Fig Tree (2018)

"16 year old Jewish Mina, is trying to navigate between a surreal routine dictated by the civil war in Ethiopia...


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Enkopa (2018)

"Enkopa depicts the struggles of an Ethiopian young woman, Enkopa, who wants to travel to Canada through neighboring country Sudan...


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Faya Dayi (2021)

"A spiritual journey into the highlands of Harar, immersed in the rituals of khat, a leaf Sufi Muslims chewed for...


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Quragnaye - Enchaine...

'This is magic realism at its best. Combining breath-taking landscapes with superb performances piqued by humour and irony, Tafesse takes...


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Help Haile Gerima crowdfund for his new film YETUT LIJ

Support Haile Gerima new film

Join the award-winning filmmaker behind TEZA, SANKOFA & BUSH MAMA on a new journey. 

This is your chance to earn a master class with Ethiopia's Haile Gerima and help him make his latest film a reality ...  

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Dukale's Dream

dukales-dream-movie-with-hugh-jackman-189

A documentary about the inspiration behind Hugh Jackman's fair trade coffee company... 

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The Lamb

ZELEKE Yared story

An Ethiopian drama film directed by Yared Zeleke ...

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News Flash - Press Release 2009

EFI Press Release - Socially Responsible Film Making

PRODUCING SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE FILMS

ADDIS ABABA – October 10th, 2009 - Twenty Ethiopian filmmakers have completed four short documentary films to promote tolerance and mutual understanding. The filmmakers have been taking part in an intensive two-week workshop in Addis Ababa organized by the Ethiopian Film Initiative in partnership with AA University and Synergy Habesha Film Production. The training was sponsored by UNESCO.

This latest course follows a much larger one-week seminar on the theme of encouraging the development of documentary filmmaking in Ethiopia. Certificates were handed out to participants of both workshops by H.E. Ambassador Mohammed Dirir, Minister of Culture and Tourism, at a closing ceremony on Friday evening.

It was launched on September 28th, 2009 with training by film professionals from South Africa, Ethiopia and Europe. Producer Pascal Schmitz, director of photography Richard Muller and director Damian Armstrong came from South Africa as part of the technical training team to join local support team including independent filmmaker Ato Ermias W/Amlak and Ato Dawit L. Abebe, AA University lecturer. EFI coordinator Ragnhild Ek and former BBC commissioning editor, Keith Bowers, led the training.

The participants were divided into four groups, with a range of directing, producing, camera and editing skills and were given the task of producing short documentaries.

“As filmmakers, one should be aware of what socially responsible film making means. There is no opportunity to know that such responsibility should be incorporated with the profession. It was really a gap filling exercise,” commented participant Ato Melaku Alemayehu, publications and information officer at the AA Culture and Tourism Bureau.

The participants were drawn from Addis Ababa and different parts of Ethiopia. Both government and private media organizations were represented as well as all the film associations, AA University, AA City Culture and Tourism Bureau, Walta, GEM TV, private film schools, and independent filmmakers.

“I found a lot of talent in Ethiopia, and one thing that really came across in the workshop is how eager people are to learn,” added Director of Photography Richard Muller. “Never have I had a class or workshop be so receptive to what we had to offer and couple that eagerness to learn, the energy the filmmakers have with the richness of culture and the stories to tell here, I think the Ethiopian film industry has a bright and exciting future.”

The workshop ended with a screening of the short documentaries to the filmmaking community, international organizations and cultural institutes, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and Addis Ababa University. It is envisaged that these documentaries will be shown to audiences in Ethiopia at film festivals as well as abroad. The four documentaries were: ‘Team Spirit’, Beyond Tolerance, Breaking the Barriers and Dancing for Unity.

Media Film Services, a South Africa based company, sponsored part of the gear used during training.

For media inquiries, contact:

Deborah Ghirmai at 0911 486960

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Website: ethiopianfilminitiative.org

 

The Mentorship Programme for Emerging Film-Makers

iefta efi

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Films by Haile Gerima

Films by legendary Ethiopian film-maker, and member of the Los Angeles School of Black Film Makers 1970's movement, as well as professor of film at Howard University Haile Gerima The films are available from Sankofa Video Books and Cafe

Film Festivals in Ethiopia

  •  colours of the nile
  • ETHIOFF
  • Addis film festival

EFI Socially Responsible Films

  • Ethiopia comes with many faces. It is a country rich of over 80 different ethnic groups, identities and culture. Read more
  • “Andinet” (Unity) is an emerging dance club led by Henok and perfoms for local communities in Ethiopia... Read more
  • Garbis Korajian is a third generation Armenian born and raised in Ethiopia. His family first came to Ethiopia over 120 years ago. Read more
  • A street separates a church and a mosque. A story about religious tolerance. Read more

EFI Environment Films

  • “Troubled Waters” is a new environmental documentary on the Akaki River in Ethiopia...Read more
  • ”Parga” is a 3:30 minute long documentary which gives insight into how the people of Konso... Read more
  • “Diza”
    young boys look for pieces of special waste amongst the tons of garbage... Read more
  • Are we really that insignificant? “We All Count” focuses on the lives of three ordinary Ethiopians... Read more

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