PVD World Music: 5th Annual African Film & Art Festival

Join PVD World Music for the 5th Annual African Film & Art Festival September 18 – 22, 2024. Events will be held at various locations including Brown University’s Watson Institute, the RISD Museum’s Metcalf Auditorium, the Providence Public Library, Church Hill House, the Courtland Club, and the Southside Cultural Center. Please check schedule for details.

DAY 1  WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 18, 2024 OPENING NIGHT 

LOCATION: Watson Institute; 280 Brook Street, Providence, RI

Join us for the opening day on Wednesday, Sep 18, 2024 at Brown University’s Watson Institute, Providence, RI 02907, from 5:30 PM to 10:00 PM. We will begin with a welcome at 5:30 PM, followed by traditional music from Burkina Faso, performed by renowned local Kora musician, Yacouba Diabate at 6:00 PM. Our opening feature film Miraculous Weapon by Cameroonian filmmaker, Jean-Pierre Bekolo will premiere at 6:15 PM.

At 8:00 PM, we will close the day with a special Q&A session with director Jean-Pierre Bekolo

Traditional African cuisine food will be served from the Village Restaurant.

Tickets: Donations are highly encouraged.

DAY 2 – OPEN AIR CINEMA

On Thursday, September 19, 2024, the African Film Festival will continue with two exciting events:

FIRST Screening at RISD Museum Metcalf Auditorium

Time: 12:00 PM

Location: RISD Museum Metcalf Auditorium, 20 North Main St, Providence, RI 02903 We will be screening the award-winning OMEN, a film directed by Baloji (DR Congo/ Belgium).

SECOND SCREENING: Open Air Outdoor Movie Experience at 195 District Park

Time: 6:00 PM Location: 195 District Park, 120 Peck St, Providence, RI 02903

Begin the evening with an Ancestral Music tribute featuring the Zikina Music Band. At sunset, we will screen African Shorts Films at 7:15 PM starting with Eish w Malh: Egyptian Cuisine and Culture (Dir. Mariam Moawia, Egypt, 2024) and Dawn (Dir. Gary Telly JEANNOT).

Tickets: Free. Donations are highly encouraged.

DAY 3  – CELEBRATING FIVE YEARS OF AFRICAN FILM AND ART 

On Friday, September 20, 2024, our film festival will feature a diverse array of programming across three events:

FIRST SCREENING at Providence Public Library

Time: 12:00 PM

Location: Providence Public Library, 150 Empire St, Providence, RI 02903

We will kick off the day with a screening of Shimoni (Dir. Angela Wanjiku Wamai, Kenya 2022).

SECOND SCREENING: 5th Anniversary Celebration of 5 years of African Film and Art

Time: 6:00 PM

Location: Church Hill House, 155 Angell Street, Providence, RI 02906

Join us for a special celebration marking the 5th anniversary of the African Film and Art Festival. We are honored to welcome distinguished filmmaker Haile Gerima, who will be in attendance for a screening of his acclaimed film Sankofa. A Q&A panel discussion with Haile Gerima and Professor Máyọ̀wá Ajíbádé will follow the screening.

This event is sponsored by the Brown University Department of Africana Studies Rites and Reason Theater and The Ruth J. Simmons Center for the Study of Slavery and Justice.

AFTER PARTY at Courtland Club

Location: Courtland Club, 51 Courtland Street, Providence, RI 02909

Friday celebration will conclude the evening with our annual After Party, featuring live music from Afronaut Transmission and a special DJ set by Umamaroon, a Rwandese DJ from New York City.

Tickets: Free. Registration required. Donations are highly encouraged.

DAY 4: COMMUNITY, CULTURE, MUSIC AND CINEMA!

On Saturday,Sep 21, 2024 The African Film and Arts Festival will take place at the Southside Cultural Center of Rhode Island, 393 Broad Street, Providence, RI 02907. We will have events that celebrate, honor and educate about African musical heritages through free movies, music and dance!

We will also have live music outdoors featuring distinct musical traditions from Africa and the African Diaspora. Classic Vibe Reggae will perform at 3:30 PM to celebrate reggae music. We have invited Burundian singer and band leader Africa Nova to join us to celebrate the local African community by honoring the music of the people of Burundi from 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM.

Alongside the music, we will screen three films indoor and outdoor from 3:00 PM to 7:15 PM. We will begin at 3:00 PM with a screening of Lucky (by Kumi Kumi Obuoabisa, Ghana), followed by The River by Ethiopian filmmaker Herrana Addisu at 5:00 PM, and The Bride by Rwandese filmmaker and visual artist Myriam Uwiragiye Birara at 7:15 PM.

DAY 5: CLOSING CEREMONY / NEW MILESTONE 

The closing ceremony for the 5th Annual Festival will take place on Sunday, September 22, 2024 at the Southside Cultural Center of Rhode Island, 393 Broad Street, Providence, RI 02907.

Time: 3:30 to 9:00 PM

We will start with the screening of short films from our submission from 3:3o PM starting with We are Griots by filmmaker Demba Konate. We will conclude the festival with Tanzanian award-winning film The Empty Grave, directed by Cece Mlay and Agnes Lisa Wegner.

The 5th Annual African Film and Art Festival is a production of PVD World Music Institute with generous support from many individuals and organizations. We would like to thank you for joining us to celebrate African Film and Art here in Rhode Island. We hope you can join us again next year.

This festival was supported in part by a RI Humanities mini grant and PVD World Music is a member of the RI Expansion Arts Program supported by the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts, Rhode Island Humanities, and the Rhode Island Foundation.