African Film Festival

Four films for families and adults that represent multiple African nations and social issues faced in the region will be shown.

Theater 1: Recommended for children, youth, families

1:00 pm - "God Grew Tired of Us" - Sudan - award winner at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival Directed by Christopher Quinn An uplifting documentary that follows the resettlement in the United States of three young men uprooted as children by the civil war in Sudan. Capturing their wonder at things Westerners take for granted, this documentary paints an intimate portrait of strangers in a strange land and makes you proud of what America offers to the rest of the world and worried that it can't keep its promises. 90 min

2:30 pm PANEL DISCUSSION on Refugees and Adjustment to Cultural Differences in USA

3:00 pm - "War Dance" - Uganda - nominated for a 2008 Academy Award Directed by Sean Fine and Andrea Nix Set in civil war-ravaged Northern Uganda, this extraordinary film follows the lives of three youngsters who attend school in a refugee camp and find hope through a rich tradition of song and dance. Over the course of three months, the film's creative team observes the three youngsters as they prepare for the event and gain their confidence enough to have them discuss the horrors they have experienced and express their individual fears, hopes, and dreams.

107 min

Theater 2: Recommended for teens and adults

1:00 pm - "Angels in the Dust" - South Africa - nominated for a 2009 Academy Award Directed by Louise Hogarth The inspiring story of a courageous, loving South African woman who abandons a life of luxury to open a home and school for 500 orphaned children who are suffering from AIDS. For a nation overwhelmed by an epidemic of HIV/AIDS, orphans, rape, violence, and apartheids ugly legacy , the film offers a pathway of hope and shows that one person can create change and be a noble model for the future. 95 min

2:30 pm PANEL DISCUSSION on AIDS in Africa

3:00 pm film selection pending