The recently announced Ladima Foundation short-film competition aimed at African women during the world-altering Covid-19 pandemic and related lockdown has already gained significant interest.
The competition is open to African women content creators and filmmakers of any age or experience level, currently living in Africa. The competition aims to encourage women to share their stories as we create a living document of a time and place of the specific circumstances that women in Africa currently find themselves, under various degrees of lock-down, through the limitations on movement, opportunity, and often,basic freedoms.
With entries already being submitted, the Ladima Foundation is excited to announce the jury who will select the final 10 films from across all genres such as animation and fiction, documentary or interview style.
These 10 films will be streamed on the Ladima website along with other partner websites. Each winning filmmaker will also receive 500 EURO as well as access to a year worth of educational and inspirational webinars on the USA Women Make Movies platform, https://www.wmm.com ,valued at approximately $500.
Entry is FREE and women will need to register on the Ladima Foundation newly revamped A-List in order to enter: https://ladima.africa/film-competition/
JURY
Cornelia Glele
Cornelia Glele is a journalist, blogger and filmmaker from Benin. In 2017, she created the Ecranbenin blog dedicated to African cinema. She is the author and director of two documentary films. The first “The Drums of Silence” and “White-black and Happy” which has won many awards. With her association Ecranbenin, she created the Cotonou International Women’s Film Festival in 2019.
Lizelle Bisschoff
Lizelle Bisschoff is a researcher and curator of African film, and founder of the Africa in Motion (AiM) Film Festival in Scotland. She holds a PhD in African cinema from the University of Stirling, in which she researched the role of women in African film. Lizelle is currently a Senior Lecturer in Film and Television Studies at the University of Glasgow. Her most recent publication is “Women in African Cinema: Beyond the Body Politic” (co-authored with Stefanie Van de Peer, Routledge, 2019).
Nse Ikpe-Etim
Nse Ikpe-Etim is a multiple-award winning Nigerian actor. With over a decade of active years on stage and screen, Nse has become an epitome of depth and professionalism, making her one of the most sought-after faces in Nollywood. Nse is a TEDx speaker and an advocate for women empowerment. She has also been an International Juror at the Durban International Film Festival (DIFF) and Cape Town International Film Market & Festival (CTIFMF) which have positioned her esteem beyond the shores of Nigeria.
Professor Martin Mhando
Professor Martin Mhando is a Research Fellow with Murdoch University,Western Australia. He is an award winning filmmaker and experienced festival director. He is also co-editor of the Journal of African Cinemas. He has returned to Tanzania to continue with Bongo Movies producing and directing.
Philippa Ndisi -Herrmann
Philippa Ndisi-Herrmann is an oracle; harnessing the power of film to empower stories, honour ancestors and the cosmos. Born in Bonn in 1985, to a Kenyan mother and German father, Philippa makes both short and long films, both fiction and documentary. Her prior works, a mélange of essayist documentary, photography and poetry, the majority of which she shot, directed, produced and recorded sound for herself. An alumna of Berlinale Talents 2016, IDFA Summer School 2013, Produire au Sud 2011 and RAW Académie 2016, her best known works are short, Seeds (Ecumenical Jury Prize, Kurzfilmtage Oberhausen 2017) and long, documentary essay, New Moon (Best Documentary, Durban International Film Festival 2018). Philippa is based in England.
Selection & Judging Criteria:
Any woman who is a citizen or permanent resident of an African country and who is currently living in Africa may enter. In order to enter you must register on the A-List: Competition opens at 9am Monday, June 1st 2020 and entries must be received by midnight GMT + 2 on Sunday June 21st 2020.
Full terms and conditions are on the Ladima website. The films must be under 2 minutes and must focus on the following themes through an inspirational, educational, personal, or leadership lens : Women with special needs / Coping with special needs during the Lockdown /Caring for Persons with special needs during a global pandemic Impact on family / domestic life/Economic / impact on work life/ Domestic violence / abuse in the time of Covid-19. Hope in the time of Covid-19
Are women paying a higher price? How does the crisis highlight and affect the role of women? The crisis as a kick to rethink the social order. Solidarity and empowerment among women in times of Covid -19.
The films will be judged on the following criteria:
- THEME: Connection and relevance to the themes above
- STORY : Concept
Story has a clear message and a unique storyline
Originality of story and / or approach
Rich and vibrant storytelling that engages, amuses or provokes the viewer
- QUALITY OF PRODUCTION
Best use of technology
Technical aspects such as lighting, sound etc.
- CREATIVITY
-Original and captivating
-Imaginative writing and directing
-Presents the theme in an interesting way
- EMOTIONAL IMPACT/AUDIENCE APPEAL
-Visually appealing and entertaining
-Affects the audience through eliciting an emotional response
-Creates a lasting impression.
- STRUCTURE
-Images / elements are arranged logically in a way that fits the purpose of the film
About the Ladima Foundation
The Ladima Foundation is a Pan-African non-profit organisation founded with the aim of contributing to correcting the major imbalances within the film, TV and content industries.
The Ladima Foundation supports and recognises African women in Film, TV and Content. Through training and networking programmes, we uplift, connect and include. Ladima operates in the spirit of positivity, excellence and integrity.
Through a number of initiatives, The Ladima Foundation supports, trains, and mentors women in a variety of roles within the film, TV, and content spaces.
Through partnerships and collaborations in various countries, as well as through Pan-African networks and interventions, the Ladima Foundation is committed to developing training, networking, and related opportunities for women professionals who demonstrate their seriousness and commitment to their craft. www.ladima.africa
About DW Akademie
DW Akademie is Deutsche Welle’s center for international media development. As a strategic partner of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), DW Akademie carries out media development projects that strengthen the human right to freedom of opinion and promote free access to information. DW Akademie also works on projects funded by the German Foreign Office and the European Union – in approximately 50 developing and emerging countries.