Opening Night:

The 2024 Diaspora Festival of Black and Independent Film opens on September 26, at 6:00PM at the Varsity Theater, 123 E. Franklin Street, Chapel Hill. This year’s festival opens with the North Carolina premiere of two captivating entries. The first consists of a documentary: “ARTE CONGO…ARTISTS JOURNEY ON THE CONGO COAST OF PANAMÁ,” written, produced, directed and narrated by Atlanta-based veteran artist, scholar and filmmaker Dr. Arturo Lindsay.

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“Arte Congo” chronicles the journeys of seven artists on a mission to research, preserve and promote Congo culture in the Republic of Panama through works of art. The Congos of Panama are descendants of Africans that escaped enslavement during the colonial periods. The documentary reveals aesthetic links between Congo culture in Panama, Africa and the African diaspora.

The second screening of the evening consists of a short feature, SACRED AXA — written, produced, and directed by LeRhonda S. Manigault-Bryant – which recounts the story of an island that harbors sacred possibilities.

These screenings, with a combined runtime of about 75 minutes, will be followed by audience commentary and Q&A with both filmmakers.