When it comes to telling the stories of our roots, there’s no better place to start than Africa. Even though the widespread diaspora over time has often made us feel more separated by our diverse upbringings, the truth is that Black American culture has way more in common with our African brothers and sisters than we think.
It’s why we thought it’d be a great idea to hit up the New York African Film Festival for the month of May. Now in its 33rd year, the annual NYAFF celebration is a pillar in showcasing the full breadth of our global culture through the cinematic lens of entertainment.
From Manhattan and Harlem to BAM in Brooklyn, we dived deep into a wide selection of documentaries, short films, anniversary screenings, stateside debuts and premiere events complimented further by insightful Q&A presentations.
Following the Opening Night screening of Promised Sky via Film at Lincoln Center, the festival took a detour uptown for a weekend of screenings at the Maysles Documentary Center Cinema in Harlem. Then it was off to the BAM Rose Cinemas in Brooklyn for a week before closing out back in Harlem at Cafe Melo for a satisfying selection of shorts.
This year specifically was highlighted by a series of rich moments, including the attendance of renowned Tunisian filmmaker Ferid Boughedir for screenings of two restored films in his catalog, a screening of Mississippi Masala to honor filmmaker Mira Nair given her son’s recent rise as Mayor of New York City and an astounding amount of burgeoning filmmakers who each made NYAFF the latest stop on their debut film festival tours.
From a festival that brought more than 100 films from over 30 countries across Africa and its Diasporas, we managed to screen as many as we could and came up with a list of standout features we won’t soon forget. Keep an eye out as many will be screening across the globe in the near future!
Peep our official selections below from the 2026 New York African Film Festival:
The Eyes of Ghana (2025)
This captivating Obamas-produced doc by Oscar-winning filmmaker Ben Proudfoot is an eye-opening feature on the power in preservation. The prime focus on documentarian Chris Hesse, from capturing the renowned Kwame Nkrumah as his personal cinematographer during a revolutionary time in African independence to decades later being the key in restoring a long-lost archive of Ghanaian films, is the core of this love story to Ghana.
Exodus (2025)
The acclaimed short by Nimco Sheikhaden gives a lasting image on the dire effects of incarceration, particularly from the female perspective, and what it truly means to be free.
Afrotōpia (2025)
David Mboussou pulls from his own story, and that of his motherland, in displaying the deep family conflict between filmmaker Ezekiel and his business-minded father Maurice. Environmentalism, cross-culture unity and a sincere love for the literal land of Africa make for standout themes.
Barni (2024)
In its New York premiere, Mohammed Sheikh’s directorial debut is a testament in defining what it means to be a community. As a Somali village comes together to find the titular character, the range of emotions displayed throughout gives an honest look at adversity and triumph alike.
The Heart Is a Muscle (2025)
Imran Hamdulay’s celebrated South Africa crime thriller puts a spotlight on hyper masculinity through the eyes of Ryan. While the disappearance of a child would send any parent into a rage, it’s the violence in his reaction and the trigger of events thereafter that really gets to the core of the film’s true theme of redemption.
The Soul of Africa (2025)
Gabriel Souleyka’s debut feature documentary aims to decode African spirituality by exploring ancestry before the arrival of Christianity and Islam in Africa. Rituals, dances, songs and ceremonies are all studied with exceptional care thanks to expert interviews and philosophical reflections.
Dust to Dreams (2025)
The sole celebrity feature by way of Idris Elba made its New York premiere with a story centered on music, matriarchy and a cool cameo by way of Seal. Overall though, it’s a testament of the priceless gain when you allow room for healing.
Batwing Unmasked: An African Super Hero (2026)
Thomas Letellier did a big one for blerd culture in his eye-opening documentary on the unsung history of Batwing, otherwise known as the “Batman of Africa.”
Until Further Notice (2025)
Thato Mwosa tapped into the intersecting struggles of gender identity and immigration through the resilient journey of Chacha. Leaning into the recent reality of ICE raids across America, it gives a look into what that could mean for an African-born trans woman living in Boston.
Minimals in a Titanic World (2025)
Philbert Aimé Mbabazi Sharangabo brings us to the capital city of Rwanda for a coming-of-age story on dealing with exceptional loss. Through the struggles of Anita and those in her orbit, the aspect of finding yourself in the midst of feeling lost is studied with care.
Miss Jobson (2025)
Amanda Sans Pantling paints a shining portrait of Diane Jobson in this documentary on the late Bob Marley’s close friend and lawyer. While her work with him is highlighted with fine detail, it’s what she did after his death in defending poor communities throughout Jamaica that really hits home in this heartfelt feature.
Wolobougou (2025)
Camille Varenne brings us to Burkina Faso for a lesson in the practice of “compassionate birth” by way of midwife Honorine Soma. Her dedication to the women of Burkinabè society is an intimate look into a dignified quest in justice for the woman’s body.
The Spirit We Move With (2025)
Andrew Maguire documents the rich heritage of Gullah Geechee from the perspective of a community in South Carolina’s Lowcountry region of Hilton Head Island. Generational traditions and adapted cultural identity speak to the core of its storytelling.
A Tribe Called Love (2025)
Mohamed Ahmed put a Somalian twist on Romeo and Juliet by way of Toronto, creating an endearing narrative that borrows the urban rom-com formula of time-defying love.
After Oil (2025)
The resistance movement to fossil fuel extraction on indigenous land is bravely displayed in Boima Tucker’s powerful documentary. The unity between South Africa, Kenya and the Sahrawi Republic in Algeria speaks volumes.
How To Build a Library (2025)
Given the recent influx of book censorship on a national scale, this timely doc by married duo Maia Lekow and Chris King shows us that the fight is actually global. The display of two intrepid Nairobi women on a journey to transform a formerly whites-only library into a true cultural hub is aspirational to witness.
Lady (2026)
Olive Nwosu gives a vivid look at Lagos nightlife through the lens of a determined cab driver and a wild group of sex workers who eventually show her an unlikely bond of sisterhood.
Meet The Family That Sticks Together (2025)
Taylor Dews documents the long lineage of a Black family that was able to trace back their traditional Sunday dinners to social and saving clubs in their region of Hampton Roads. The idea of generational wealth by way of preserved memories and tradition stand out in this memorable short.
White Agbada (2025)
Lande Yoosuf delivers a short thriller that speaks to acknowledging the effects of self sabotage and learning how to stop being the antagonist of your own story.
My Jebba Story (2025)
Kagho Idhebor narrates his own tale of Jebba Street in Ebute Metta, Lagos with the combination of lighthearted storytelling and captivating archival footage of the people and moments who made his formative years memorable.
