From November 24 to December 10, the African Diaspora International Film Festival (ADIFF) will commemorate its 31st anniversary by screening 85 narratives and documentaries from 33 nations across five sites in Manhattan.
ADIFF NYC 2023 will present to the audiences in the tri-state area a diverse array of comedies, compelling dramas, and thought-provoking documentaries hailing from major film festivals, including Berlinale, Cannes, Toronto, Locarno, FESPACO, Trinidad Tobago and Durban.
Alongside these offerings, the festival features works by independent American and international filmmakers. As a unique addition to the main event, ADIFF NYC 2023 is set to introduce a Mini Virtual Festival, showcasing a curated selection of films accessible to audiences nationwide.
Hope of Escape by Amy Gerber, ADIFF 2023 Opening Night Film. This historical docudrama tells the true story of the incredible journey of an enslaved mother and daughter who must escape before they are sold and separated forever. A star-studded “cast” of historic characters includes abolitionist Julia Williams, famous orator Henry Highland Garnet, and renowned abolitionists William Lloyd Garrison and Lewis Tappan.
The Survival of Kindness by Rolf de Heer. Centrepiece of ADIFF 2023, this award-winning film will screen in the presence of first-time actress Mwajemi Hussein, described by Variety as “riveting.” This film – which had its world premiere at Berlinale 2023 – is a wordless parable that follows BlackWoman’s journey as she treks across a plague-ravaged wilderness in search of those who left her to die.
Shantaye’s World by Guillaume Rico and Mathurine Emmanuel is a historical drama chronicling the compelling journey of a young girl from St. Lucia who, as a young woman, finds herself in war-torn England. Following a successful tour in the UK, Director Mathurine Emmanuel will attend the Gala screening.
Nome by Sana Na N’Hada (Guinea-Bissau) – an ACID Selection at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival – will have its US premiere screening as the Closing Night film of ADIFF NYC 2023. NOME, skillfully blending astute political commentary with breathtaking cinematography, immerses viewers in Guinea-Bissau’s turbulent socio-political landscape, capturing the interplay between individual struggles and the weight of political decisions in a visually arresting and thought-provoking cinematic masterpiece.
