The seventh edition of Mashariki African Film Festival (MAFF) concluded in style in Kigali on Friday, December 17, by recognising filmmakers who showed outstanding works showcased at the festival.

The festival’s closing ceremony held at Century Cinema was graced by a number of stakeholders in the film industry in Rwanda and Africa including filmmakers and guests representing embassies and government institutions working closely with the film sector.

Among the dignitaries who attended the closing ceremony include Israel’s Ambassador to Rwanda Ron Adam, Japanese Ambassador to Rwanda Masahiro Imai, who were both involved in handing over trophies to best performing filmmakers at the prize-giving gala night.

The week-long film festival which was held under the theme ‘Tell the Tale’ was a bit affected by the challenges caused by the persistent covid-19 pandemic given the fact that some filmmakers could not travel to Kigali to attend it.

Trésor Senga, the brains behind Mashariki African Film Festival, hands over a trophy to one of the filmmakers during the closing ceremony.

In addition, the screenings and workshops attract a far less number of participants compared to the past editions not because the films were not worth it but for the sake of holding the festival in line with government’s guidelines to prevent the spread of covid-19 and, as a result, a big number of filmmakers received their prizes virtually.

However, Tresor Senga, the brains behind the annual festival, insisted that the event has achieved its intended objective as long as they managed to avoid canceling it yet again,  for the second time in a row.

"You could see over 2,000 people attending the screenings every day of the festival. But, due to reasons associated with the pandemic, only a tenth or less were able to attend. It was a huge blow on one hand, but a win for us, on the other hand because the festival at least happened. It could have been worse if it had not happened this year,” said Senga.

Filmmakers were recognised in different categories and received prizes varying from trophies to Canal+ decoders and mobile phones courtesy of Mara Phones, among others.

Rwanda’s Kantarama Gahigiri is one of filmmakers whose works were rated outstanding after her film ‘Ethereality’ beat African’s best premiers to the ‘Avant-Garde Award’ while her fellow Patrick Karambizi dominated the local prize line-up, winning the best director award thanks to his film ‘Entanglement’ which also won the best short film while the lead actor in the film won the best actor award.

In general, filmmakers were recognized as follows:

Iziwacu (local) Short Films

Best Actor: Entanglement

Best Actress: A story to Tell

Best Director: Patrick Karambizi (Entanglement)

Best short Films: Entanglement by Karambizi Patrick

                              By Caleb Mwenedata

                              by Sylverie Mukanyandwi

International Categories

Short Films Awards

     Special Mention for Acting Ensemble: Awa! By Déborah Basa (DR Congo)

      Avant-Garde Award: Ethereality by Gahigiri Kantarama (Rwanda)                      Best Short Film: Sixteen Rounds by Loukman Ali (Uganda)

Best TV Series Award: Rawhya’s Safe Haven by Mohmed Fathi (Egypt)

Best Feature/Documentary Award: Garderie Nocturne by Moumouni Sanou (Burkina Faso)

Long Feature Fiction Awards

Special Mentions: Aloe Vera by Peter Sedufia (Ghana) and Juju Stories by CJ Obasi, Abba Makama and Michaël Omonua (Nigeria)

Best Director: Amjad Abou Alala (Sudan) for his film ‘You Will Die at 20’

Overall Best Film Award: Tug of War by Amil Shivji’s (Tanzania)