The Montreal International Black Film Festival (MIBFF) is the biggest of its kind in Canada and organizers have just unveiled the programming for its 15th year, which starts Sept. 24.
The festival brings some of the finest new black films to local audiences while creating a space to debate social and other issues.
This year's edition shines a spotlight on women's achievements and opens with Harriet, a film by Kasi Lemmons that tells Harriet Tubman's escape from slavery story and her transformation into one of America's greatest heroes.
This year will feature a number of young directors that produced films through the Fabienne Colas Foundation's Youth and Diversity Program and its project "Being Black in Canada."
"We have to be in action right now because we've been raising awareness for 15 years, and it's time to take action and to do something about diversity on and off-screen because we're not moving so much further forward," said MIBFF president Fabienne Colas.
Fifteen films from the young emerging artists will be among the 90 being screened.
The festival will also host guests such as two of the "Central Park Five," who were wrongfully convicted of raping a woman in 1989 and spent years in prison before a serial rapist confessed to the crime.
"We're going to be talking about that and the socio-economic situation right now in the United States and how this affected their lives," said Colas.
The festival begins Sept. 24.
