The 2nd African Women in Film Forum, which will meet in Accra from September 23 – 25, is actually a writers’ event in disguise.  That’s because quite a number of the attendees are writers and that additional bonus makes this book blogger very happy indeed!

The Forum is the brainchild and work of the African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF). I can’t crow enough about the life-saving, women-affirming work of the AWDF.  That the board and staff of the Fund recognize the role of the arts in development, particularly in promoting social justice, is but one of the reasons that a lot of us appreciate AWDF and its work.

In an interview on the very wonderful blog,  African Women in Film, Nana Darkoa Sekyiamah, AWDF’s Communications Specialist and lead organizer for AWIFF said:

AWDF conceptualised the AWIFF in order to utilise the power of film to accelerate efforts towards gender equity and social justice. We think filmmakers have a powerful role to play in shifting or reinforcing patriarchal attitudes, and we want to work with filmmakers to create a better world for women, and the community at large.

The first Forum was held in Nigeria and Sekyiamah says that the third will be held outside West Africa, preferably in a Francophone country.  We’ll hold AWDF to this because Africa is not only Anglophone!

According to Sekyiamah, the goals for the 2nd AWIFF are:

– Promote diverse representations of African women in the African film industry

– Provide an opportunity for established and emerging scriptwriters to share and discuss how to make social justice content compelling

– Showcase African films that address social justice issues in fresh and exciting ways

– Engage with the Ghanaian public on the importance of diverse gender representation in the film industry.

You can read the full interview here.

Participants include Tsitsi Dangarembga, Sefi Atta, Yaba Blay, Kwaw Ansah, Ade Solanke, Sarah Bouyain, Lodi Matsetela and many more. A fuller list of participants is on the AWDF Blog.

Now a highlight of this AWIFF is a completely free and open-to-the-pubic Film Festival.  The schedule is:

Monday September 23, 2103 – Screenings of The Witches of Gambaga (Yaba Badoe) and On the Border (Tsitsi Dangarembga), at Alliance Franciase, 6pm

Tuesday September 24, 2013 – Screenings of Perished Diamonds (Anita Afonu) and Notre Etrangere/The Place in Between (Sarah Bouyain), at NAFTI, 6pm

Filmmakers will be hold a Q&A after each screening.

Monday is a holiday in Ghana and if you are in Accra, then come out and see a film by an African woman! See you there.