The documentary "Fastest Woman in Africa - Rwanda’s First Cyclist Woman” produced by The New Times’ multimedia journalist Faustin Niyigena has been selected to screen at the 2016 Silicon Valley African Film Festival (SVAFF), scheduled for October 14-16, 2016 in San Francisco, California.

By this selection, the film will be in competition for SVAFF festival awards, according to the organisers.

VIDEO: Fastest Woman in Africa - Rwanda's First Female Cyclist. Source: TheNewTimes/YouTube

 "On behalf of the Silicon Valley African Film Festival 2016 selection committee, I am happy to inform you that your film "Fastest Woman in Africa - Rwanda’s First Cyclist Woman” has been selected to screen in our 2016 Silicon Valley African Film Festival (SVAFF). By this selection, your film will be in competition for our festival awards – Congratulations!,” a statement sent to Niyigena reads in part. 

Rwanda’s only film at the festival, ‘Fastest Woman in Africa’ is among 60 films that will be screened to the American audience in the annual event.

 The film is in the competition with 13 other films in Short Documentary Category.

Now in its 7th year and voted Best of Silicon Valley 2015 (Metro, March 2015), the Silicon Valley African Film Festival promotes an understanding and appreciation of Africa and Africans through moving images.

Under the theme "Africa through the African lens”, the annual festival is the only film festival in California that is exclusively focused on films made by African filmmakers and presents over 40 films by seasoned and emerging filmmakers from across the African continent.

"It’s a great honor for me to see my short documentary film get an official selection at The Silicon Valley African Film Festival (SVAFF) which honors young African filmmakers,” Niyigena says.

"The Fastest Woman in Africa - Rwanda’s First Female Cyclist,” is a 14 minutes documentary, which tells a story of Jeanne d’Arc Girubuntu who became the first black African female to ride in the world championships, which took place in Virginia, USA, last year. She emerged second in the African Continental Championships Individual Time Trial in Morocco earlier this year.

The film has so far won an award in Slum Africa Film Festival in Kenya and it got eight official selections in different festivals in America, Europe and Africa.

Niyigena is expected to travel to California to attend the 2016 festival which will include, among other things, a colourful opening ceremony flag parade featuring flags of the countries in the festival, African drumming and dance, film screenings, post screening dialogue with filmmakers in attendance, theme parties, African marketplace, fashion show, and an awards ceremony.

The programme will also celebrate and honour Africa’s ancestral footprint in Brazil through films, performances and more.

 Niyigena, who first joined The New Times Publications as an intern after completing his studies at the University of Rwanda in 2013, was a recepient of a Rwanda Development Awards prize, worth Rwf2 million, in the feature and documentary category in 2015.

editorial@newtimes.co.rw