Monday, May 21---------The BAMcinématek, the repertory film program at BAM Rose Cinemas, will present a series of films from May 23 to 30 to coincide with the mainstage festivities for 30 Years of DanceAfrica. The series kicks off on May 23 and 24 with the critically acclaimed Bamako (2006) directed by Mauritanian filmmaker Abderrahmane Sissako. Set in Mali , Sissako’s film employs Brechtian techniques to stage a trial against the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank in a small village.

The animated family film Kirikou and the Wild Beasts (Kirikou et les bêtes sauvages) (2006) by Bénédicte Galup and Michel Ocelot screens May 25 through May 30. A follow-up to the smash hit Kirikou and the Sorceress (Kirikou et la sorcière) (1998), the film highlights its lovable child protagonist in four new stories. The films screen as part of The New York African Film Festival, which was established in 1993. This program of screenings and panel discussions is presented annually, presenting feature films and short format works by African and African Diaspora directors. In recent years the Festival has been hosted by the Film Society of Lincoln Center and the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM).