Short synopsis
Statement of intent
Noughts & Crosses stands out to me because it exposes the complexities of real life—things are not black and white, but rather shades of gray. Even when one accepts a terminal diagnosis, it reminds us that there is still life to be lived. As a filmmaker, I want to explore stories centered around the gray areas, where absolutes don’t exist. When I look at Tana, our main protagonist, I’ve been in her shoes, feeling betrayed by my body and my healthy life choices, only to fall ill. I know the feeling of asking, “Why me? What did I do to deserve this?” As I grow both as a filmmaker and a human in the world, I have learned and understood more that nothing is owed to us—neither the good nor the bad. Life is about making the most of what you have. That’s the key point I hope the audience will take away. I think many will be able to recognize a moment in their lives when they found themselves in Tana’s position, torn between hope and despair. It’s a moment so familiar to many of us. And we understand that it takes a lot of courage to move forward—until Songa Mbele.
Noughts & Crosses would be my first foray into the world of fiction, and I am excited and proud to work with a strong and diverse pan-African team of filmmakers who are also passionate about creating nuanced African stories.
Direction
Neah Shah
Nairobi, Kenya
Format
Short Fiction
15 minutes
In writing
Total budget
€11,5000
Confirmed funding :
€4,500
The Author
Shaleen has a great passion for writing. She has published over 20 books, primarily aimed at children and young adults. Some of her books have been translated into Kiswahili. Shaleen has taken several screenwriting courses at the University of Oxford and is now credited for writing two short films. Her first short film, Grogan’s Lodge, which explores the ghosts of colonialism in modern Kenya, was selected for several international film festivals, including the prestigious Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival, and has won multiple awards.
Director
Nyasha Kadandara is an award-winning director and filmmaker. Her works have been showcased at numerous festivals, including Hot Docs, Sheffield DocFest, SXSW, and DOC NYC.
She is a Brown Girls Doc Mafia fellow, a recipient of the Sundance Documentary Fund, and an alumna of the TIFF Filmmakers Lab. She is currently developing her first feature film.
Filmography
www.nyashakadandara.com
Producer
Ivy Kiru is a creative producer dedicated to showcasing authentic stories of African heroines and amplifying rich yet often overlooked human experiences. Her experience also includes working on the production of Sense8 Season 2 on Netflix and the award-winning films Supa Modo (2018) and Lusala (2019), both currently available on Netflix.
The FIFOI aims to highlight the cinematic diversity of our regions.
Opening Ceremony
April 5th, Stella Matutina, 6:30pm
Feature-length documentary competition : 1st part
April 6th, Ciné Cambaie, 2pm
Feature-length documentary competition : 2nd part
April 7, Ciné Cambaie, 6:30pm
Short film competition
April 8th, Ciné Cambaie 6:30pm
Awards and closing ceremony
April 9th, Stella Matutina, 6:30pm
The Film Market
April 6th to 9th, Hôtel Le Récif
