Afro-Latino Festival NYC Goes Virtual+ for its 8th Edition October 13-17, 2020

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Artwork by Anthony Muchai Muiruri. IG: @madebymuchai

October 7, 2020 - The Afro-Latino Festival NYC is excited to announce its return for an 8th consecutive year, October 13-17, 2020. It will be presented online via www.afrolatinofestnyc.com.  The 2020 Festival continues as the only cultural event in the U.S. of its size centering the 150 million people from Black communities in Latin America and their diasporas. It is a grassroots event created by Black Latinxs who understand the responsibility of advancing culture, dialogue, networking, entrepreneurship and action.

This year’s theme, "Black Art & Resistance in the Americas" affirms our approach to “culture as politics” and reincorporates music performances, the Liberacion Film Festival, now in its 4th year, and the AfrolatinTalks. It also includes two new initiatives: 1) a VR art/archival exhibit honoring the life and legacy of Manuel and Delia Zapata Olivella and 2) La Cocina, a new culinary experience that teaches Latin American cuisine while learning about its African roots.

The Liberacion Film Festival features more than 25 films, from over 12 countries including 1 World Premiere, 1 U.S. Premiere, 2 N.Y. Premieres and 1 First Look.  For a second year, more than 50% of the films selected were written, directed, or produced by Black Latinx women. We are thrilled to premiere the Pulitzer Center funded documentary short, Afrolatinx Revolution: Puerto Rico, produced by Natasha Alford, Deputy Editor for the Grio.   We are also excited to present the U.S. Premiere of Negra, directed by Medhin Tewolde as part of our country focus on Mexico. The 2020 film program also features “Jamaica y Tamarindo” and “Life Between Borders” two short films about Black Mexico, written, produced and directed by Ebony Bailey. The Baltimore music documentary, Dark City: Beneath the Beat, was produced by Issa Rae and Astrid Curet, granddaughter of legendary salsa composer, Tite Curet Alonso, whom we honored posthumously in 2019.  

This year's Festival is also a tribute to Manuel and Delia Zapata Olivella, two of Colombia's most important cultural figures. The Zapatas were key figures in an era, between 1965-1985, where Black art and politics converged in Latin America, despite the myth of mestizaje and U.S. backed military dictatorships. This tribute, part of a global celebration of 100 years of Manuel Zapata Olivella features Edelmira Massa Zapata, daughter of Delia Zapata and participants in the “Black Congresses of the Americas” a pivotal series of conferences organized by Zapata between 1977-1989. 

The Festival concludes Saturday October 17, with an outdoor afternoon of socially-distanced live music and libations at Wild Bird Brooklyn.

The 2020 Afro-Latino Festival NYC is made possible with the support of you, the community, and community partners. Promotional support is made possible with grant funding from the Destination Brooklyn Program. Funded by the Office of the Brooklyn Borough President and NYC & Company Foundation, administered by the Brooklyn Arts Council. A portion of proceeds from the Festival will benefit the Afrolatin@ Project, Inc. a 501(c)(3), co-producer of the Festival and the Ali Forney Center for homeless LGBTQ youth.