Diaspora Festival of Black and Independent Film (2026)
Screening Schedule
September 10 | 6:30PM | Hitchcock
THE DEVIL WEARS MADRAS Dirs.: Céline BERNABÉ, Kévin MACEDOT | Guadeloupe| Narrative | 47 MIN
A young man from Guadeloupe who left for France to study decides to return home with his partner, born in the Paris suburbs and originally from Martinique. But once they arrive, the young man’s mother intrudes into their relationship and turns their lives upside down. Nothing goes as planned. Excitement gives way to disillusionment. How far can one go for love?
PRAYER Dir.: Sofia Geweiler |Portugal | Short | 14 MIN
In a techno club in Lisbon, immigrant worker Abdul is on a video call with his wife, Aliyah, who is going into labor and begs him to be present, at least over the phone. At the same time, his colleague Maria desperately needs his help. Caught between work’s demands and his son’s birth, Abdul grapples with the fear of losing his job and the challenge of becoming a father from afar. On top of all that, he fights with his strict father-in-law for his right to perform the sacred tradition of reciting the Adhan for his newborn son.
DRIFTWOOD Dir. Temi "TMI" Oluokun | Nigeria, United Kingdom | Short Narrative | 7MIN
Caught between her late father’s Yoruba traditions and her mother’s devout Christianity, a young woman embarks on a mystical journey along the English coast.
September 17 | 6:30PM | Hitchcock
WASHED, CLEANSED AND BURIED Dir.: Sive Mbamatye | South Africa |Doc | 7 MIN
African cultural practices have many rules when it comes to the rituals that surround death. But what if the death is not what it seems?
WHAT WE CARRY Dir.: Karl-Mary Akre | United States | Short Narrative | 14 MIN
Stranded in the rural American South, an Ivorian couple must fight to escape an unknown predator.
TALE OF A...SUNDOWN TOWN Dir.: Shadrach Kugbay Akoi | United States | Short Narrative | 20 MIN
A narrator tells the story of a spring break road trip, 5 HBCU College students take a detour to visit one of their grandparents. After an encounter at a gas station, they learn it’s a SUNDOWN Town and must survive the night at the grandparents’ house.
THE GARDEN OF HEALING Dir. Ozor Uche | Nigeria | Short Narrative | 31 MIN
A wealthy Yoruba family is nearly torn apart from within by grief, anger, resentment and waning intimacy... then a young boy takes matters into his own hands and accepts help from a mysterious stranger.
October 1 | 6:30PM | Hitchcock
MOVING MASCULINITY Dir. Esther A. Armah | Ghana, USA| Doc | 58 MIN
MOVING MASCULINITY is a film on memory, masculinity, race and Emotional Justice,
narrated and directed by Esther A. Armah. Weaving poetry, sound, story and ceremony, it
brings together Black men and boys aged 16 to 60 from myriad professions - from educators
and artists to activists, writers and community leaders.
October 22 | 12:05PM | Hitchcock
REVERENCE: RECLAIMING THE FORGOTTEN Dir.: John Mills | United States | Short Docu | 33 MIN
A Connecticut genealogist works to reclaim the lives of African Americans erased from history, reuniting descendants, restoring memorials, and bringing forgotten stories back into the American narrative.
WAY BACK HOME Dir. Chad B. Hamilton | United States | Short Narrative | 20 MIN
Jared and Van inherit their grandmother’s dilapidated brownstone. The siblings have opposing views on what to do with the house until a surprise offer forces one to make arrangements behind the other’s back.
GOOD HOME TRAINING Dirs. Evolyn Brooks, Riche Holmes Grant | United States | Short Doc | 12 MIN
Good Home Training explores the legacy, resistance, and joy Black women have long cultivated in domestic spaces. Through storytelling, a shared meal, and a hands-on baking session, the film honors Malinda Russell–believed to be the first Black person
to self-publish a cookbook–while connecting her legacy to modern creatives.
November 5 | 6:30PM | Hitchcock
VIVA YURUMANGUÍ Dirs.: Emma Christopher, Sergio Leyva Seiglie |Colombia |Doc | 80MIN
The people of Yurumanguí palenque in Colombia have a 300-year chain of struggle stretching
back to Africa. As their determination to live freely on their own terms is threatened more
than ever, a group heads to a major music competition to sing for peace and remind the
outside world that they still exist.
November 10 | 6:30PM | Hitchcock
ESEUSEU Dir.: Zaya Benazzo, Maurizio Benazzo |Kenya, United States | Doc | 61 MIN
