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 their 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, politics social problems and culture.
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 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.
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 and in New Jersey. An important number of films is also shown in Curaçao, in the middle of a traditional African context.