African Diaspora International Film Festival Returns to Chicago's FACETS Film Forum with Global Lineup

CHICAGO, IL, UNITED STATES, April 18, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The acclaimed African Diaspora International Film Festival (ADIFF) returns to its Chicago home at FACETS Film Forum (1517 W Fullerton Ave, Lincoln Park) for its 22nd annual edition, running from June 13 to 15, 2025. Presented in collaboration with FACETS, ADIFF Chicago continues its vital mission to amplify diverse voices spotlighting the human experience of people of color all over the world and share powerful stories of resistance, identity, and resilience from across the globe with Chicago audiences.

This year's curated selection features 12 impactful films from 12 countries, showcasing award-winning cinema and thought-provoking new works from Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas. The festival offers Chicagoans a unique window into the human experience of people of color all over the world through themed programs focusing on discovery, women-centered narratives, reframed histories, and family stories.

"We are thrilled to bring ADIFF back to Chicago and to once again partner with FACETS, a cornerstone of the city's film culture, as well as with the Dusable Heritage Association, a longtime supporter of ADIFF Chicago," says ADIFF Co-Founder and Co-Director Dr. Reinaldo Barroso-Spech. "This year’s lineup offers powerful insights into the human experience of people of color around the world, featuring stories we believe will deeply resonate with Chicago’s diverse communities."

Festival Highlights:

Opening Night Discovery – Siddis: Blacks of India (Friday, June 13): The festival opens with a fascinating exploration of India's African-origin Siddi community. The evening includes the joyous musical journey All the World’s a Stage, followed by a reception, and the US Premiere of Rhythm of Dammam, a moving drama about ancestral healing. Director Jayan Cherian will be present for a post-screening Q&A.

Women-Centered Stories: Powerful narratives include Village Keeper (TIFF Official Selection 2024), exploring grief and resilience in Toronto’s Caribbean community and Brides (Sundance 2025), a poignant UK drama.

Reframing History: Five Chicago premieres challenge colonial legacies and traditional histories:
Selling a Colonial War: An exposé on Dutch tactics in Indonesia.
Legacy: The Decolonized History of South Africa: Winner, ADIFF NY’s Best Film Directed by a Woman of Color award.
San Juan Hill: Manhattan’s Lost Neighborhood: Uncovering the vibrant history of a New York City neighborhood erased to make room for Lincoln Center (includes a panel discussion).
The Man Died: Based on The Man Died: Prison Notes of Wole Soyinka by Nigerian literary giant and 1986 Nobel Laureate in Literature, Wole Soyinka who recounts his harrowing experience during the Nigerian Civil War.
1804: The Hidden History of Haiti: Presented with Chicago's own Dusable Heritage Association, this documentary vividly portrays the first successful slave rebellion.
Mother Suriname: A deep and evocative portrayal of Suriname's history and the personal story it weaves.

Family Films: Inspiring stories for all ages include Breaking Boundaries, following the only Black rhythmic gymnast on Team USA, ​Nastasya Generalova, who aspires to qualify for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, and The Wall Street Boy, Kipkemboi, about a Kenyan teen financial prodigy.

🎟️ TICKETS AND PASSES
$13 General Admission
$10 Students, Seniors, FACETS Members
$25 Double Bill Opening Night (2 films + Q&A + Reception)
$20 Opening & Closing Night Programs (film + Q&A or panel + Reception)
$15 Haitian Program Screening + Reception (1804)
$65 All-Access Festival Pass
$30 Day Pass – Friday
$40 Day Passes – Saturday & Sunday

🔗 Tickets & Info
Purchase tickets and explore the full Chicago lineup at https://chicago.eventive.org/schedule.
More information available at 🌐 www.nyadiff.org | www.facets.org
📞 212-864-1760 or 773-281-4114

Find the ADIFF Chicago 2025 Full Program below and here.
Note that showtimes and guest appearances are subject to change.

Friday, June 13
3:30 PM – Mother Suriname
Dir. Tessa Leuwsha, Suriname, Netherlands, 2023, 71 min.
A passionate teacher in Brussels uses literature to inspire her students while facing backlash for challenging societal expectations. A sensitive portrait of courage and the transformative power of education. MORE.
Chicago Premiere

6:00 PM – All the World’s a Stage
Dir. Nirmal Chander, India, 2008, 60 min.
This documentary celebrates SIDI GOMA, a performance group composed of Black Indians descended from East African ancestors. A story of struggle and celebration through dance and music. MORE.
Chicago Premiere

7:00 PM – Opening Night Reception
8:00 PM – Rhythm of Dammam
Dir. Jayan Cherian, USA/India, 2024, 92 min.
A grieving family turns to tribal music and ancestral traditions to help a boy haunted by his grandfather’s spirit. A unique portrayal of cultural survival and intergenerational healing. MORE.
U.S. Premiere | Q&A with the director

Saturday, June 14
11:00 AM – Selling a Colonial War
Dir. In-Soo Radstake, Netherlands, 2024, 105 min.
An eye-opening look at how the Dutch government framed its post-WWII occupation of Indonesia. Rare footage and expert interviews reveal a narrative long buried. MORE.
Chicago Premiere

1:00 PM – Brides
Dir. Nadia Fall, UK, 2025, 93 min.
Two Muslim teens in Britain are lured by extremist ideology in a powerful coming-of-age story that explores identity, othering, and belonging in modern Europe. MORE.
Sundance 2025 World Premiere | Chicago Premiere

3:00 PM – Village Keeper
Dir. Karen Chapman, Canada/Jamaica, 2023, 83 min.
A Jamaican mother in Toronto battles grief and social pressures while preserving family bonds in a vibrant Jamaican diaspora community. MORE.
TIFF 2024 Official Selection | Chicago Premiere

5:00 PM – Breaking Boundaries
Dir. Dina Burlis, USA, 2024, 74 min.
Teen gymnast Nastasya Generalova, the only Black girl in Team USA, trains for the Olympics while navigating identity, ambition, and a complex relationship with her mother. MORE.
Chicago Premiere | Live Zoom Q&A with Nastasya Generalova

6:30 PM – Haitian Cultural Reception (Presented with Dusable Heritage Association)
7:30 PM – 1804: The Hidden History of Haiti
Dir. Tariq Nasheed, Haiti, 2017, 115 min.
This explosive film traces Haiti’s victorious revolution—the world’s first successful slave rebellion—and its far-reaching consequences on global Black liberation. MORE.
Chicago Premiere | Reception follows

Sunday, June 15
11:00 AM – Legacy: The De-Colonized History of South Africa
Dir. Tara Moore, South Africa, 2024, 109 min.
Three decades after apartheid, inequality persists. This documentary explores the psychological and systemic legacies through a rare lens: the grandson of apartheid’s architect. MORE.
Winner: Best Film Directed by a Woman of Color – ADIFF NY 2024 | Chicago Premiere

1:30 PM – The Wall Street Boy, Kipkemboi
Dir. Charles Uwagbai, Canada/Kenya, 2023, 90 min.
How could a Kenyan farm boy outwit global finance? This gripping thriller traces a teen’s meteoric rise, his arrest, and the lengths the establishment will go to silence him. MORE.
NAACP Award Nominee | Chicago Premiere

3:30 PM – The Man Died
Dir. Awam Amkpa, USA/Nigeria, 2024, 134 min.
A dramatization of Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka’s imprisonment during Nigeria’s civil war, this film is a stirring testament to the power of conscience under tyranny. MORE.
Chicago Premiere

6:00 PM – San Juan Hill: Manhattan’s Lost Neighborhood (Presented with Palenque LSNA)
Dir. Stanley Nelson, USA, 2024, 60 min.
The forgotten history of San Juan Hill, a once-thriving Black and Latino neighborhood in Manhattan destroyed to make space for Lincoln Center, is brought back to life through archival footage and interviews. MORE
Chicago Premiere | Panel with producer Rita Coburn & guests
Closing Night Reception


ABOUT ADIFF
Founded in 1993 and based in Harlem, the African Diaspora International Film Festival (ADIFF) is a minority-led nonprofit that brings global Black experiences to the forefront through transformative cinema.

ABOUT FACETS
Founded in 1975, FACETS is a nonprofit organization dedicated to connecting people to independent ideas through film.

The ADIFF Chicago is made possible thanks to the generous support of FACETS Film Forum, ArtMattan Productions, Palenque LSNA and the Dusable Heritage Association.

For screeners, press information, and interviews for the ADIFF Chicago contact Diarah N’Daw-Spech ([email protected]).

Diarah N'Daw-Spech
ArtMattan Films / ADIFF
+1 212-864-1760
email us here

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