ADIFF launches nationwide virtual film series with ArtMattan catalog

By AI, Created 10:40 AM UTC, May 20, 2026, /AGP/ – The African Diaspora International Film Festival is teaming with ArtMattan Films for a virtual mini festival running from May through September 2026, with the first program streaming May 10–17 nationwide in the U.S. The series spotlights films about motherhood, family and underrepresented communities, with tickets sold online through NYADIFF.org.

Why it matters: - The series gives U.S. audiences access to films that rarely circulate in mainstream distribution. - The program highlights independent cinema centered on people of color, especially people of African descent and Indigenous communities. - The partnership marks a public celebration of more than 30 years of ArtMattan Films distribution.

What happened: - The African Diaspora International Film Festival and ArtMattan Films announced a virtual mini festival running from May through September 2026. - The nationwide series streams online across the United States from May 10–17, 2026. - The festival opens with a Mother’s Day program in May. - Tickets are priced at $10 per film. - An all-access pass costs $25 and includes all films in the series. - Viewers can watch through the ADIFF virtual platform at NYADIFF.org.

The details: - May’s theme is Mother’s Day. - June’s theme is Father’s Day. - July’s theme is Films for the Family. - August’s theme is Great African Films. - September’s theme is Voices from Latin America. - The May lineup includes Village Keeper, Rosa Chumbe, Faraw! Mother of the Dunes, Mother Suriname, Stand Down Soldier, Cape Verde, My Love and Mama Africa: Miriam Makeba. - Each film is available for 48 hours from the time of purchase. - Village Keeper is a 2024 drama directed by Karen Chapman and premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. - Rosa Chumbe is a 2015 film directed by Jonatan Relayze Chiang and was selected as Peru’s submission to the 90th Academy Awards. - Faraw! Mother of the Dunes is a 1997 film directed by Abdoulaye Ascofaré and was presented at Cannes Critics’ Week. - Mother Suriname is a 2023 documentary directed by Tessa Leuwsha and premiered at IDFA. - Stand Down Soldier is a 2015 film directed by Jeryl Prescott and was featured at the GI Film Festival San Diego. - Cape Verde, My Love is a 2007 film directed by Ana Lúcia Ramos Lisboa. - Mama Africa: Miriam Makeba is a 2011 documentary directed by Mika Kaurismäki. - The May selection focuses on women, family and resilience across different cultural contexts. - ArtMattan Films has spent 33 years distributing independent films reflecting the global Black experience and other underrepresented perspectives.

Between the lines: - The series is as much a preservation and rediscovery project as a streaming event. - ADIFF is using a themed monthly format to make the catalog easier to navigate and to frame the films around audience-friendly entry points such as family and heritage. - The Mother’s Day program suggests the festival is using a familiar cultural moment to draw attention to films about caregiving, loss and endurance.

What’s next: - The virtual festival continues beyond May with new monthly themes through September 2026. - ADIFF is directing viewers to NYADIFF.org for trailers, passes and viewing access. - The organization is positioning the series as an ongoing way to surface films tied to lived experience, memory and cultural exchange.

The bottom line: - ADIFF is turning the ArtMattan catalog into a nationwide virtual showcase, with a low-cost streaming model designed to broaden access to films that often sit outside the commercial spotlight.