NYFAF's 9th annual Edition: Memory & Resilience will take place on Thursday, April 18, 2024 (in-person).
MORNING SESSION
10:30-12:30: Short Film Competition
Ayyur/Moon
Zineb Wakrim, Morocco, 2023, 14 min
“Moon” follows the journey of two moon children, Hasna and Samad, who discover solace and illumination through art and painting amidst darkness. Awarded third prize at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival.
Volubilis
Soukayna Essaidi, Morocco, 2023, 3 min
Offering a new angle on the ancient Roman/Amazigh city of Volubilis, this short film traces its history and captures its ruins as a vibrant city rather than a UNESCO-recognized tourist site.
Re-exist
Riadh Larbi, Algeria, 2023, 9 min
A young Kabyle man stumbles upon a bag washed ashore, revealing a cryptic letter and a tantalizing clue. As the weight of responsibility settles on his shoulders, he resolves to embrace this sudden quest, undeterred by the hurdles that lie ahead.
The Song of Sin
Khalid Maddour, Morocco, 2022, 14 min
Two poets and musicians from the Rif plateau, heirs of an ancestral art, play out much more than a love story. An entire history of people.
Bloody Memories
Mourad Bouamrane, Algeria, 2024, 37 min
This historical drama depicts the harrowing experiences of Kabyle mountain dwellers during the Algerian Revolution. Ahmed, a shepherd enlisted in the Liberation Army, confronts a fateful and violent night.
Q&A with Habiba Boumlik and Yahya Laayouni
AFTERNOON SESSION
2:00-4:00: Films and Q&A with Guest Speaker Izza Genini
Vibrations in High Atlas
Izza Genini, France/Morocco, 1993, 27 min
In the High Atlas, the journey to Ait Bouguemez valley strips away modernity, immersing man in nature. Water and music are central, shaping life's rituals. Women's songs echo through polyphonies, ululations, and refrains, accompanying every endeavor, embodying the ancient cosmos.
Nuptials in Middle Atlas
Izza Genini, France/Morocco, 1993, 24 min
In the Middle Atlas, gather under the guidance of “Maestro” Moha u Hoceine to honor the legendary union of Asli and Taslit, an Amazigh boy and girl who embody the symbolic powers of sky and land, in a mythical wedding celebration.
Q&A with Lucy McNair and Soubeika Wafa Bahri
4:30-5:30: Amazigh/Chaoui DANCE WORKSHOP
Artist Esraa Warda leads participants in a traditional dance, originating from the Aures mountains, which symbolizes the Chaoui reverence for nature and agriculture. Free to all. RSVP HERE.
EVENING SESSION
6:00-8:00: Feature screening and Q&A
No Harm Done
Merzak Allouache, Algeria, 2023, 101 min
A murder mystery by a great Algerian director. Juggling her theater career and caring for her quadriplegic son Rachid, Ouardya confronts life's challenges head-on. Amidst her hectic routine, she remains undeterred. However, her world is shaken when her colleagues are inexplicably murdered one by one.
Q&A with Habiba Boumlik and Nicole Wallenbrock
Please note that this FREE event in the LITTLE THEATRE is a day-long event starting at 10:30 am and
open to all. The only RSVP needed is for Amazigh/Chaoui DANCE WORKSHOP
During the COVID -19 pandemic, NYFAF organized three successful virtual screenings and expanded its audience worldwide. Following the success of the virtual events, NYFAF will offer a free screening of 3 films from May 10 to May 17 and organize a virtual discussion on these films with invited experts on Friday, May 17 @ 12:00 PM EST (virtual). For film information and links, see "NYFAF 2024 - 9th Edition - Virtual Discussion."
