Best of 33rd Annual African Diaspora International Film Festival
January 16-18
Latin American and U.S. Latinx Films co-presented by Cinema Tropical
Following a landmark 33rd edition that showcased a powerful selection of global works, the African Diaspora International Film Festival (ADIFF) is proud to present its traditional "Best of ADIFF 2025" encore series. Held during Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend, January 16–18, 2026, at Teachers College, Columbia University, this series brings back the films that resonated most deeply with tri-state area audiences, with a special focus on the vibrant cinematic contributions of Latin America.
For tickets and more information visit: https://nyadiff.org
MALÊS
(Antônio Pitanga, Brazil, 2024, 122 min. In Portuguese with English subtitles)
From the award-winning Brazilian filmmaker Antônio Pitanga—one of the key actors of Brazil's influential Cinema Novo movement (1960s and 70s), Malês is a dramatic journey of courage, faith, and resistance set in 1835 Salvador, Bahia. The film centers on a young Muslim couple ripped from their African homeland and sold into slavery in Brazil on the eve of their wedding. Separated by cruel fate, they struggle not only to survive the daily horrors of the sugar plantations and urban servitude but also to find a path back to each other. Their personal fight for survival becomes swept up in the Malê Revolt, the largest and most influential organized uprising of enslaved people in Brazilian history, led by Muslim Africans.
This powerful historical drama vividly brings to life the resilience, intellect, and unity of the enslaved and free Black communities who dared to challenge the entire institution of slavery, cementing Malês as a monumental contribution to the cinematic history of the African Diaspora.
Saturday, January 17, 1pm at Teachers College, Columbia University
SUGAR ISLAND
(Johanné Gómez Terrero, Dominican Republic, 2025, 91 min. In Spanish and Haitian Creole with English subtitles)
WINNER: BEST FILM DIRECTED BY A WOMAN OF COLOR
Sugar Island immerses us in the Dominican Republic’s sugarcane fields, where Makenya, a Dominican-Haitian teenager, navigates an unwanted pregnancy and the harsh labor that defines her world. Director Johanné Gómez Terrero masterfully blends social realism, spirituality, and Afro-futurism to expose the enduring legacy of colonial exploitation. As Makenya confronts family burdens and the specter of displacement, the arrival of a mysterious theater troupe illuminates haunting connections between past and present struggles. As Makenya fights for her future and her grandfather battles for justice, Sugar Island unfolds as a lyrical, visually rich meditation on identity, survival, and the enduring power of cultural memory.
Sunday, January 18, 5:30pm at The Chapel, Teachers College
Followed by a Q&A with director Johanné Gómez Terrero
CANDOMBE
(Rafael Deugenio, Uruguay, 1993, 16 min. In Spanish with English subtitles)
A portrait of musician and drum-maker Fernando Núñez, who fights to preserve the Afro-Uruguayan legacy of candombe despite erasure and marginalization.
