Get your popcorn at the ready. Mashariki African Film Festival returns for its fourth edition tomorrow (March 24) running until March 31.

The festival will showcase films of different genres; features, documentaries, short films and other related activities like workshops, panel discussions, and international networking.

The festival seeks to showcase and celebrate the works of aspiring filmmakers from across the continent, and bring African stories to African people through film.

This year’s edition will celebrate women under the theme ‘Value, Image and Identity’, with Rwandan-French actress and will have Miss France 2000 Sonia Rolland, as Godmother.

The festival will feature a variety of special programmes such as Quartiers Lointains, FIFDH, Kinyarwanda Day, and Virtual Reality (New Dimension Africa).

Six short films will be screened under the national competition, which is open exclusively to Rwandan filmmakers and these are;

A Place for Myself by Clementine Dusabejambo, Akarwa by Yuhi Amuli, Pay Back by James Dukundane, She Wasn’t Me by Deus Sangwa, Yes We Can by Emiel Habumugisha and The Discord by Serge Girishya.

Also, two Rwandan short fiction films will be screened under the East African Competition category.

These are; Strength in Fear by Ella Mutuyimana and The Secret of Happiness by Mutiganda Wa Nkunda.

Meanwhile, Imfura by Samuel Ishimwe will compete under the African short fictions category.

Like the past editions, films will be screened at several venues across the city of Kigali, with the opening and closing events slated to take place at the Kigali Conference and Exhibition Village (former Camp Kigali).

The opening film is Kalushi by Mandla Dube.

Other venues of the screenings will be Century Cinema, Cine Star, Impact Hub (Neo Café) Kiyovu, Maison des Jeunes (Kimisagara) and Goethe Institute.

With a selection of more than 60 films from all over the continent and around the globe, Mashariki African Film Festival aims at presenting a succession of images that reflect the audience’s values, a cinema with which they can identify.

editorial@newtimes.co.rw