UA’s Community Health Sciences Co-Sponsors African Film Event

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The second annual Tuscaloosa Evening of African Film, co-sponsored by The University of Alabama’s College of Community Health Sciences, will be held Saturday, Feb. 22, at the Bama Theatre in downtown Tuscaloosa.

The program begins at 6 p.m. with two award-winning short films and three feature films.

The event is presented by the Edward A. Ulzen Memorial Foundation and Afram South Inc., two nonprofit organizations that support education and public health initiatives in Ghana, West Africa and West Alabama, respectively. The event is also co-sponsored by UA’s College of Community Health Sciences and Tuscaloosa’s sister city of Sunyani-Techiman in Ghana.

The short films are “Boneshaker” and “Unspoken” from Ghana and Nigeria respectively, and “Outsider.” “Boneshaker” premiered at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival.

The first feature film, “Alaskaland,” is directed by Chinonye Chukwa, a Nigerian-born, Alaskan-raised filmmaker and recipient of the prestigious Princess Grace Award and the Princeton Hodder Fellowship.

The next feature is “The White Wedding,” a thrilling, romantic comedy set in South Africa and directed by Jann Turner, the oldest daughter of South African activist Rick Turner and British politician Barbara Follett. Turner has also directed award-winning documentaries and worked for two years as part of the team of producers of the “Truth Commission Special Report” during Nelson Mandela’s presidency.

The final feature film, “Nairobi Half-Life,” is directed by Kenyan born David Gitonga, who has worked on feature films since 2002.

African art, crafts and other products will be available for purchase at the theatre beginning at 5 p.m.

Tickets are $10 for general admission and $6 for students and children. Tickets are available online at Brown Paper Tickets, http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/562030 and on the day of the event at the Bama Theatre box office.

For more information, contact eaumfoundation@gmail.com or phone Bill Foster at 334/322-0824 or Thad Ulzen at 331/444-2262.