Two Rwandan artists won the best performers awards at the end of the first edition of Amahoro Film Festival (AFF), held in Kigali over the weekend.
John Bosco Nshimiyimana, director of Mama Film (best short movie in AFF) and Dieudonne Munyanshoza; a vocalist, composer, lyricist and a soldier crowned the best artists , with a cash prize of Frw 500, 000 for each.
Munyanzoha is popular for his songs he composed since the end of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
Speaking after receiving the award at Kigali Serena hotel, Nshimiyimana said emotionally that “nothing will be reached upon in Rwanda without peace.”
He jumped in joy as his name was mentioned while taking event pictures.
Munyanshoza said the winning had motivated him “because I can now see that there are many people behind me and appreciating my work.”
He said he has won six other national competitions and that he would continue to contribute to peace building in Rwanda.
Event organizer and co-founder, Edourd Bamporiki said while the country had lost peace for a period of time, “I thought that we can rebuild it through our performing of arts.”
“As young people we therefore, intend to promote peace where hatred had been planted and we have the capacity to do so,” he added.
The festival has been running for a period of one week, having started off in Rubavu district, Western Province.
For a bigger impact, the officials plan to broaden the festival through inviting other regional and international peace filmmakers in future for them to experience themselves what happened in Rwanda without reading the history.
