African Women in Cinema

Beti Ellerson has a Ph.D. in African Studies (Howard University) with a sub-specialization in African Cinema Studies and Women Studies. As a Fellow during the 1996-1997 Rockefeller Humanities Fellowship year, she focused her research on African women in cinema, which culminated with a book entitled Sisters of the Screen: Women of Africa on Film, Video and Television (2000) and the film documentary, Sisters of the Screen: African Women in the Cinema (2002). Realizing the relative fixity of the book and film project, as many more women are emerging, and films continue to be produced, she followed the trend of new media and social networking to continue the African Women in Cinema Project, thus having a means to constantly update information. She launched the Center for the Study and Research of African Women in Cinema in 2008.

Beti Ellerson has published extensively and spoken widely on the topic of African women and the moving image. She currently teaches courses in Africana studies, visual culture and women studies in the Washington, DC area. 

Beti Ellerson is invited as a guest to FilmAfrikana and will give us a great insite in her studies. Her lecture consists of filmclips and discussion. This is a must!!
www.africanwomenincinema.org

Monica Ifejilika is a singer/songwriter and a member of the successful all women's show group Queendom based in Norway. Monica has extensive experience as a solo artist, choir member and as a backup singer. She has been involved in projects with Latter, NRK, Nordic Black Theatre, Big Bang, Women's Voice og soul collective Groove Experience. Monica is a central vocalist Traces Gospel Choir.

Monica will take part in the discussion proceeding the screening of Say My Name on Wednesday 30 March.

“Kenny is a natural born clown with a gift for explosive physical comedy, but unlike other local comedians he roots his comedy in the truth of South Africa’s still uneasy race relations in a manner that is both hilarious and biting,” said Barry Ronge, writing in the Sunday Times.

Kenneth got his first taste of acting in 1986 as part of a community theatre group. He realised the need to perfect his craft, and in 1993 he enrolled at the Market Theatre Laboratory as a student in dramatic arts. He made his debut in 1995 with his former teacher Robert Coleman in a com

Once he’d conquered the theatre world, Kenneth ventured into television. His first role was in the South African soapie Isidingo. Soon after he landed a part in Saints, Sinners and Settlers, written by Zakes Mda and directed by John Matshikiza. His face also became familiar as he was on the The

Kenneth appeared in Fela’s TV, and Tsotsi (winner of the Oscar for Best Foreign Film), Jerusalema, Surprise, and the international sci-fi hit District 9. He created the role of Elvis (for which he won a SAMA best actor award) and co-wrote and produced White Wedding.

Rapulana Seiphemo is one of South Africa’s best know actors. In 1989 he completed his diploma in Acting and Playwriting at the Federated Union of Black Arts Academy in Johannesburg. He then went on to complete a BA in Theatre at the Arts College Station Texas A & M Univers

His theatre career started in 1987 with Apartheid in the Court of History at the FUBA Academy. Other performances include the acclaimed My Children My Africa in 1992 and The Blacks which opened at the Stockholm Stad Theatre in 2001. Rapulana has directed a number of plays, includ

Probably best known for his lead role in the TV soap Generations, Rapulana has appeared in South African TV in Muvango, Isidingo, Deafening Silence and in Silent Witness for the BBC.

He played the lead in the recent box office hit and critically acclaimed Jerusalema for which he won the best actor award at the Durban International Film festival. Other features include Themba by Stefanie Sycholt, Hijack Stories by Oliver Schmidt, the Oscar winning Tsotsi by Gavin Hood, Dead End by Donovan Marsh and Les Blair. He created the role of Tumi and co-produced and directed the comedy hit White Wedding.