THE DRUM of success was sounded by the organisers of the fifth Carlow African Film Festival which was held recently and which included a visit from Eastenders star Patrick Truman.

The three-day event, held in the new George Bernard Shaw Theatre at the Visual Arts Centre, cost almost ¤20,000 to stage, but Festival Director, Mr Ade Oke, said it achieved the aim set out at the beginning of the festival.

'Our aim was to promote a cultural understanding between various people from various countries and it achieved that,' he said.

'All the films were well attended and as well as having people from Carlow we also had people from various African countries such as Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Ghana, Kenya and South Africa, but we also had people from other countries such as Poland and Latvia,' he added.

Mr Oke, who has lived in Carlow for almost ten years, started the event five years ago. He stressed that it is not supposed to make money and but for the support the festival receives through grants from Carlow Local Authority and the Arts Council, as well as sponsorship from the Seven Oaks Hotel, they would not be able to host the event.

This year one of the people to attend the opening night was popular East Enders actor Rudolph Walker, a native of Trinidad and Tobago, who plays the character of Patrick Truman in the popular soap, who was also made a patron of the Carlow African Film Festival.

Now that Carlow has a new theatre Mr Oke stated he is hopeful the Carlow African Film Festival can be extended to a quarterly event from now on.

- Donal GODFREY