NYAFF settles into Brooklyn\u2019s BAM Rose Cinemas from May 22 to May 28 as FilmAfrica, part of DanceAfrica 2026, BAM\u2019s longest running program and the nation\u2019s largest celebration of African diasporic dance, music, and culture. Curated by the African Film Festival, this cinematic companion spotlights the culture and artistry of Uganda presenting a showcase of contemporary and classic Pan-African cinema that highlights the continent\u2019s rich storytelling traditions, social movements, and artistic expression.<\/p>\n
At BAM, the selection ranges from foundational works such as:<\/p>\n
Ossie Davis\u2019s 1972 film\u00a0Black Girl, starring Leslie Uggams, to assured debut features fromOlive Nwosu \u2014 the 2026 Sundance Film Festival Special Jury Award for Acting Ensemble winner\u00a0LadySuzannah Mirghani\u2019s Thessaloniki FIlm Festival prize-winning film\u00a0Cotton Queen.<\/p>\n
The opening Night film, the New York premiere of Mohamed Ahmed\u2019s\u00a0A Tribe Called Love, is a modern-day take on the Romeo and Juliet tale set in Toronto with families from two different Somali tribes.\u00a0Akinola Davies Jr.\u2019s critically acclaimed\u00a0My Father\u2019s Shadow\u00a0\u2014 the U.K.\u2019s entry for Best International Feature Film at the 98th Academy Awards \u2014 casts a powerful presence over the program.<\/p>\n
The lineup also includes a strong slate of Ugandan films. Among them:<\/p>\n
Mira Nair\u2019s\u00a0Mississippi Masala, now celebrating its 35th anniversaryNtare Guma Mbaho Mwine\u2019sMemories of Love Returned, a documentary chronicling his more than two-decade effort to preserve the photographs of master photographer Kibaate Aloysius SsalongoLoukman Ali\u2019s taut thriller,\u00a0The Girl in the Yellow JumperPatience Nitumwesiga\u2019s\u00a0The Woman Who Poked the Leopard, a documentary about medical anthropologist and LGBTQ rights advocate Dr. Stella Nyanzi, who was jailed for speaking out against state repression.<\/p>\n