The 9th edition of the African Film Festival of Reference in Europe (FCAT) will take place between 13 and 21 October 2012 in Cordoba, the ancient capital of Al-Andalus in Spain.
Since 2004 FCAT has been held during the European spring in Tarifa, Spain.
Al Tarab, the NGO behind FCAT, has announced that the festival will now take place every autumn in Cordoba, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with 2,000 years of history, cradle of civilizations and cultures.
“We are very excited about the new period ahead. It is both a challenge and a big opportunity. Cordoba’s infrastructure, institutional and economic support will greatly help FCAT to fulfill its goals towards a better understanding of African realities through the works of African filmmakers,’ says Mane Cisneros, director of the festival. “Cordoba will also allow us to screen films from the Middle East for the first time.’
In 2012, the Dubai International Film Festival will be invited to curate a special section that will showcase films from the Middle East. Cordoba is also one of the headquarters of Casa Árabe (The Arab House), a Spanish public diplomatic instrument aiming to foster relationships between Spain and the Arab world which has been a sponsor and close collaborator of the festival since its inception. FCAT main sponsors are AECID, Casa África, the city of Cordoba and Junta de Andalucia.
“African and Middle Eastern filmmakers, as well as sponsors, will benefit from greater exposure in Cordoba,’ continues Cisneros. “The city is linked via speed train to Madrid, a journey of just 90 minutes that will make the festival more accessible to public and media.’
Cordoba mayor Juan Antonio Nieto Ballesteros adds: “We are very pleased to host such an event. In its eight years in Tarifa FCAT has proved the power of films to bring people together. Cordoba will show its hospitality to the world, a tradition that has been part of our character since the times of the Caliphate.’
Cisneros concludes: “We continue to believe that African filmmakers are best positioned to portray the problems and hopes of the African continent’s societies and to provide a dignified vision of African people’.
