Filmmaker Mariette Monpierre’s touching feature film Elza was awarded the Paul Robeson Award for Best Film of the Diaspora at FESPACO 2013.

If you’re a regular reader of S & A then you’ll know that we have been extensively covering FESPACO for the past few weeks. The festival, first established in 1969, is held every two years in Ouagadougu, the capital city of Burkina Faso, and is the largest film festival and cultural event on the African continent which was founded to “contribute to the expansion and development of
African cinema as means of expression, education and awareness-raising.”

If you’re also a reader of S & A, then you know that we have, as well, been following the progress of Ms. Monpierre’s film from the time it was first announced, to its first film festival screenings, to its recent successful theatrical engagement at the MIST Cinemas in New York HERE and HERE.

Also, a few months ago I had a rather honest and revealing interview with her, which you can read HERE

CONGRATULATIONS to Ms. Monpierre!