For its 18th edition, the New York African Film Festival (NYAFF) honors the landmark “International Year for People of African Descent,” as 2011 has been designated by the United Nations. The Festival also celebrates 50 years of independence in Sierra Leone and Tanzania, and highlights the following themes:

Africa – the Next Generation: These fictional and documentary films depict the resilience of Africa’s youth as they rise above adversity, whether by bravely facing life with AIDS (Thembi) or by simply writing a letter to Santa Clause (Ousmane). Other films include Soul Boy and Africa United.

Sorcery and Subversion in the 21st Century: These filmmakers question perceptions of activists and outliers, who intentionally or unintentionally challenge their communities to question the norms that underline their societies. The Witches of Gambaga, Taharuki, The Deliverance of Comfort, and Phyllis.

Examining the Heart of Africa: Situated in the center of the African continent, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has long been considered the heart of Africa. Its politics and its cultures seem to pulse in time with the heart of the continent. Three films present different perspectives on the DRC: Kinshasa Symphony, Viva Riva!, and Kongo – Grand Illusions.

The Retention of Memory: A new generation of Africans filmmakers brings a fresh perspective to the longstanding conversation about traditional beliefs and modern rituals, cultural heritage and cultural evolution, and memories of the past and hopes for the future. Film include: Besouro; For the Best and For the Onion, A Journey into Kono Womanhood, and Ebony Goddess.

Africa First Shorts: The NYAFF is pleased to present the U.S. premiere of the 2011 Focus FeaturesAfrica First Shorts Program. The program, now in its third year, has been supporting the growth of groundbreaking emerging filmmakers. This year’s brilliant new works include: Dirty Laundry, Umkhungo, Tinye So, and Mwansa The Great.

The Camera – A Filmmaker’s Weapon: The camera has transformed the lives of artists and everyday people throughout the continent: an Ethiopian man who protects his tribe with a Kalashnikov and a camera (Shooting with Mursi); a young boy who documents the life of immigrants in Italy (One Way, a Tuareg Journey); and unwitting outsiders whose cameras lead them toward a terrible secret (Stolen).

The 18th New York African Film Festival was organized by Richard Peña, Program Director, Film Society of LincolnCenter and Mahen Bonetti, Founder and Executive Director, African Film Festival, Inc. (Toccarra Holmes Thomas, Morgan Seag and Alonzo Speight).

Special thanks to the AFF Board of Directors, Jane Aiello, Joan Baffour, Luca Bonetti, Francoise Bouffault, Sean Jacobs, Mamadou Diouf, Gabriele Donati, Jacki Fischer, Jana Haimsohn, Lisa Kim, Ulli Maier, Belynda M’Baye, Alexander Markov, Andrew Milne, Marina Pieretti, Muriel Placet-Kouassi, Prerana Reddy, Mohammed Sillah, Claudia Akyeampong, Cheryl Duncan & Company Inc. Public Relations, Kojo Associates and AFF’s volunteer team.