African Film Translation Network (2019)
African Film Translation Network (AFTN) and International Impact Project
Network, website and impact project.
Created by: Alastair Cole & Nick Higgins
See: https://coloursofthealphabet.com/impact-project/ and www.subtitlingafrica.org
This impact project and web based network, culminated in the launch of the AFTN website in 2019 (UNESCO’s year of indigenous languages). The website provides the first network and online platform for film producers to reach out to African indigenous language subtitlers and film translators to help get their content and films translated into African languages and viewed by audiences across the continent.
The project was the final output of the Colours of the Alphabet International Impact project, which included the translation of the film into 30 indigenous African languages (a first for documentary film) in preparation for its Africa wide release on AfriDocs. The impact project also included the training of 60 Africa based, African language speakers in subtitling stills, as well as the continent wide #mytonguemystory campaign, giving African viewers the chance to share their own stories of language and education.
The project and network’s development was supported by the ESRC (Engineering and Social Research Council) and Newcastle University, and led by Alastair Cole and Professor Nick Higgins at The University of the West of Scotland. The network was developed through partnerships with Amara, AfriDocs, Screen Language, Lansdowne Productions and Tongue Tied Films.
The full impact report from the project can be read here
