ADIFF opens Nov. 27 with 70 films and world premiere of John Johnson Reporting

The 34th African Diaspora International Film Festival runs Nov. 27-Dec. 13 in New York with more than 70 films, three national Oscar submissions and a world premiere opening night documentary narrated by Whoopi Goldberg. Screenings will span Columbia University venues, Cinema Village and a nationwide virtual program.

Why it matters: - ADIFF is using its 34th edition to spotlight films from Africa, the Caribbean, Latin America, Europe and the U.S. that often do not get broad theatrical release. - The festival combines premieres, Oscar submissions, youth programming and virtual access, widening the audience for diaspora-centered cinema.

What happened: - The 34th African Diaspora International Film Festival runs Nov. 27-Dec. 13, 2026. - The festival opens with the world premiere of John Johnson Reporting, directed by Brian Calfano and narrated by Academy Award winner Whoopi Goldberg. - Screenings will take place at Teachers College, Columbia University, Cinema Village and The Forum at Columbia University. - A Mini Virtual Festival will run nationwide from Nov. 27-Dec. 13.

The details: - ADIFF’s lineup includes more than 70 films from Africa, the Caribbean, Latin America, Europe and the United States. - The Opening Night Gala on Nov. 28 will screen John Johnson Reporting and include a conversation with John Johnson and the filmmakers, moderated by NBC 4 New York anchor David Ushery. - The documentary focuses on the career of pioneering New York TV journalist John Johnson and his role in expanding representation of African American communities in broadcast journalism. - Three national Oscar submissions are in the lineup: Morocco’s Strawberries, Rwanda’s Ben' Imana and the Dominican Republic’s Melodrama. - Moroccan film Strawberries will screen at a Dec. 2 gala. - Ben' Imana screens Dec. 7. - Melodrama is set for Dec. 12. - Haitian filmmaker Gessica Généus’ Marie Madeleine screens Dec. 5 and 6 after appearances at Cannes and Toronto and a Gold Hugo win at the Chicago International Film Festival. - ArtMattan Films has acquired U.S. distribution rights to Marie Madeleine. - The Ghost of Hing King Estate, the final feature by Sir Horace Ové, will make its U.S. premiere Dec. 12 as the gala presentation for the festival’s Spotlight on Trinidad & Tobago. - Actor Michael Cherrie will attend the post-screening conversation for The Ghost of Hing King Estate. - The Brazilian documentary Aqui Não Entra Luz (No Sunshine In Here) is the Dec. 4 Centerpiece presentation, followed by a filmmaker conversation and reception. - The Dec. 11 Finding Your Laughter Gala will mix cinema, live comedy and a reception. - The Dec. 13 Closing Night event is the New York premiere of Montmartre, starring Jesse Williams and Ito Aghayere. - The themed program Cuisine, Culture & Cinema looks at food, migration, family and cultural memory through films including Tazzeka, The Last Meal and Soul Food Junkies. - Moroccan cinema is featured through Strawberries, The Heir of Secrets and Goundafa. - Festivalgoers will vote for the ADIFF Public Award for Best Film Directed by a Woman of Color. - The award lineup includes Only Rebels Win, featuring Hiam Abbass, plus Strawberries, Ben' Imana and Karen Hayes’ documentary The Foolishness of God about Archbishop Desmond Tutu. - The ADIFF School Program will offer free screenings of The Great Debaters, Kirikou and the Sorceress and Kipkemboi (The Wall Street Boy). - The Senior Program includes a free screening of Sidney Poitier’s A Warm December at The Forum at Columbia University, sponsored by the West Harlem Development Corporation. - Individual screening tickets cost $15. - All-Access Passes cost $300. - Fan Passes and Virtual Festival Passes cost $60. - The full program and tickets are available at Full program and tickets.

Between the lines: - ADIFF is leaning into both prestige programming and community access, pairing festival premieres with school, senior and virtual offerings. - The Oscar-submission titles and international festival titles suggest ADIFF is positioning itself as both a discovery platform and a route into broader U.S. visibility. - The mix of gala events, conversations and free screenings points to a festival model built around audience engagement as much as film exhibition.

What's next: - Audiences can buy tickets and passes now for in-person and virtual screenings. - ADIFF’s opening-night conversation, themed programs and special galas will roll out across the Nov. 27-Dec. 13 run. - The festival will continue to highlight additional community and cultural partnerships during its 2026 edition.

The bottom line: - ADIFF’s 34th edition aims to turn New York into a hub for diaspora cinema, with world premieres, Oscar contenders and broad public access all on the same bill.