AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARD 2024

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DISPOSSESSION  

Nova Frontier ARTS  and The Billie Holiday Theatre proudly present the 2024 ITERATION OF  THE  Nova Frontier Film Festival, taking place from July 19th to 21st at the Billie Holiday Theatre in Brooklyn, NY. This year’s festival centers on the theme of “Dispossession”, a universal narrative that our filmmakers have vividly captured across various cultures and historical contexts.

Now in its sixth year at the Billie Holiday Theatre, the Nova Frontier Film Festival continues to showcase thought-provoking films and art from and about the Global African Diaspora, the Middle East, and Latin America. The 2024 curated program includes a polymorphic selection of timely films, panels, conversations, and performances that explore Dispossession through stories of forced migration, economic marginalization, climate change, political conflicts, cultural erasure, exile, and systemic oppression faced by women and queer communities.

A hallmark of this year’s festival is the deception of Magical Realism as a device to engage and transcend difficult circumstances and limitations and their repercussions. By blending the real with the fantastical, filmmakers delve deeply into human suffering and resilience, surpassing the constraints of conventional storytelling, creating imaginary narrative spaces where characters navigate traumatic experiences, find solace, and reclaim their identities. These fantastical elements symbolize inner strength and resilience, offering viewers a multifaceted portrayal of Dispossession and emphasizing its pervasive and enduring impact.

The festival features several standout works, including Cyril Aris's feature documentary, "Dancing On The Edge of the Volcano." This film is a poignant example of both Dispossession and the creative resilience of the human spirit. It explores the catastrophic explosion at the port of Beirut on August 4th, 2020, which devastated much of the Lebanese capital. Amid the chaos, a troubled film crew grapples with whether to continue their movie production or abandon it. Their struggle highlights their belief in the transformative power of cinema against a backdrop of economic turmoil and societal collapse.

Another significant film is "Banel & Adama," directed by Ramata-Toulay Sy. This entry for the 2024 Oscars and a selection at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival follows a young married couple striving to break free from tradition amidst mounting family pressures and the ravages of drought. As they forsake their birthrights, they become increasingly estranged from their community. Sy’s film unfolds with slow-burning intensity and mythic scope, creating a poignant fable of resilience and loss.

"Turn In The Path," a multidisciplinary evocative performance work by Raymond Pinto, uses 8mm film montages and live performances to narrate his journey to the African continent, particularly focusing on Lagos, Nigeria. Over two years, Pinto captures intimate human and non-human interactions through soft, moving images complemented by an analog soundscape and dance performance. This live activation underscores themes of movement and migration, tracing lines of passage through time and space. The performance features Raymond Pinto and Steeven Labady.

The Nova Frontier Film Festival 2024's focus on Dispossession, illuminated through the imaginative lens of magical realism, offers a profound exploration of loss and resilience. This focus resonates deeply in our current global context, addressing issues that are increasingly relevant today.  By weaving together the real and the fantastical, the festival creates a rich tapestry of stories that resonate with universal truths and foster a deeper understanding of the human condition. In doing so, it highlights the transformative power of cinema to heal, inspire, and unite.  

Nova Frontier Film Festival 2024 Official Trailer

FRIDAY JULY 19TH - SHORT PROGRAM 1

The festival opens with 4 short films that poignantly capture the essence of the Nova Frontier Film Festival, reflecting the spirit of the represented regions and the overarching theme of dispossession. These films serve as a powerful introduction, Each short film offers a unique perspective, weaving together personal and collective experiences that highlight the emotional and cultural impacts of dispossession, and laying the foundation for the diverse and impactful stories that will unfold throughout the festival.

7:00 PM

PLEASE CLICK ON THE FILM’s TITLE TO VIEW THEIR TRAILERS AND LEARN MORE ABOUT THEM.

SHORT FILM PROGRAM 2

12:00 PM - SATURDAY JULY 20TH

SHORT FILM PROGRAM 3 & PANEL

1:30 PM - SATURDAY JULY 20TH

"Queer Diasporic Dispossession" is a compelling short film program featuring two evocative films and an engaging panel discussion. This program delves into the intricate themes of belonging, identity, and freedom, spotlighting the unique challenges faced by queer individuals of African and Caribbean descent. Through intimate storytelling and poignant visuals, the films navigate the complex intersections of QUEER identity and cultural heritage AND IMMIGRATION, revealing the ongoing struggle for acceptance, self-discovery, AND HOME within diasporic communities.

THE panel discussion moderated BY Joshua Rashaad McFadden, visual artist, and Professor. with fILMMAKER Sekiya Dorsett, AND  Mohamed Q. Amin, Executive Director of the Caribbean Equality Project, further explores these narratives, fostering a deeper understanding of the resilience and resistance inherent in the quest for a true sense of home and identity.

2:30 PM Panel Discussion

moderated BY Joshua Rashaad McFadden, visual artist, and Professor. with fILMMAKER Sekiya Dorsett AND  Mohamed Q. Amin, Executive Director of Caribbean Equality Project. this discussion further explores Queer Diasporic Dispossession narratives, fostering a deeper understanding of the resilience and resistance inherent in the quest for true sense of home and identity AND BELONGING BY QUEER PEOPLE WITH CARIBBEAN AND AFRICAN HERITAGE.

RUNNING TIME: 90 mins

SHORT FILM PROGRAM 4 & PANEL

3:00 PM - SATURDAY JULY 20TH

the short film program "In Times of Crisis" explores the human spirit's response to adversity. These films unravel ideals of migration, displacement, systemic oppression, and environmental challenges, showcasing resilience and hope amidst difficulties. Through raw realism, the stories capture the inner strength needed to overcome crises, portraying loss, struggle, and the unyielding quest for a better future.

the SHORT FILM PROGRAM 4 ALSO COMPLIMENTS the centerpiece film "Dancing On The Edge Of A Volcano” AND THE DISCUSSION THAT FOLLOWS between RENDAH hAJ, Egyptian FILMMAKER AND ProgrammING DIRECTOR OF Nova Frontier FILM FESTIVAL, AND yasmina TAWIL a film programmer and curator specializing in Arab cinema, currently the Director of Film Programming at the Arab Film and Media Institute (AFMI). the conversation will also expand on programming films in contested regions of the world.

4:00 PM - Conversation

An intimate CONVERSATION between RENDAH hAJ, Egyptian FILMMAKER AND SENIOR programmer OF Nova Frontier FILM FESTIVAL, yasmina TAWIL, a film programmer and curator specializing in Arab cinema, currently the Director of Film Programming at the Arab Film and Media Institute (AFMI), and HASAN OSWALD, award-winning Director and Producer of films like Mediha THAT Explore displacement and social justice. the conversation will also expand on programming films in contested regions of the world, and filmmakers working in times of crisis. the centerpiece film "Dancing on the Edge of a Volcano" FOLLOWING SOON AFTER, AND THE CHALLENGES FACED BY FILMMAKERS FROM THE Arab world.

RUNNING TIME: 90 mins

5:00 PM - Centerpiece Film

7:00 PM

12 PM — SUNDAY JULY 21 ST

SHORT FILM PROGRAM 5

EXPERIMENTAL SECTION — 1:30 PM

PERFORMANCE ART PROGRAM 1 & 2 - 3:30 PM

PANEL DISCUSSION - 4:30 PM

Artists in Times of Crisis: Mining Memory and History within the Global African Diaspora

This panel Moderated by DR. Gervais Marsh, Curator, Writer, Scholar, and Artist Research Manager with Creative Time, brings together artists Raymond Pinto, Chiemeka Offor, Bianca Golden, Isabella Bretón, RITA DAMIRÓN, AND Others who delve into their works, exploring personal and collective memories, histories, and Identities, particularly within the context of the global African diaspora. In line with James Baldwin's assertion that "artists are here to disturb the peace," these creators explore the role of the artist during times of crisis. Through their work, they confront and reinterpret past and present injustices, creating powerful narratives that challenge the status quo.

The discussion will cover how these artists use various mediums—such as visual art, film, and performance—to reflect on and preserve the rich tapestry of the African diaspora's experiences. They will share insights into their creative processes, the impact of their work on their communities, and the broader implications of engaging with historical and contemporary crises.

By mining deep-seated memories and histories, these artists offer a profound commentary on identity, resilience, and the ongoing struggle for justice and equality. This panel is an exploration of the transformative power of art in times of upheaval and its potential to foster understanding, healing, and change within the global community.

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