African Diaspora Film Festival

The African Diaspora Film Festival was founded in 1992 by Diarah N’Daw-Spech and her husband Reinaldo Barroso-Spech. It is based in New York City and brings there films from Europe, Latin America, Asia and, of course, Africa. All films screened in over 15 years wanted to show how Africans, people of African descent and black people all over the world live and face reality. Themes are related to history (colonialism, independence, contemporary issues), politics (current affairs, migration, refugees, war) social problems (poverty, access to water, discrimination) and culture (music, dance, traditions, food).

Since 1992 it takes place every year in Manhattan, between the end of November and the middle of December. Usually it opens with a major film, directed by a well-known black filmmaker or featuring famous actors. Then, for two weeks a very articulate program follows: it is divided into sections (films from the same country, the same director or focusing on the same topic) and often directors and actors come to the screening to talk to the audience about their film. The program includes screening of feature films and documentaries, panel discussions, meetings with filmmakers and some special event where people interested in sharing aspects and ideas of the black culture can meet and talk.

Being the USA a multi-cultural country and, despite that, being so difficult to be black and get to know the black culture, the African Diaspora Film Festival is an important opportunity for people of color to see their reality through their own point of view. Every year around 7.000 people take part to it.

During the rest of the year the African Diaspora Film Festival moves to in different places to keep promoting the African culture knowledge. A selection of films is shown in Brooklyn, New York City at the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) and in New Jersey. An important number of films is also shown in Curacao, in the middle of a traditional African context.

http://www.nyadff.orghttp://www.africanfilm.comhttp://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/23/movies/23bdias.htmlhttp://www.emanuellevy.com/article.php?articleID=8633http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/23/movies/23dias.html