Audience reception

Photo D Hammett

AiM 2007

Almost 1,700 people attended AiM 2007, more than half of the screenings were sold out, and the festival benefited from screenings in Filmhouse’s bigger cinemas. A number of screenings were sold out even before the festival started!

Audience feedback was extremely positive; here is a selection of comments we received:

This festival is, generally speaking, very well conceptualised. There is a genuine attempt to give a wide view of what African cinemas are about. Great initiative, please continue.
I am greatly enjoying AiM! Hope you will put on another AiM cycle next year!
This is the fourth day and every film has been superb. The introductions and discussions are very good and add a lot.
Great festival. Well organised. Really enjoy the intros and the discussions. Thanks!
The introductions add a huge amount to my enjoyment of the films and what I get out of them.
I found this festival really interesting: films, chats with filmmakers, music events...
I enjoyed this event and hope to see more like it. It would be good to have more frequent films from Africa throughout the year.
My only negative is that Filmhouse should provide more access to the bigger theatre.
Loving the festival!
Not enough seats. Great films – have more Q&A sessions.
Please expand! Also do retrospectives.
I find introductions and discussions very useful for putting the films in context and providing an opportunity to explore some of the themes within it.
It was interesting to see African problems from an African point of view.
Looking forward to AiM 2008 and 2009 and 2010 and 2011 etc.
Some of the movies were shown in too small cinema, so it was hard to get tickets and it would be nice to see some of the movies again.
I like the talks, music etc., and would like to see more accompanying events giving more history of African Cinema, information about specific filmmakers etc.
I would very much like to see the festival continue and expand. So few opportunities are available in Scotland to benefit from and be exposed to culture from the African continent. Thank you and good luck with your future plans.
Came to watch The Mystery Mountain, but decided to stay on up to the end of the week to see what Africa has to offer. I've been so impressed with the quality of films screened so far. The standard is very good and the exposure is good for the continued success of the African film industry.
Really excellent week attending 3 totally different films – looking forward to 2008!
So glad this festival is growing in strength – keep up the good work. Only disappointment is that 3 films I really wanted to see sold out so early. It might be an idea to hold 2-3 'open slots' at the end of the festival to re-screen the most popular films.
Nice broad selection of films – better than last year – a really wonderful opportunity to see films I normally wouldn't. Keep it up!
Absolutely amazing. Got me more excited about dance; film; and Africa! The festival's not long enough though.
Excellent event. Wish I had more money and time!
Brilliant success overall.
5 stars - 2 thumbs up to Filmhouse for showcasing such excellent films!

AiM 2006

Audience reception of the inaugural festival exceeded even our most optimistic expectations. We had 18 screenings in total, and half of these screenings were sold-out, bringing our total number of audience members to over 1,200 and our average attendance figure to 88%. In addition, we had two events for local secondary school children, which attracted a total number of over 140 children. The only negative feedback we received from audience members was that too many screenings were sold out!

We distributed feedback questionnaires at selected screenings; below is small a selection of comments:

Good to see historical perspective with classics but also new and very talented work, congratulations to all who contributed. Thanks for the opportunity.
I like the introductions a lot: very helpful. Programme varied and interesting.
Great selection, great ticket prices!
I'm really impressed by what a success this festival has been and I hope it's every year now.
The introductions were good; the films have been very interesting and beautiful.
Liked all films very much as well as the symposium.
I am very impressed and proud, having been to Africa, to view these important and profoundly overdue viewings of the wealth of talent and passion emerging from the African continent over these years.
Excellent selection - many different films to choose from.
Was very excited to learn of festival and would have loved to see all the films/ participate in discussions and events.
Introductions/discussions fantastic; really opened up things for me. Too many films sold out!
I saw "Yaaba", "Cairo Station" and the "Wooden Camera" and enjoyed them all. I know of people who wanted to come to a film and couldn't, because it was sold out.
It would be good to see the festival expand in future and more expansion on dates and programmes.
Great introduction to African filmmaking. Discussions added a great deal.
Thanks for rekindling my African soul with wonderful screenings and animated introductions and discussions. Fired up my thirst for more African cinema.
I really liked the introductions to the films, i.e. some explanation as to the director, motives and ideas that inspired the films.
Excellent programme/choice of films - should be annual event.
Found the introductions interesting - they helped set the films in context. Especially enjoyed "Mother's Day" and "Night of Truth". Have felt very moved and affected by these beautiful pieces of work.
Films really excellent and interesting. The whole African film festival is great. Please use the big screen next year.
Excellent choices. "Mothers Day" and "Badou Boy" were both excellent. In general I think the festival is a great opportunity to see films from Africa.
Found the "Women Directors" double feature very powerful and memorable. EXCELLENT SELECTIONS!!!!