The African Diaspora International Film Festival

Schedule:

10am: Marighella

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: Rolê - Stories of Brazilian Protests in Malls - 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: Power Alley - 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: Fighting White Supremacy: The African American Experience - 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: Colorism in the Latino Community

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

Cost: $45 - $120

Buy Ticket