The Congo International Film Festival (CIFF), formerly named the Salaam Kivu International Film Festival, is organized by Yolé!Africa and Alkebu Film Productions under the guidance of Congolese filmmaker and activist Petna Ndaliko. The first edition was held in October 2005 in Goma, Eastern DRC and was the country’s first international film festival. CIFF is a ten-day festival that includes film screenings and community discussions; workshops on video production and editing, audio recording, and music composition and performance; and live concerts and a dance competition. Its aims are to promote cinema and the arts in the region and to provide entertainment and a space for social life in a city living under an ongoing conflict. With an attendance of more than 15,000 people, CIFF successfully brings the community of North-Kivu together across ethnic, economic, religious, gender, and linguistic divisions to engage in critical dialogue and strengthen local civil society.
A 2019 grant from the Cultures of Resistance Network supported workshop expenses for the 2019 festival.
A 2018 grant from the Cultures of Resistance Network supported a series of civic engagement activities during the festival. These included a civic journalism workshop and three roundtable discussions, which were part of CIFF’s civic education project that helps marginalized populations, particularly women and youth.
A 2016 grant from the Cultures of Resistance Network sponsored a documentary film workshop taught by filmmaker Mathieur Roy on the topic of “Film and Social Engagement.” The workshop allowed fifteen participants to create their own short films about elections and civic engagement in the Congo. It also showed them how to teach beginners the basic tools of documentation to empower a critical mass of Congolese people to participate in assuring electoral transparency.
A 2015 grant from the Cultures of Resistance Network supported SKIFF 2015.
A 2014 grant from the Cultures of Resistance Network contributed to five intensive workshops for young filmmakers focused on approaches to peace and justice issues in documentary filmmaking.
A 2013 grant from the Cultures of Resistance Network supported workshops with six filmmakers.
A 2012 grant from the Cultures of Resistance Network contributed to two trainers’ travel expenses and to a workshop on filmmaking and human rights.
Website: www.yoleafrica.org
