Visit San Jose, the official destination marketing organization for the City of San Jose, welcomes back the 14th Annual Silicon Valley African Film Festival (SVAFF) at the Historic Hoover Theatre from Friday, October 13 through Sunday, October 15, 2023.
From gripping dramas to heartwarming documentaries by seasoned and emerging filmmakers, the film festival is a testament to the incredible talent that resides within the African continent and its diaspora. The festival’s mission is to promote an understanding and appreciation of Africa and Africans through moving images. Aptly themed “Africa through the African lens”, the film festival celebrates the vast richness of the African Continent and, crucially, provides audiences with exquisite lenses to the real Africa and its diaspora.
SVAFF celebrates its fourteenth year with a brilliant line-up of 94 films from 38 countries, all sharing the true stories, hopes and dreams of Africa and its diaspora. This year’s Opening Night Feature Film is Nakupenda, directed by talented young Tanzanian film director, Juma Saada. Nakupenda makes its North America premiere at SVAFF 2023 and Juma Saada will be on hand for a post-screening talkback. Other notable selections include Cameroon’s official Oscar entry filmThe Planters Plantation directed by Eystein Young Dingha, the inspiring documentary Homeland: A Song for Refugees from South Africa, brilliant animation Gromonmon from Réunion, social justice film White Yet Black from Zimbabwe, White Nanny Black Child from United Kingdom, Under the Hanging Tree from Namibia, andThe Envoy of God from Niger. Over 50% of the films will be World or North America premieres.
“We received about 1300 submissions from 50 countries this year and I am excited about the quality, range of genres and diversity of voices represented in the films we have selected,” said Chike C. Nwoffiah, Festival Director of the SVAFF. “It is an honor to offer our community an unfiltered access to the richness, diversity and vitality of Africa’s creative expressions and provide a forum for cultural exchange.”
John LaFortune, President & CEO, Visit San Jose, the company that manages the San Jose Convention Center, and Arts and Entertainment venues, said “We are honored that the Silicon Valley African Film Festival makes San Jose their home. We thank them for celebrating these important filmmakers and films, and we welcome all to stay and experience the cultural treasures that we enjoy in our remarkable city year-round.”
The Silicon Valley African Film Festival has become a destination event and draws an avid international following of distinguished transcontinental visitors, entrepreneurs, tech executives, cinema buffs, academics, civic officials, celebrities and community supporters. The festival has played host to Ambassadors and Senior government officials from South Africa, Rwanda, Zambia, Nigeria, Ghana, Egypt, France, etc., as well as celebrities like Danny Glover, Susan L. Taylor, Isaiah Washington, Ntare Guma Mwine, Jimmy Jean-Louis, etc.
Visit the Silicon Valley African Film Festival website at www.svaff.org for full event schedules, screening times and film descriptions.
