22nd MIBFF: To Open with THE EYES OF GHANA by Oscar-Winning Canadian Director BEN PROUDFOOT – Executive Producers MICHELLE & BARACK OBAMA
The Montreal International Black Film Festival Unveils its 22nd Edition: 70 FILMS FROM 21 COUNTRIES + Tribute to Quebec Producer ÉRIC IDRISS-KANAGO
September 23 – 27, 2026
The 22nd annual Montreal International Black Film Festival (MIBFF) – #MIBFF26 –
is back in the spotlight. This professional, bold, eclectic, and inclusive program celebrates the diversity, power, and impact of the stories that shape our times and renew our perspective on the world.
Montreal, August 24, 2026 – The Montreal International Black Film Festival (MIBFF), founded by the Fabienne Colas Foundation, is back for its 22nd edition, September 23–27, 2026, with a lineup of 70 films from 21 countries, including 1 North American premiere, 8 Canadian premieres, 35 Quebec premieres, 2 Montreal premieres, and 3 world premieres.
For more than 22 years, the MIBFF has been committed to amplifying Black voices on screen and providing a vital platform for filmmakers whose works raise awareness, foster dialogue, and inspire social change. As Canada’s largest Black film festival and the only bilingual (French-English) festival of its kind in North America, the MIBFF continues to highlight a new generation of cinema that moves audiences, challenges perspectives, and celebrates the diversity of Black experiences around the world.
“Each edition of the Montreal International Black Film Festival is an affirmation: our stories matter, our voices matter, and our cinema has a place at the heart of the cultural landscape. In 2026, as the world undergoes profound transformations, MIBFF remains an essential space for bringing stories to light that challenge, unite, and move things forward. We want to continue giving a platform to filmmakers who dare to tell stories differently, shedding light on realities that are too often overlooked, building bridges between cultures and generations, and opening new pathways for the next generation. Cinema does more than reflect the world: it can help transform it. That is why we will continue, with boldness and conviction, to celebrate the richness of Black voices from here and around the world, to champion free, independent, and diverse cinema, and to make MIBFF a place where stories become memories, where encounters become opportunities, and where dreams become reality. Wishing everyone a wonderful festival!” — Fabienne Colas, Founder and President of MIBFF
OPENING NIGHT GALA: FILM & TRIBUTE
The Red Carpet Opening Night will take place at Théâtre Outremont at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, September 23, featuring the Quebec premiere of The Eyes of Ghana, directed by Oscar-winning Canadian filmmaker Ben Proudfoot and executive produced by Michelle and Barack Obama. Producer Nana Adwoa Frimpong will be in attendance for a Q&A session following the screening. Tickets: $35, available on the festival website.
Directed by Ben Proudfoot, a two-time Oscar winner, The Eyes of Ghana is a powerful feature-length documentary that follows Chris Hesse, a 93-year-old filmmaker and former personal director of photography for Ghana’s first president, Kwame Nkrumah. As his blindness progresses and his time grows short, Hesse embarks on an extraordinary mission: to save and repatriate a hidden archive of more than 1,000 films chronicling the birth of African independence in the 1950s and 1960s.
The screening of The Eyes of Ghana will be preceded by a tribute to award-winning Quebec producer Éric Idriss-Kanago, who will be presented with the MIBFF Avant-Garde Award.
“Receiving the Avant-Garde Award from the Montreal International Black Film Festival is a tremendous honour. For me, creating and producing is, above all, about believing in distinctive voices, taking risks, and providing the space needed for stories that deserve to exist. For more than twenty years, I have sought to support stories that explore identity, memory, dreams, and our relationship with the world. Through Yzanakio, I wanted to build a creative space where imaginations can be free, bold, and deeply human. Being an Honorary Guest of MIBFF is an opportunity to celebrate those who dare to create differently. A special thanks to everyone I've met who has helped me pursue this vision. The Avant-Garde Award reminds me that cinema moves forward when we are willing to step off the beaten path, trust new voices, and imagine the world differently.” — Éric Idriss-Kanago, Producer and Founder of Yzanakio
CLOSING NIGHT: FILM & AWARD CEREMONY
The #MIBFF26 will close with the Quebec premiere of DIYA, directed by Achille Ronaimou. The screening will take place on Sunday, September 28, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. at the Cinéma du Musée. Tickets: $25, available on the festival website.
Through a deeply human and intimate narrative, DIYA explores the themes of resilience, identity, and personal transformation, offering a powerful reflection on contemporary realities and the complexity of human relationships.
The closing film will be presented following the MIBFF Awards Ceremony.
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE 2026 PROGRAM INCLUDE
FILMS NOT TO BE MISSED
- Rumba Royale – Hamed Mobasser – Yohane Dean Lengol (République Démocratique du Congo)
- Seahorse – Aisha Evelyna (Canada – Ontario)
- El Día de la Tormenta (The Day of the Storm) – Alexander Viola (République Dominicaine)
- Se Eu Fosse Vivo… Vivia (If I Were Alive) – André Novais Oliveira (Brésil)
- Pasa Faho – Kalu Oji (Australie)
- Mata – Rachel Lang (France, Belgique)
- Soley Twopikal Ak De Je Li – Elisee Junior St Preux (Haïti)
- Brothers in Blood: Black in Vietnam – Joseph Puleo (USA)
- Métisses – Cinq Femmes Contre Un Crime d'État – Quentin Noirfalisse et Jean-Charles Mbotti Malolo (Belgique, France)
- Coeur de Motard – Will Prosper (Canada – Québec)
- Source – Lynda Amghar et Jeff Malo (Canada – Québec)
- Espwa Haiti: Against All Odds (Espwa Haïti : Contre Toute Attente) – Isabelle Depelteau et Noémie Ferron (Canada – Québec)
CANADA IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Presented out of competition in Montreal, as well as at the five other Black Film Festivals in Canada (Toronto, Halifax, Ottawa, Calgary, and Vancouver), this section represents a unique initiative: a cross-Canada tour that allows essential and impactful films to reach audiences across the country.
The 2026 “Canada in the Spotlight” selection includes:
- The Night Watches Us (Profilage nocturne) – Stefan Verna
- Jireh Gospel: Hearts in Chorus (Jireh Gospel, une famille de chœur) – Wylem Decaille
- Maboungou: Being in the World (MABOUNGOU : Hors-centres) – Marlene Millar et Philip Szporer (Québec)
- Coaching While Black – Alex Eskandarkhah (Ontario)
- 1001 Couronnes pour ma tête – Habibata Ouarme
- La Fête des Pères – Ayana O'Shun
- True North (L'appel du Nord) – Michèle Stephenson
- Cypher – Mariam Barry et Eva Anandi Brownstein
- Her Ordinary World – Samuel Dayomi
- Wave Rider – Dustin Chok
- The World Is Ours (Le monde est à elles) – Nadia Louis-Desmarchais
- SNAP Parts 1 and 2: Snap – Archie's Story – George Stamos
- SNAP Parts 1 and 2: Snap – Zab's Story – George Stamos
- Mixed Memories (Mémoires métissées) – Katherine Adams
FABIENNE COLAS FOUNDATION’S BEING BLACK IN CANADA
Presented by NETFLIX, in collaboration with the National Bank, and supported by Telefilm Canada and the Canada Council for the Arts.
September 24, 7PM | Cinéma du Parc | $12
Close to 30 Canadian short films from the 2025 cohort will be featured at #MIBFF26! The Being Black in Canada program is a professional training initiative. Last year, it supported 27 Black Canadian filmmakers aged 18 to 30, from Montreal, Toronto, Halifax, Ottawa, Calgary, and Vancouver, in the creation of short documentaries. This program is a crucial step toward greater representation and racial equity, both in front of and behind the camera. As a one-of-a-kind project, it continues to inspire the next generation by fostering the emergence of talent from diverse cultural backgrounds. By supporting the filmmakers of tomorrow and creating opportunities to tell authentic stories, the program is helping to bring about lasting change in the Canadian film landscape.
Please note that in addition to the films from Montreal and Ottawa being screened in person at the Cinéma du Parc, the entire lineup of films from this cohort will be available online.
THE MIBFF BLACK MARKET
Presented by The Festwave Institute, Telefilm Canada and SODEC
September 26 | Colas Theatre | Free (registration required)
The MIBFF Black Market is entirely dedicated to professionals in the Film industry. Conferences, discussions, and workshops will provide a unique opportunity to reflect on the realities of the industry, challenge established practices, foster collaboration, and encourage knowledge sharing.
PANELS & WORKSHOPS
- September 26, 11:30AM | PANEL: “From Vision to Business: building your own production company” – Presented by the Association québécoise de la production médiatique (AQPM)
- September 26, 12:45PM | BEING SEEN QUÉBEC REPORT PRESENTATION – Presented by Coalition M.É.D.I.A., Black on Black Films and the Black Screen Office
- September 26, 2:15PM | MASTER CLASS: “Music to Image in the Age of AI”
- September 26, 3:30PM | CASE STUDY: “From Emerging Voice to Financed Feature” with filmaker Yzaïh Phénix-Alphonse – Presented by the Association québécoise de la production médiatique (AQPM)
MIBFF IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS
Presented by the Fabienne Colas Foundation
September 24-25 | Free admission
As part of the 7th edition of MIBFF in the Neighbourhoods, several free screenings will be held throughout Montreal, in partnership with various cultural institutions. This initiative offers both young people and the general public free access to films directed by members of the Black community. Each screening will be followed by a 60-minute discussion with the filmmakers.
- September 24 – 7PM | In collaboration with Maison de la culture Côte-des-Neiges | À travers tes yeux (Brigitte Poupart and Fabiola Pierre-Montly), followed by a discussion with co-director Fabiola Pierre-Montly.
- September 25 – 8:30PM | Cinéma Public | There Are No False Undertakings (Il n'y a pas de faux métier) by Olivier Godin, followed by an exchange with the filmmaker.
- November 15 – 2PM | Maison culturelle et communautaire de Montréal-Nord | Summer Beats (Ma frère) by Lise Akoka and Romane Guéret
SPOTLIGHT ON OTHER BLACK ARTFORMS – POP UP MARKET
September 26, 11AM to 6PM | Colas Theatre | Free admission
Join us for the second edition of the MIBFF Pop-Up Market at the Colas Theatre, an event that showcases the talent of Black artisans and entrepreneurs in Montreal. In this iconic venue, where the raw, history-rich atmosphere continues to inspire, discover a unique selection of handmade crafts, original artwork, fashion, accessories, home decor, and much more. Come meet passionate creators and celebrate the richness and diversity of Black entrepreneurship and artistic creation in Montreal.
THEMES AND KEY NUMBERS
Major Themes For 2026 include: family, history and traditions, murder and mystery, mental health, social issues, racism and discrimination, political resistance, female empowerment, sports, music/dance/art, romance, migration and displacement, identity, LGBTQ+ experiences, Afrofuturism, and science fiction.
2026 Programming in Numbers:
- 70 films
- 21 countries represented
- 3 world premieres
- 1 North American premiere
- 8 Canadian premieres
- 35 Quebec premieres
- 2 Montreal premieres
2026 JURY
Narrative features :
- Will Prosper (President)
- Nadia Zouaoui
- Penande Estime
Documentary features :
- Michèle Stephenson (President)
- Justine Smith
- Phyllis Gooden
Medium Length & Short Films (Narrative, Documentary and Animation) :
- Mylène Augustin (President)
- Zainab Rabbaa
- Samuel Sufren
PRACTICAL INFORMATION
- Dates: September 23 to 27, 2026
- Main venues:
Théâtre Outremont (1248 Bernard Street W, Outremont)
Cinéma du Musée (1379-A Sherbrooke Street W.)
Cinéma du Parc (3575 du Parc Avenue)
Cinéma Public (505 Jean-Talon Street E.)
Maison de la culture Côte-des-Neiges (5290 Chemin de la Côte-des-Neiges)
Maison culturelle et communautaire de Montréal-Nord (12004 Bd Rolland Local 202H, Montreal-Nord)
Colas Theatre (3990 Notre Dame Street W, Montreal)
Concordia Theatre – Concordia University SGWU Alumni Auditorium (1455 de Maisonneuve Street W.)
- Complete program and tickets: www.MontrealBlackFilm.com
ABOUT THE MONTREAL INTERNATIONAL BLACK FILM FESTIVAL (MIBFF)
Created in 2005 by the Fabienne Colas Foundation, the Montreal International Black Film Festival (MIBFF) is Canada’s largest film festival entirely dedicated to Black realities from around the world. It aims to offer the public the most spectacular productions in Black cinema and opportunities to debate the great cultural, social, and socio-economic issues facing society. The goal of the MIBFF is to promote the development of the independent film industry and showcase more films depicting Black realities around the world. The festival seeks to prioritize local and international films that are not necessarily in the spotlight, a new cinema that moves its audience and raises awareness – and a few eyebrows. In doing so, the MIBFF addresses issues and showcases art that makes you think and smile, provokes, bewilders, and shocks you. A new, fresh look at Black cinema from all parts of the globe!
SOURCE:
Montreal International Black Film Festival
MEDIA CONTACT:
Elsa Olano – Marelle Communications
eolano@marellecommunications.com | 514-884-6351
