The African Diaspora Cinema Festival celebrates its return to the big screen from 23-26 June. Initiated in 2013 by filmmaker Fide Dayo, the festival aims to overcome geographical limitations and hierarchies that categorisations such as ‘African film’ or ‘African cinema’ often entail. Instead, ADCF presents films from and about Africa and its Diaspora that focus on heterogeneity, mobility and culture as well as global infrastructural interconnections. The digitalisation of film has enabled, among other things, international exchange platforms for an unfiltered circulation of the medium and direct contact with filmmakers, bypassing canonising distribution channels. The selection of 15 films from a total of 110 submissions for the African Diaspora Cinema Festival brings together contributions from local directors in Africa, the global diaspora and filmmakers who move between several worlds.
In recent months, the experience of films as an isolated experience had shifted to individual screens. The monopolisation of streaming platforms during the pandemic obscured that a living film experience takes place in the community – beyond consumer-driven, individualised algorithms. Cinema was and is a place of the collective, reflecting and rethinking opinions, values, morals, aesthetics, politics and identities. Cinema confronts the unknown, the uncomfortable and aesthetic ruptures; it is a place of discussion, consensus or dissent, a beginning of processes of change.
This year, for the first time, ADCF is cooperating with the Fondazione Stensen and will present two final films on the open-air screen at Manifattura Tabacchi on Saturday, 26 June. The film programme will be accompanied by talks and live concerts.
Wednesday 23.6.2021 – Villa Romana
FILM SCREENINGS / GARDEN ROOM
7 – 8 pm
Opus, Kgosana Monchusi, South Africa, 2019, short, 17:57 min, sotho / engl
Running Home, Michelle-Andrea Girouard, Canada, 2019, short, 29:50, engl
Marked, Nadine Ibrahim, Nigeria, 2019, doc, 20:57 min, engl
GARDEN
8.45 pm
Re:presentation
A conversation with Daphne di Cinto (filmmaker, Italy), Stephan Hilpert (director, Germany). Fide Dayo (director ADCF), Agnes Stillger (Villa Romana)
9.20 pm
Festival opening presentation by Fide Dayo, director ADCF
FILM SCREENINGS / GARDEN
9.30 – 11.15 pm
The letter reader, Sibusiso Khuzwayo, South Africa, 2019, short, 29:56, zulu / engl
Uncivilized, Michael Lees, Dominican Republic, 2019, doc, 1:11:00, engl
Thursday 24.6.2021 – Villa Romana
FILM SCREENINGS / GARDEN ROOM
6 – 8.30 pm
El Canto de los Dios, Pablo di Leva, Uruquay, 2019, doc, 1:24:00, fr / engl
Our Gorongosa, Carla Rebai, Mozambique, 2019, doc, 60:00, port / engl
GARDEN
8.45 pm
Concert
Daniel Kollè (Milan)
Percussion, vocals
FILM SCREENINGS / GARDEN
9.45 – 11.15 pm
Digging Deep, Norma Gregory, United Kingdom, 2020, doc, 59:14, engl
Ward’s Henna Party, Morad Mostafa, Egypt, 2019, short, 22:50, arab / engl
Friday 25.6.2021 – Villa Romana
FILM SCREENINGS / GARDEN ROOM
6.00 pm
Tainted Canvas, Segilola Ogidan, Nigeria, 2020, feature, 1:31:59, engl
GIARDINO
7.45 pm
Fashion
Presentation by Julieta Manassas, (fasion designer, Bologna)
8.30 pm
Concert
Myrmecoleon (Bergamo)
African Music meets Jazz improvisation
FILM SCREENINGS / GARDEN
9.45 – 0.30 pm
Wax in the City, Elie Séonnet, France, 2018, doc, 54:00, fr / engl
Name of Baptism-Frances, Tila Chitunda, Brazil, 2019, short, 16:50, port / engl
Mabata Bata, Sol de Carvalho, Mozambique, 2018, feature, 1:13:15, port / engl
Saturday 26.6.2021 – Manifattura Tabacchi
Reservation for the screenings required
MUSIC STAGE
8.30 pm
Concert
Mar Sea Azul Blue’S (Firenze)
Morna music from Cape Verde
OPEN AIR CINEMA
9.30 pm
Awards Announcement
9.45 – 11.30 pm
Dafa Metti (Difficult), Tal Amiran, United Kingdom, 2020, doc, 14:36, engl
Congo Calling, Stephan Hilpert. Germany, 2019, doc, 1:30:00, germ / engl
in presence of the director
