Schedule:

Friday, February 2, 2024

6:30 p.m: Goodbye Julia at the Hollywood Theatre, 118 min. Opening Night
Directed by Mohamed Kordofani
Sudan
2023, 118 min
Opening Night Feature Film

Ethnic divisions have existed between Arab Muslim Northerners and Christian Southern Sudanese people since the British colonial era to the present day. This complex storyline brings together Mona, a Northerner, and Julia, a Southerner. Although their relationship is based on guilt and deception, they get to know each other and become friends. Each woman experiences growth toward their personal independence at the same time that South Sudan is on the cusp of achieving its independence from Sudan.

Saturday, February 3, 2024

2:00 p.m: Catching Feelings at PCC Cascade, 124 min. Saturday Matinée
Directed by Kagiso Lediga
South Africa
2017, 124 min
The multi-talented South African director Kagiso Lediga wrote, directed, and acted in this hilariously irreverent romantic comedy. The story follows an urban young academic and his beautiful wife. Their lives get turned upside down when a celebrated and scandalous older writer moves into their Johannesburg home with them.

7:00 p.m: Four Daughters at PCC Cascade, 110 min.
Directed by Kaouther Ben Hania
Tunisia
2023, 110 min
Part feature and part documentary, this unique film is about a Tunisian woman named Olfa and her four daughters, two of whom are drawn to Syria. The efforts to find her daughters are retold by Olfa and her two younger daughters, Eya and Tayssin, along with the reenactment of scenes with actors playing the roles of the two older daughters and sometimes of Olfa herself. An intimate journey of hope, rebellion, violence, transmission, and sisterhood that will question the very foundations of our societies.

Thursday, February 8, 2024

7:00 p.m: The Last Shelter at PCC Cascade, 83 min.
Documentary Series
Directed by Ousmane Samassekou
Mali
2021, 83 min
The House of Migrants lies in the peaceful city of Gao – a quiet way station for passersby with their eyes set on Europe in hopes of finding opportunity and safety. As a result of this counseling, many ultimately decide not to emigrate. Those who are still determined to leave are given maps of the route and other helpful, life-saving advice. The Last Shelter is an emotional portrait of this town and the generous people who live in it.

Friday, February 9, 2024

7:00 p.m: Elesin Oba, The King's Horseman sylvania, 96 min.
Directed by Biyi Bandele
Nigeria
2022, 96 min
This cinematic adaptation of Wole Soyinka’s acclaimed anti-colonial stage play, Death and the King’s Horseman. Inspired by true life events in the Oyo Empire in the 1940s, Elesin Oba, the king’s chief horseman, prepares to die in order to fulfill his lifelong debt of ritual suicide to accompany the dead Alaafin to the realm of the ancestors. Beloved Director Biyi Bandele (1967–2022) puts ancient customs on trial in this film about the ever-increasingly post-modern and Western world.

Saturday, February 10, 2024

2:00 p.m: Married to Work at PCC Cascade, 76 min.
Saturday Matinée
Directed by Philippe Bresson
Kenya
2023, 76 min
Set in Zanzibar, this rom-com is a refreshing showcase of inter-African high commerce and intercultural cosmopolitan dynamics. To save their real estate agency, an ambitious businesswoman and her entitled boss must convince an investor that they are married…despite hating each other. This quintessential East African comedy highlights well-known tropes about Swahili vs Kiswahili and the differences among cultures.

7:00 p.m: Omen at PCC Cascade, 90 min.
Directed by Baloji
Belgium, Democratic Republic of the Congo
2023, 90 min
Multidisciplinary artist Baloji’s feature film debut weaves a mesmerizing tale of cultural exploration, resilience, and the blurred lines between reality and fantasy. Augure is an ensemble film about four people accused of being witches and sorcerers. Despite their misfortune, they find the way to guide each other away from their socially imposed destinies and into the phantasmagoria of Africa.

Sunday, February 11, 2024

6:00 p.m: Mambar Pierrette tomorrow, 93 min.
Directed by Rosine Mbakam
Cameroon
2023, 93 min
A long line of customers come to see Mambar Pierrette, the Douala resident dressmaker, to have their clothes ready for premiere social events and ceremonies. Pierrette becomes much more than a seamstress, but also a confidant to her customers. When the rain storm threatens to flood her workshop, Pierrette will have to stay afloat. In French with English subtitles.

Thursday, February 15, 2024

7:00 p.m: Tamaaden at PCC Cascade, 84 min.
Documentary Series
Directed by Seydou Cissé
Belgium, Cameroon, France, Mali, South Africa
2021, 84 min
Taamaden ("Traveler") shows us two worlds: that of a number of West African immigrants who are making a living in Spain, and that of Bakary in Mali, who is preparing for a new attempt. These young men have one thing in common: they have regular contact with a mystical and religious clairvoyant. Switching smoothly between Africa and Europe, Cissé shows how African occultism finds a place in Europe via the smartphone, and how faith and hope can be as strong as harsh reality.

Friday, February 16, 2024

6:30 p.m: Sira at the Hollywood Theatre, 75 min.
Directed by Apolline Traoré
Burkina Faso
2022, 75 min
This bold film tells the story of Sira, a young woman traveling with her family in the Sahel to meet her betrothed, Jean-Sidi. Islamic terrorists attack the party and assault Sira, leaving her for dead. Sira exacts her revenge in this strong portrayal of female courage and resilience. Winner of the Panorama Audience Award at the Berlin International Film Festival, this stunning film is Apolline Traoré’s latest masterpiece.

Saturday, February 17, 2024

2:00 p.m: For Them That Prey (Short) at PCC Cascade, 13 min.
Short Film Series, Saturday Matinée
United States
2022, 13 min
A psychological drama about a young woman in transit perpetually harassed in a motel as she attempts to enjoy a simple night of sleep. Hear from the Botswana visiting filmmaker Mmakgosi Anita Tau about her experience as a woman in cinema.

2:00 p.m: Night Stop (Short) at PCC Cascade, 13 min.
Short Film Series, Saturday Matinée
Directed by Khadar Ayderus Ahmed
Somalia
2022, 13 min
A teenage boy meets a mysterious woman on a quiet highway at night.

2:00 p.m: Luanda Blue (Short) at PCC Cascade, 13 min.
Short Film Series, Saturday Matinée
Directed by Gegé M´bakudi
Angola
2022, 13 min
A monochromatic experimental film uses the language of colors to represent a powerful cycle of problematic situations.

2:00 p.m: Mistida (Short) at PCC Cascade, 30 min.
Short Film Series, Saturday Matinée
Directed by Falcão Nhaga
Portugal
2022, 30 min
A mother and son travel the distance from the grocery store while they also deal with issues that haunt them.

2:00 p.m: The Last Ranger (Short) at PCC Cascade, 27 min.
Short Film Series, Saturday Matinée
Directed by Cindy Lee
South Africa
2023, 27 min
When young Litha is introduced to the magic of a game reserve by the last remaining ranger, they are ambushed by poachers.

7:00 p.m: Mwabi/Can You See Us? at PCC Cascade, 109 min.
Directed by Kenny Mumba
Zambia
2022, 109 min
Rejected by his father at birth, a boy with albinism navigates a childhood of bullying, tragedy and cautious hope in this coming-of-age drama. Based on the life of popular musician John Chiti, this uplifting film reminds us that strength to overcome resides within each of us.

Thursday, February 22, 2024

7:00 p.m: Sisterhood at PCC Cascade, 72 min.
Documentary Series
Directed by Mohamed Sessy Kamara
Sierra Leone
2022, 72 min
Films from Sierra Leone by Sierra Leonean directors are rare, and his one by Sesy M. Kamara is cause for celebration. Husinatu and Hassanatu are twin sisters who decide to move to the Middle East to find better lives for themselves, their children, and their parents. The film is about immigration, family relations, the search for independence and a better future in opposition to family traditions. The film is part of Generation Africa, a documentary project centering on youth and migration.

Friday, February 23, 2024

7:00 p.m: Our Lady of the Chinese Shop at PCC Cascade, 98 min.
Directed by Ery Claver
Angola
2022, 98 min
This film makes strong and persistent remarks on the colonial past, capitalist present, and perhaps even a future loss of humanity. A surreal, richly allegorical urban tale about how a plastic statue of the Virgin Mary creates unexpected changes in the lives of the people who encounter it on the street of Luanda. The film captures the dreams and paradoxes of the characters as their lives play out in a city full of resentment and greed, but also friendship and imagination.

Saturday, February 24, 2024

2:00 p.m: Hawa at PCC Cascade, 106 min.
Family Fest Saturday Matinee
Directed by Maimouna Doucoure
France
2022, 106 min
Family Fest Saturday Matinée
Hawa, a young girl lives alone with her terminally ill grandmother. When she learns that Michelle Obama is visiting Paris, Hawa has the crazy idea of being adopted by this personality, whom she admires more than anything…” This is a sweet film that I think kids could really like. Hawa is a young albino teen with a full afro who lives in Paris with her grandmother (Oumou Sangare!!!) Altho Hawa has impractical ideas to meet Michelle Obama, everyone around her seems to believe in her and help her out in the most unpredictable ways. And it ends on a good note.

7:00 p.m: All the Colors of the World are Between Black and White at PCC Cascade, 93 min.
Directed by Babatunde Apalowo
Nigeria
2023, 93 min
Bambino is a delivery driver in Lagos. and when he meets the charismatic Bawa, the two immediately hit it off. Given how terribly dangerous it is to come out in Nigeria where homosexuality is illegal and punishable by 14 years of imprisonment, Bambino is understandably fearful of admitting to himself and to his photographer friend Bawa that he is gay. The film compassionately explores Bambi’s anguished inner journey to come to terms with his identity.

Thursday, February 29, 2024

7:00 p.m: Transactions at PCC Cascade, 53 min.
Women Filmmakers Week, Documentary Series
Directed by Rumbi Katedza
Zimbabwe
2022, 53 min
Transactions’ tells a story of Zimbabwean migration through a family divided by the circumstances of a failed economy. Three siblings, Frank, Miles, and Portia, sustain their family through remittances while longing for the country and family they left behind. Their mother, MaMlilo, is a conduit of all the family’s challenges in a hyper-inflated economy. Everyone who needs money comes to her in the hopes that she can help them financially. With each monetary transaction, expectations are raised on both sides.

Friday, March 1, 2024

7:00 p.m: The Mother of All Lies at PCC Cascade, 100 min.
Women Filmmakers Week
Directed by Asmae El Moudir
Morocco
2023, 100 min
Psychologists have long used simulations as therapeutic tools to help their patients unlock forgotten memories and heal hidden traumas. Esmae El Moudir does just this in her highly innovative documentary retelling of the Bread Riots in 1981. Through a handmade recreation of her family’s old house and neighborhood featuring small figurines the story unfolds. Many characters serve as “puppeteers” of their own miniature puppet/figurine selves. In this way, they slowly reenact the story, unlocking the hidden secrets and revealing the truth of what happened.

Saturday, March 2, 2024

2:00 p.m: Lionheart at PCC Cascade, 65 min.
Women Filmmakers Week, Saturday Matinée
Directed by Genevieve Nnaji
Nigeria
2019, 65 min
Running a company is challenging, especially in a male-dominated industry. Looking to prove her worth, Adaeze steps up to the challenge when health issues force her father, Chief Ernest Obiagu, to take a step back. Ironically, he appoints his crude, eccentric brother Godswill to run the company with his young daughter instead. Complications arise when Adaeze and Godswill discover that the business is in financial trouble leading to crazy and often hilarious results.

7:00 p.m: Banel & Adama at PCC Cascade, 87 min.
Women Filmmakers Week, Closing Night
Directed by Ramata-Toulaye Sy
Senegal
2023, 87 min
With its original story and gorgeous cinematography, this debut film is about a young couple who refuse to bow down to tradition. They have decided to live apart from their families because Adama won’t accept his blood duty as future chief. When Adama informs the village council of his intention, the whole community is disrupted. The rain that’s supposed to come doesn’t come, and Banel and Adama will learn that where they live, there is no room for passions, let alone chaos.

Date: February 2 - March 2, 2024

Locations:

Hollywood Theatre, 4122 North East Sandy Boulevard, Portland, OR 97212
PCC Cascade, 705 North Killingsworth Street, Portland, OR 97201
PCC Sylvania Campus Performing Arts Center, 12000 SW 49th Ave, Portland, OR 97201
Tomorrow Theater, 3530 SE Division Street, Portland, OR 97202

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