An educational film commissioned by the Macaulay Land Use Research Institute has been selected for screening at Africa in Motion (AiM), the UK’s largest African film festival.

‘Joseph’s Road’, directed by BAFTA nominated filmmaker Julian Krubasik and Sabine Hellmann, follows the life of a typical Malawian teenager as he faces a big decision about his future prospects as the village and the environment change around him.

The film was produced as part of the JANEEMO project, an innovative enterprise which promotes the use of ethical biofuels and their by-products to provide renewable energy, food and medicine and encourages enterprise and trade. JANEEMO is supported by the Scottish Government’s International Development Fund and is representative of a new type of community-led approach, which tackles climate change at a grass roots level in the developing world.

Grant Davidson, JANEEMO Project Co-ordinator says, “‘Joseph’s Road’ examines many subjects including education, health and medicine, nutrition, local enterprise, climate change, deforestation and family relationships. It aims to raise awareness, share ideas, and convey important messages in a creative and engaging way.”

The Africa in Motion (AiM) Film Festival, which is celebrating its fifth anniversary, opened on Thursday 21st October at the Filmhouse Cinema in Edinburgh and is due to screen over 70 films from 28 African countries.

Lizelle Bisschoff, Director and Founder of AiM says, “We are delighted to be screening ‘Joseph’s Road’ as part of the festival this year. The film forms a great link between Scotland and Africa and Malawi in particular, with which Scotland has had historical links that stretch back to Doctor David Livingstone. The film will form part of our day focusing on African environmental issues such as innovative recycling projects, land ownership and forest preservation in Africa.”

‘Joseph’s Road’ will be shown tomorrow (Tuesday 26th October 2010) at 6.15pm. Grant Davison will also be present to talk to the audience after the screening.

ENDS

Information for Editors:

JANEEMO

A recent analysis by the Malawi government identified over 75% of households in Chikwawa District as extremely poor. Nutrition levels are not high and access to health and education services is limited. Communities are heavily dependant on shrinking forests for energy. Sourcing firewood is becoming increasingly difficult, reducing time available for education and enterprise development. In common with many African countries, HIV and AIDS have led to a reduced labour force. As a result, households are often female headed. This means that women and girls face multiple challenges of caring, supplying food and energy for growing households. JANEEMO helps tackle all these challenges by providing enterprise, fuel, nutitional, health and agricultural improvements.

Climate Futures

Climate Futures are specialists in low-carbon advice, development of clean energy enterprises and communication of climate change. With a belief that preservation of the climate and effective carbon management are critical to economic prosperity, we offer technical know-how, strong partnerships, careful planning and well communicated projects which deliver measurable carbon savings and grass-roots level attitudinal change.

ENTECH

A Malawian environmental technologies company focused on the cultivation, conservation and commercialisation of oil bearing trees and medicinal plants on a local basis in southern Africa.

The Macaulay Land Use Research Institute

The Macaulay Land Use Research Institute was founded in 1930 and is an international centre for research and consultancy on the environmental and social consequences of rural land uses. With an annual income from research and consultancy of over £11m, the Institute is the largest interdisciplinary research organisation of its kind in Europe, and aims to provide evidence to help shape future environmental and rural-development policy on a national and international basis.