The first feature film shot in Zulu is up for an Emmy, one of the top entertainment awards for US television, to be presented a week from today.  "Yesterday," a South Africa movie that aired on HBO, is a nominee for Outstanding Made for Television Movie.

The Nelson Mandela Foundation provided support for the film whose main character, a village woman named "Yesterday," is diagnosed with AIDs. 

Interestingly, "Yesterday" is not the only film with a social message involving Africa up for the award. The BBC-HBO co-production, "The Girl in the Cafe" has also been nominated.  "Girl" is an element in the Make Poverty History campaign to eliminate child poverty in Africa, helmed by Bono and Bob Geldof.  Richard Curtis ("Three Weddings and Funeral," "Love, Actually," etc.) wrote "Girl" for the campaign. 

As I noted earlier, it seems like some of the biggest issues of the day in Africa are being addressed via film and other popular culture formats.

While "Girl" has been much blogged about, "Yesterday" has gotten a lot less blogosphere attention.  Among the posts for the latter movie, Afrika-Aphukira, a Malawi-based blogger, finds the film reproducing "dominant ideologies" about AIDs; Lavinia Live, a Pretoria film student, comments on what South Africa’s women actors seem to do after starring in high profile films.

Among the Emmy competitors are two films about the September 11 terrorist
attacks in the US.  Africa is not high on the US news media’s radar screen these days while the terror wars make the front pages every day.  Will the entertainment world follow this pattern? 

Nominees for Outstanding Made For Television Movie

Yesterday • HBO • Exciting Films/Distant

Horizon/Videovision in association with HBO Films

Sudhir Pragjee, Executive  Producer

Sanjeev Singh, Executive Producer

Anant Singh, Produced by

Helena Spring, Produced by

The Girl In The Café • HBO • Tightrope Pictures and BBC

Wales in association with HBO Films

Richard Curtis, Executive  Producer

Paul Abbott, Executive Producer

Hilary Bevan Jones, Produced by

Flight 93 • A&E • A David Gerber Company Production in
association with A&E Network and Fox Television Studios
David Gerber, Executive  Producer
Clara George, Produced by

The Flight That Fought Back • Discovery Channel • Brook
Lapping Productions in association with Discovery
Channel
Phil Craig, Produced by
Christina Bavetta, Producer
Philip Marlow, Producer

Mrs. Harris • HBO • Killer Films and Number 9 Films and
John Wells Productions in association with HBO Films
Elizabeth Karlsen,  Executive Producer
Pamela Koffler, Executive Producer
Christine Vachon, Executive Producer
John Wells, Executive Producer
Chrisann Verges, Produced by