So, it turns out that in fact Soka Afrika, due to the unfolding nature of the news, has been shifted on the Al Jazeera schedule.  The film will no longer be showing tonight on Al Jazeera English, but in fact on 30th November 2011. 

Apologies for the confusion, but we’ll be coming to a screen near you sooner than you think!

Next on our agenda of festivals is the superb MiradasDoc Festival in Tenerife, Spain.  It takes place between 28th October and 5th November 2011 and we’ve been officially selected there.  Which is nice.

Furthermore, and this is where things get exciting, Al Jazeera Eng have decided to take a break from covering the Arab spring so excellently and are showing Soka Afrika, the 58 minute version, on their brilliant Witness strand of documentaries.  This will start showing at 20.00 GMT on Wednesday 26th October with further slots over the course of the following week.

Can’t wait to see it on the telly!

Another day and another lovely piece about Soka Afrika and African football :  http://thinkafricapress.com/culture/untold-story-soka-africa

Lagun Akinloye gets into some detail on the issues lying at the heart of the malaise in African football.  Especially poignant I feel are his anecdotes about the lack of crowd attendance at what were once fierce local derbies in Nigeria.  People would rather watch Bolton vs Fulham on TV than spend money going to see their local team play.

Not a sustainable situation…

Thanks Lagun!

Wow, the bonus features on this Raindance screening on Sunday just keep getting better…

Not only do we have former Cameroon international, anti-trafficking campaigner and founder of NGO Culture Foot Solidaire coming for Sunday’s matinee at the Apollo Cinema, but we’ve also lined up a very special lunch deal with the excellent restaurant Inamo St James!

This innovative restaurant, the first in the world to use the interactive e-table, is situated opposite the Apollo Cinema on Lower Regent St.  They will be offering a one-time special Film Festival lunch menu:

· Raindance Festival Lunch - £15:  Pork ribs, cinnamon chicken, miso soup, homemade pickles, & rice.

· Raindance Festival Lunch (V) - £15:  Spicy aubergine, Vietnamese mint & mango salad, Thai red curry, vegetarian miso soup, homemade pickles, & rice.

So, after the screening and the Q&A, come join Jean Claude and producer Sam Potter for an awesome (and cheap) lunch.

Hope to see you Sunday…

After the success of Soka Afrika at the Kicking & Screening festival, it’s now the turn of the feature-length film to shine at 2011’s Raindance Film Festival.  Not only will the full 76 minute version be playing in the excellent surroundings of the Apollo Cinema in London’s Piccadilly Circus, but, as a bonus, founder of NGO Culture Foot Solidaire - Jean Claude Mbvoumin - will be there to discuss human trafficking in football in a post-film Q&A.

Soka Afrika will be showing at 12.20pm this Sunday 9^th October.  Buy your tickets now here.

If you’re hungry afterwards you could also pop along to the exciting Inamo St-James for an interactive and tasty lunch, where Jean Claude and producer Sam Potter will be continuing the discussion.

Look forward to seeing you down there!

As a bonus to our Raindance UK premiere on 9th October (see previous post) we have the pleasure of announcing that Soka Afrika star and founder of NGO Foot Solidaire, Jean Claude Mbvoumin, will be attending the screening and closing night gala of the festival. The former Cameroon international is coming to London especially for the event and apart from being the world’s leading expert on the trafficking of African youths in football, he’s also a damn good bloke!

Jean Claude will be available alongside producer Sam Potter to answer questions after the film.  So come along, see a great film and enjoy an afternoon of interesting discussion.  Buy your tickets here.

So, following a long summer absence, Soka Afrika returns with a couple of different festivals, first in London and later in Spain, Russia and beyond…

First up is the Kicking & Screening Soccer Film Festival, which has its inaugural London edition opening this Friday, 23^rd September with “Once in a Lifetime” – the story of the rise and fall of the New York Cosmos.   Soka Afrika screened at the New York chapter of this increasingly popular festival where we scooped the jury prize “The Golden Whistle” for best film [See previous post].  

Be the first to see the previously unscreened (!!) 58 minute version of Soka Afrika at K&S on Wednesday 28^th September, 9pm at the Everyman cinema, Belsize Park, London.  Buy tickets here.  This event will be hosted in conjunction with Kick It Out, the UK anti-racism campaigners and will include a Q&A and drinks after the film.

Next up is the Raindance Film Festival, the leading UK independent film festival.  The event opens on the 28^th September with the UK premiere of “Another Earth”.  Soka Afrika will be showing on Sunday 9^th October at 12.20pm at the Apollo cinema, Piccadilly, London.   This will be our UK premiere of the feature length 76 minute film and will be followed by a 20 minute Q&A with the producers.  Come join us for a Sunday matinee – buy your tickets here (N.B. Runtime is incorrectly listed as 106 minutes on the Apollo’s ticket purchase page - it is in fact 76 minutes long).

There will be more info in the coming weeks as to other festivals exhibiting Soka Afrika internationally.  Keep up to date with the latest news by following us on Facebook here, or twitter: @Soka_Afrika.

And if you’re in London?  Well, we hope to see you at one of the above screenings…