The African Diaspora International Film Festival will celebrate Black History Month virtually nationwide from Feb. 12 to the 15.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED SATTES, January 29, 2021 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The African Diaspora International Film Festival will celebrate Black History Month virtually nationwide from Feb. 12 to the 15 with a selection of films about the multiple dimensions of Black History. The selection of 16 fiction films and documentaries from 14 different countries offers a global perspective on significant historical moments in the life of people of African descent worldwide.

ADIFF’s Black History Month Program will open on February 12 with the screening of THE SIT-IN: HARRY BELAFONTE HOSTS THE TONIGHT SHOW by Yoruba Richen, a documentary film that chronicles the seminal event and almost-forgotten moment in American history during which legendary entertainer and civil rights activist Harry Belafonte hosted the iconic “Tonight Show” in place of Johnny Carson for an entire week. A free ZOOM Q&A will be held with director Yoruba Richen on Friday, Feb. 12 at 7PM EST

Another highlight is the Women Leaders in the Civil Rights Movement Program featuring two revealing documentaries: THIS LITTLE LIGHT OF MINE: THE LEGACY OF FANNIE LOU HAMER by Robin Hamilton which follows one woman’s journey from sharecropper to grassroots organizer to beaten and jailed protester to political powerhouse – and along the way, she proves every voice matters. Also in the program is FUNDI : THE STORY OF ELLA BAKER by Joanne Grant, a fabulous documentary that reveals the instrumental role that Ella Baker, a friend and advisor to Martin Luther King, Jr., played in shaping the American civil rights movement.

Other films in the selection include:
THE FIRST RASTA by Helene Lee, a revealing historical documentary that explores the life of Leonard Percival Howell (1898 - 1981), the founder of the most popular mystical movement of the 20th century, Rastafarianism.

A DRY WHITE SEASON by Euzhan Palcy a historical drama set in Apartheid South Africa starring Donald Sutherland, Susan Sarandon and Marlon Brando. With this film, Euzhan Palcy became the first black female director produced by a major Hollywood studio (MGM).

GURUMBE: AFRO-ANDALUSIAN MEMORIES, a documentary that explores how Flamenco is synonymous with Spanish culture. Yet, since its inception, theorists have sidelined the fundamental contribution of Afro-Andalusians to this art form.

THE STORY OF LOVERS ROCK by Menelik Shabazz, a documentary film about the Lovers Rock Black Social Dance that puts into context the LOVERS ROCK segment in Steve McQueens’ Small Axe series.

SHAIHU UMAR by Adamu Halilu, a Nigerian classic epic drama from 1976 that explores the little discussed topic of the trans-African slave trade.

For a complete line up of ADIFF Black History Month Film Series, visit 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.


COMPLETE LINE UP
ADIFF BLACK HISTORY MONTH FILM SERIES 2021

- A Dry White Season by Euzhan Palcy (USA / South Africa)
- Black Hands by Tetchena Bellange (Canada)
- Boma Tervuren, The Journey by Francis Dujardin (Belgium / Congo)
- Emma Mae by Jamaa Fanaka (USA)
- Fundi: The Story of Ella Baker by Joanne Grant (USA)
- Gurumbe, Afro-Andalusian Memories by Miguel Ángel Rosales (Spain)
- Jacques Roumain: Passion for a Country by Arnold Antonin (Haiti)
- Kinshasa Makambo by Dieudo Hamadi (Democratic Republic of Congo)
- Shaihu Umar by Adamu Halilu (Nigeria)
- Sia The Dream of The Python by Dani Kouyaté (Burkina Faso)
- The Black Mozart In Cuba by Stephanie James and Steve James (Martinique / Cuba / France)
- The First Rasta by Helene Lee (Jamaica / France)
- The Sit-In: Harry Belafonte Hosts the Tonight Show by Yoruba Richen (USA)
- The Story of Lovers Rock by Menelik Shabazz (UK)
- This Little Light of Mine: The Legacy of Fannie Lou Hamer by Robin Hamilton (USA)
- Time and Judgement by Menelik Shabazz (UK)

The African Diaspora International Film Festival BLACK HISTORY MONTH FILM SERIES is made possible thanks to the support of the following institutions and individuals: ArtMattan Productions; the Office of the Vice President for Diversity and Community Affairs, Teachers College, Columbia University and the Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone Development Corporation and administered by LMCC and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs.



For more information about the African Diaspora International Film Festival, to receive links and high resolution images please contact Diarah N’Daw-Spech at (212) 864-1760/ fax (212) 316-6020 or e-mail pr@nyadiff.org.


ABOUT THE AFRICAN DIASPORA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

Described by film critic Armond White as “a festival that symbolizes diaspora as more than just anthropology,” ADIFF has managed to increase the presence of independent Afrocentric films from all over the world in the general American specialty movie scene by launching films such as The Tracker by Rolf de Heer (Australia), Kirikou and the Sorceress by Michel Ocelot (France), Gospel Hill by Giancarlo Esposito (USA), Darrat/Dry Season by Mahamat-Saleh Haroun (Chad), Scheherazade, Tell Me a Story by Yousry Nasrallah (Egypt), The Pirogue by Moussa Touré (Senegal), White Lies by Dana Rotberg (New Zealand), and The Citizen by Roland Vranik (Hongary), The Last Tree by Shola Amoo (UK), Made in Bangladesh by Rubaiyat Hossain (Bangladesh) among others.

ADIFF attracts a wide cross-section of cinephiles and audiences of African American, Caribbean, African, Latino and European ethnic backgrounds who share a common interest for thought provoking, well crafted, intelligent and entertaining stories about the human experience of people of color, ADIFF is now a national and international event with festivals held in New York City, Chicago, Washington DC, and Paris, France.



Commenting on the line up of ADIFF Chicago 2019, film critic Kathleen Sachs of the Chicago Readers wrote: “The films in the 17th Annual African Diaspora International Film Festival – Chicago do what much media and even the public school system fail to do: educate. Through robust programming that gives meaning to the word "diverse," the selections in this year's festival illuminate the experiences of those living in the African diaspora around the world. The

Diarah N'Daw-Spech
ArtMattan Productions
+1 2128641760
email us here

Legal Disclaimer:

EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.