The 2015 African Diaspora International Film Festival is to be held in Manhattan, New York City from November 27 to December 13 at MIST Harlem, Bow Tie Chelsea Cinemas and Teachers College, Columbia University with the presentation of more than 50 films, including 26 US and NY Premieres. As part of its 23rd edition, the festival will screen a selection of films Made in New York and/or directed by New York based filmmakers.
ADIFF 2015 FILMS MADE IN NEW YORK
“The Bicycle” by James Richards is a Queens set family film that takes a child and an adult on a journey through the many worlds that make up their community thus connecting them in a way neither could have imagined.
“Cu-Bop: Cuba – New York Music Documentary” by Shinichi Takahashi follows the gifted young Cuban pianist Axel Tosca who lives in New York City, and performs as the leader of (U)NITY, a band which fuses Afro-Cuban culture with modern jazz and hip-hop.
“Shelter” by Paul Bettany and starring Jennifer Connelly and Anthony McKie tackles drug addiction and homelessness in the streets of Manhattan.
“The Challenger” by Kent Moran, featuring Michael Clarke Duncan in his last role, is a boxing drama set in the Bronx.
“Lift Every Voice” by Dallas Alexis is about a teacher who was able to get her students motivated and interested into the New York State/City High School Regents Exams by incorporating RAP and HIP-HOP into her lectures.
ADIFF 2015 FILMS MADE BY NEW YORK BASED FILMMAKERS
Stanley Nelson will present his latest documentary “The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution” (pictured above) about the rise and fall of the Black Panther Party during the 1960s and beyond
Sabrina Schmidt Gordon will present her documentary “BaddDDD Sonia Sanchez” about the legendary poet, playwright, activist and seminal figure in the 1960s Black Arts Movement
Carol Bash will present her documentary “Mary Lou Williams: The Lady Who Swings The Band” about the pianist and composer who helped shape the sound of 20th century America with her innovative style.
Jordi Torrens will present “Invisible Heroes: African American in the Spanish Civil War” which tells the remarkable story of African Americans who fought as volunteers in Spain for democracy and for civil rights that were denied to them in their own country
Melissa Lefkowitz and Dorian Carli-Jones will present their film “China Remix” a short documentary that explores the Chinese city Guangzhou’s burgeoning African entertainment industry.
Geeta Gandbhir will present her documentary ”A Journey Of A Thousand Miles: Peacekeepers” which follows three women in an all female, predominantly Muslim unit of police officers sent to post-earthquake Haiti as UN Peacekeepers for one year.
James Richards, director of “The Bicycle” and Dallas Alexis, director of “Lift Every Voice” are also New York based filmmakers.African Diaspora International Film Festival
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New York Films to Shine at 2015 African Diaspora International Film Festival
The 2015 African Diaspora International Film Festival is to be held in Manhattan, New York City from November 27 to December 13 at MIST Harlem, Bow Tie Chelsea Cinemas and Teachers College, Columbia University with the presentation of more than 50 films, including 26 US and NY Premieres. As part of its 23rd edition, the festival will screen a selection of films Made in New York and/or directed by New York based filmmakers.
ADIFF 2015 FILMS MADE IN NEW YORK
“The Bicycle” by James Richards is a Queens set family film that takes a child and an adult on a journey through the many worlds that make up their community thus connecting them in a way neither could have imagined.
“Cu-Bop: Cuba – New York Music Documentary” by Shinichi Takahashi follows the gifted young Cuban pianist Axel Tosca who lives in New York City, and performs as the leader of (U)NITY, a band which fuses Afro-Cuban culture with modern jazz and hip-hop.
“Shelter” by Paul Bettany and starring Jennifer Connelly and Anthony McKie tackles drug addiction and homelessness in the streets of Manhattan.
“The Challenger” by Kent Moran, featuring Michael Clarke Duncan in his last role, is a boxing drama set in the Bronx.
“Lift Every Voice” by Dallas Alexis is about a teacher who was able to get her students motivated and interested into the New York State/City High School Regents Exams by incorporating RAP and HIP-HOP into her lectures.
ADIFF 2015 FILMS MADE BY NEW YORK BASED FILMMAKERS
Stanley Nelson will present his latest documentary “The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution” (pictured above) about the rise and fall of the Black Panther Party during the 1960s and beyond
Sabrina Schmidt Gordon will present her documentary “BaddDDD Sonia Sanchez” about the legendary poet, playwright, activist and seminal figure in the 1960s Black Arts Movement
Carol Bash will present her documentary “Mary Lou Williams: The Lady Who Swings The Band” about the pianist and composer who helped shape the sound of 20th century America with her innovative style.
Jordi Torrens will present “Invisible Heroes: African American in the Spanish Civil War” which tells the remarkable story of African Americans who fought as volunteers in Spain for democracy and for civil rights that were denied to them in their own country
Melissa Lefkowitz and Dorian Carli-Jones will present their film “China Remix” a short documentary that explores the Chinese city Guangzhou’s burgeoning African entertainment industry.
Geeta Gandbhir will present her documentary ”A Journey Of A Thousand Miles: Peacekeepers” which follows three women in an all female, predominantly Muslim unit of police officers sent to post-earthquake Haiti as UN Peacekeepers for one year.
James Richards, director of “The Bicycle” and Dallas Alexis, director of “Lift Every Voice” are also New York based filmmakers.
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Human Rights Documentary “The Man Who Mends Women” Opens ADIFF 2015 | TRAILER
Human Rights documentary The Man Who Mends Women will have its US Premiere on November 27 at the Opening Night of the 23rd Annual African Diaspora International Film Festival.
Presented by US distributor ArtMattan Films, THE MAN WHO MENDS WOMEN is the portrait of the impressive life and work of internationally renowned gynecologist Dr. Denis Mukwege from the Democratic Republic of Congo. He received the 2014 prestigious Sacharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, for his struggle against sexual violence. Dr. Mukwege medically assisted over 40,000 sexually abused women in sixteen years of professional practice.
Sexual violence against women has been used as a weapon of war for years in the violence-ridden and poverty-stricken Democratic Republic of Congo. In order to provide medical, psychological and emotional aid to the victims, Dr. Mukwege founded the Panzi hospital in Bukavu in 1999. Besides his work as a physician Dr. Mukwege also defends human rights and seeks to raise global awareness on the issue of sexual violence in his country. He condemns the political reluctance to tackle the problem and is not afraid to hit the nail on the head.
His work is not without danger, as Dr. Mukwege experienced in 2012, when armed men entered his home and started shooting. Dr. Mukwege and his family survived the attack, but his guard was killed. The doctor now lives cloistered in his hospital in Bukavu under the protection of the United Nation peacekeepers. The women, whose physical and emotional integrity and dignity have been restored, stand beside him, true activists for peace, and hungry for justice.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KU62X6iV1ZI
The 23rd African Diaspora Film Festival is to be held in Manhattan, New York City from November 27 to December 13 at MIST Harlem, Bow Tie Chelsea Cinemas and Teachers College, Columbia University with the presentation of more than 50 films, including 26 US and NY Premieres.
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US Premiere of Black (NWA) Kicks Off Film Lineup for 2015 Chicago African Diaspora International Film Festival
The 2015 Chicago African Diaspora International Film Festival (ADIFF) taking place from June 12-18, will showcase 17 documentary and fiction films set in The United States, Angola, Cuba, Brazil, Canada, Haiti, St Vincent, New Zealand, the UK, Senegal, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Argentina, Uruguay, and Honduras.
The festival will open with the US Premiere of Black (NWA) (pictured above), a fiction film that chronicles the lives of four people living in a neighborhood plagued by poverty and violence, aspiring to freedom and happiness. “This gritty look at gang culture in Montreal North is incredibly timely in that central to the drama are the tense relations between the police and the black community. This has become a hot-button issue in recent months following a number of controversial high-profile cases of police officers in the U.S. shooting unarmed black men.” – Montreal Gazette. Lead actor Remy St Eloi will be in attendance for a discussion after the screening.
Several films in this year’s ADIFF had their premiere in major international film festivals. Based on a novel by “Whale Rider” writer Witi Ihimaera, White Lies – New Zealand’s entry in the 2014 Oscar competition for best foreign-language film and Toronto International Film Festival official selection – is an intense drama that explores with great humanity and sensitivity such difficult topics as race relations, bleaching and abortion.
First presented at the Montreal World Film Festival is the Chicago Premiere of the impressive epic drama based on a true story, Njinga Queen of Angolaabout a 17th century Queen who fought for freedom against Portuguese colonialism.
Screened at the Toronto and Venice film festival in 2000 is the epic drama Adanggaman, a provocative retelling of the African slave experience, based on facts. ADIFF will also bring back The Pirogue (Cannes Film Festival, 2012), a powerful immigration drama about a group of African men and one woman who leave Senegal for Europe on a fishing boat at the risk of their lives. The pirogue by Moussa Toure is part of the Great African Films collection, a DVD series that celebrates great African filmmakers. The Pirogue can be found in Great African Films Vol. 4 with the work of Khady Sylla, a renowned Senegalese filmmaker.
The strong African retention in New World cultures as expressed through music, dance, and religious traditions is celebrated in four documentaries screening in ADIFF 2015. The program Candomble & Santeria with the screening of Oggun: an Eternal Presence & Summer of Gods explores African based religions. Tango Negro: The African Roots of Tango moves in and out of Uruguay and Argentina as it illustrates the ever present African component in Tango, Candombe, Milongon and other African based musical styles found in the Rio de la Plata region. In Candombe, musician Fernado Nunez sees himself as the heir to “candombe,” a dance and musical expression initiated by his enslaved ancestors.
For its CENTERPIECE, the festival will present the GARIFUNA CELEBRATION program with two documentaries: Revolutionary Medicine: A Story of the First Garifuna Hospital and Homeland (Yurumein) both about the Garifuna people in Honduras and St. Vincent respectively. The screenings will be followed by a discussion with local members of the Garifuna community.
Also premiering in the festival this year are Obama Mama, a documentary about Stanley Ann Dunham, mother of the nation’s first black president,Reshipment, a documentary by Afro-Cuban filmmaker Gloria Rolando about the historical connection between Cubans and Haitians, and the U.S. premiere of Ken Bugul – Nobody Wants Her, a powerful documentary who leads us into the secret world of an assertive African woman artist and writer and her brave fight for freedom and acceptance.
ADIFF CHICAGO 2015 FILM SYNOPSIS
THE SUMMER OF THE GODS
The Summer of the Gods revolves around Lili, a six year old Afro-Brazilian who unites with her native religious ancestry on a summer visit to her family’s rural village. Soon after arriving in Northeast Brazil, where Afro-Brazilian religious traditions still endure, Lili encounters Orishas. As these African deities help her cope with a gift that has previously vexed her, Lili’s grandmother upholds Afro-Brazilian religious practices as a revered local priestess. To ensure that these customs carry on after her grandmother passes, the gifted Lili is led on a mystic and supernatural adventure of initiation. Directed by Eliciana Nascimento, 2014, Brazil/USA, Drama, 21mins, Portuguese with English subtitles. OGGUN: AN ETERNAL PRESENCE Gloria Rolando relates the patakin or mythical story of Oggun, the tireless warrior who, enamored of his mother, decided as punishment to imprison himself in the mountains. Only Ochun, goddess of love, succeeded in captivating him when she let fall a few drops of honey on the lips of the god of metal, war, progress, and civilization. Oggun is the first effort of the team known as Images of the Caribbean, now chartered as an independent video group. Directed by Gloria Rolando, 1992, Cuba, Documentary, Spanish, 52 min, Spanish, English subtitles. BLACK / NWA BLACK chronicles the lives of four people living in a neighborhood plagued by poverty and violence, aspiring to freedom and happiness. KADHAFI, a 26 year-old aspiring Algerian rapper and ex-member of a street gang, just out of prison, wants to steer clear of troubles. FLEUR, a 17 year-old Haitian mother in an abusive and passionate relationship with her daughter’s father, dreams of leaving the ghetto and becoming a nurse. SUZIE, a 20-year-old white stripper who falls for a gang member. DICKENS, 16 year-old Haitian wants to be part of the street gang controlled by his older brother. Directed by Yves Christian Fournier, 2015, Canada, Drama, 110 min, French/Creole with English subt THE PIROGUE A group of African men and one woman leave Senegal in a pirogue captained by a local fisherman to undertake the treacherous crossing of the Atlantic to Spain where they believe better lives and prospects are waiting for them.Directed by Moussa Touré, 2012, Senegal/France/Germany, 86 min, French, Wolof, Spanish, English subt. OBAMA MAMA Stanley Ann Dunham was an anthropologist with a Ph.D, a lifelong traveler and the mother of the first Black president of the United States. Her intelligence, progressive politics, and activism made for a profound life—one whose inspiration continues to resonate through her son, President Barack Obama. The “largeness of her heart,” as her son describes it, is the centerpiece of this inspiring documentary. Directed by Vivian Norris, 2014, 83 min, United States/Poland/France, Documentary, English. RESHIPMENT / RE-EMBARQUE The voices of prominent historians join the memories of Haitians and their descendants in Cuba to understand a chapter of the complex economic and social history of the Caribbean: the presence in the Island of Cuba of thousands of West Indian laborers, especially from Haiti. For many, it was a great bargain of cheap labor. For others, the realization of the dream of every immigrant: make money and return home. Reshipment demonstrates that despite the discrimination suffered by the Haitians since this period, the Creole language, religious and other musical and dance traditions remain in the cultural landscape of Cuba. The film also recalls the Haitian generation who garnered years of stay in Cuba and were victims of a “reshipment” as if they were damaged goods–a forced repatriation to Haiti when they were no longer needed in the sugar cane fields or coffee plantations. As the life of Haitians in Cuba has moved between dreams and setbacks, this film is not only a fitting reminder of the often forgotten chapter in Cuban history but a tribute to the unsung Haitian heroes who wove an important passage between two Caribbean nations. Directed by Gloria Rolando, 2014, Cuba/Haiti, Documentary, 58 min, Spanish, English subt NJINGA, QUEEN OF ANGOLA In the 17th century, a warrior woman fights for the independence of Angola. After witnessing the murder of her son and watching her people being humiliated by Portuguese colonizers, Njinga will become a Queen and struggle for the liberation of her people embodying the motto: those who stay fight to win. This epic drama is based on the real life story of Queen Anna Njinga(c. 1583 –1663), also known as Ana de Sousa Njinga Mbande, queen of the Ndongo and Matamba Kingdoms of the Mbundu people in Angola. Directed by Sergio Graciano, 2013, 109 min, Angola, Biography, Portuguese with English subt. WHITE LIKE THE MOON A Mexican-American girl struggles to keep her identity when her mother forces her to bleach her skin. White Like the Moon is a revealing film about a dilemma not very well known outside Latino communities; that of the myth of the light skin superiority in Indigenous and Indigenous descendant communities.Directed by Marina Gonzalez Palmier, 2001, 23mins, USA, Drama in English WHITE LIES Based on a novel by “Whale Rider” writer Witi Ihimaera, White Lies – New Zealand’s entry in the 2014 Oscar competition for best foreign-language film – is an intense drama that explores with great humanity and sensitivity such difficult topics as race relations, bleaching and abortion. Paraiti is the healer and midwife of her rural, tribal people – she believes in life. But new laws in force are prohibiting unlicensed healers, making the practice of much Maori medicine illegal. She gets approached by Maraea, the servant of a wealthy woman, Rebecca, who seeks her knowledge and assistance in order to hide a secret which could destroy Rebecca’s position in European settler society. This compelling story tackles moral dilemmas, exploring the nature of identity, societal attitudes to the roles of women and the tension between Western and traditional Maori medicine. Directed by Dana Rotberg, 2014, New Zealand, 96mins, Drama, English and Maori with English subt. REVOLUTIONARY MEDICINE: A STORY OF THE FIRST GARIFUNA HOSPITAL The inspiring documentary tells the story of how the hospital’s alternative health model is transforming communities on Honduras’ Northern Coast and standing as an alternative to an increasingly privatized national health system. Could a remote hospital that runs on solar panels, in a community with no paved roads or electricity provide a new global model for health care? Directed by Jesse Freeston & Beth Geglia, 2013, 41 min, Honduras/Canada/ United States, Documentary in Spanish with English subt. HOMELAND (YURUMEIN) This is the untold history of the indigenous Carabis/Garifuna of St. Vincent: their near extermination and exile by the British 200 years ago and their return to reconnect with those left behind. A powerful, untold story of Caribbean renaissance, rupture and repair in post-colonial St. Vincent. Directed by Andrea E. Leland, 2014, 50 min, St. Vincent/Garifuna, documentary, English. GLORIOUS EXIT Jarreth Merz, a Swiss-Nigerian actor living in Los Angeles, is summoned to Nigeria to bury his father. Nigerian tradition mandates the eldest child to take charge of a father’s burial. Although he accepts the responsibility, he struggles with why he feels morally responsible toward Nigerian tradition and a family whom he hardly knows. Jarreth starts a journey of self-discovery. Directed by Kevin Merz , 2008, 75 min, St. Nigeria/Switzerland, documentary, English and German with English subtitles. THE STORY OF LOVERS ROCK Lovers Rock, often dubbed ‘romantic reggae’ is a uniquely black British sound that developed in the late 70s and 80s against a backdrop of riots, racial tension and sound systems. Live performance, comedy sketches, dance, interviews and archive shed light on the music and the generation that embraced it. Lovers Rock allowed young people to experience intimacy and healing through dance- known as ‘scrubbing’- at parties and clubs. This dance provided a coping mechanism for what was happening on the streets. Lovers Rock developed into a successful sound with national UK hits and was influential to British bands (Police, Culture Club, UB40). Menelik Shabazz, 2011, 96mins, UK, musical documentary, English KEN BUGUL – NOBODY WANTS HER An expressive aesthetic as rhapsodic as the written words of Bugul herself, Ken Bugul: Nobody Wants Her is a filmic ode to the brilliance of this revered Senegalese writer. Determined to set her own path in life, Ken Bugul (born Mariètou Mbaye Biléoma) left Senegal and spent 20 years living in Europe, only to feel an even deeper loneliness and alienation. She belonged neither here nor there. Encountering crushing rejection upon her return to Senegal, at her most destitute and desperate, Bugul sought refuge in her writing. Her debut novel, The Abandoned Baobab, already captured Bugul’s unique idiosyncratic style and cemented her position as a novelist. Painting a mosaic picture of Bugul’s life and times, this powerful documentary leads us into the secret world of an assertive African woman artist and her brave fight for freedom and acceptance. Silvia Voser, 2013, 62mins, French/Swiss documentary, French with English subtitles. CANDOMBE More than two hundred years ago, there was an influx of slaves from Africa into Uruguay. Long after their empancipation, these individuals continued to comprise the poorest and most marginalized strata in society. Musician Fernado Nunez sees himself as the heir to “candombe,” a dance and musical expression initiated these individuals, his slave ancestors. As the far-reaching, socio-cultural legacy of of candombe has yet to be acknowledged, Fernando Nunez and his friends from the back street quarter of Montevideo have taken on the responsibility of keeping these important cultural roots alive in the consciousness of the Uruguayan people. Directed by Rafael Deugenio, 1993, Uruguay, Documentary, 16 min, Spanish w/ English subt. TANGO NEGRO: THE AFRICAN ROOTS OF TANGO Tango Negro explores the expression of African-ness inherent in the dance of the “tango” and the contribution of African cultures to the dance’s creation. Angolan director, Dom Pedro, details the dance’s early cultural significance as a depiction of the social life of captured African slaves and provides an expansive compilation of musical performances and interviews from tango enthusiasts and historians alike. Tango Negro provides a novel insight into the depth of tango’s sub-Saharan African musical influence, a presence that has crossed oceans and endured the tides of forced bondage. Directed by Dom Pedro, 2013, France, Documentary, 93 min, French, Spanish, English subt. ADANGGAMAN Set in the late 17th century, on the Western coast of Africa, “Adanggaman” is an epic fiction film about a rebellious young man, who refuses to marry his parents’ choice of a bride, flees his village one evening, only to return to find his father and girlfriend slain, his village destroyed and his mother captured by a tribe of Amazon warriors. His efforts to free his mother lead to the kingdom of Adanggaman, where captives are held before sale. Roger Gnoan M’Bala, 2000, 90mins, Ivorian, Burkinabé, French, Swiss and Italian historical drama film, Bambara, Baoulé and French with English subtitles.
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SUPREMACY Starring Danny Glover, to Open 2014 African Diaspora International Film Festival
The racially charged psychological thriller, Supremacy, starring Joe Anderson (Across the Universe) and Danny Glover will open the 2014 African Diaspora International Film Festival in New York City on Friday, November 28, 2014. Supremacy, which made its world premiere in June 2014 at the LA Film Festival, also stars Dawn Olivieri, Derek Luke, Evan Ross, Lela Rochon, Robin Bobeau, and Anson Mount.
Supremacy follows a high-ranking white supremacist (Anderson) who murders a cop and hides out with his accomplice by taking a black family hostage. Glover plays the patriarch of the house, an ex-con who must rely on his wits and understanding of the supremacist’s racist mind to keep his family safe.
http://youtu.be/4mkj4oJorNM
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Lineup Announced for African Diaspora International Film Festival – Chicago; Opens with “Freedom Summer”
Freedom Summer The Chicago African Diaspora International Film Festival is back in Chicago to celebrate 12 years of consecutive work in the Windy City. To be held from June 13-19, hosted by Facets Cinematheque and presented by ArtMattan Productions, the festival will showcase 14 documentary and fiction films set in The United States, South Africa, Trinidad and Tobago, Egypt, France, Haiti, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Curacao, Morocco, Argentina, Uruguay, and Mexico.
The festival will open with Freedom Summer by Emmy-winning MacArthur “genius” Fellow filmmaker Stanley Nelson. A Sundance Film Festival favorite, this film covers the Civil Rights Movement efforts during a very intense period in Mississippi, the Summer of 1964. The screening will be preceded by a catered reception and will be followed by a discussion with veteran film producer Cyndee Readdean who will discuss the making of this powerful film that commemorates the 50th anniversary of the Freedom Summer events.
Another historical program highlighting the African American experience is the African-American Trailblazers Program that pays homage to the creativity, imagination and resilience of two remarkable African-American women: Josephine Baker and Madame C.J. Walker. The two films in the program: Josephine Baker: Black Diva in a White Man’s World and Two Dollars and a Dream will be enhanced by a conversation with Professor Zakiya R. Adair, Ph.D. whose areas of specialization are transnational women’s cultural history, African American history and black expressive culture.
As Freedom Summer explores a historic moment in American History, Tula, The Revolt and The Jews of Egypt explore historic moments in Curaçao and Egypt respectively. Tula, the Revolt is an epic narrative about the slave revolt led by Tula on the island of Curaçao in 1795. The Jews of Egypt is a documentary that describes Egypt’s nation building and identity definition processes in the first half of the 20th Century.
Music and dance are celebrated in ADIFF 2014 with four documentaries representatives of the revealing nature of art as they make us travel and see people dance and sing to incredibly rich musical expressions.
Tango Negro: The African Roots of Tango moves in and out of Uruguay and Argentina as it illustrates the ever present African component in Tango, Candombe, Milongon and other African based musical styles found in the Rio de la Plata region. Made in Jamaica is a powerful and revealing musical documentary that presents a rich social portrait of contemporary Jamaica through interviews with and performances by acts as diverse as Third World, Yellow Man, Bunny Wailer and Bounty Killer, just to name a few.
Presented to celebrate South Africa Youth Day in collaboration with the Chicago South African Consulate – The African Cypher is a film that harnesses the energy of the unique and diverse dancing styles of isiPantsula and sBhujwa to Krump and B-boy and that demonstrates how South Africa is a reservoir of music and dance that, with the change of times and a very creative youth movement, has tremendously enriched its musical scenario.
From Coffee Plantation to the Tumba Francesa, to be featured in the program entitled Haiti in the Spanish Speaking Caribbean, is a film that traces the origins of “Tumba Francesa” in Cuba: a dance practiced by descendants of Saint-Domingue slaves in accordance with the choreography and religious traditions of their Dahomeyan ancestry. The presentation of this film together with that of the documentary Birthright Crisis will be followed by a discussion with Frantz Voltaire, founder and current chairman of CIDIHCA, a Haitian and Caribbean research center based in Montreal. The discussion will focus on the contributions of the Haitian people to Cuba and the Dominican Republic nations.
ADIFF 2014 will also present four fiction films dealing with love, friendship, and the confrontations of ideas and ideals. Between Frienda is a story of love, friends and life in Trinidad and Tobago. Go for Sisters by award-winning filmmaker John Sayles (The Brother from Another Planet) tells us a story of immigration, friendship, motherly love and intrigue. The Miscreants, from Morocco/Switzerland, follows a group of actors who are kidnapped by religious extremists. The interaction between both groups is very revealing. Love Triangle is an African-American romantic thriller that follows two men and a woman entangled in an impossible love affair.
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Pratibha Parmar’s ALICE WALKER: BEAUTY IN TRUTH Wins “Public Award for Best Film Directed by a Woman of Color” at the 2013 African Diaspora International Film Festival
ALICE WALKER: BEAUTY IN TRUTHPratibha Parmar, director of ALICE WALKER: BEAUTY IN TRUTH is the winner of the “Public Award for Best Film Directed by a Woman of Color” at the 2013 African Diaspora International Film Festival. The runner up is SPIES OF MISSISSIPPI by Dawn Porter. ALICE WALKER: BEAUTY IN TRUTH is the story of Alice Walker’s journey from her birth in a paper-thin shack in the cotton fields of Eatonton, Georgia to her recognition as a key writer of the 20th Century. Alice Walker made history as the first black woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for fiction for her groundbreaking novel, The Color Purple.
http://youtu.be/H-a49NJIuH4
SPIES OF MISSISSIPPISPIES OF MISSISSIPPI tells the story of a secret spy agency formed by the state of Mississippi to preserve segregation and maintain white supremacy. The anti-civil rights organization was hidden in plain sight in an unassuming office in the Mississippi State Capitol. Funded with taxpayer dollars and granted extraordinary latitude to carry out its mission, the Commission evolved from a propaganda machine into a full blown spy operation. How do we know this is true? The Commission itself tells us in more than 146,000 pages of files preserved by the State. This wealth of first person primary historical material guides us through one of the most fascinating and yet little known stories of America’s quest for Civil Rights.
http://youtu.be/GSTWn7asTNU
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African Diaspora International Film Festival Unveils 2013 Caribbean Experience Showcase Lineup
Toussaint LouvertureCuba, Granada, Haiti, Jamaica, Curaçao, Surinam and French Guiana are some of the countries featured among the 35 countries featured in the 73 films included in 21st African Diaspora International Film Festival (ADIFF-2013) Caribbean Experience showcase. Haiti and Jamaica are at the center with Spotlight on Haiti Jamaicanity; The Resonance of Jamaica, and two programs that present a selection of films that reveal many things about both countries.
SPOTLIGHT ON HAITI
The epic film Toussaint Louverture – which had its New York premiere during ADIFF 2012 to great success – is back as part of a the Spotlight on Haiti program. Looking for Life/Chercher la Vie is a modest film that follows the daily work of two Haitian women and their constant battle for survival in a Haitian economy that is bled dried due to Globalization.
The earthquake of 2010 was devastating for Haiti. While the world stood up to the challenge and aid poured in many ways from many parts, today the effectiveness of the many contributions made is questioned by two Haitian filmmakers – Raoul Peck with Fatal Assistance/Assistance Mortelle and Joseph Hillel with Ayiti Toma, The Land of the Living /Ayiti Toma. Au Pays Des Vivants – who talk about the country, the international aid system, the men and organizations involved and the Haitian people. The level of critical thinking is intense.
Also in the program is Birthright Crisis 2013 about the current challenges faced by Dominicans of Haitian descent born and raised in Dominican Republic who are now being stripped of their Dominican nationality through legislative changes.
JAMAICANITY: THE RESONANCE OF JAMAICA
Jamaicanity, the Resonance of Jamaica is a program built around a certain essence in Jamaica and Jamaicans that gives all things Jamaican a very remarkable human experience, not only in the context of the Americas but also in the world.Catch a Fire reminds us of colonial times on the island of Jamaica and the important role of Paul Boggle in the history of the island. The First Rasta tells the story of Percival Howell and the movement he created – the Rasta Movement – and its ramification in the world.
The Journey of the Lion is a road movie about a Rastaman who in his native Jamaica dreams of going to Africa. This film is sort of a classic for those interested in Jamaica and the Rasta movement. Youths of Shasha talks about these Jamaicans who made it back to Africa and now live in Ethiopia, on land donated to their ancestors by Haile Selassie. Made in Jamaica covers the Jamaican music scenario in a rare, very creative way as many of the musicians showcased come from different styles and sounds all rooted in a Jamaican vibe. The Story of Lovers Rock and The Stuart Hall Project both narrate the impact of Jamaicans in the UK who, from very different walks of life, marked the old continent with a fresh Caribbean input.
Patrice Johnson is a New York filmmaker born in Jamaica. In her films about New Yorkers, there is a Jamaican flavor that characterizes her work. NY’s Dirty Laundry and Hill and Gully, breathe that Jamaicanity that is the resonance of things Jamaican. The same applies for British filmmaker of Jamaican origin, Stephen Lloyd Jackson, whose latest film Sable Fable is a fascinating story about love and identity set in Black London.
CURACAO, GRENADA, CUBA, FRENCH GUIANA
With a compilation that includes recent and less recent films, the selection of Caribbean films in ADIFF 2013 reflects the imagination, creativity and diversity of themes and topics found in this area of the world.
Tula, The Revolt is a fiction film based on real events: the1795 slave revolt on the island of Curaçao, a Dutch colony at the time. Tula, the leader of the revolt, is remembered and celebrated for his significant contribution made to history by Africans in the New World.
Grenada: Colonialism and Conflict focuses its analysis on the island of Grenada in the 70’s and 80’s with reflections and information very much applicable to the socio-political development of other countries in the area.
Cuba is one of the three Spanish speaking countries in the Caribbean; this island is also a country that has gone through radical changes since 1959. The Campaign Against Illiteracy launched in the country after the revolution was one of the moments that defined the direction the country wanted to take regarding the quality of life for its people. Maestra is a film about the women who participated in this Campaign Against Illiteracy and how that moment galvanized a population.
One People/Wan Pipel is one of those films that never get old as it is a love story that still resonates in the context of the Caribbean universe. Set in a Surinam on the verge of its independence, One Peopledescribes how two people of opposite groups go against all odds and love each other in country building a new identity.
The maroons in French Guiana have a very strong culture that has survived the change of time. Aluku Liba, Maroon Again follows Loeti who, after years living away from his culture, decides to come back home and be a Maroon again. Not your everyday story, Aluku Liba, Maroon Again lets you discover one of the old African-based cultures of the New World.
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CHASING SHAKESPEARE Starring Danny Glover to Open African Diaspora International Film Festival | TRAILER
CHASING SHAKESPEARE, directed by Norry Niven and starring Danny Glover and Graham Greene, will open the 21st edition of the African Diaspora International Film Festival on November 29th, as a New York Premiere.
CHASING SHAKESPEARE is described as a beautiful and enchanting love story about a young Native American woman’s search for her destiny and her widower husband’s attempts to reunite with her after her death. Based on a screenplay by James Bird,Chasing Shakespeare recounts the beginning, end and rebirth of a love affair between William and Venus in rural Arkansas.
http://youtu.be/0igUrymyWDY
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2013 African Diaspora International Film Festival to Preview Films at Queens, NY Black Spectrum Theatre
JOSEPHINE BAKER, A BLACK DIVA IN A WHITE MAN’S WORLDThe African Diaspora International Film Festival (ADIFF) and 43 year old historic Queens, New York based Black Spectrum Theatre are partnering for an early start of the 21st Annual African Diaspora International Film Festival with screenings to be held at Black Spectrum starting in October 2013 until the end of the festival on December 15.
Filmmakers and films include Maia Wechsler, director of MELVIN & JANE, AN AMERICAN STORY which revisits a 40-year-old American hijacking that led two former Black Panther Party members to relocate permanently to Europe, and New York based independent filmmaker Patrice Johnson who will present her two feature films NY’S DIRTY LAUNDRY, a comedy-drama set in the weeks after 9/11, when racial paradigms are shifted and hidden prejudices are revealed in heated and often hilarious exchange between the members of two immigrant families and HILL AND GULLY an urban Cinderella love story set during 2008, the historic election year of Barack Obama.
AFRICAN DIASPORA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
@ BLACK SPECTRUMJOSEPHINE BAKER, A BLACK DIVA IN A WHITE MAN’S WORLD
A tender, revealing documentary about one of the most famous and popular performing artists of the 20th century. Her legendary banana belt dance created theatre history; her song “J’ai deux amours” became a classic, and her hymn. The film focuses on her life and work from a perspective that analyses images of Black people in popular culture. It portrays the artist in the mirror of European colonial clichés and presents her as a resistance fighter, an ambulance driver during WWII, and an outspoken activist against racial discrimination involved in the worldwide Black Consciousness movement of the 20th century.
Annette von Wangenheim, Germany, 2006, 45min, documentary in English/French/German with English subtitles.MELVIN & JANE, AN AMERICAN STORY
Melvin and Jean McNair hijacked a plane from Detroit to Algeria in 1972 with their two babies on board, they called it an act of political resistance. The hijacking was also an act of desperation committed by two people in their early twenties who saw no other way to escape what they felt was the constant state of racial oppression in America. Living in Paris forty years after the hijacking and unable to return to the U.S., Melvin and Jean are still coming to terms with their crime and its lifelong consequences.
Maia Wechsler, USA/France, 2012, 59mins, documentary in English and French with English subtitles.NY’S DIRTY LAUNDRY
In the weeks after 9/11, racial paradigms are shifted and hidden prejudices are revealed in this heated and often hilarious exchange between the members of two immigrant families (one Afro-Caribbean and the other Arab-Muslim) who clash in a crowded Brooklyn Laundromat and in an airless NYC taxicab. With mistrust already heightened, quarters are exchanged for political conversation as these “new” New Yorkers debate what it now means to be an American.
Patrice Johnson, USA, 2007, 117 min, comedy-drama in EnglishHILL AND GULLY
Hill and Gully is an urban Cinderella story, set during 2008, the historic election year of Barack Obama. With palpable ‘Change’ in the air, love pursues an unhappy single mother, and her dysfunctional family who become transformed through the efforts of a psychiatrist who challenges them to speak their secret wishes and to take a chance on opening their hearts to their deepest dreams.
Directed by Patrice Johnson Chevannes, 2011, 113 min, USA, Drama, English.ALUKU LIBA, MAROON AGAIN
Loeti has spent years away from his village in French Guiana, working in extreme conditions. When the army cracks down on illegal gold mining in the Amazon forest, he is forced to flee and must use the skills he learned as a child to survive in the forest. His only hope is to find his way home to his people and reclaim his Maroon past and culture.
Directed by Nicolas Jolliet, 2009, 90 min, Canada/French Guiana/Suriname, Documentary/DramaCARIBBEAN HISTORY PROGRAM
CATCH A FIRE
Catch a Fire tells the story of Deacon Paul Bogle, often described as a 19th century Malcom X. 30 years after the end of slavery in Jamaica, the Morant Bay Rebellion of 1865 provoked outrage in Victorian Britain shaping race and land attitudes. The story is constructed using extensive interviews with Paul Bogle’s grand son as well as archive material.
Menelik Shabazz, UK/Jamaica/ 1995, 30min, docu-dramaGRENADA: COLONIALISM AND CONFLICT
A chronicle of the philosophical and sometimes bloody struggles Grenadians have waged against colonialism and its long-lasting psychological influences. Grenadian leaders fought against colonialism in different ways. Julian Fedon freed 100 slaves to fight the British. Eric Gairy led the poor people in a massive strike and obtained many improvements for them. Maurice Bishop led a successful coup against Eric Gairy in 1979, promising education and societal reform. History tells the tale, however, that even as Grenadian leaders have struck blows at colonialism, they have at times employed the tools of oppression taught to them by their colonial masters.
Valerie Scoon, Grenada/USA, 2012, 45min, documentary in EnglishRETURN TO GOREE
A musical road movie, Return to Gorée follows Senegalese singer Youssou N’Dour’s historical journey tracing the trail left by slaves and the jazz music they created. Youssou N’Dour is performing the last concert in Gorée, the island that today symbolizes the slave trade and its victims.
Directed by Pierre-Yves Borgeaud, 2006, 108 min, Senegal/Switzerland/Luxembourg, Documentary, English with French and English subtitles. THE PIROGUE
In Moussa Toure’s powerful epic fiction film, Baye Laye is the captain of a fishing pirogue. When he is offered to lead one of the many pirogues that head towards Europe via the Canary Island, he reluctantly accepts the job. Leading a group of 30 men and a woman who don’t all speak the same language, some of whom have never seen the sea, Baye Laye will confront many perils in order to reach the distant coasts of Europe.
Directed by Moussa Toure, 2012, 87 min, Senegal/France/Germany, Drama, French and Wolof with English subtitle
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African Diaspora International Film Festival – Washington D.C. to Feature 7 Films; Opens with D.C. Premiere of African Independence
AFRICAN INDEPENDENCE written, directed and produced by scholar, filmmaker and PBS History Detectives host, Professor Tukufu Zuberi.The African Diaspora International Film Festival – Washington D.C. (ADIFF- DC) will celebrate its 7th anniversary in Washington D.C. from August 16 to 18, 2013 with a lineup of 7 films. The African Diaspora International Film Festival – D.C. will open with the Washington D.C. Premiere of AFRICAN INDEPENDENCE, an award-winning, feature-length documentary written, directed and produced by scholar, filmmaker and PBS History Detectives host, Professor Tukufu Zuberi.
AFRICAN INDEPENDENCE retraces the history of the independence movement throughout Africa using archival footage as well as interviews with such personalities as President Kenneth Kaunda of Zambia,Hon. SamiaYaaba Nkrumah, daughter of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah- Ghana’s first President, President F.W. de Klerk of South Africa and many others.
ADIFF-D.C. will also present the Washington D.C. Premiere of award winning film from Senegal THE PIROGUE by Moussa Toure, official selection in the Un Certain Regard section of 2012 Cannes Film Festival. This powerful drama in which a group of 30 men and a woman sail to Europe in a pirogue, facing the sea and the possibility of never reaching their destination in exchange for the myth of a better life in Europe, was called by A.O. Scott of The New York Times “a remarkably clear-eyed, quietly ambitious film [that] deals with emotionally charged events matter-of-factly, rather than melodramatically.”
In collaboration with the Swiss Embassy, ADIFF will screen the Senegal/Switzerland/Luxembourg musical documentary RETURN TO GORÉE by Pierre-Yves Borgeaud which follows Senegalese musician and current Culture Minister of Senegal, Youssou N’Dour, as he recruits musicians to prepare for a concert on the Gorée Island that today symbolizes the slave trade and stands to honor its victims.
Also in the program is the Washington D.C. premiere screening of NISHAN, a new thriller set in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia about a young businesswoman who dreams of leaving Ethiopia to seek her fortune abroad. When her father mortgages the house to support her emigration, an unsigned document creates a disastrous domino effect in this thrilling feature debut by Ethiopian filmmaker Yidnekachew Shumete Desalegn.
Other films on the program include the Washington D.C. premiere showing of award-winning dance film from South Africa THE AFRICAN CYPHER and the presentation of German film OTOMO by Frieder Schlaich starring award-winning actor Isaach de Bankolé (Miami Vice, Casino Royal, Ghost Dog, The Way of the Samourai; Otomo; Chocolat) about the last 24 hours in the life of an African immigrant in Germany.
ADIFF Washington D.C. will close with the premiere screening of the Shakespeare play TANGO MCBETH by Philadelphia based independent filmmaker Nadine M. Patterson.
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11th African Diaspora International Film Festival – Chicago Releases 2013 Lineup; Opening Night Film “AFRICAN INDEPENDENCE”
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African Independence[/caption]The Annual African Diaspora International Film Festival – Chicago (ADIFF- Chicago) will celebrate its 11th anniversary in Chicago from June 13 to June 20, 2013. The festival will kick off with the Chicago Premiere of Opening Night Film African Independence, written, directed and produced by scholar, filmmaker and PBS History Detectives host, Professor Tukufu Zuberi.
African Independence retraces the history of the independence movement throughout Africa using archival footage as well as interviews with such personalities as President Kenneth Kaunda of Zambia, Hon. SamiaYaaba Nkrumah, daughter of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah- Ghana’s first President,President F.W. de Klerk of South Africa and many others.
ADIFF-Chicago will also screen the Chicago Premiere of award winning film from Senegal The Pirogue by Moussa Toure, an official selection in the Un Certain Regard section of 2012 Cannes Film Festival. This powerful drama in which a group of 30 men and a woman sail to Europe in a pirogue, facing the sea and the possibility of never reaching their destination in exchange for the myth of a better life in Europe.
Chicago based Malagasy filmmaker/actor/producer Haminiaina Ratovoarivony will present the Chicago premiere of his fiction film Legends of Madagascar , a road movie set in Madagascar that offers a fresh, young and contemporary perspective on his country. The festival will also screen the Chicago premiere of Haitian film Maestro Issa Saieh by France Voltaire, a musical documentary that traces Maestro Issa’s contributions to the music scene in Haiti between 1942 and 1959.
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Hill and Gully[/caption]Other films to be presented in the festival include Hill and Gully (pictured above) by New York based independent filmmaker Patrice Johnson Chevannes, an urban Cinderella story set during 2008, the historic election year of Barack Obama; award-winning French/Algerian documentary Here We Drown Algerians by Yasmina Adi about the vicious attack by French police on a peaceful march in Paris by Algerians supporting the independence of their country on October 17, 1961; Senegal/Switzerland/Luxembourg musical documentary Return to Gorée by Pierre-Yves Borgeaud which follows Senegalese musician and current Culture Minister of Senegal, Youssou N’Dour, as he recruits musicians to prepare for a concert on the Gorée Island that today symbolizes the slave trade and stands to honor its victims.
Also in the program are award-winning drama from Malawi Seasons of a Life by C. Shemu Joyah, a moving story about women who fights back using the Malawi legal system; award-winning short Swiss drama Objection VI by Rolando Colla about the life and death of an asylum seeker in Switzerland; the fascinating docu-drama set in French Guiana Aluku Liba, Maroon Again by Nicolas Jolliet which follows a young maroon who leaves the mines to return to his roots and traditional lifestyle; the African drama newly released on DVD Borders by Mostefa Djadjam which is a companion piece to The Pirogue as both films focus on African immigrants travelling towards Europe looking for a better life; a multicultural, multigenerational vision and presentation of the Shakespeare play Tango McBeth by Philadelphia based independent filmmaker Nadine M. Patterson; the race film from Venezuela Mestizo by Mario Handler which follows the struggles of an emotionally tortured young man son of a white rich property owner and of a poor fisher woman; and the beautiful drama from Mozambique Nelio’s Story by Solveig Nordlund about the life and dreams of a young child soldier who escapes the war and becomes a healer.
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7th Annual African Diaspora International Film Festival (ADIFF) in Jersey City Official Lineup
The 7th Annual African Diaspora International Film Festival (ADIFF) in Jersey City, New Jersey, will be held this year at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, presenting an exciting selection of films from around the world including Ghana, Brazil and the U.S., to coincide with the Martin Luther King Jr. Weekend, January 14 – 16.