Cascade Festival of African Films celebrates 36th season with 18 films and endless entertainment
Story by Misty Bouse. Submitted Photos.
Scene from ‘Black Tea.’
The Cascade Festival of African Films, the longest-running African film festival in the U.S., is set to celebrate its 36th year at Portland Community College with a lineup of 18 films from 16 countries.
The free film festival raises its curtain at 7 p.m., Friday, Feb. 6, at the Hollywood Theatre and runs through March 7 in celebration of Black History Month. Subsequent film screenings are in the Moriarty Arts and Humanities Auditorium on PCC’s Cascade Campus (705 N. Killingsworth St.).
“This festival is cherished by the community because it showcases stories from African people and its diaspora,” said Festival Director Eugénie Jolivett Fontana. “We invite people to celebrate brilliant African cinema and create moments that will linger long after Black History Month.”
‘Bride Price’ poster.
CFAF launches with a pre-festival kickoff Thursday, Feb. 5, at PAM CUT at The Whitsell on Free First Thursday, transforming the newly redesigned Portland Art Museum into a lively gathering space where African cinema, art, music, and education intersect within the Black Art and Experiences (B.A.E.) Galleries.
On Friday, Feb. 6, the festival grand opening at the Hollywood Theatre features the screening of “The Bride Price” by local filmmakers Ime Etuk (director) and George N. Faux (writer and producer), who are West African. The film explores an age-old practice of paying a bride’s family for marriage and explores its misuse, concluding with a community discussion. Doors open at 6 p.m. and seating is first come, first served for the 7 p.m. show.
“This year’s theme of ‘cultural connection’ reflects how the featured films examine migration, displacement and reinvention, and the universal search for safety, purpose and belonging,” said Jolivett Fontana. “The selections are appropriate for most audiences and showcase filmmakers from across the diaspora. Often, women’s voices take center stage, offering intimate, bold, and deeply resonant portrayals of strength, vulnerability and leadership.”
One such highlight is the centerpiece film: “Black Tea” (Mali) at 7 p.m., Feb. 20 in the Hollywood Theatre. This cross-cultural, romantic drama by renowned Malian director Abderrahmane Sissako follows an Ivorian woman, Aya, who leaves her wedding in Ivory Coast for China, only to fall in love with Cai, a middle-aged tea shop owner. Their relationship unfolds against cultural bias, buried histories and societal judgment.
Kenya’s ‘The Wall Street Boy’ (2025).
The festival offers something for most everyone:
- Documentary Series Nights: Every Thursday at the Cascade Campus, select documentaries will be show, including “The Man Who Plants Baobabs” (Burkina Faso) on Feb. 12.
- Family Fest: On Saturday, Feb. 28, “The Wall Street Boy” (Kenya) and “The Village Next to Paradise” (Somalia) are family-friendly features shown at the Cascade Campus
- Marketplace Day: Also on Saturday, Feb. 28, from 2–6 p.m., explore local and regional African diaspora vendors featuring crafts, art, and more at the Moriarty Auditorium on the Cascade Campus
- Women Filmmakers Week: From March 5-7, three films spotlight African women directors and their powerful storytelling. Closing night is March 7 at PAM CUT’s Tomorrow Theater, featuring “Hanami” a coming of age story directed and co-written by Swiss-Cape Verdean filmmaker Denise Fernandes. It explores themes of migration and identity through young Nana’s life on Cape Verde’s volcanic island of Fogo.
- Literature-to-Screen Spotlight: This celebrates the powerful intersection of African literature and cinema, featuring films inspired by landmark texts and enduring voices. Highlights include the heralded book-to-film, “So Long a Letter” (Mariama Bâ); “The Man Died: Prison Notes of Wole Soyinka”; and “Katanga: The Dance of the Scorpions” that re-imagines “Macbeth” in Africa.
“In a time that calls for understanding and connection, CFAF’s 36th year invites you to gather, learn, and engage through film. Join us—and bring someone who also believes in the power of shared stories,” said Jolivett Fontana.
For a schedule and more information, visit africanfilmfestival.org.