New York African Diaspora International Film Festival Announces 1st LGBT Screening Event

New York, NY, October 22, 2015 (Newswire.com) - ​​​​The New York African Diaspora International Film Festival Celebrates Its First LGBT Cinema Event

The 23rd curation of the New York African Diaspora International Film Festival (ADIFF) unspools on Friday, November 27th, with an eclectic mix of independent films from the African Diaspora.  This year, ADIFF presents its very first LGBT Cinema Evening on Tuesday, December 1st at Columbia University.  The event will feature the World Premiere of "Julien's Bed" and the New York premiere of the hit international film, "While You Weren't Looking."

"Being apart of any first or groundbreaking event is an honor. The African Diaspora International Film Festival is definitely placing a much needed spotlight on the talent, voices, films, and stories from the African diaspora LGBT community."

Kirk Shannon-Butts, Director - "Julien's Bed"

Hosted by "Julien's Bed" director, Kirk Shannon-Butts, this inaugural LGBT film program highlights the richness and diversity of life in the African diaspora, as the world celebrates emerging LGBT talent, culture, rights and cinema.  "Julien's Bed" is the second feature film from emerging filmmaker/visual artist, Kirk Shannon-Butts, whose highly acclaimed debut feature, "Blueprint" screened at ADIFF in 2008.  The Kar Wai Wong inspired "Julien's Bed," veers into a mélange of experimental, narrative, and docu-drama, unfolding the lives of three men, Marvin (American), Khalid (Arabic), and Julien (French), whose worlds intersect in a Parisian apartment in a kaleidoscope of French, Arabic and English.

Beautifully shot on locations in and around Cape Town, "While You Weren’t Looking," is the directorial debut of South African, Catherine Stewart (creator of "The Lab" and "Jacob’s Cross").  “Looking" begins twenty years into the new South Africa with a contemporary story of an affluent mixed race lesbian couple, Dez and Terri, who struggle to maintain their own desires and ambitions while reining in the rebellious nature of their beautiful teenage daughter, Asanda.  As Asanda falls for Shado, a girl from a different background, Dez and Terri must cope with their own hypocrisies and secrets, which threaten to unravel their seemingly perfect world.

Created in November 1993, by the husband and wife team of Reinaldo Barroso-Spech and Diarah N’Daw-Spech, ADIFF’s mission is to present films from the African diaspora to diverse audiences, redesign the Black cinema experience, and strengthen the role of African and African descent directors in contemporary world cinema.  ADIFF distinguishes itself through its presentation of outstanding works that shine a different or comprehensive light on African Diaspora life and culture.  "ADIFF offers a unique platform for conveying African Diaspora talent, artistic styles and craft in film.  ADIFF is a bridge between diverse communities looking for works that cannot be found in other festivals and visionary filmmakers and works that are part of the African Diaspora."

For further information please contact Kirk Ray of Flickeria at 917.545.4360 or Kirk@Flickeria.com.

WEB: NYADIFF.ORG          TWITTER:@NYADIFF            FACEBOOK: African Diaspora Film Festival

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