The African Diaspora International Film Festival will celebrate Africa Month virtually from May 28 to 31 with a selection of 18 fiction films and documentaries

NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES , May 17, 2021 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The month of May is recognized as Africa month – a time when the continent of Africa commemorates the founding of the Organization of African Unity – now African Union (AU). The African Diaspora International Film Festival will celebrate Africa Month virtually from May 28 to 31 with a selection of 18 fiction films and documentaries that explore Africa through African eyes in 15 different countries.

Feminist Malawian filmmaker, Mr. Shemu Joyah, will participate in a Zoom Q&A on Saturday, May 29 @ 11am to discuss his two fiction films: Seasons of a Life - about a housemaid who is sexually abused by her boss, made pregnant, and forced to give up her son until she comes back years later to claim the boy – and The Last Fishing Boat, about a polygamist fisherman on Lake Malawi whose cultural values are threatened by modernization and the expanding tourist industry.

Eight tiles in the selection come directly from important domestic and international film festivals such as Sundance, Cannes, Berlinale, IDFA, MOMA New Directors New Films and FESPACO, with five of these films receiving major awards in these and other festivals. These films are:

"She Had a Dream" by Raja Amari (Tunisia) follows a young black Tunisian woman who decides to go into politics to battle sexism and racism in today’s Tunisia. Official selection IDFA 2020, CPH:DOX 2021

"The Last Tree" by Shola Amoo (UK) follows the life of Femi, a young British boy of Nigerian descent, who must find himself on his road to adulthood as a Black boy in the UK. World Dramatic Competition - Sundance 2019; Winner - British Independent Film Awards 2019 - Best Supporting Actress: Ruthxjiah Bellenea and Most Promising Newcomer: Sam Adewunmi.

"Kinshasa Makambo" by Dieudo Hamadi (DRC) gives a voice to young people fighting for democracy in Congo.
Official selection Berlinale Film Festival; Winner Tim Hetherington Award at True/False Film Fest, 2018

"Fevers" by Hicham Ayouch (France, Morocco) is a French version of We Need to Talk About Kevin about a disturbed young man raised on foster care who enters his father's Muslim household in the suburbs of Paris and becomes a major source of disruption in the family. Winner, FESPACO 2015 grand prize, the Golden Stallion of Yennenga.

"The Pirogue" by Mousa Touré (Senegal). In this powerful epic fiction film, a group of 30 men 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. Official Selection, Cannes Film Festival 2012; Winner, Best Francophone Film, Lumiere Awards, France 2013; Winner, Best International Film, Munich Film Festival; Winner, Global Image Awards, Cyprus Film Days International Festival.

"Nothing But the Truth" by John Kani (South Africa) is a gripping investigation into the complex dynamic between those blacks who remained in South Africa and risked their lives to lead the struggle against apartheid and those who returned victoriously after living in exile. Winner Silver Stallion of Yennenga, Fespaco 2009.

"Faraw: Mother of the Dunes" by Abbdoulaye Ascofa (Mali) is a beautiful drama that follows a mother who fights to maintain her dignity as she struggles to feed her family. Winner Best Actress, FESPACO 1997. Cannes 1997 Official Selection, International Critics Week.

"Kukurantumi: The Road to Accra by King Ampaw" (Ghana) is an upbeat comedy-drama set in 1983 Ghana that explores the erosion of traditional values in a modernizing country. Official Selection Museum of Modern Art's New Directors, New Films 1984.

The other films in the program are:

"A Taste of our Land" by Yuhi Amuli (Rwanda) is a film about greed told against the backdrop of the current Chinese influence in African countries. Winner, Best First Feature Film, 2020 Africa Movie Academy Awards; Winner, Best First Feature Narrative, 2020 Pan African Film Festival.

"Myopia" by Sanae Akroud (Morocco) is "a beautifully observed meditation on faith, perseverance and integrity, an immersive and heart-breaking unique female saga. " ~ The Brazilian. Winner Best film, Regards d'Ici section, Jury Prize and Special Mention for the female interpretation: Sana Akroud, Vues D’Afrique Film Festival 2020.

"Forgiveness for Whom" by Ariam Araya (Eritrea) a captivating film about the clash of cultures and customs of arranged marriages in today’s Eritrea. Runner Up Best Film Directed by a Woman of Color ADIFF 2020.

"2 Weeks in Lagos" by Kathryn Fasegha (Nigeria, Canada) is a turbulent and thrilling Romcom set in contemporary Lagos. Official Selection African Diaspora International Film Festival, NYC 2019.

"Duga, The Scavengers" by Abdoulaye Dao, Hervé Eric Lengani (Burkina Faso) is about modern Burkinabe society where everyone is on the make like the vultures; and Animists, Muslims, and Christians are all entrenched in their own practices. Winner, Best Feature Film (Burkina Faso), 2020 Quibdó Africa Film Festival.

"Sins of the Flesh" by Khaled el Haga (Egypt) is a story of betrayal, oppression and murder that speaks to the events of Egypt's 2011 revolution. Winner, Best Supporting Actress Nahed El Sebaï, Cairo National Festival for Egyptian Cinema 2017.

"Bilatena, The Golden Child" by Kinfe Banbu (Ethiopia) is a sweet comedy-drama that reflects on the educational and health challenges faced by a poor, but resourceful, 12-year-old boy and his family. Official Selection African Diaspora International Film Festival, NYC 2014.

"Shaihu Umar" by Adamu Halilu (Nigeria), one of the most important works in Nigerian film history, explores the little discussed topic of the trans-African slave trade at the end of the 19th century. Honorable Mention, 2020 ASA Film Prize.

Series Web Site: nyadiff.org.
Tickets are $7.
The series All Access Pass is $65.
The African Diaspora International Film Festival is a 501(c)(3) not for profit organization.

Diarah N'Daw-Spech
ArtMattan Films
212-864-1760
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