Whether you’re a Black filmmaker, critic, or simply a lover of cinema, we highly recommend the Silicon Valley African Film Festival.
Source: Janeé Bolden
Our Sr. Content Director Janeé Bolden had the pleasure of attending the 15th Annual SVAFF in San Jose where she gained insight from founder Chike Nwoffiah and a number of the filmmakers in attendance, including Dr. John Kani, Julie Dash, Souleymane Cissé and Richard Mofe-Damijo who were all honored as 2024 Cultural Icons during the four-day event.
Source: Janeé Bolden
SVAFF was launched fifteen years ago when Nwoffiah began using film as a tool in college classrooms.
“I was teaching at one of the universities here, teaching African history and I would bring short clips by African filmmakers into my classroom to help animate my curriculum and my students were just in awe of what we were seeing,” Nwoffiah recalled. “It was challenging the very core of what Africa was or could be. These were short stories, and short films by the storytellers themselves from the continent and that revelation was very clear to me that I needed to take this experience and my students into the bigger Silicon Valley community and invite people to a different conversation about Africa. If only they can sit and hear the Africans and see Africa through the lenses of those Africans…”
Nwoffiah’s first Silicon Valley Film Festival was held on a Saturday for a half day, screening some 10-12 films, but the impact that was felt was immeasurable.
“People came, we had conversations outside the screenings and it was just amazing the reaction,” Nwoffiah recalled. “There was an immediate demand for more and hence was the birth of what today is the 15th annual Silicon Valley African Film Festival. From that humble beginning of half a day, 12 films, this year we’re showing 85 films, 38 countries are represented and the festival spans four days. Cultural competency is important, and when we tell it, we should tell it unapologetically on our terms. That’s why we theme our program ‘Africa Through the African Lens.’ It’s not only about building the continental shelves of Africa, it’s brothers and sisters in our festival connecting throughout the diaspora, from the United States, from Brazil, from Senegal, Nigeria to tell the global African story.”
Our SVAFF experience kicked off on Industry Day, held two days before the official opening ceremony for SVAFF when we joined the participating filmmakers on a visit to YouTube’s office in San Bruno, CA. After our arrival, we were hosted by two employees (members of Black@YouTube) who gave us a tour of the campus and answered questions.
This visit was particularly special because Souleymane Cissé (often referred to as “the greatest living African filmmaker”) was among the group. Hailing from Mali, Cissé’s film Yeelen became the first African film to win the Jury Prize at the 1987 Cannes Film Festival. Cissé was also awarded the Carrosse d’Or award at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival.
In addition to his global recognition and personal accomplishments, Cissé has served as a guiding light to other African filmmakers through his foundation of the Union of West African Cinema and Audiovisual Designers. The definition of a humble giant, Cissé was truly a joy to spend time with during Industry Day. The legendary director mingled with the other filmmakers, laughing and joking, often with his phone camera out, capturing the events of the day. Before leaving the YouTube campus, the festival filmmakers took a moment to pay homage to Cissé.
Nwoffiah also spoke with BOSSIP about his motivation for bringing the filmmakers to YouTube headquarters:
“It’s something that we started several years ago, just to give our guests and filmmakers a taste that is uniquely Silicon Valley,” Nwoffiah told BOSSIP. “We have the world headquarters of all these companies here and we have relationships with these companies, the people that work there are human beings like us, and so we try to use the opportunity to expose our filmmakers and get them into these spaces. We’ve received feedback that it helps demystify these plaforms for them. If you think about the lonely filmmaker in Sudan or somewhere in Brazil, the idea of YouTube is something they interact with on their computer. To be in the physical space that is actually the building and then meet, greet and touch human beings that look like them that work in that space, it does something to their minds. They get to meet senior executives that look like them, have conversations with them about their operations and all of that, and this is uniquely Silicon Valley.”
On Thursday, Oct. 10th., the festival launched its first film summit at San Jose State with the theme “Identities and Representations in African Cinema.” Check out the post below for more details about the panels:
Attendees were treated to a day of panel discussions featuring conversations about film studies, gender, media, distribution, and more. Afterward, Adobe hosted a reception and dinner for the filmmakers.
Next up was at the festival was a School Day offering screenings for local middle school students followed by the official opening ceremony red carpet. By Friday, we’d had so many conversations with the filmmakers taking part that we truly felt like one big family.
https://www.instagram.com/p/DBAvuHXRAL0/?img_index=1
After watching the introductions of this year’s Cultural Icons Souleymane Cissé, Richard Mofe-Damijo, Julie Dash and Dr. John Kani, attendees were directed into the main theater to watch the opening night films, both from Uganda. The first film, a narrative short called Half Chocolate, Half Vanilla, was directed by Kabuye Nodryn Evanci and tells the story of a young woman struggling with vitiligo who learns to appreciate her unique beauty.
The second film, a narrative feature titled Makula directed by Nisha Kalema and Dan Mugisha, also starred Kalema as a woman who believes she’s fallen in love, only to learn that her newlywed husband is running a black market business involving sex slavery as well as human and organ trafficking.
Kalema, who is also an SVAFF alum, was emotional as she described her feelings about having her film be one of the opening night features.
“The first time I had an opening film I think I had no idea what it meant,” Kalema told BOSSIP. “Right now, the pressure is real. All my idols are here, people I really admire and respect i’m honored and excited and nervous all at the same time. I just hope they really like the film.”
On Saturday, festival attendees were treated to an open African market set up outside of the historic Hoover Theater with stalls featuring clothing, fragrance oils, books, toys and more!
Following the shopping experience was Saturday afternoon’s fashion show featuring designers like Cameroon native Kevin of Picasso Style.
We especially loved the look he created for Nigerian acting great Richard Mofe Damijo for opening ceremonies.
A number of great films were shown Saturday but one of our favorites from the weekend was definitely Memories of Love Returned by Ugandan-American actor and director Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine, which tied for a Best Documentary Feature win at the Festival. The film tells the story of his encounter with Ugandan photographer Kibaate Aloysius Ssalongo. After randomly stumbling upon the photographer’s studio, Mwine was met with stunning portraits of the people of Mbirizi, some dating back to the 1960’s.
We don’t want to spoil it for you, but stay tuned for more details in our exclusive interview with Mwine. For any readers in London, Memories of Love Returned will be premiering at Film Africa Saturday, Oct. 26 at 6pm at the Ritzy Picturehouse. For tickets and more info, click HERE.
Another favorite from the weekend was Celestina Aleobua’s documentary short Tina, When Will You Marry?. The film addresses the pressures women often face to get married and explores the experiences of three very different Nigerian-Canadian women.
You can visit the SVAFF website for a full synopsis of all the films shown and hit the flip for more details from the SVAFF closing ceremonies
Jesus Take The Wheel: Lil Durk Reportedly Booked Multiple International Flights To Allegedly Evade Federal Agents Before Arrest
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Source: FREDERIC J. BROWN / Getty
Lil Durk reportedly booked several international flights to confuse authorities before his arrest while planning a private jet escape.
On Thursday Chicago Rapper Lil Durk was arrested by US Marshalls on “murder for hire” charges stemming from a Los Angeles shooting targeting Quando Rondo. Reportedly the shooting happened in retaliation for King Von’s murder at the hands of Quando associate Lul Timm. Very few details were available upon his arrest, but now we have a better picture of the allegations against Durk. The morning of his arrest several associates from his OTF family were arrested in connection to the 2022 shooting in Los Angeles.
According to the Chicago Tribune, Lil Durk allegedly planned to flee the country to avoid arrest. In a wild case of “life comes at you fast”, Durk went from receiving keys to the City of Chicago to planning to flee the country.
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Allegedly Durk booked two commercial flights with one landing in Dubai and another in Switzerland. He never made it either flight and Seemingly thought this would confuse the police. Meanwhile, he had a private jet booked to leave for Italy at 9 p.m. Thursday but he was arrested just an hour before takeoff.
We may never know Durk’s thought process but clearing international customs wouldn’t have happened for a wanted man. Allegedly the credit cards used to purchase items in the 2022 shooting that killed one of Quando’s associates were linked to OTF. With that, the pattern of unwise decisions that created the situation continued until the last suspect was arrested.
Luke Walton Sells Manhattan Beach Home for a Staggering $10.3M
SLIDERLuke Walton just slam-dunked his way to an epic sale, offloading his Manhattan Beach home for a jaw-dropping $10.3 million!
The sale of the former Los Angeles Lakers player and head coach’s 7-bedroom, 7.5-bathroom mansion is a major win, making it only the third property east of Sepulveda Boulevard in Manhattan Beach, California to sell for over $10 million. And just from the pics, it’s easy to see why it fetched such a high price.
The 10,000-square-foot home is a showstopper, kicking off with an impressive imperial staircase that greets you as you enter the foyer, giving off all the luxury vibes.
Everything else is just as airy and perfect for entertaining guests, featuring highlights like an in-home theater, a fitness studio, and a sparkling pool and spa — the ultimate dream setup.
Luke snagged the pad back in 2017 from Jordan Belfort‘s ex-wife … and now it looks like he’s ready to pass the palace to someone new.
The buyer and sellers were represented by Nick Schneider and Nathan Staggs of Schneider Properties Team powered by Compass.
So Sad: University of South Florida Basketball Coach Amir Abdur-Rahim Dies At 43
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University of South Florida’s beloved men’s basketball coach Amir Abdur-Rahim tragically passed away at just 43 years old.
Source: Mitchell Layton / Getty
The university announced the shocking news of his death on Thursday, Oct. 24. He passed away at a hospital in the Tampa area due to complications from a medical procedure. He leaves behind his wife, Arianne Buchanan, and their three children, Laila, Lana, and Aydin.
The USF Vice President for Athletics, Michael Kelly, remembered Abdur-Rahim and his impact on the campus community.
USF President Rhea Law added:
Source: Aric Becker/ISI Photos / Getty
Abdur-Rahim’s dynamic coaching took the Bulls team to new heights as he did for other teams with dysfunctional programs. Abdur-Rahim’s leadership took the team its first conference championship with a 25-8 record. In addition to unprecedented success for the team, ranked in the top 25 of the Associated Press and USA Today Coaches Poll, he was named American Athletic Conference Coach of the Year this year.
As a Southern Louisiana University player, Abdur-Rahim led his school to its only NCAA appearance and first SLC title. Earlier this year, his alma mater inducted him into the Southern Louisiana Hall of Fame.
Before USF, the 18-year coaching veteran doubled the season wins for Kennesaw State, according to CBS Sports. Abdur-Rahim made history with a trajectory from one-win seasons to the NCAA tournament in only four years. At the University of Georgia, Abdur-Rahim helped secure Anthony Edwards before we went on to become the No. 1 NBA draft pick.
Former 13-year NBA star Shareef Abdur-Rahim remembered his brother in a social media post on Friday.
Our condolences go out to Amir Abdur-Rahim’s family and loved ones.
Megan Thee Stallion Spins The Block As Tina Snow With ‘Bigger In Texas’ Video & Star-Studded ‘Megan: Act II’ Deluxe Album
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Megan Thee Stallion proves that the bars and booties are “Bigger In Texas” with her new music video and brings the stars out for her hard-hitting deluxe album, Megan: Act II.
Source: Jamie McCarthy / Getty
Hot Girl Summer may be over but Megan Thee Stallion is taking over all of 2024 as “the year of Thee Stallion.” Not letting her foot off the gas or her haters’ necks, Megan is back with a homegrown homage and a dozen other songs on her new album. On Friday, Megan Thee Stallion locked in and clocked in as her beloved alter ego for the “Bigger In Texas” video.
https://twitter.com/TheStevenDwayne/status/1849676202149077156
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Following Megan’s hit self-titled album, she’s waving the Texas flag for her victory lap in Act II. Like the cover art featuring her diamond grill and matching blinged-out font, the slow-simmering single is a love letter to classic Texas rap.
With her Pimp C-inspired persona, Tina Snow, Megan stands on the shoulders of UGK. Local legends like Paul Wall, Slim Thug, and Sauce Walka stood by Megan’s side as she put on for Houston.
https://twitter.com/FemaleRapRoom/status/1849669334768980151
In the outro, Megan also seemingly addressed her recent beefs with rap rivals like Nicki Minaj.
Check out the full “Bigger In Texas” video below.
Megan Thee Stallion Bends Bars & Genres With Flo Milli, TWICE, And RM Of BTS On Megan: Act II
Source: Bryan Bedder/Athlos / Getty
The double-disc deluxe edition Megan: Act II adds 10 new songs, including “Bigger In Texas.” She slides on fan favorites from Megan Mondays like “He Think I Love Him” and “Like A Freak.” The infectious hit “Neva Play (feat. RM of BTS) fills out the 13-track release, ranging from rock to K-Pop.
Following their “Sunday Service” success on Latto’s remix, Megan reunited with Flo Milli. The “Never Lose Me” lyricist slid on a sample of Ciara’s “Goodies” with Megan for “Rock Steady.”
Spiritbox brought the edgy energy on “TYG.” Megan’s bars went as “hard in the paint” as the electric guitar. The Canadian metal band previously pushed “Cobra” and its rock roots to another level with a remix in 2023.
Megan continues the crossover success of “Mamushi” with a remix featuring TWICE. The original with Japanese star Yuki Chiba became an instant viral hit across the globe. Now, the K-pop girl group TWICE is taking that momentum even further.
Earlier this week, the Grammy winner teamed up with the New York Liberty for a viral “Mamushi” moment.
Megan Thee Stallion was definitely cooking on the new album and the Hotties are eating it up.
What do you think of Megan: Act II?
For your Viewing Pleasure: ‘Love Island USA’ Winners Serena & Kordell Star In Summer Walker’s New Music Video
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Fans can’t get enough of the stars from the latest installment of Love Island USA, and luckily for us, the couple who won Season 6 continue to be booked and busy!
Source: Michael Loccisano / Getty
Serena Page and Kordell Beckham are starring in Summer Walker’s lyric video for her latest single, “Heart Of A Woman.”
The song chronicles the ups and downs of falling in love, opening up about how hard it is to pull away from toxic relationships, even when you know you should. “Heart Of A Woman” will be included in Walker’s highly-anticipated third studio album, Finally Over It.
Beckham and Page portray those themes perfectly in the lyric video, going back and forth from yelling at one another and arguing passionately, to cuddling on the couch and sharing some kisses.
Serena posted some behind-the-scenes flicks from the video shoot, thanking Walker in her caption as she posted about the experience to Instagram.
“Shout out to @summerwalker for having us in her new video for “Heart Of A Woman”, we had sooooo much fun ðð,” she wrote. “The full video is out on YouTube now!!!”
As fans already know, Serena and Kordell went through their fair share of ups and downs on Love Island USA, going from together, to friend-zoned, to broken up, and back together. In the end, their connection was undeniable, and the pair have been inseparable ever since.
Check out some fan reactions to their appearance in Summer Walker’s video down below:
https://x.com/TheGreatIsNate/status/1849672146240311347
https://x.com/willjames93/status/1849665315845570991
https://x.com/leeleemakibs/status/1849686493993775539
https://x.com/totaltauruss/status/1849664563148685696
Anti Social Social Club & BAPE Join Forces Again For Fall/Winter 2024 Floral Collaboration
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Source: Anti Social Social Club / other
Two of the most respected streetwear brands Anti Social Social Club and BAPE reconnect for a Fall/Winter 24 collaboration.
Streetwear is more popular than ever and luckily collaboration is at the forefront of brand focus. Anti Social Social Club and A Bathing Ape are two brands that work together often and reconnected to end the year.
For their Fall/Winter 2024 collaboration, the duo is giving a fresh take on BAPE’s iconic camo print with a floral touch.
Source: Anti Social Social Club / other
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The collection features a full lineup including the timeless full-zip hoodie, tees, accessories, and footwear with the vibrant floral 1st camouflage pattern.
Source: Anti Social Social Club / other
For those primarily concentrated on footwear the iconic BAPE STA will come in a black patent leather overlay with the floral 1st camo. The Ape head logo will be on the heel while dripped in white shoe laces. The Shark Sta will also feature black patent leather overlays and a shark teeth overlay, a gill-inspired arch, and a chunky sole featuring a wave pattern.
BAPE & Anti Social Social Club’s collaboration releases globally on October 26 at antisocialsocialclub.com, selected BAPE STORE® and BAPE.COM.
‘Love Is Blind’ Stars Lauren And Cameron Open Up About Their Difficult Fertility Journey
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Lauren Speed-Hamilton and Cameron Hamilton are opening up about something they’ve never addressed before in a new episode of their podcast.
Source: Paras Griffin / Getty
After meeting and getting married on the first season of Love Is Blind in 2018, Lauren and Cameron instantly became a fan-favorite. To this day, when critics point out that the premise of the show doesn’t often yield good results, fans point to Lauren and Cameron to demonstrate just how well things can go.
But, since they met and wed more than six years ago, a lot of people have been asking when they’re going to expand their family, which has proven to be difficult for the couple. On an episode of their new podcast The Love Seat, Hamilton said, “The number one question we are always asked is, ‘When are you going to have a baby?’”
This is a subject that the Love Is Blind stars have “never talked about before,” with Speed-Hamilton admitting, “This conversation is not the easiest for me.”
Despite how difficult of a road it’s been while struggling with fertility, when Cameron asks his wife how she thinks their journey has impacted their relationship, she only has positive things to say.
Hamilton started to cry as he opened up about their experience with in vitro fertilization.
You can hear more of what Lauren and Cameron have to say about their difficult fertility journey below:
Gypsy Rose Fears Society Has Built Menendez Brothers Up, Will Tear Them Down
SLIDERGypsy Rose Blanchard‘s telling the Menendez Brothers to tread carefully … because while people are currently advocating for them, she knows from personal experience it won’t always be like that.
We spoke with Gypsy, and she tells us she hopes all the facts of their case are taken into account, and they have a peaceful transition back into society if they’re released following Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón‘s decision to advocate for resentencing.
Fox 11 Los Angeles
That said, GRB says she worries society’s building them up only to tear them down just like she says they’ve done to her.
As you may know … many people have compared Gypsy’s case to Erik and Lyle Menendez in recent days — with both taking part in the killing of parents in order to escape allegedly abusive behavior.
Since getting out of jail, Gypsy has enjoyed a certain amount of fame … appearing in her own Lifetime show and giving interviews all over the country — though she’s dealt with online bullies and celebs who have taken shots at her.
We caught up with Gypsy earlier this month at LAX, and she told us she didn’t know a ton about the Menendez case … but, she advocated for them to make sure they have good therapists if they do eventually get out.
As you know … earlier today, D.A. Gascón announced he planned to file a motion to change Erik and Lyle’s sentence from life without parole to life with the possibility of parole. Given the time the Menendez’s have already served, they’ll be eligible for parole immediately assuming a judge agrees to the resentencing.
It’s unclear exactly when they may get out … but, we do know Erik plans to live with his wife, Tammi, in Las Vegas if he’s released from prison.
Bottom line … Gypsy’s telling Erik and Lyle to be careful — ’cause the backlash comes quicker than you think.
Rumor Mill: Young Thug’s YSL Rico Trial Headed To Mistrial With Rumors Defense Reportedly Discussed Plea Deals With DA Fani Willis
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Young Thug – Source: Paras Griffin / Getty
Reports surfaced alleging Young Thug and the YSL Rico case could be headed to a mistrial after rumors of plea deal discussions.
Young Thug has been behind bars since May of 2022 after being arrested in a devastating RICO targeting his YSL record label. In RICO indictments the trials mostly end in the favor of prosecutors 99% of the time. However on any given day that 1% chance can prove an underdog is never to be counted out.
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The YSL RICO case has become a spectacle and spawned social media stars like YSL Woody. Woody was the star witness who took the stand claiming he told the authorities “whatever they wanted to hear” from him as an informant.
According to 11Alive, the circus may end following an erratic day of court. Several sloppy mistakes from the prosecution with redacted items created a new low in court. Judge Whitaker responded by officially putting a mistrial on the table for Young Thug and the defense.
https://www.twitter.com/ThuggerDaily/status/1849161174954447355
Judge Whittaker also added the mistrial would come without prejudice. This leaves the possibility of the defendants facing the trial again and staying behind bars until the next trial.
https://www.twitter.com/cathyrusson/status/1849164945835069746
On Thursday court was canceled alongside news it wouldn’t resume on Friday either. The news comes as reporters alleged the defense met with District Attorney Fani Willis about possible plea deals.
https://www.twitter.com/cathyrusson/status/1849209836191494158
Plea Deals are usually in favor of the prosecutors but with Young Thug not being a convicted felon it’s likely he won’t accept a plea that changes that. However, it’s up to him if he accepts the deal, not his lawyer, the judge, the DA, or anyone else.
At this point, it’s not confirmed a plea deal was offered nonetheless major developments are expected shortly.
https://www.twitter.com/ThuggerDaily/status/1849209176297513361
Cinematic Culture-Shifters Souleymane Cissé, Julie Dash, Dr. John Kani And Richard Mofe-Damijo Receive Their Flowers At The 15th Annual Silicon Valley African Film Festival
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Whether you’re a Black filmmaker, critic, or simply a lover of cinema, we highly recommend the Silicon Valley African Film Festival.
Source: Janeé Bolden
Our Sr. Content Director Janeé Bolden had the pleasure of attending the 15th Annual SVAFF in San Jose where she gained insight from founder Chike Nwoffiah and a number of the filmmakers in attendance, including Dr. John Kani, Julie Dash, Souleymane Cissé and Richard Mofe-Damijo who were all honored as 2024 Cultural Icons during the four-day event.
Source: Janeé Bolden
SVAFF was launched fifteen years ago when Nwoffiah began using film as a tool in college classrooms.
Nwoffiah’s first Silicon Valley Film Festival was held on a Saturday for a half day, screening some 10-12 films, but the impact that was felt was immeasurable.
Our SVAFF experience kicked off on Industry Day, held two days before the official opening ceremony for SVAFF when we joined the participating filmmakers on a visit to YouTube’s office in San Bruno, CA. After our arrival, we were hosted by two employees (members of Black@YouTube) who gave us a tour of the campus and answered questions.
This visit was particularly special because Souleymane Cissé (often referred to as “the greatest living African filmmaker”) was among the group. Hailing from Mali, Cissé’s film Yeelen became the first African film to win the Jury Prize at the 1987 Cannes Film Festival. Cissé was also awarded the Carrosse d’Or award at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival.
In addition to his global recognition and personal accomplishments, Cissé has served as a guiding light to other African filmmakers through his foundation of the Union of West African Cinema and Audiovisual Designers. The definition of a humble giant, Cissé was truly a joy to spend time with during Industry Day. The legendary director mingled with the other filmmakers, laughing and joking, often with his phone camera out, capturing the events of the day. Before leaving the YouTube campus, the festival filmmakers took a moment to pay homage to Cissé.
Nwoffiah also spoke with BOSSIP about his motivation for bringing the filmmakers to YouTube headquarters:
On Thursday, Oct. 10th., the festival launched its first film summit at San Jose State with the theme “Identities and Representations in African Cinema.” Check out the post below for more details about the panels:
Attendees were treated to a day of panel discussions featuring conversations about film studies, gender, media, distribution, and more. Afterward, Adobe hosted a reception and dinner for the filmmakers.
Next up was at the festival was a School Day offering screenings for local middle school students followed by the official opening ceremony red carpet. By Friday, we’d had so many conversations with the filmmakers taking part that we truly felt like one big family.
https://www.instagram.com/p/DBAvuHXRAL0/?img_index=1
After watching the introductions of this year’s Cultural Icons Souleymane Cissé, Richard Mofe-Damijo, Julie Dash and Dr. John Kani, attendees were directed into the main theater to watch the opening night films, both from Uganda. The first film, a narrative short called Half Chocolate, Half Vanilla, was directed by Kabuye Nodryn Evanci and tells the story of a young woman struggling with vitiligo who learns to appreciate her unique beauty.
The second film, a narrative feature titled Makula directed by Nisha Kalema and Dan Mugisha, also starred Kalema as a woman who believes she’s fallen in love, only to learn that her newlywed husband is running a black market business involving sex slavery as well as human and organ trafficking.
Kalema, who is also an SVAFF alum, was emotional as she described her feelings about having her film be one of the opening night features.
On Saturday, festival attendees were treated to an open African market set up outside of the historic Hoover Theater with stalls featuring clothing, fragrance oils, books, toys and more!
Following the shopping experience was Saturday afternoon’s fashion show featuring designers like Cameroon native Kevin of Picasso Style.
We especially loved the look he created for Nigerian acting great Richard Mofe Damijo for opening ceremonies.
A number of great films were shown Saturday but one of our favorites from the weekend was definitely Memories of Love Returned by Ugandan-American actor and director Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine, which tied for a Best Documentary Feature win at the Festival. The film tells the story of his encounter with Ugandan photographer Kibaate Aloysius Ssalongo. After randomly stumbling upon the photographer’s studio, Mwine was met with stunning portraits of the people of Mbirizi, some dating back to the 1960’s.
We don’t want to spoil it for you, but stay tuned for more details in our exclusive interview with Mwine. For any readers in London, Memories of Love Returned will be premiering at Film Africa Saturday, Oct. 26 at 6pm at the Ritzy Picturehouse. For tickets and more info, click HERE.
Another favorite from the weekend was Celestina Aleobua’s documentary short Tina, When Will You Marry?. The film addresses the pressures women often face to get married and explores the experiences of three very different Nigerian-Canadian women.
You can visit the SVAFF website for a full synopsis of all the films shown and hit the flip for more details from the SVAFF closing ceremonies
Nuthin’ But A G.I.N. Thang: Snoop Dogg & Dr. Dre Celebrate Launch Of Ultra-Premium Gin At Glitzy NYC Soirée, Toast It Up With Gal Pal Martha Stewart
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Nuthin’ but a G.I.N. thang!
Source: Natasha Campos
Very few duos are more dynamic than Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre who celebrated the launch of their ultra-premium gin Still G.I.N. By Dre And Snoop at a swanky NYC soirée with special guest Martha Stewart in the building.
Check out the video recap below:
The glamorous affair doubled as the kickoff or the NYC Wine & Food Festival where the Hip-Hop icons toasted to their first foray into the pure premium spirit space following the success of their canned Gin & Juice canned cocktail.
Source: Raven B. Varona
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According to a press release, Still G.I.N. By Dre and Snoop “stands out as a clean, light modern gin that’s highly mixable – and supremely drinkable. As the first pure bottled spirit with Dre and Snoop’s official cosign, the game-changing Still G.I.N. By Dre and Snoop proves modern yet elegant, bursting with notes of tangerine, jasmine, and coriander for an unforgettable aromatic finish.”
Paying homage to one of their biggest collabs, Still G.I.N. By Dre and Snoop joins Gin & Juice By Dre And Snoop (which, of course, pays homage to Snoop’s Dre-produced hit “Gin and Juice”) in the growing business portfolio of the winning tandem.
Source: Natasha Campos
Still G.I.N. By Dre and Snoop is now available for purchase nationwide.
Girl, Stand Upppp! ‘Love Is Blind’ Star Marissa Admits She Asked Fake Woke Condom Coward Ramses To Rekindle Romance–And He Said ‘Nah’
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Marissa, I was rooting for you…we were all rooting for you!
Source: Courtesy / Netflix
On the final episode of this season of Netflix’s Love Is Blind, fans saw Marissa George and Ramses Prashad call off their relationship shortly before they were set the get married. The split came as a shock to Marissa, who asked Ramses if he was “sure” multiple times–but he didn’t budge.
The former couple got engaged in the pods during Season 7, which was filmed in October 2023. Things were going smoothly for George and Prashad until they started living together and meeting one another’s family and friends, which really highlighted all of their differences.
Ramses was not shy about his strong disdain for the military and veterans like Marissa, insisting it would be an instant divorce if she ever wanted to re-enlist. Despite his facade as someone who’s extremely liberal and fights for the people, he didn’t support Marissa’s right to human autonomy, getting upset that she wasn’t in the mood to have sex with him while she was sick, among other things.
Ramses didn’t even disagree when Marissa compared him to the high percentage of men who leave their wives when they get sick!
In spite of all this, George still wanted to marry Prashad, but he got cold feet, breaking things off seemingly out of nowhere without giving his then-fiancée a real reason. Fast forward a year later, and in a new interview with Glamour, Marissa reveals she tried rekindling things with Ramses, who quickly shut her down.
That’s when she revealed that she actually tried to get back together with Ramses, who shot her down.
As for what caused Ramses to call off the marriage, Marissa still has no idea.
Marissa, baby, that’s what we call a blessing in disguise!
Marissa and Ramses will hash out their breakup the Love Is Blind reunion, which drops on Netflix on Oct. 30 at 9 p.m. ET.