The animated film “Room 5,” directed by talented Ghanaian Filmmaker Francis Y. Brown, has been selected for the prestigious 2023 Essence Film Festival.
The celebrated festival acknowledges storytellers from the African diaspora through original screenings of movies, television series, and new media. It is organized and presented by ESSENCE Studios.
The festival, scheduled to take place from Friday, June 30, 2023, to Sunday, July 2, 2023, offers a platform for panel discussions, workshops, celebrity events, and more.
“Room 5,” directed by Francis Y. Brown, will be showcased in the African Villa block, which specifically highlights works from Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, and South Africa.
Additionally, the festival will feature the Caribbean Cabana, focusing on films from Puerto Rico, Jamaica, Trinidad, Barbados, and the Dominican Republic.
Each day of the festival will feature a captivating blend of screenings, panels, and informative sessions covering production collaborations, financing opportunities, co-distribution, and more.
Participants will have the opportunity to attend workshops, engage in panel discussions, network at the filmmakers’ lounge, explore podcasts, and witness stage readings, among other exciting events. “Room 5” is a dark-comedy animated short film produced by AnimaxFYB Studios, the leading animation studio in Ghana and West Africa.
Francis Y. Brown has a history of participating in prestigious film festivals, having previously attended the Annecy International Animation Festival 2021 as an Official Selection for the short film category.
The project was also an Official Selection for Best Animation at the LA International Short Film Festival 2021, the New York International Short Film Festival 2021, and the Animage International Animation Film Festival 2021.
The inclusion of “Room 5” in the Essence Film Festival not only recognizes the talent and creativity of Francis Y. Brown but also highlights the growing prominence of Ghanaian and West African animation on the global stage.
It is a phenomenal opportunity to highlight the region’s storytelling abilities and add to the vibrant exchange of ideas within the African diaspora and beyond.