Film at The Africa Center presents 'Shoot the Messenger'

In Onwurah’s provocative tale, David Oyelowo plays Joe, a schoolteacher in South London who is falsely accused of hitting one of his pupils. As the local Black population turns on him, branding him as a racist, a destitute Joe is forced to confront his fear and hatred of his own community. This film was the winner of the Dennis Potter Screenwriting Award and two BAFTA TV Awards. About the Director Ngozi Onwurah was born in 1966 in Nigeria to a Nigerian father, and a white British mother, Madge Onwurah. As a child, Onwurah’s mother was forced to flee with her children from Nigeria in order to escape a Civil War. They fled to England, where Ngozi and her brother Simon spent the majority of their childhood. During their youth, they endured much racial discrimination, which influenced many of her films. Onwurah, studied at St. Martin’s School of Art and the National Film and Television School. She has been directing her own films since 1988, starting with Coffee Colored Children and Best Wishes. She has also written several of the films she directs, including Hang Time. She has directed a number of challenging short films, often foregrounding issues important to black women. Her first feature film, Welcome II the Terrordome, won first prize at the Birmingham International Film Festival, the Cologne Film Festival and the Audience Prize at the Verona Film Festival. Her most recent film, Shoot the Messenger, was produced in 2006. Onwurah’s films have won prizes at the Berlin Film Festival, Germany; Melbourne Film Festival, Australia; Toronto Film Festival, Canada; and at NBPC, USA. About Film at The Africa Center: The Africa Center is proud to continue its ongoing partnership with African Film Festival, Inc. (AFF) to present a selection of films from the vibrant tapestry of African cinema. Since 1990, African Film Festival Inc. has curated a remarkable catalogue of classic films, independent films, blockbuster films, films not widely accessible to the general public, and more. The monthly screenings jointly presented with The Africa Center unsheathe the cinematic universes of Africa and its diaspora for new and growing audiences to experience and enjoy. About our partners: African Film Festival, Inc. (AFF) is dedicated to advancing an enhanced understanding of African culture through the moving image. It offers diverse platforms for the wide distribution of African media through its flagship annual film festival and complementary year-round programming. AFF is committed to increasing visibility and recognition for African media artists by introducing African film and culture to a broad range of audiences in the United States and abroad, bypassing economic, class and racial barriers. In 1990, AFF’s founders established goals that continue to enrich the organization mission and organizational development: To use African cinema to promote and increase knowledge and understanding of African arts, literature and culture; To develop an audience for African films; To expand the opportunities for the distribution of African films in the United States and abroad. Doors open at 6:30PM; program begins at 7PM Programs hosted at The Africa Center are free and open to all. Registration does not guarantee entrance, so we recommend that you arrive early.