The Damara King's Festival
News
Bath Spa University shortlisted for prestigious national film award
Friday, 6 October, 2017A film made by the Future Pasts research project led by Sian Sullivan, Professor of Environment and Culture at Bath Spa University, has been shortlisted for the Arts and Humanities Research Council’s prestigious 2017 Research in Film Awards.
The film The Damara King’s Festival was made in collaboration with Namibian film organisation Mamokobo, the Damara King’s Festival Organising Committee, and UK academic partners at London University’s School of Oriental and African Studies, and the University of Edinburgh’s Centre for African Studies.
Professor Sullivan, said: “We are delighted at this news. This is the first filmed record of a unique event in which music, dance and oratory combine to honour Damara pasts, presents and cultural landscapes.
“Blending long-term ethnographic research with the visual intuition of Namibian film-maker Andrew Botelle, the film offers a window into an intimate celebration of identity by a rich but historically marginalised indigenous culture. This recognition will help us to share the film more widely within Namibia and to support the Festival Organising Committee with future events.”
The Research in Film Awards celebrate short films about the arts and humanities and their influence on our lives. The film was showcased recently in the exhibition ‘Future Pasts: Landscape, Memory and Music in West Namibia’, and has made the shortlist for the International Development Award.
Hundreds of films were submitted for the awards this year and the overall winner for each category, who will receive £2,000 towards their film making, will be announced at a special ceremony in London on 9 November.
This year’s awards will be judged by Richard Davidson-Houston of Channel 4 Television, Lindsay Mackie, Co-founder of the Film Club and Matthew Reisz from Times Higher Education.
Mike Collins, Head of Communications at the Arts and Humanities Research Council, said: “The standard of film making in this year's Research in Film Awards has been exceptionally high and the range of themes covered span the whole breadth of arts and humanities subjects.
“While watching the films I was impressed by the careful attention to detail and rich storytelling that the filmmakers had used to engage their audiences. The quality of the shortlisted films further demonstrates the endless potential of using film as a way to communicate and engage people with academic research. Above all, the shortlist showcases the art of filmmaking as a way of helping us to understand the world that we live in today.”
The winning films will be shared on the Arts and Humanities Research Council’s website, YouTube channel and social media using the hashtag #RIFA2017.
