{"id":29937,"date":"2025-09-03T14:35:02","date_gmt":"2025-09-03T18:35:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/montrealblackfilm.com\/?p=29937"},"modified":"2025-09-08T08:34:50","modified_gmt":"2025-09-08T12:34:50","slug":"21st-mibff-opens-with-hedda-by-nia-dacosta-70-films-from-20-countries-starring-tessa-thompson-executive-produced-by-brad-pitt","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/montrealblackfilm.com\/en\/21st-mibff-opens-with-hedda-by-nia-dacosta-70-films-from-20-countries-starring-tessa-thompson-executive-produced-by-brad-pitt\/","title":{"rendered":"21st MIBFF: OPENS WITH HEDDA BY NIA DACOSTA + 70 FILMS FROM 20 COUNTRIES! STARRING: TESSA THOMPSON, Executive Produced by BRAD PITT"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\n The 21st annual Montreal International Black Film Festival (MIBFF) \u2013 #MIBFF25 \u2013 is back with trailblazing, diverse, innovative, and impactful programming, highlighting the stories and events that have challenged conventions, left a distinctive mark on our times, and shaped our perspective of the world.<\/strong><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

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\n Full Program, All Access Passes & Tickets on the <\/strong><\/span><\/span>website<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/a>\n <\/p>\n

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\n The MIBFF25, <\/strong>created by the Fabienne Colas Foundation, <\/strong>from Sept. 24 to 28, 2025<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\n <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/figure>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/figure>\n

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\n Montreal, September 3, 2025<\/strong> \u2013<\/strong> Under the honorary presidency of <\/span>Dany Laferri\u00e8re,<\/span><\/i> screenwriter, filmmaker, acclaimed author, and member of the Acad\u00e9mie fran\u00e7aise, the 21st <\/strong><\/span><\/span>Montreal International Black Film Festival (MIBFF)<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/a> will showcase 70 films from 20 countries<\/strong>, including close to 40 Canadian titles<\/strong>, alongside a rich lineup of industry events. Laferri\u00e8re succeeds Spike Lee<\/strong>, who served as honorary president of the Festival\u2019s 20th edition in 2024.<\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n This year\u2019s official selection spans an impressive range of genres and formats: fiction, documentaries, shorts, experimental works, comedies, and dramas. This year\u2019s program spotlights the theme of adapting \u201c<\/strong><\/span>books and plays for the screen\u201d<\/strong><\/span><\/i>, exploring the transformation of literature and theatre into film, and celebrating the rich dialogue between literature and cinema. Through tributes, screenings, panels, and masterclasses, the Festival will examine how literary works evolve into powerful collective experiences.<\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n The 21st MIBFF will also pay tribute to Dany Laferri\u00e8re<\/strong> in celebration of his four-decade career. The honor coincides with three landmark anniversaries: 40 years<\/strong> since the release of his groundbreaking debut novel <\/span>How to Make Love to a Negro Without Getting Tired<\/span><\/i> (1985), which shook the literary world before reaching the big screen with Isaach de Bankol\u00e9<\/strong> and Maka Kotto<\/strong> in the lead roles; 10 years<\/strong> since his induction speech at the Acad\u00e9mie fran\u00e7aise<\/strong> (2015); and 21 years<\/strong> since the release of his first feature-length original screenplay, <\/span>How to Conquer America in One Night<\/span><\/i> (2004). In recognition of his exceptional contribution to literature, cinema, and society, Laferri\u00e8re will receive the 2025 MIBFF Lifetime Achievement Award<\/strong>.<\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n Founded by the Fabienne Colas Foundation<\/strong>, the MIBFF is Canada\u2019s largest Black Film Festival <\/strong>and the only bilingual (French\/English) festival of its kind in North America. For the past 21 years, it has remained dedicated to amplifying Black voices on screen, offering a vital platform for filmmakers whose stories raise awareness, foster dialogue, and spark social change.<\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cThis year, the 21st Montreal Intl Black Film Festival presents a vibrant program, a strong commitment to inclusion, and a wide range of works and perspectives. Honoring Dany Laferri\u00e8re at this 21st MIBFF means celebrating literature transformed into cinema, and cinema that breathes new life into words. The MIBFF is more relevant than ever in today\u2019s world. Through the selected films, we offer not only a mirror in which our communities can see themselves, but also a window onto realities too often left unseen. Cinema is a tool for dialogue, healing, and transformation: it allows us to share our stories, preserve them in our collective memory, and pass on a powerful cultural legacy. By amplifying the voices of Black filmmakers from here and around the world, we are helping to shape a fairer, more inclusive, and more diverse future.\u201d <\/span>\u2013 Fabienne Colas, President and Founder of the MIBFF<\/strong><\/span><\/i><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n <\/span><\/strong><\/span>OPENING NIGHT GALA: FILM & TRIBUTE<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n The Red Carpet Opening Night<\/strong> will take place at Th\u00e9\u00e2tre Outremont at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, September 24<\/strong>, with a first-time screening of <\/span>HEDDA <\/strong>in Quebec<\/span><\/i>, directed by Nia DaCosta,<\/strong> executive produced by Brad Pitt<\/strong> (United States). Tickets: $25<\/strong>, available on the festival <\/span><\/span>website<\/span><\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n Acclaimed for <\/span>Candyman<\/span><\/i> and celebrated as the first Black woman to direct a Marvel film (<\/span>The Marvels<\/span><\/i>), Nia DaCosta delivers a daring, contemporary reimagining of Henrik Ibsen\u2019s classic play. <\/span>HEDDA<\/span><\/i> (Tessa Thompson) is caught between the haunting ache of a lost love and the stifling silence of her present life. Over the course of one electrifying night, long-suppressed desires and hidden tensions explode, propelling Hedda and those around her into a whirlwind of manipulation, passion, and betrayal.<\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n Following the screening of Hedda<\/strong>, a special tribute will be paid to Dany Laferri\u00e8re.<\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n <\/span><\/strong><\/span>CLOSING NIGHT: FILM & AWARD CEREMONY<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/span>
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\n When <\/span>Le devoir de violence<\/span><\/i> was first published, Yambo Ouologuem was still an unknown author. Tackling the subject of slavery before colonization, the novel won the Prix Renaudot in 1968<\/strong>. As the first African laureate<\/strong>, Ouologuem experienced a meteoric rise\u2026 but just three years later, he was accused of plagiarism. This marked the beginning of his downfall. Retreating to his native village in Mali, he faded from public life. Through the voices of scholars and his family, the film seeks to unravel the enigma of Yambo Ouologuem. His tragic story embodies the complex relationship between France and its former colonies.<\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n The closing film will be presented following the Awards Ceremony.<\/strong><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n <\/span><\/span>HIGHLIGHTS OF THE 2025 PROGRAM INCLUDE<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n FILMS NOT TO BE MISSED<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n The #MIBFF25<\/strong> will close with the Quebec premiere of <\/strong><\/span>Yambo Ouologuem, LA BLESSURE<\/strong><\/span><\/i>, directed by Kalidou Sy<\/strong> (Senegal). The red-carpet screening will take place on September 28, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. at the Cin\u00e9ma du Mus\u00e9e<\/strong>, with the filmmaker in attendance. Following the screening, the director will take part in a Q&A session with the audience. https:\/\/www.montrealblackfilm.com, available on the festival\u2019s <\/span><\/span>website<\/span><\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n