The Toronto Black Film Festival (TBFF) has released the line-up for it's first festival taking place February 13-17. The festival was designed to "celebrate diversity within the black community through films that matter," a press release announcing the line-up said.
The festival launches with a screening of Nairobi Half Life at the TIFF Bell Lightbox. It's about an aspiring actor from Kenya who dreams of becoming a success in "the big city," but his life takes an unexpected turn when he gets caught up in a world of small-time crooks. The film was Kenya's choice for the 2013 Oscars, but it didn't make the short list for best foreign language film.
"2013 commemorates the 50th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's 'I Have a Dream' speech and also marks the second term of the First American Black President, Barack Obama. We couldn't think of a better year to inaugurate the Toronto Black Film Festival (TBFF)," said Fabienne Colas, President and Founder of the Festival, in the release.
The release continues:
"Building on the three year relationship between Global Montreal and the Montreal International Black Film Festival, TBFF connects black films to viewers of all colours and ethnic origins. We recognize the differences that make us unique and celebrate the shared values that bring us together. Films illuminate, entertain and invite audiences to see the world from another person's experience. Coming together through art allows members of all cultural communities to better understand one another."
Read the full release and list of participating films
here.
Original Source: Newswire.ca