African Diaspora International Film Festival Returns to NYC with 33rd Edition

The 33rd Annual African Diaspora International Film Festival (ADIFF) is back in New York City from November 29 to December 14, 2025, and this year’s lineup is nothing short of extraordinary. Over 70 films from more than 30 countries will be showcased, shining a spotlight on socially relevant stories about people of colour from all corners of the globe — from Peru to Zimbabwe, the USA to Belgium, and New Zealand to Jamaica. Since its founding in 1993, ADIFF has been dedicated to expanding perspectives through cinema, connecting groundbreaking new voices with timeless classics.

Screenings will take place at iconic New York venues, including Teachers College, Columbia University, Cinema Village, and The Lenfest Center for the Arts. Audiences will get the chance to engage with filmmakers, discovering the stories and inspirations behind the films. For those who can’t attend in person, ADIFF will also host a Mini Virtual Festival, featuring 20 films available to stream across the U.S. and Canada.

Here’s a look at the highlights and key events of the festival:

• Opening Night Film: The festival kicks off on Saturday, November 29, with a VIP Reception and the New York Premiere of The Dutchman, a modern, surreal adaptation of Amiri Baraka’s 1964 play. Following the screening, director Andre Gaines and Rolling Out journalist Derrell Johnson will lead a Q&A.

• Closing Night Film: ADIFF wraps up with a VIP Reception and the New York Premiere of Fanon, a compelling biographical drama tracing Martiniquan psychiatrist Frantz Fanon’s formative years in 1950s Algeria. Director Jean-Claude Barney will join the conversation after the screening.

• Centrepiece Screening: The festival highlights the African Diaspora in India with the NY Premiere of Rhythm of Dammam, focusing on the Siddi community and how traditional Dammam music and family rituals address inter-generational trauma.

• Filmmaker Spotlight: A special event with trailblazing director Leslie Harris follows a screening of her restored 1992 film Just Another Girl on the I.R.T., celebrating her role as one of the first Black women to write, direct, and produce a theatrically released feature film.

• Gala Screenings: Festival standouts include Sugar Island (Dominican Republic), which explores identity and struggle, and the US Premiere of Moroccan thriller The Ants.

• Silenced Voices – Cinema & Censorship: This programme revisits films once banned or suppressed for challenging societal norms. Featured titles include Oscar Michaux’s Within Our Gates (1920) and Jules Dassin’s Uptight (1968). A panel on censorship and cinema, led by legal scholar Tanya Katerí Hernández, will take place on Friday, December 12.

• Francophone Selection: Supported by the OIF and Québec Government Office, this section features films from Canada, Tunisia, Egypt, Morocco, Belgium, Haiti, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, and Guadeloupe.

• Senior Program: On December 3rd, seniors across New York City are invited to a free community screening of Who in the Hell is Regina Jones at Teachers College, Columbia University, making the festival accessible to audiences of all ages.

The festival continues to demonstrate the breadth and richness of the African Diaspora in film, presenting both celebrated premieres from international festivals and new voices challenging the boundaries of storytelling.

Tickets and passes for both in-person and virtual screenings are available online. General admission is $15, while VIP and gala screenings range from $30–40. Seniors (65+) and students with valid ID can attend for $13. Tickets and passes are available at www.nyadiff.org.