwanda)
7:30 p.m., Moriarty A&H Bldg. 104, PCC Cascade
Friday, Feb. 19
THE YACOUBIAN BUILDING (Egypt)
7 p.m., Hollywood Theatre, 4122 N.E. Sandy Blvd.
Saturday, Feb. 20
Family Film
with storytelling by Baba Wagué Diakité of Mali
PRINCESS OF THE SUN (France) with
OBARA & THE MERCHANTS (USA)
2 p.m., McMenamins Kennedy School Theatre,
5736 N.E. 33rd Avenue
DIVIZIONZ (Uganda)
7:30 p.m., Moriarty A&H Bldg. 104, PCC Cascade
Thursday, Feb. 25
SEX, OKRA AND SALTED BUTTER
(Chad/France), 12 p.m.
GOODBYE MOTHERS (Morocco),
2 p.m., Moriarty A&H Bldg. 104, PCC Cascade
Documentary Night
with Film Director George Amponsah
THE FIGHTING SPIRIT (Ghana)
7:30 p.m., Moriarty A&H Bldg., 104, PCC Cascade
Friday, Feb. 26
SEX, OKRA AND SALTED BUTTER
(Chad/France)
7:30 p.m., Moriarty A&H Bldg. 104, PCC Cascade
Saturday, Feb. 27
GOODBYE MOTHERS / ADIEU MÈRES
(Morocco)
7:30 p.m., Moriarty A&H Bldg. 104, PCC Cascade
Thursday, March 4
Women Filmmakers Week
Matinee
PARIS OR NOTHING (Cameroon), 12 p.m.
FROM A WHISPER (Kenya), 2 p.m.
Moriarty A&H Bldg. 104, PCC Cascade
Documentary Night
SENEGALESE WOMEN AND ISLAM and
YANDÉ CODOU, LA GRIOTTE DE
SENGHOR (Senegal)
7:30 p.m., Moriarty A&H Bldg. 104, PCC Cascade
Friday, March 5
Women Filmmakers Week
with Film Director Joséphine Ndagnou
PARIS OR NOTHING (Cameroon/France)
7:30 p.m., Moriarty A&H Bldg. 104, PCC Cascade
Friday, March 6
Women Filmmakers Week
Saturday Documentary Matinee
COMING OF AGE (Kenya), NORA
(Mozambique/USA), and MOVEMENT
(R)EVOLUTION AFRICA (8 African
Countries/USA)
2 p.m., Moriarty A&H Bldg. 104, PCC Cascade
Closing Night
FROM A WHISPER (Kenya)
7:30 p.m., Moriarty A&H Bldg. 104, PCC Cascade
