16th Edition of the Massimadi Festival: Revival and ResilienceFrom October 23 to 27, 2024
Massimadi, Canada’s premier festival celebrating LGBTQ+ Afro cinema and arts, returns for its 16th edition from October 23 to 27, 2024. This year, the festival embraces the themes of Rebirth and Resilience with a bold and inspiring lineup that highlights stories of healing, transformation, and struggle through 15 powerful films.
2024 Program: A Journey Through Diversity and Creativity
Explore a rich and varied selection of films that celebrate LGBTQ+ Afro voices from near and far, featuring short and feature-length films, in French and English, documentaries, and fictions. New this year, a $1,000 prize will be awarded to the film that wins the audience vote.
Featured Films:
Drift (2023) by Anthony Chen – Quebec Premiere: Opening the festival, this captivating film explores themes of hope and resilience through the story of Jacqueline, a refugee fleeing war, presented in partnership with the Stewart McCord Museum.
Voices of Resistance – A program of activism at Cinéma Public: Featuring The Queer Nigerian Archives by Simisolaoluwa Akande, documenting the erased histories of queer Nigerians in the UK, and Clashing Differences by Merle Grimme, examining tensions of inclusion at a feminist conference.
Spotlight on Canada – Presented by the Canada Media Fund: A selection of Canadian films, including Still Water by Katia Cafe-Febrissy, Outside Center by Eli Jean Tahchi, and I Don’t Know Who You Are by M.H. Murray.
Festive Celebrations and Inspiring Encounters
To kick off the festival, an opening cocktail will be held on October 23 at the McCord Museum, featuring a performance by Ensemble Obiora, a classical music group primarily composed of musicians from diverse cultural backgrounds.
On October 26, the Massimadi Cabaret at Livart promises a festive evening with artistic performances, live painting by Kezna, and a vibrant atmosphere set by DJs G Mako and DJ Sam. This is a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in the creative world of the LGBTQ+ Afro community.
Explore the full program
Meet the Selection Committee of the 16th Massimadi Festival
The selection committee for this edition of the Massimadi Festival brings together members with diverse and enriching backgrounds. Laurent Maurice Lafontant, a graduate in Film Studies and French Literature from Concordia University, is active in the LGBT community. After serving as an advisor for Gris-Montréal and Arc-en-ciel d’Afrique, he became the president of the Massimadi Foundation in 2018. He is also a filmmaker with short documentaries and an author.
René Ricardo Bernal, currently the Development Manager at the Massimadi Foundation, is an independent photographer based in Montreal, specializing in event photography and skilled in tools like Adobe Lightroom. Elya Myers is a researcher, writer, curator, and media expert, holding a degree in Film Studies from Concordia University. Her work focuses on animation, race, and representation, and she recently published research on these topics in a special edition of Being Black in Quebec. Finally, Chiara Guimond, Communications Manager with a minor in Screenwriting, stands out for her skills in graphic design, video editing, and motion design. Together, these members bring a wealth of experience and perspective to the selection of works for this year’s festival.
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