Times Of Swaziland: BAKA NGWANE TO DEBUT AT EUROPEAN FILM FESTIVAL

BAKA NGWANE TO DEBUT AT EUROPEAN FILM FESTIVAL
================================================================================
Mxolisi Dlamini on 17/10/2024 14:42:00


MBABANE – The newly released film ‘Baka Ngwane’ will be screened during
the upcoming European Film Festival.
The European Union Film Festival is making its grand return to Eswatini from 23
to 26 October 2024, and this year promises to be more exhilarating than ever. In
collaboration with Alliance Française de Mbabane, the European Union (EU) in
Eswatini presents the third edition of this celebrated festival, supported by
the EU member States embassies and cultural institutes based in the region.
Under the compelling theme: ‘Inclusivity, Diversity, and Human Rights,’ this
festival is set to be a remarkable celebration of cinema.
According to a press release sent to this publication, this year’s festival
will offer high-standard cinematic excellence. “This will be four days of
cinematic excellence featuring a diverse lineup of award-winning films. From
gripping dramas and eye-opening documentaries to enchanting fantasies and
side-splitting comedies; the festival will offer a rare chance to experience a
broad spectrum of European cinema alongside some local gems,” reads part of
the press release.
Other films that will be showcased during the festival include ‘The Last
Execution’ and ‘Comedy Queen’, to name a few. The film ‘Baka Ngwane’
celebrates the vibrant culture, rich heritage, and remarkable birth of the
Kingdom of Eswatini, stemming from Bantu-speaking Nguni people. It premiered on
September 6 this year during Independence Day at Julios Cinelux at Manzini
Lifestyle. The film is the brainchild of Tribe Studios, alongside Executive
Producer, who is also Senator, Pholile Shakantu. Worth mentioning, local
songstress and actress Mandisa Mamba is also featured in the film. She plays the
character of Queen Choshile.
EU Ambassador-designate Karsten Mecklenburg says the upcoming festival will
inspire and evoke shared human emotions. “Motion pictures and cinema are
central to our European cultural heritage. As in previous years, I am thrilled
that the European Union Film Festival will take place in Eswatini again this
year to inspire all of us and evoke our shared human emotions. It is also
pleasing that the festival will further extend a hand to the local creative
industry through the audiovisual workshop to empower emaSwati youth as drivers
of innovation, job creation, and positive change in the Kingdom. This is part of
a wider effort by the EU to foster cultural exchanges and collaborations in the
country,” Mecklenburg said.