ADIFF Chicago June 7, 2026

Name: ADIFF Chicago
Start: 2026-06-07T00:00:00-05:00
End: 2026-06-07T23:59:59-05:00
Location: Facets

Presented By: African Diaspora International Film Festival
Location: Facets; 1517 W Fullerton Ave
Chicago,60614+ Google Map

Presented in collaboration with FACETS and the DuSable Heritage Association, the African Diaspora International Film Festival returns to Chicago for its 23rd annual edition, taking place June 5–7, 2026.

The festival opens Friday, June 5 with a focus on African American history, featuring the Chicago premieres of Blueprint for My People, directed by Carol Bash, a short film interweaving Margaret Walker’s poetry with rare 19th-century cyanotypes; Raise Your Head Up: Freedom Colonies in Texas, directed by Richard Orton, a documentary on communities built by formerly enslaved African Americans; and the restored documentary Audre Lorde: A Litany for Survival, directed by Ada Gay Griffin and Michelle Parkerson, a portrait of the influential poet and activist.

Schedule at a Glance:

Friday, June 5: Opening Day

The festival begins with explorations of collective identity and civil rights.

4:30 PM: Blueprint for My People (10 min) and Raise Your Head Up: Freedom Colonies in Texas (53 min). Both are Chicago premieres.
6:00 PM: Audre Lorde: A Litany for Survival (90 min).
7:00 PM: Opening Reception

8:00 PM: Daughters (13 min) followed by Can You Stand the Rain (91 min) . A Chicago premiere.

Saturday, June 6: Black Music & International Perspectives

Saturday features a dedicated “Black Music Program” alongside international narratives.

11:00 AM: Finding Odera (92 min). A Chicago premiere exploring the Nigerian diaspora in Toronto.
1:00 PM (Music Program): St. Louis Blues (1958, 105min). A classic starring Nat King Cole and Eartha Kitt.
3:00 PM (Music Program): Teddy Pendergrass: If You Don’t Know Me (106 min). A Chicago premiere.
5:00 PM (Music Program): The Disappearance of Miss Scott (83 min). A Chicago premiere documenting the life of Hazel Scott.
6:30 PM: Haitian Evening Reception, followed by the 7:30 PM screening of The Last Meal (111 min). The screening includes a Q&A with actor Mireille Metellus

Sunday, June 7: History & Closing Night

The final day focuses on historical resistance and contemporary social issues.

11:00 AM: Empire (93 min). A Chicago premiere set in the Danish West Indies in 1848.
1:00 PM: Malês (113 min). A Chicago premiere about the 1835 Malê Revolt in Brazil.
3:30 PM: Outdoor School (84 min). A Chicago premiere based on a true story of a boy experiencing homelessness.
6:00 PM (Closing Night): Sugar Island (91 min). A Chicago premiere followed by a Q&A with director Johanné Gómez Terrero and reception.