African Women Arts & Film Festival (AWAFFEST) is a sister festival to The African Film Festival (TAFF) in Dallas, Texas USA; a non-profit organization dedicated to African motion pictures to serve as a platform for educative references to African culture and to expose African films to non-African communities, founded by Kelechi Eke. AWAFFEST was not created to segregate women, but rather, to empower them in the male dominated industry where a large variety of their quality arts, stories, and films would be celebrated and appreciated. AWAFFEST is held in March to celebrate the International Women’s Month. Launched in Dar es Salaam; Tanzanian TAFF Ambassador, Yvonne Cherrie Monalisa, was named the Director of AWAFFEST.

MISSION

Our mission is to showcase arts and stories of African women; to celebrate female filmmakers; and to empower aspiring female artists.

VISION

Our vision is to increase the number of African female painters, poets, and filmmakers; empowering them with the confidence to become successful independent artists without falling victims to any form of exploitation.

THE TEAM

Our team constitutes of the Board of Directors, Planning Committee, Panel of Judges, and Volunteers.