PROMOTING REEL AFRICAN IMAGES
PAN AFRICAN FILM FESTIVAL, OUAGADOUGOU, BURKINA FASO (FESPACO)'s
Official Representative for the Diaspora Prize AKA Paul Robeson Award
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
PRAI presents "The Best of the Best" films and videos from the African Diaspora, to Film & Television Festivals throughout the world. MR. HARRY BELAFONTE is the “HONORARY CHAIR, for 2007 FESPACO/PRAI.” In accepting this position, he carries the baton previously held by Dr. Maya Angelou and filmmaker William Greaves. FESPACO is the Pan African Film/Video Festival, of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. This biennial film fest is where PRAI premieres its findings of the “Best of the Best” cinematic productions from the African Diaspora, by submitting them into competitive screening for the Diaspora Prize, AKA the Paul Robeson Award.
PRAI embraces the fact that Paul Robeson is one of the most visible, influential and admired artists, in history. His accomplishments as an actor, linguist, cultural scholar, international activist, writer and sports legend brought him worldwide acclaim; and, we join in on the honoring of his contributions, by entitling our endeavor, the Paul Robeson Award initiative. Most consider Mr. Robeson’s immense talents to be, "the Best of the Best" and so do we...