IAAFestival 2018 To Include Africa World Documentary Film Festival (AWDFF) In Its ProgrammingPosted by Wilson Morales
June 21, 2018
The INTERNATIONAL AFRICAN ARTS FESTIVAL (IAAFestival), Brooklyn’s most beloved celebration of African culture and family, returns to Commodore Barry Park on Saturday, June 30 through Wednesday, July 4, 2018. In addition to its stellar line-up of legendary and beloved performers from around the world, its all-day family-friendly programming, and its safe and clean environment, IAAFestival will present a new program feature: a five-day film festival in partnership with the Africa World Documentary Film Festival (AWDFF). To be held on the grounds of Commodore Barry Park, the more than a dozen film screenings will be documentaries from AWDFF’s extensive library. Board Chairman Dr. Segun Shabaka offered this insight about the debut of this program element: “The AWDFF documentaries that we’ve chosen shed light on various issues affecting Africans throughout Africa and its Diaspora. They are very powerful, informative, and are well-researched projects from a variety of filmmakers.”
The Africa World Documentary Film Festival is sponsored by the E. Desmond Lee Professorship in African/African-American Studies under the leadership of Dr. Niyi Coker at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. The AWDFF has as its objective the promotion of knowledge and culture of the people of Africa, in a Pan-African context. Learn more here: www.africaworldfilmfestival.com.
As usual, the 2018 headliners and featured performers include luminaries from a variety of genres: avant-garde jazz and hard bop musician REGINALD “REGGIE” WORKMAN who will play in tribute to JOHN COLTRANE; the world-renown BALLET FOLKLÓRICO CUTUMBA, an Afro-Cuban-Franco- Haitian folk and popular dance and music ensemble from Cuba founded in 1960; AKAE BEKA, the roots rock reggae band formerly known as Midnite; the MUNTU DANCE THEATRE OF CHICAGO; the GRAMMY nominated jazz duo, THE BAYLOR PROJECT featuring JEAN BAYLOR and MARCUS BAYLOR, and NEIL CLARKE’S MONGOJAZZ PROJECT.
Other distinguished artists and groups include spoken word, neo-soul artist Wordsmith; Ishangi Family African Dancers; Ed Stoute Ensemble; and calypso artist David Rudder. The Festival’s closing performances will include Rene McLean and Urban Djeliya and Bongi Duma, who will perform in tribute to Hugh Masekela (see schedule below). The performance program is subject to change.
Formerly known as the African Street Festival, The Festival will open from 10:00am to 9:00pm each day at Commodore Barry Park. It will be dedicated to Hugh Masekela; Winne Mandela; Dara Iman; and Dr. Sam Pinn, a revered Brooklyn-born educator, organizer, activist, and master social worker. The 2018 theme is DEKAWOWO and it translates as solidarity (from the Ewe and Mina people of Ghana & Togo, West Africa). Commodore Barry Park is located on Navy Street between Park and Flushing Avenues in the Fort Greene neighborhood of Brooklyn.
Appropriate for people of all ages, backgrounds, and musical preferences, the admission is $5 for adults and $2 for children (suggested minimum donation). For general information, call 718.638.6700 or email info@iaafestival.org. The official website is www.IAAFestival.org.
