FILMAFRICA 2026 Will Present Pan-African Cinema Series at BAM Rose Cinemas
The festival will feature premieres and screenings from across Africa and the diaspora during a weeklong celebration of Pan-African cinema.
FilmAfrica will return to Brooklyn Academy of Music Rose Cinemas from May 22-28 as part of DanceAfrica 2026, presented in collaboration with the New York African Film Festival.
Curated by the African Film Festival and presented as part of the New York African Film Festival, FilmAfrica 2026 will showcase contemporary and classic Pan-African cinema with screenings spanning Uganda, Nigeria, Senegal, Cuba, Kenya, the UK, and beyond.
This year’s edition will spotlight Ugandan culture and artistry alongside broader celebrations of African and diasporic storytelling traditions.
FILMAFRICA 2026
A Tribe Called Love (2025)
Dir. Mohamed Ahmed (Canada)
New York Premiere
Friday, May 22 at 6:30 p.m.
Tuesday, May 26 at 3:30 p.m.
“In this modern-day Romeo and Juliet set in Toronto, two Somali teens fight to keep their love alive against traditional cultural divides as their bond is tested by distance, family, and history. Winner of the Audience Choice Award at the 2025 Reelworld Film Festival.”
After Oil (2025)
Dir. Boima Tucker (Algeria, South Africa, and Kenya)
North American Premiere
Sunday, May 24 at 9:15 p.m.
“Three communities and refugee camps in South Africa, Kenya, and the Sahrawi Republic in Algeria contend with neoliberal policies, uneven infrastructure distribution, and rising temperatures.”
Black Girl (1972)
Dir. Ossie Davis
Sunday, May 24 at 4:30 p.m.
“Seventeen-year-old dreamer Billie Jean struggles to find encouragement in her loving yet embittered family until the return of her successful adopted sister Netta offers a glimpse of guidance and hope.”
Cotton Queen (2025)
Dir. Suzannah Mirghani (Germany, France, Palestine, Egypt, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan)
New York Premiere
Sunday, May 24 at 7:00 p.m.
“Teenage Nafisa becomes the center of a power play to determine the future of her cotton-farming village when a foreign businessman arrives with a new development plan and genetically engineered cotton.”
Freedom Way (2024)
Dir. Afolabi Olalekan (Nigeria)
Thursday, May 28 at 6:00 p.m.
“The developers of a successful ride-share app in Lagos quickly collide with restrictive government laws, shifting regulations, and the threat of police brutality in this fast-paced, electric thriller.”
Germaine Acogny - The Essence of Dance (2025)
Dir. Greta-Marie Becker (Germany, France, Senegal)
North American Premiere
Tuesday, May 26 at 6:00 p.m.
“Drawing from traditional West African dance and European forms, Germaine Acogny developed the technique that bears her name. Now 80, she has spent more than 50 years on international stages and teaching young dancers around the world. She is an icon of an entire continent.”
How To Build a Library (2025)
Dirs. Maia Lekow, Chris King (Kenya)
Saturday, May 23 at 1:30 p.m.
“Two intrepid women set out to transform a formerly whites-only library into a vibrant cultural hub, navigating local politics, raising millions, and confronting Kenya's colonial past along the way.”
I Am Black, I Am Beautiful (2023)
Dir. Sabrina Onana (France)
New York Premiere
Monday, May 25 at 1:30 p.m.
“Twelve Afro-French women open up about their relationship with hair, beauty standards, men, and representation in the media, sparking a journey of growth, reconciliation, and self-acceptance.”
Lady (2026)
Dir. Olive Nwosu (UK, Nigeria)
New York Premiere
Saturday, May 23 at 6:45 p.m.
“In the sprawling African metropolis of Lagos, a fiercely independent young cab driver meets a band of radiantly reckless sex workers whose sisterhood pulls her into danger and joy, setting her on a journey toward transformation.”
María Antonia (1990)
Dir. Sergio Giral (Cuba)
New York Premiere of New Restoration
Tuesday, May 26 at 8:30 p.m.
“This tragedy follows a rebellious woman living in an Afro-Cuban Havana neighborhood during the 1950s, and the crime of passion that arises amid her entangled love life.”
Memories of Love Returned (2024)
Dir. Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine (Uganda, US)
Saturday, May 23 at 4:30 p.m.
“Filmmaker Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine's chance encounter with Kibaate Aloysius Ssalongo sparked a 22-year journey exploring Kibaate's life, photography, and enduring impact.”
Mississippi Masala (1991)
Dir. Mira Nair (Uganda, US)
Monday, May 25 at 4:00 p.m.
“After being expelled from Uganda, Mina (Choudhury) and her Indian family resettle in Mississippi, where her romance with Demetrius (Washington) challenges racial boundaries and familial expectations.”
My Father's Shadow (2025)
Dir. Akinola Davies Jr. (Nigeria, UK)
Monday, May 25 at 6:30 p.m.
“Framed by the political landscape of 1993 Lagos, a father and his two young sons journey together, quietly reckoning with their relationship while navigating a city on the precipice of democratic crisis.”
The Girl in the Yellow Jumper (2020)
Dir. Loukman Ali (Uganda)
Sunday, May 24 at 1:30 p.m.
“An off-duty police officer driving an elderly witness back to town picks up an injured stranger on a remote Ugandan road. As the man recounts his journey, rising suspicion about a serial killer on the loose mounts.”
The Man Died (2024)
Dir. Awam Amkpa (Nigeria)
Wednesday, May 27 at 5:45 p.m.
“When a writer is jailed by the military, his ideals are put to the ultimate test as he battles for his sanity and his life in this work based on the harrowing prison memoir by Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka.”
The Woman Who Poked The Leopard (2025)
Dir. Patience Nitumwesiga (Uganda, South Africa, Germany, US)
US Premiere
Wednesday, May 27 at 8:30 p.m.
“Imprisoned, tortured, bereaved, the Ugandan dissident, poet, and single mother Dr. Stella Nyanzi navigates the toll of her activism on her young family.”
SHORT FILM PROGRAMS
Out of Bounds
Saturday, May 23 at 9:15 p.m.
“An assortment of new and recent short films made in Egypt, South Africa, Uganda, Cameroon, and the African diaspora explores the weight of choice and autonomy.”
We Had Fun (2023)
Dir. Linda Lô (France)
“Christmas Eve, Bordeaux, 1987. Two young siblings left alone by their older brother experience snow for the first time and find themselves in danger.”
The Sky is Falling (2025)
Dir. Mostafa Gerbeii (Egypt)
US Premiere
“A factory manager locks down his workplace to warn workers the sky is falling outside, triggering disbelief, chaos, and a fierce confrontation when one worker attempts to leave.”
Melusi (2025)
Dir. Ntokozo Lwazi Mlaba (South Africa)
US Premiere
“A rural shepherd steals the prize sheep from a traditional song and dance competition to fund his journey to Johannesburg, setting off conflict in his village.”
Last Taxi to Kawempe (2026)
Dir. Walta Gabriel Busulwa (Canada, Uganda)
World Premiere
“In Kampala, a young girl waits anxiously for her mother as night falls, while a planned robbery begins to unravel when one gang member backs out.”
The Kankurang (2025)
Dir. Ciesay (France, Gambia)
US Premiere
“After his father's sudden death, a young boy must abandon his dream of becoming a pilot and step up as the man of the house.”
Sous le Soleil du Kwat (2025)
Dir. Christine Dikonguè (Cameroon, Canada)
World Premiere
“A tender love story unfolds in the streets of Cameroon until a revelation threatens to change everything.”
How to Hide It (2025)
Dirs. Ramla Ali & Richard A. Moore (UK)
“A young British Sudanese Muslim woman working a night shift impulsively buys a lottery ticket and wins £184 million, then must figure out how to claim her prize without her traditional family finding out.”
TICKETS
$17 per screening (adults) | $12 (seniors & veterans) | $12 (BAM Members 1-3).
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