AWAFFEST Holds ln The Gambia, Honours Janet Badjan-Young

The 6th edition of the African Women Arts and Film Festival (AWAFFEST) is billed to hold from April 24 through 25, at the Ebunjan Theatre, in The Gambia.

This was disclosed during the week by the CEO of Rootflix and founder of African Women Arts and Film Festival, Ichie Kelechi Eke.

This year’s festival honours Mrs. Janet Badjan-Young, the founder of Ebunjan Theatre, with the Legend Award for her outstanding contributions to arts, film, and theater development in Africa.

Badjan-Young’s career spans decades of cultural innovation and preservation, and her establishment of the Ebunjan Theatre has created a vital cultural institution in The Gambia.

The award ceremony will be a highlight of this year’s festival, recognising her transformative impact on African performing arts.

The 6th edition promises to be exciting as it features an impressive lineup of 16 films selected from across Africa and beyond, exploring powerful themes of resilience, hope, and transformation. The festival will also feature a specialized film workshop designed to empower young women interested in pursuing careers in filmmaking.

Some of the selected films, including “Widow’s Gift”, “Beware”, “R.E.S.C.U.E” and “The Girl From The Village: A Story Of Hopewill’ be available on Rootflix, a streaming platform for quality multicultural films.

AWAFFEST aims to celebrate exceptional filmmaking by African women and recognize their contributions to the arts across the continent. This is the first time the festival will be held in West Africa, after previously being held in Eastern and Southern regions of Africa . The festival has grown from its origins to become a significant cultural event, traveling from Tanzania to Zambia and now The Gambia. AWAFEST is a sister festival to The African Film Festival,TAFF, in Dallas, Texas.