TAFF picks Yvonne Monalisa, David Vandy as hosts

Ahead of this year’s edition of The Africa Film Festival (TAFF), organisers have announced award-winning Tanzanian actress, Yvonne Monalisa and Sierra Leonean actor and Voice of America TV host, David Vandy, as hosts of the event, which holds in Dallas, United States, in June.

The festival director and founder, Kelechi Eke made the announcement during the week, explaining that the two entertainers are selected based on their outstanding accomplishments as international stars. The festival was hosted last years by veteran actor, Richard Mofe-Damijo,RMD, who brought his wealth of experience to bear.

Speaking on the project, Kelechi who was recently honoured with African Community Achievement Award by a North American group, AFRIFAMU, said the festival would open on June 29, at the Dallas City Performance Hall and climaxes on July 3, with an awards night.

According to him, RMD will be teaching the Master Acting class again this year, while popular film director, Lancelot Imasuen will teach a class in directing. The classes, he said would be held at Southern Methodist University, one of the most prestigious universities in Texas, which supports TAFF initiative in promoting African Arts and Culture through motion pictures.

While the opening night of TAFF 2018, will be a folklore of storytelling sessions by Eclectic Vanessa Danso from Ghana, and Ruth Ndulu Maingi from Kenya, the festival director, however, revealed that the Association of Nigerian Physicians in America, ANPA, will be part of this year’s event, as the members will be having a convention in Dallas leading to TAFF 2018. ANPA partners TAFF to showcase the power of Medicine and Film. TAFF founder has been selected to speak at the ANPA convention.

Other notable filmmakers expected at TAFF 2018 include Nollywood’s Emem Isong, Uche Jombo, Stella Damasus, Charles Billion and Jim Iyke. Others include Nigerian Film practitioners in the U.S, Cameroonian Filmmakers Kang Quintus, Ruth Nkweti, Terence Limona and Tiana Bibish. Gambian Alhagie Manka, Sierra Leonian Winstina Taylor, Congolese Soleil Marie, Kenyan Hollywood-Based, Benjamin Onyango and all the practitioners whose work were among the 40 selected films, will also grace the event.

According to the organisers, the three-day event will showcase films made by Africans, as well as a few made by non-Africans about issues important to different regions of the continent.