African Film Festival, Inc. (AFF) is delighted to announce the 32nd edition of the New York African Film Festival (NYAFF), returning to New York City from May 7 through May 31, 2025. This year’s theme, Fluid Horizons: A Hopeful Lens of a Shifting World, reflects the creative momentum and evolving cultural narratives being explored across the African continent and its far-reaching diaspora. A vibrant and essential platform for African and Black cinematic storytelling, NYAFF32 will present a sweeping program of over 100 films representing more than 30 countries.

Spanning nearly a month, this year’s festival will unfold across three of the city’s most celebrated cultural institutions: Film at Lincoln Center (May 7–13), Maysles Cinema in Harlem (May 15–18), and the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM), where the festival’s FilmAfrica series will take place (May 23–29). Each leg of the festival will feature robust programming, from film screenings and post-screening discussions to community events and filmmaker Q&As. The festival will culminate with an outdoor screening at St. Nicholas Park on June 1, bringing the cinematic journey under the stars for a celebratory finale.

Since its founding in 1993, the New York African Film Festival has been a pioneering space for the celebration of African cinema in the United States. For over three decades, the festival has been dedicated to showcasing the wide spectrum of African filmmaking—illuminating the past, present, and future of storytelling from the continent and its global communities. According to AFF Executive Director and NYAFF founder Mahen Bonetti, the festival’s longevity is a testament to its commitment to cultural preservation, artistic innovation, and audience engagement. “The 32nd New York African Film Festival invites us to reimagine possibility—on-screen and in our communities. It honors the enduring artistic legacies of African filmmakers, while embracing bold new visions that push boundaries and redefine what it means to tell our stories on our terms.”

Film at Lincoln Center (FLC): May 7-13
Tickets are available now at https://www.filmlinc.org/festivals/new-york-african-film-festival

The festivities begin at Film at Lincoln Center with the North American premiere of Freedom Way, a powerful, atmospheric feature by Nigerian director Afolabi Olaleken. The film interweaves the lives of nine characters navigating love, justice, ambition, and uncertainty in contemporary Nigeria. These include three young co-founders fighting to keep their startup alive, a doctor caught between his conscience and failing government policies, a motorcyclist who has lost his livelihood, and a conflicted police pair pulled to opposite sides of the law. Their stories come together in a dramatic, unforgettable climax that speaks to both personal struggle and collective transformation.

Also featured in this leg of the festival is the North American premiere of Black Tea, the latest offering from Mauritanian director Abderrahmane Sissako. Known for his visually poetic work, Sissako delivers a meditative and dreamlike exploration of cross-cultural love and identity in the growing nexus between Africa and China. Meanwhile, Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine presents Memories of Love Returned, an introspective documentary that began with a chance encounter in 2002 in a small Ugandan town. Mwine’s broken-down car led him to a local photo studio run by Kibaate Aloysius Ssalongo—a meeting that grew into a decades-long journey of friendship, artistic collaboration, and community engagement, as Mwine documented Kibaate’s life and impact through the camera lens.

Among the powerful short films making their debut at Lincoln Center is Kenya’s Iron Fist by Kagure N. Kabue. Part of the In the Arms of the Mother shorts program, the film tells the story of Wangari, a hardworking mother tormented by unhealed trauma, who finds unexpected healing and empowerment through boxing. Set in a local gym, Wangari’s journey is one of self-discovery, resilience, and rebirth, portraying the complexity and strength of African womanhood.

Maysles Cinema : May 15 – 18
Tickets available April 25

The festival then continues uptown at Maysles Cinema in Harlem, opening with the U.S. premiere of The Man Who Plants Baobab Trees, a moving documentary about El Hadj Salifou Ouédraogo of western Burkina Faso. For more than fifty years, El Hadj has dedicated his life to planting baobab trees, often misunderstood by his community but now revered as a symbol of ecological stewardship. With over 4,600 baobabs standing tall in his village, the film pays tribute to his patience, vision, and deep connection to the land.

Another standout at Maysles is At All Kosts, directed by Joseph Hillel, which immerses viewers in Haiti’s artistic heartbeat. Through layered choreography and intimate storytelling, the film captures the legacy of Haitian revolutionaries and the urgency felt by contemporary artists to reflect the spirit of resistance, beauty, and imagination. Complementing the features are two compelling short film programs: The Ancestors Smile, which radiates African joy and heritage, and Ever Rising, an ode to triumph and communal strength in the face of historical and modern challenges.

Brooklyn Academy of Music : May 23 – 29
Tickets are available now on https://www.bam.org/film/2025/filmafrica

The final major segment of the festival takes place at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, where NYAFF presents its FilmAfrica program in partnership with BAM’s celebrated DanceAfrica festival. This year, the spotlight is on Mozambique, with a program that traces the country’s cinematic lineage and broader cultural narratives. The Opening Night is the world premiere of So Long a Letter, an adaptation of the beloved 1979 novel by Senegalese author Mariama Bâ. Directed by Angele Diabang, the film is a reflective and poetic portrait of African womanhood, navigating themes of grief, memory, and gender roles. As part of NYAFF, Diabang will go on to lead a free public masterclass at the Brooklyn Public Library, titled From Literature to Cinema: Classic Adaptations, where she will discuss the artistic process of bringing literary works to life on screen on Saturday, May 24th. 

FilmAfrica’s rich lineup includes the New York premiere of Khartoum, a lyrical and haunting look into the lives of five Sudanese citizens displaced from their war-torn capital. The screening is contextualized by a program of Sudanese short films curated by sisters Sarra and Selma Idris, which explore memory, youth, and imagination amidst political unrest. The Mozambican film Mueda, Memória e Massacre, directed by Ruy Guerra, presents a stunning reenactment of a 1960 anti-colonial protest massacre, blending historical testimony and theatrical performance. Another remarkable film, Kuxa Kanema: The Birth of Cinema by Margarida Cardoso, takes viewers into the early days of Mozambique’s National Film Institute—founded as the first act of cultural policy following independence—and the role of cinema in shaping a new national identity.

The short film program Mysteries of the Heart provides a whimsical and bittersweet meditation on love, loss, and life, while Dani Kouyaté’s Yennenga winning (FESPACO)  Katanga: Dance of the Scorpions offers a daring adaptation of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, reimagined through the lens of African political intrigue and ambition.

For information about attending the NYAFF32 Opening Night Party, contact info@africanfilmny.org.

NYAFF officially opens with a free Town Hall event at The Africa Center on Thursday, May 1, at 6:30 p.m. Titled Art and Activism: Reflections of the Future, the conversation brings together a multidisciplinary panel including lawyer and novelist Iris Mwanza, trailblazing photographer Ming Smith, and pioneering dancer Omari Wiles. Together, they will reflect on the future of Black art and rebellion, discussing the interplay between activism, imagination, and the shifting landscapes of global storytelling.

The festival concludes with a special outdoor screening at St. Nicholas Park on June 1, offering a moment of community, celebration, and reflection beneath the starry sky. Free and open to the public, this closing event invites New Yorkers of all backgrounds to come together and share in the beauty of African cinema.

The programs of AFF are made possible by the generous support of the  National Endowment for the Arts, New York State Council on the Arts, NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, Bradley Family Foundation, Domenico Paulon Foundation, The Andy Warhold Foundation, the Democratic Republic of Congo Office of Tourism, Color Congress, NYC & Company, French Cultural Services, Manhattan Portage, , Essentia Water, South African Consulate General, National Film and Video Foundation and Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie.

For the complete schedule, film descriptions, and ticketing information, visit the official festival website: https://nyaff32.eventive.org/schedule.

Related Free NYAFF talks and events:

Art & Activism: Reflections on the Future

Join us for a dynamic, interactive festival town hall, featuring intimate one-on-one discussions with artists who will delve into how the festival’s theme connects to their work. The evening will wrap up with a group panel and audience Q&A. Doors open at 6PM, with the conversation starting at 6:30PM, followed by a live DJ set before the talks begin!
The Africa Center – FREE
Thursday, May 1 at 6:00 pm

Art Exhibition: “All Night We Waited for Morning, All Morning We Waited for Night” by Bereket Adamu

“All Night We Waited for Morning, All Morning We Waited for Night” is a welded steel light sculpture and animated video that reflects on African resistance, migration, and global interconnectedness. Constructed from steel, cotton, hide skin glue, ink, paint, and a lightbulb, the piece combines material and conceptual tension, with light and movement obscuring as much as they reveal. Depicting winged African figures, it explores themes of environmental disruption, self-agency, and intergenerational relationships that transcend borders. The work’s shifting figures and forms resist fixed meaning, creating a narrative suspended between presence and absence, illuminated and obscured.
The accompanying animation extends this instability, allowing figures to dissolve and reform as the object is made and un- made, while the illuminated steel structure flickers between clarity and obscurity, revealing only partial truths. Through its dynamic interplay of sculpture and animation, the piece moves beyond monumentality, capturing a fluidity of political, environmental, and personal change in an ongoing, layered rhythm that defies stand still interpretation.
Thursday, May 8 – Tuesday, May 13 – FREE
Film at Lincoln Center – Amphitheater at the Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center

Congo RE-Vue: A Fresh Perspective by Emerging Congolese Talent

Congo RE-Vue is a dynamic digital photo exhibition dedicated to highlighting the vibrant talent of the next generation of Congolese artists. This project focuses on young Congolese photographers who, with fresh eyes and a forward-thinking approach, are redefining how their country is viewed both within its borders and beyond. Their vision is one of progress, creativity, and optimism. At the heart of Congo RE-Vue is a dedication to contemporary Congolese culture, seen through the lens of photographers (with future editions to include filmmakers) who are reshaping the narrative of their country.
Curated by Cecilia Zoppelletto and produced by ZOPMEDIA in collaboration with ZEKE and Preston Witman Productions, Congo RE-Vue is an exploration of the artistic innovation coming out of Congo today, crafted with care and pride. This is more than just a photo exhibition—it is a movement, a statement, and an invitation to experience Congo through the eyes of its next generation.
The works featured in Congo RE-Vue are a testament to the immense talent of Congo’s young photography generation. From intimate portraits to bold social commentary, each artist brings their own unique perspective, offering a fresh lens through which to see the beauty, challenges, and triumphs of Congo. This first edition includes the works of Christelle Emulu, Arsène Mpiana, Hardy Bope, Henock Diba, Luther Lupeta, Antalya Mbafumoya, and Fortune Lula.
Thursday, May 8 – Tuesday, May 13 – FREE
Film at Lincoln Center – Amphitheater at the Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center

From Then to Now: Celebrating 15 Years of African Cinema — Presented by AFF & OkayAfrica

The African Film Festival (AFF) and OkayAfrica present From Then to Now: Celebrating 15 Years of African Cinema—a thoughtful exploration of the evolving landscape of African film. Bringing together four acclaimed filmmakers featured in this year’s festival, this panel offers a rare opportunity to reflect on the creative shifts and enduring themes shaping African cinema today. Panelists include Balufu Bakupa-Kanyinda (Juju Factory), Afolabi Olalekan (Opening Night film Freedom Way), and Fatou Cissé (Furu), who also honors the profound legacy of her father, the late Souleymane Cissé. Together, they trace the threads of continuity and change across a decade and a half of cinematic storytelling, offering insight into the present moment and the future of the art form.
Saturday, May 10 at 12 PM – FREE
Film at Lincoln Center – Amphitheater at the Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center

From Literature to Cinema: Classic Adaptations with Angèle Diabang and Awam Amkpa

This masterclass invites audiences into a rich conversation on the art of adaptation, exploring how iconic literary works are reimagined for the screen. With filmmakers from this year’s festival—such as Angele Diabang (So Long a Letter) and Awam Amkpa (The Man Died)—the session will examine the creative choices, challenges, and cultural resonances involved in translating text to film. From personal insight to process, this dialogue celebrates the enduring relationship between literature and cinema, and the new worlds that emerge when they meet.
Saturday, May 24 at 12:30PM– FREE
Brooklyn Public Library – Library for Arts & Culture

June 1st: Outdoor Film Screening

Join us for the NYAFF closing event at St. Nicholas Park featuring a live DJ set and outdoor screening of Sadrack by NYAFF31 alum Narcisse Wandji, preceded by Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove, Nigeria by Sosena Solomon and Echoes of the Lake . Music starts at 7PM!
Saturday, May 31 at 7PM – FREE
St Nicholas Park, Harlem