ADIFF CHICAGO 2014
12th Annual African Diaspora International Film Festival - Chicago
June 13-June 19, 2014

Lieu / Venue: FACETS CINEMATHEQUE

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FRIDAY, JUNE 13
OPENING NIGHT
Sponsored by the Center for Black Diaspora at DePaul University, The Chicago Crusader and ArtMattan Productions
6:30pm to 7:30pm reception
7:30pm Freedom Summer - Chicago Premiere

FREEDOM SUMMER
In 1964, despite the best efforts of local civil rights activists, Mississippi remained virulently committed to segregation, underscored by the systematic exclusion of African Americans from the political process. In response, Robert Moses of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee developed a campaign to bring a thousand volunteers. 2013, 113 minutes, color & b/w, U.S.A., Stanley Nelson, dir. Official Selection Sundance Film Festival 2014.
Q&A after the screening with producer Cyndee Readden.
Second screening WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18 @ 6PM

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SATURDAY, JUNE 14 @ 1:30 pm Between Friends - Chicago Premiere

BETWEEN FRIENDS
Hailing from Trinidad and Tobago, Between Friends is a film that presents an anthology of intersecting stories and characters who are all connected to one another in some way. The storyline, focused on two generations of contemporary middle class Trinidadians, gradually exposes the hopes, secrets, lies and betrayals in the lives of the various characters. An impressive effort by first-time writer/producer/director Omari Jackson.
Directed by M. Omari Jackson, 2012, 96 min, Trinidad & Tobago, Drama, English.

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SATURDAY, JUNE 14 @ 3:50pm

GO FOR SISTERS
Two time Academy Award nominee John Sayles (Lone Star) returns to the border in this new thriller starring LisaGay Hamilton and Edward James Olmos. Bernice (LisaGay Hamilton) and Fontayne (Yolonda Ross) grew up the closest of friends, but took very different paths in life. Twenty years later, those paths cross: Fontayne is a recovering addict fresh out of jail, and Bernice is her new parole officer. But when Bernice's son Rodney goes missing on the Mexican border, his shady partners in hiding or brutally murdered, she needs someone who can navigate Rodney's world without involving the police… and turns to Fontayne. The pair enlist the services of Freddy Suárez (Edward James Olmos), a disgraced ex-LAPD detective, and plunge into the underbelly of Tijuana, quickly finding themselves in a potentially deadly cat-and-mouse game with a ruthless gang of human traffickers.
Dir. by John Sayles, 2013, USA, 122 mins, thriller in English

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SATURDAY, JUNE 14 @ 6:15pm Tula the Revolt - Chicago Premiere

TULA THE REVOLT
Starring Danny Glover, Tula, The Revolt is an international English spoken feature length movie about the leader of the big slave uprising on the island of Curacao, a Dutch colony in 1795. It tells the true story of a man who dared to stand up against his oppressors leading his people in a peaceful march for freedom, equality and brotherhood. Although several movies on the broader subject of slavery have been made, there was never a movie on the essence of slave resistance. The revolt on Curacao began peacefully and was meant to be won by words, rather than arms. This makes this true story unique in its kind. Directed by Jeroen Leinders, 2013, 100 min, Netherlands/ Curacao, Drama, English.
Program sponsored by the Curacao Tourism Corporation
Second screening TUESDAY, JUNE 17 @ 6PM


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Special screening of Chicago Premiere program HAITI IN THE SPANISH SPEAKING CARIBBEAN and reception
Sponsored by the DuSable Heritage Association and the the Quebec Government Office - Chicago
SATURDAY JUNE 14 @ 7:30pm to 8:30 pm Reception
8:30pm Birthright Crisis & From Coffee Plantation to the Tumba Francessa

BIRTHRIGHT CRISIS
People of Haitian descent are systematically denied citizenship rights in the Dominican Republic. This video is about the Haitian-Dominican community's resistance in the face of illegal deportations, scapegoating, and exclusion.
Directed by Haitian Women 4 Haitian Refugees, 2013, 15min, Documentary, Creole and Spanish with English subtitles.
Shown with

FROM COFFEE PLANTATION TO THE TUMBA FRANCESA
At the end of the 18th century, the Haitian revolution compelled thousands of white colonists, mulattoes, freed blacks and slaves to flee Saint-Domingue and seek refuge in the Eastern region of Cuba. This first wave of immigrants opened the way to others arriving from France until 1868. Many of these newcomers bought land in the mountains and established themselves as coffee planters while others settled in Santiago de Cuba. They left a profound influence on the industry, commerce, customs and culture of the region. Two centuries later, traces of the French presence in Cuba still remain. Among these cultural remnants is the "Tumba Francesa" : a dance inspired by those in fashion at the court of Versailles and practiced by descendants of Saint-Domingue slaves in accordance with the choreography and religious traditions of their Dahomeyan ancestry.
Directed by Frantz Voltaire, 2013, 31min, Documentary, Spanish with English subtitles.
Q&A after the screening with filmmaker Frantz Voltaire.

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SUNDAY, JUNE 15 @ 2 pm Tango Negro, The African Roots of Tango - Chicago Premiere

TANGO NEGRO, THE AFRICAN ROOTS OF TANGO
Tango Negro, The African Roots of Tango by Angolan filmmaker Dom Pedro explores the expression of Tango's Africanness and the contribution of African cultures in the creation of the tango. Tango was a reflection of the social life of the slaves that were taken to South America - including Argentina and Uruguay - mostly from central Africa, particularly from the former Kongo Kingdom. Director Dom Pedro reveals the depth of the footprints of the African music on the tango, through this rich movie combining musical performances and interviews from many tango fans and historians in Latin America and Europe, including the renowned Argentinean pianist Juan Carlos Caceres.
Directed by Dom Pedro, 2013, 93 min., France, Documentary, French/Spanish/ English subt
Second screening WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18 @ 8PM

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SUNDAY, JUNE 15 @ 4pm African-American Trailblaizers Program - Q&A
Sponsored by the Chicago Crusader and ArtMattan Productions

JOSEPHINE BAKER: BLACK DIVA IN A WHITE MAN'S WORLD
A tender, revealing documentary about one of the most famous and popular performing artists of the 20th century. Her legendary banana belt dance created theatre history; her song "J'ai deux amours" became a classic, and her hymn. The film focuses on her life and work from a perspective that analyses images of Black people in popular culture. It portrays the artist in the mirror of European colonial clichés and presents her as a resistance fighter, an ambulance driver during WWII, and an outspoken activist against racial discrimination involved in the worldwide Black Consciousness movement of the 20th century.
Directed by Annette von Wangenheim, 2006, 45 min, Germany, documentary, English/French/German with English subtitles

TWO DOLLARS AND A DREAM
A documentary which focuses on Madame C.J. Walker, a black woman who, in 1910, made a small investment in a company specializing in black hair and skin care products and realized a dream that made her America's first self-made millionairess. The program also documents the life of her daughter, A'Lelia Walker, black America's patron of the Harlem Renaissance. Included are interviews with the Walkers' friends and coworkers and a collection of stills, film, and music from the period.
Directed by Stanley Nelson, 1987, 56 min, USA, documentary, English
Q&A after the screening with Professor Zakiya R. Adair whose areas of work are transnational women's cultural history, African-American history and black expressive culture

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SUNDAY, JUNE 15
Chicago Premiere screening of THE MISCREANTS and reception
Sponsored by the Embassy of Switzerland - Washington DC

5:30-6:30pm Reception
6:30pm The Miscreants - Chicago Premiere

THE MISCREANTS
On the order of their spiritual leader, three young Islamists kidnap a group of actors who are about to go on tour with their latest show. When the kidnappers arrive at the place of detention, they find themselves cut off from their base. Ensues a 7-day no exit situation, in which both sides are forced to live together, confront each other and challenge their mutual prejudices.
Directed by Mohcine Besri, Morocco/Switzerland, 2012, 88 min, Drama, Arabic/English subt.
Q&A after the screening with Dr. Reinaldo B. Spech, ADIFF Co-Director

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MONDAY, JUNE 16 @ 6:30pm The African Cypher - Chicago Premiere
Presented to celebrate South Africa Youth Day in collaboration with the Chicago South African Consulate.

THE AFRICAN CYPHER
This is the physicality of the dance; the awe of a body flowing through space, flipping, spinning, and snaking as if giving birth to a new means of self-expression. Across South African cities and townships, dance has long been a mirror of the community, replaying allegorical stories that both educate and entertain. The film harnesses the energy of the unique and diverse performance styles of isiPantsula and sBhujwa to Krump and B-boy. Crime and poverty may be a challenging reality in township life, but the dancers featured describe how their art has enriched their lives with new avenues, and pay it forward by engaging with youth through mentorship and dance training that breaks the cycle of crime and offers hope.
Directed by Bryan Litlle, 2012, 88 min., South Africa, Documentary, Zulu/ Xhosa/Afrikaans/ English subt.
Q&A after the screening with Karabo Letlaka, Consul Political, South African Consulate General Chicago

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MONDAY, JUNE 16 @ 8:30pm

JEWS OF EGYPT - Chicago Premiere
A documentary that captures fragments of the lives of the Egyptian Jewish community in the first half of the twentieth century until their second grand exodus after the tripartite attack of 1956. An attempt to understand the change in the identity of the Egyptian society that turned from a society full of tolerance and acceptance of one another and how it changed gradually by mixing religious and political views into a society that rejects the others. A film about the cosmopolitan Egypt in the 40′s and Egypt in the new millennium.How did the Jews of Egypt turn in the eyes of Egyptians from partners in the same country to enemies.
Directed by Amir Ramses, 2013, 95 min., Egypt, Documentary, Arabic/French/English subt.
Second screening THURSDAY, JUNE 19 @ 6PM

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TUESDAY, JUNE 17 @ 8pm

MADE IN JAMAICA
"Made in Jamaica" is a powerful portrait of the leaders of a Jamaican music movement that has become a worldwide phenomenon. The film tells the story of how artists on a small island nation in the Caribbean of only three million people took their human experience and turned it into songs full of emotion that resonate around the world. Reggae is Jamaica's blues: a music of both desperation and hope. With interviews and musical performances by such artists as Capleton, Elephant Man, Bunny Wailer, Toots & the Maytals, Bounty Killer, Gregory Isaacs, Tanya Stephens, Beres Hammond, Third World, Lady Saw, Sly Dunbar & Robbie Shakespeare, Joseph Current, Vybz Kartel, Shiah Coore, Koolant, Alaine, Doc Marshall, Brick & Lace, Blessed and Bogle.
Directed by Jerome Laperrousaz, 2006, 110 min, Jamaica/France/USA, Musical Documentary, English.

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THURSDAY, JUNE 19 @ 8pm

LOVE TRIANGLE - Chicago Premiere
A story about two best friends who are madly in love with the same person. How far will a person go for love? Could love convince you to risk losing everything? Could loosing the one you love drive you crazy? Would you kill for love? All of these questions will be answered in this suspense love story. So brace yourself and get ready for this emotional roller coaster ride.
Directed by Markiss Mc Fadden, 2013, 1hour 52 min., USA, Romantic Thriller, English

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The 12th Annual African Diaspora Film Festival-Chicago is made possible thanks to the generous support of the following institutions: Facets Cinemateque, ArtMattan Productions, the Center for Black Diaspora at DePaul University, The Dusable Heritage Association; TV5 Monde, the Curacao Tourism Corporation, The the Quebec Government Office - Chicago and the Embassy of Switzerland - Washington DC. Special thanks to the Chicago Crusader, generous ADIFF 2014 Media Sponsor.
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WHAT
12th Annual African Diaspora Film Festival - Chicago

WHEN: June 13-June 19, 2014
WHERE: Facets Cinémathèque
The Facets Cinémathèque is located at 1517 W. Fullerton Ave. in Chicago. For a full schedule and to order advance tickets online please call 773-281-4114 or 212-864-1760 or visit http://www.facets.org or http://www.NYADIFF.org. Tickets are $15 for Opening Night and $9 general admission


SCHEDULE AT A GLANCE

Friday, June 13
Opening Night
6:30pm to 7:30pm reception
7:30pm Freedom Summer - Q&A

Saturday, June 14
1:30pm Between Friends
3:50pm Go for Sisters
6:15pm Tula the Revolt
7:30pm to 8:30pm Reception
8:30pm Haitian program - Q&A

Sunday, June 15
2pm Tango Negro, The African Roots of Tango
4pm African-American Trailblazer - Q&A
5:30-6:30pm Reception
6:30pm The Miscreants

Monday, June 16
6:30pm African Cypher - Q&A
8:30pm Jews of Egypt

Tuesday, June 17
6pm Tula, the Revolt
8pm Made in Jamaica

Wednesday, June 18
6pm Freedom Summer
8pm Tango Negro, The African Roots of Tango

Thursday, June 19
6pm Jews of Egypt
8pm Love Triangle

Festival Directors: Diarah NDAW SPECH & Reinaldo SPECH

Mailing address:
African Diaspora Film Festival
535 Cathedral Parkway- St14B
New York, Ny 10025