Focus Features’ Africa First programme has awarded five emerging filmmakers $10,000 each to finance pre-production, production and/or post-production on their short films.

The winners will also visit New York City in November for a weekend of workshop discussions where they will have the opportunity to meet with members of the advisory board of experts in African cinema such as Focus CEO James Schamus and production president Jeb Brody.

The winning filmmakers for 2011 are: Oshosheni Hiveluah for 100 Bucks (Namibia); Cedric Ido for Twaaga (Burkina Faso); Mark Middlewick for Late Night Security (South Africa); Akosua Adoma Owusu for Kwaku Anase (Ghana); and Zelalem Woldemariam for Adamet (Ethiopia).

Previous graduates of the programme have screened in major festivals like Sundance, Toronto and Berlin.

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