17th African Film Festival

The 17th annual African Film Festival invites St. Louisans to see Africa’s most acclaimed films on the big screen. This year’s showcase includes six films and a youth matinee. Animation, courtroom drama, thriller and a romantic drama anchor this year’s festival.

Highlights include:

• Saint Omer, France’s Academy Award submission for the Best International Feature Film. Directed by Alice Diop, the drama follows a novelist who attends the trial of woman accused of infanticide. (7 p.m. March 24)
• Vuta N’Kuvute (Tug of War), a coming-of-age political drama about love and resistance set in the final years of British colonial Zanzibar. Following the film, renowned filmmaker Ekwa Msangi (in-person) will lead a Q&A with director Amil Shivji (via Skpe). (7 p.m. March 25)
• Xalé, a thriller about a young girl whose life is forever changed after a devastating incident. The film is the third in a trilogy by legendary filmmaker Moussa Sene Absa. (7 p.m. March 26)
• The Youth Matinee features three animated films from South Africa – Snail and the Whale, Troll Girl and My Better World. The Saint Louis Art Museum will provide take-away activities. (3 p.m. Saturday, March 25)

The festival takes place in Brown Hall on the campus of Washington University in St. Louis and is free and open to the public; no tickets are required. Free parking is available in the East End Garage.