July 9 – The second African Football Film Festival (AFFF) takes place in Lagos, Nigeria, this weekend. Organised by PLAY!YA, the event mixes films and discussion of the social issues raised in the films, with interviews, games and music.
The location is at 412 Road, Gowan Estate, which is turned into an open-air cinema for the occasion. It is free for all to attend with the emphasis on participation and engagement.
AFFF’s objective is combine “sporting festivity with cultural and social issues that are important to many young Africans.” The festival will screen three films that document major issues from both within football, like the trading of young players, as well as wider issues within society like discrimination and racism as they impact and challenge football.
The topics are real and compelling, and far removed from the gloss of the very top tier of the game. They document the football dream that can lead to a kind of suffering far deeper than your team losing. But they also show the power and change football can bring, or at least highlight, in a practical sense.
The three films showcased over the three days are:
Slaves to Football
Director: Orlando von Einsiedel
All over Africa, shady football entrepreneurs promise young men lucrative football careers. The report begins in Lagos and takes a look around Africa.
Ladies’ Turn
Director: Helene Harder
Dcouments the unceasing efforts of the organisation “Ladies’ Turn” to host the first ever football tournament for girls in Senegal.
A Fragile Dream
Director: David Tryhorn
An intimate portrayal of Rio de Janeiro’s volatile favelas and the essential role football plays in providing stability to the lives of hopeful adolescents.
PLAY!YA Nigeria held the first AFFF in the same location in 2013. The Lagos-based NGO is closely linked to the independent NGO PLAY!YA (Germany) and uses sport to communicate and address topics such as human rights, social integration, youth empowerment, violence prevention and health awareness.
The 2013 event was supported by the Goethe-Institut Lagos, the Sonnenstrahl Kinderfonds organisation, the 11mm Fußballfilmfestival and Premium Times Nigeria.
Contact the writer of this story at moc.l1734868890labto1734868890ofdlr1734868890owedi1734868890sni@n1734868890osloh1734868890cin.l1734868890uap1734868890