MAY 1-30: The 33rd New York African Film Festival Lineup Just Dropped

New York City is about to get a major dose of cinematic soul. African Film Festival, Inc. (AFF) has officially pulled back the curtain on the full lineup for the 33rd New York African Film Festival (NYAFF). Running from May 1–30, this month-long journey spans the city’s most iconic cultural hubs from Lincoln Center to the Brooklyn Academy of Music, bringing over 100 films from 30+ countries to the big screen.

This year’s theme, “As the Stars Sow the Earth,” hits deep. It’s a cosmic look at memory, resilience, and the leaders and artists who imagine a sovereign future for Africa and its Diaspora. As AFF founder Mahen Bonetti puts it, these filmmakers are reimagining the landscapes we inherit—drawing from ancestral wisdom not as something to leave behind, but as a source of renewal and possibility.”

The festival kicks off on May 1 at 6:30 p.m. at the Africa Center with a “Black Space” Town Hall. This opening forum investigates how Black communities reshape their physical and social surroundings to build futures rooted in liberation. By blending live performances with deep conversation, the event examines the role of ancestral memory, creative practice, and spiritual cosmologies in sustaining African and diasporic life. Featuring a collaborative mix of artists, performers, and land stewards, the Town Hall introduces the festival’s primary theme, “As the Stars Sow the Earth.” This overarching concept explores how global Black communities turn historical rupture and ecological challenges into fertile ground for new possibilities.

The High-Voltage Highlights

Whether you’re looking for gritty political satires, lush historical thrillers, or intimate docs, this year’s slate is stacked:

• Opening Night (May 6): The NY premiere of Erige Sehiri’s Promised Sky, a bittersweet drama following an Ivorian pastor building a makeshift family in Tunisia.
• The Centerpiece: The Eyes of Ghana, executive produced by Barack and Michelle Obama. Chris Hesse was Ghanian revolutionary Kwame Nkrumah’s personal photographer. Now 93 years old, he and filmmaker Anita Afonu unearth more than 1,000 films that were thought lost.
• The Big Screen Debuts: Congolese rumba superstar Fally Ipupa makes his acting debut in the 1950s-set historical thriller Rumba Royale.
• Essential Restorations: Look out for 4K restorations of Férid Boughedir’s Caméra arabe and Paulin Soumanou Vieyra’s biting political satire En résidence surveillée.
• Short Film Heat: Idris Elba brings his first short film, Dust to Dreams, about ambitious musicians in a Lagos nightclub.

  Where to Catch the Films

  The festival moves through the city like a well-curated playlist:

  • The Africa Center (May 1): Kicks off with a “Black Space” Town Hall forum on community transformation.
  • Film at Lincoln Center (May 6–12): Features the opening night premiere, the Eyes of Ghana centerpiece, and a massive 36 Years at NYAFF Digital Exhibition featuring archival interviews with legends like Miriam Makeba, Hugh Masekela, and Rita Marley.
  • Maysles Documentary Center (May 15–17): A deep dive into powerful documentaries in Harlem, including portraits of revolutionary Amílcar Cabral and Bob Marley’s attorney, Diane Jobson.
  • BAM (May 22–28): Part of the iconic DanceAfrica celebration, this leg spotlights Ugandan cinema and artistry, including the 35th anniversary of Mira Nair’s Mississippi Masala.
  • St. Nicholas Park (May 30): An outdoor closing celebration featuring the Exuberant Jubilance shorts program vibe under the stars.

    Film at Lincoln Center offers 3+ film packages and all-access passes to help you catch as much of the 100+ film slate as possible.

    Check the full schedule and grab tickets at  filmlinc.org and  africanfilmny.org.