African Diaspora International Film Festival DC

FRIDAY, AUGUST 2
1pm | – Remembering Sergio Giral

In 19th century Cuba, runaway enslaved Africans known as 'Cimarrones' hide in settlements in the eastern mountains. However, discord among the Cimarrons is sown by a limited offer of freedom from the Spanish. Maluala is part of a trilogy of films about Cuba's slave uprisings made by Sergio Giral, the best-known Afro-Cuban director. Directed by Sergio Giral, 1979, 84 minutes, Drama, Cuba, Spanish with English subtitles

3pm | - Classic

Set in the scenic coastal city of Sousse, Tunisia, this controversial and thought-provoking drama follows the fate of Roufa, a young man who dreams of escape to Europe. He is a sex worker who appeals to tourists’ desire for the exotic, although he remains betrothed to Khomsa. She in turn attracts the attentions of a visiting photographer. One of the first Arab films to deal with gay themes and gender segregation, it also grapples with the destructive impact of Western tourism on Tunisian society. Directed by Nouri Bouzid, 1992, 100 minutes, Drama, Tunisia, Arabic with English subtitles

5:30pm | - DC Premiere

Mother Suriname – Moeder Suriname is a deep and evocative portrayal of Suriname's history and the personal story it weaves. Its effectiveness in bringing Surinamese history to life, makes it a significant contribution to understanding the country's cultural and historical landscape.

A woman looks back on her life, through narration and song. In Mother Suriname – Moeder Suriname, filmmaker Tessa Leuwsha uses a stream of fascinating colorized archival footage to illustrate the lives of Surinamese women like her grandmother, who was a washerwoman.

Directed by Tessa Leuwsha, 2023, 71 minutes, Documentary, Netherlands, Suriname, English

OPENING NIGHT FILM!
6:30pm
7:30pm | + Q&A - US Premiere

Breaking Boundaries follows the journey of Nastasya Generalova, the daughter of an African-American man, and raised by her single white Russian mother, Olga. Enrolled in rhythmic gymnastics at the age of four to connect with her mother's homeland, Nastasya faces systemic biases and limited resources as the only black girl in Team USA.

As she strives to become the first African-American rhythmic gymnast from the USA to compete in the 2020 Olympic Games, the film delves into the emotional and physical challenges she encounters, highlighting her resilience, ambition, and the unwavering support of her mother. Directed by Dina Burlis, 2024, 76 minutes, Documentary, USA, English and Russian with English subtitles
Q&A with Nastasya Generalova after the screening and catered reception!

SATURDAY, AUGUST 3

SPOTLIGHT ON BRAZIL: FIGHTING WHITE SUPREMACY IN BRAZIL
10am |
Afro-Brazilian poet and politician Carlos Marighella, driven by the erosion of civil and human rights following the CIA-backed military coup of 1964 and the ensuing brutal, racist right-wing dictatorship, leaves behind his wife and son to take up arms. The revolutionary becomes a notorious enemy of the power structure. Directed by Wagner Moura, 2021, 155 minutes, Action/Drama, Brazil, Portuguese with English subtitles

1pm | - DC Premiere

Protests against the violence perpetrated by security guards and shopping mall employees in Brazil have mobilized thousands of people in recent years. These protests have highlighted the barriers imposed by racial discrimination and social exclusion. This documentary explores the lives and memories of three black activists who have faced traumatic experiences of racism and participated in recent shopping mall protests in Brazil. Discover the dreams, beauty, poetry, art, and politics of a generation that has found new ways to confront violence by fostering an intense national debate. Directed by Vladimir Seixas, 2021, 82 minutes, Documentary, Brazil, Portuguese with English subtitles

3pm | - DC Premiere

On the eve of a future-defining championship, promising volleyball player Sofia (17) is faced with an unwanted pregnancy. Seeking an illegal termination, she becomes the target of a fundamentalist group determined to stop her at any cost – but neither Sofia nor those who love her are willing to surrender to the blind fervor of the swarm. Directed by Lillah Halla, 2023, 92 minutes, Drama, Brazil, Portuguese with English subtitles

5:30pm | - Short Films Program

• Keepers of the Flame

On the eve of the 1913 inaugural Women's Suffrage parade, the formidable activist Mary Church Terrell, along with two leaders of historic African-American Sororities, Alpha Kappa Alpha and Delta Sigma Theta, confront and challenge parade organizer Alice Paul, regarding the racist, exclusionary practices of the white suffragette movement, for Black suffragettes to participate in the parade. Directed by Shari L. Carpenter, 2023, 17 minutes, Drama, USA, English

• How to Get Free

This documentary short film follows Elisabeth Epps, the founder of the community bail fund Colorado Freedom Fund, as she works to abolish cash bail in Colorado and end the criminalization of poverty while sparring with the local sheriff and considering a run for state representative. Directed by Geeta Gandbhir, Samantha Knowles, 2023, 30 minutes, Documentary, USA, English

• Judging Juries - DC Premiere

Judging Juries reveals the barriers to jury service which deprive defendants in criminal cases of juries which represents a cross-section of the community. The film looks at the issue of juror pay, the use of peremptory challenges which permit the dismissal of potential jurors for no stated reason, and the use of former felony convictions as a bar to jury service. Recent legislation in California is seeking to minimize the negative impact of these obstacles to jury service. Directed by Abby Ginzberg, 2024, 24 minutes, Documentary, USA, English

7:30pm |

• White Like the Moon

The fictional story of a 13 year old Mexican-American girl's struggle for identity when her mother forces her to bleach her skin white to fit into the Anglo society of San Antonio, Texas, in the late 1950s. Directed by Marina Palmier, 2001, 23 minutes, Drama, USA, Spanish with English subtitles.

• NEGRITA - DC Premiere
  NEGRITA is a documentary about the Afro-Latina identity and experience in the United States. In their own words, empowered, self-affirming educated Afro-Latinas, located around the United States, share their experiences of living with a changing, often contested identity in a racialized society and how it affects their personal and professional lives. Directed by Magdalena Albizu, 2022, 51 minutes, Documentary, USA, English, Spanish with English subtitles
  

SUNDAY, AUGUST 4

10:00am | - DC Premiere

Official Selection ACID Cannes Film Festival 2023!

Guinea-Bissau, 1969. A violent war between the Portuguese colonial army and the guerrillas of the African Party for the Independence of Guinea. Nome leaves his village and joins the maquis. After years, he will return as a hero, but joy will soon give way to bitterness and cynicism.
Directed by Sana Na N'Hada, 2023, 117 minutes, Drama, Guinea-Bissau/ France/ Portugal/ Angola, Portuguese (with English subtitles)

12:30pm | - DC Premiere

Rebellious figure of the Harlem Renaissance, precursor of literature and of the black cause, this unclassifiable author wandered for more than 10 years in Europe, frequenting the artistic and political avant-gardes. Directed by Matthieu Verdeil, 2021, 80 minutes, Documentary, France, English, French (with English subtitles)

2:30pm | - DC Premiere

With his life in jeopardy and J*il almost a certainty, one question remains, how could a farm boy bring down the global financial system and how far is the international world order willing to go to silence his story?

4:30pm | - DC Premiere

Renowned Black writer James Baldwin retraces his time in the South during the Civil Rights Movement, reflecting with his trademark brilliance and insight on the passage of more than two decades. From Selma and Birmingham and Atlanta; to the battleground beaches of St. Augustine, Florida, with Chinua Achebe; and back north for a visit to Newark with Amiri Baraka, Baldwin lays bare the fiction of progress in post–Civil Rights America, wondering “what happened to the children” and those 'who did not die, but whose lives were smashed on Freedom Road'. Directed by Dick Fontaine, Pat Hartley, 1982, 92 minutes, Documentary, USA, English

CLOSING NIGHT
5:30pm
6:30pm | + Q&A - DC Premiere

Throughout American history, the Electoral College has dramatically impacted American politics and society, particularly with respect to vote erasure of the minority party vote. Featuring commentary by scholars Dr. Jelani Cobb, Dr. Carol Anderson, and Dr. Paul Finkelman, cameo performances by Kelly McCreary, Boise Holmes, Tyee Tilghman, Veralyn Jones, Peter Jerrod Macon and stunning animation by Pierre Bennu. Directed by Maximina Juson, 2024, 78 minutes, Documentary, USA
Q&A with Maximina Juson after the screening

Event Venue

The George Washington University, Cloyd Heck Marvin Center, Washington, United States