The New York African Film Festival 2025 is approaching. So, there’s no time like the present to see what’s on offer, from dramatic films to thrillers and love, all on the menu. They traverse the continent with movies from Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal, and more. There are various films, but here are some special programs to remember.
Freedom Way explores the impact a boycott of a start-up business has on nine individuals. The government pressure creates a butterfly effect in this thriller directed by Afolabi Olalekan. With an 87-minute runtime, let’s hope for leancharacter-driven tension.
For those interested in a love story, Black Tea, playing at The New York African Film Festival, is for them. It’s a story of change and escape as Aya finds the strength to say no on her wedding day. So, she moves to Guangzhou, China, for a new start. There, where African and Chinese cultures mix, she finds a job in a tea shop owned by a Chinese man named Cai. Soon, a relationship begins to bloom. This sounds sweet and is something to immerse in while sipping your favorite tea.
Furu looks at the toll of forced marriages via two young women’s stories. It looks at the consequences and harm a patriarchal society wreaks and the fight for autonomy within such constraints. One that sounds like it’ll rekindle the fires to confront patriarchy and government head-on.
Now, don’t let The Fisherman title fool you. It’s a whimsical story, Zoey Martinson, of a man paired with a talking fish. It sounds like a heartwarming delight about pursuing one’s dreams. It sounds like an essential pick-me-up.
There are plenty of other films, not to mention their set of shorts programs, and three special programs, which include an art exhibition.
The New York African Film Festival 2025 runs from May 7 – May 13.
