Nova Frontier Arts Unveils Exciting Lineup of Films and Events

In partnership with The Billie Holiday Theatre, Nova Frontier Arts proudly presents the 2024 Nova Frontier Film Festival, taking place from July 19th to 21st at the iconic Billie Holiday Theatre in the heart of Bed-Stuy 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 features standout premieres from Cannes, Locarno, and TIFF, alongside a diverse selection of timely films, panels, conversations, and performances that explore Dispossession through narratives of forced migration, economic marginalization, climate change, political conflicts, cultural erasure, exile, and systemic oppression faced by women and queer communities.

Over three days, the Nova Frontier Film Festival will feature three standout feature films, four carefully curated blocks of short films, and engaging filmmaker Q&As that delve into what it means to make films in times of crises. Additionally, for the first time, Nova will host an industry panel discussion.

This year's Center-Piece film by Cyril Aris's feature documentary, "Dancing On The Edge of the Volcano” 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.

Complementing Aris’s film is the short film program "In Times of Crisis", exploring 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 crisis, portraying loss, struggle, and the unyielding quest for a better future.

Opening night highlights and a staple in this year’s short program ‘A Portrait of Diaspora’ is "I Promise You Paradise" by Morad Mostafa, premiering on opening night. This gripping film from Locarno and Cannes Critics Week (2023) follows Eissa, a 17-year-old African migrant in Egypt, as he races against time to save his loved ones after a violent incident. Mostafa, a festival alum, continues to captivate with his urgent and emotionally charged storytelling.

"Sirènes" by Sarah Malléon, also premiering on opening night, is an enchanting selection from Tribeca (2024). The film tells the story of Daniel, a widowed father in northern Martinique, whose life is turned upside down when his daughter starts summoning mermaids using a conch shell. This film masterfully intertwines personal loss with magical realism, reflecting broader social crises.

"DAMMI" by Yann Mounir Demange, featured at TIFF and Locarno (2023) and starring Academy Award nominee Riz Ahmed, leads our unique arts and experimental section. This compelling narrative depicts a man’s journey back to Paris to reconnect with his estranged father. Through a blend of past experiences and surreal glimpses of the present, "DAMMI" explores themes of identity, reconciliation, and the haunting grip of the past.

Senegal's entry for the 2024 Oscars and a selection at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, "Banel & Adama," directed by acclaimed director and Nova alum Ramata-Toulay Sy, 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. The New York Times has cited the film as 'a parable of two young lovers,' describing it as “a love story suffused in beauty and mystery that draws you in right from the start.”

"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.

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, and 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 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.