We’re so excited to announce that A Lot Like You is an official selection of the Africa World Documentary Film Festival. As part of this traveling festival, our film might be screening in the following cities/countries in the coming months:
Yaoundé, Cameroon
Birmingham, Alabama
St.Louis, Missouri
Cave Hill, Barbados
Lawrence, Kansas
Ibadan, Nigeria
London, UK
We look forward to engaging with as many audiences from across the African diaspora as possible to explore how these issues relating to family, culture, identity, migration, contadiction, trauma have shaped us as individuals, and shaped the stories we’re passing down to the next generation…
We’ll be sure to post info re: screening dates and venues as soon as it’s available…
Tom and I headed over to PuzzleTree studios on Vashon today to meet with Eric, Elaine and Pete. (More on the fruits of our conversation in a future post.) When we returned home, there was a package at the side door. What a surprise to find this beautiful plaque from our Montreal “Best Doc Feature” win back in October!! This photo doesn’t begin to do it justice. Feeling so very grateful for the run we’ve had thus far. And can’t wait to see what this year has in store…
On New Year’s Day, I was fortunate enough to have a long, in-depth conversation about our film journey with Akena Hammagaadji on his radio program, First World Music (WVKR 91.3FM). I’m very grateful to Akena for his thoughtful questions, and for being so generous with his time!
You can check out the full interview below.
Being quite green on the radio scene, I’m still trying to figure out how best to talk about the film with an audience who has yet to see it (being mindful of spoiler alerts, etc.) So your thoughts/reactions would be most welcome. You can post comments anonymously if you wish…
If you’re in NY and interested in attending the upcoming ADIFF “Best of Fest” screening of our film on Jan 15 @ 6pm, you can purchase tickets here.
What a phenomenal year it’s been!!! This time last year, we hadn’t screened our finished film anywhere. No one had written about our film. So considering the year we’ve had, I wanted to take a moment to express my extreme gratitude to you all for making this journey possible…
In addition to festivals, we have screened our film at events (non-profit fundraisers, conferences, independent screenings) in the following cities:Continue reading →
Just a quick note to let you all know we look forward to seeing you in Cleveland next March!!
We’re so very excited to have been invited to submit and screen our film at the 36th Annual Cleveland International Film Festival, and their organizers could not be nicer.
This is the first festival we’re attending where our travel and accomodations are being covered by the festival, thanks in large part to CIFF being the sole recipient in 2011 of a multi-year grant from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences for its Focus on Filmmakers program.
From CIFF’s website:
CIFF Executive Director Marcie Goodman stated, “The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ ® generous support of the CIFF is one of the greatest honors in the history of our organization. With the Academy’s® funding, FOCUS ON FILMMAKERS will enable us to provide increased screening access to minority and less visible filmmakers. It will also give us the opportunity to deepen our involvement with these artists’ communities, thereby bringing the public into contact with films and filmmakers for meaningful dialogue and interaction.”
The Focus of Filmmakers program will allow the CIFF to emphasize African American filmmakers in 2012, Latino filmmakers in 2013, and LGBT filmmakers in 2014 (the same year that the Gay Games are being held in Cleveland).
A LOT LIKE YOU will be screening as part of their Standing Up Competition – a competition that features films “with a conscience” and awards the winner a cash prize of $5000.
As my Dad would say, it’s time to “Stand Up and Be Counted!”
It looks like we’re managing to squeeze in one last interview before year’s end…tonight on NY’s Pacifica Radio.
I very much look forward to discussing our film, and am grateful to have the upcoming encore ADIFF screening to direct NY listeners to. But I must admit, I find the idea of a live phone-in radio interview a bit daunting…
Nevertheless…here’s the interview. Your thoughts & feedback, tips & tricks would be most welcome!
We’ve been invited by our friends at the African Diaspora International Film Festival to screen A Lot Like You as part of their “Best Docs of ADIFF 2011” series!
WHAT: A Lot Like You WHEN: Jan. 15, 2012 @6pm WHERE: Teachers College, Columbia University
525 West 120th Street – Room 263 Macy
COST: Tickets are $11, $9 for seniors and students. Purchase tickets here.
In a recent indieWIRE/Shadow and Act’s ADIFF wrap up, they stated:
A major highlight of this year’s program was the Best Film Directed By A Woman Of Color competition. A total of six contender films were screened on various dates; rated by viewers after each screening. Eliachi Kimaro won the distinction with her film, A Lot Like You.
Ms. Kimaro’s, a daughter of a Korean mother and Tanzanian father, film details her personal journey to learn more about her Chagga tribe roots after deciding to travel with her parents to Tanzania following their retirement and subsequent relocation from the U.S. Many secrets are unveiled in this unique voyage, as well as insights on cross-cultural tensions and the forging of unexpected bonds.
Read on to learn more about all the docs featured in this series…
We couldn’t be happier to have our Bay Area premiere be with SFIAAFF, and will be sure to keep you posted with screening dates/details as they come in.
An award winning documentary film looks at interracial marriages, gender violence and identity issues in Tanzania.
The film, A Lot Like You, was directed by Tanzanian-American Eli Kimaro whose parents are Tanzanian and Korean.
Ms Kimaro explained to BBC Africa’s reporter Leslie Goffe that in the course of making the documentary, some of her ethnic Chagga relatives revealed things they had never before talked about openly…
