\u201cThe events of the recent past have illuminated how interconnected our worlds are. Through it all and across the globe, the collective vision of freedom has come into sharp focus,\u201d said AFF Executive Director and NYAFF founder Mahen Bonetti. \u201cThis year\u2019s festival takes a look at the past, while capturing the present pulse and looking forward to envision a brighter future.\u201d<\/p>\n
Opening night marks the New York premiere of Gessica G\u00e9n\u00e9us\u2019s feature directorial debut\u00a0Freda<\/em>, framed by the ever-present violence and dangers surrounding a family\u2019s life in Haiti and their longing to escape it. Tanzanian filmmaker Amil Shivji\u2019s Centerpiece selection\u00a0Tug of War\u00a0<\/em>spotlights a rebellious young revolutionary who falls for an Indian-Zanzibari girl escaping an arranged marriage.<\/p>\n Two festival features are US premieres: Charles Castella\u2019s\u00a0Abderrahmane Sissako, un cin\u00e9aste \u00e0 l’Op\u00e9ra<\/em>, chronicling acclaimed director Sissako\u2019s unique task of creating an opera about the history of Africa at the\u00a0Th\u00e9\u00e2tre du Ch\u00e2telet in Paris, with music composed by Damon Alban, leader of the bands Blur and Gorillaz, and\u00a0Ayaanle<\/em>, directed by\u00a0Ahmed Farah, which follows a series of unlikely events befalling the title character, who goes from optimistic actor to the most wanted man in Kenya. The festival is also proud to host the US premieres of two short films: Johanna Makabi\u2019s\u00a0Notre m\u00e9moire<\/em>, featuring\u00a0Black Girl\u00a0<\/em>star Mbissine Th\u00e9r\u00e8se Diop\u2019s reflections on being a Black actress in the 1960s, and\u00a0Shaka – iNkosi Yamakhosi<\/em>\u00a0by Manzini Zungu and Nick Cloete, a profound tale of resilience depicting the coming of age of a great warrior and king, Shaka Zulu.<\/p>\n Other highlights include the New York premiere of\u00a0Juwaa<\/em>, Nganji Mutiri\u2019s drama about a mother and son reflecting on the events of a traumatic night many years before, and A\u00efssa Ma\u00efga\u2019s documentary\u00a0Marcher sur l\u2019eau\u00a0<\/em>(Above Water<\/em>), following the process of convincing an NGO to build a well in a Nigerian village, saving many residents from having to travel several kilometers each day to gather what exists 200 meters below their feet.<\/p>\n \u201cCinema of Liberation: From Inception and Execution to Exhibition,” a masterclass by veteran Ethiopian filmmaker Haile Gerima on Saturday, May 14, at 11:30am will teach the role of film in propelling forth freedom movements and arming viewers to take up the mantle of change. The event will take place in the Amphitheater at the Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center.\u00a0<\/p>\n