The Harlem International Film Festival (Hi) is returning for its 18th year with the ethos of “honoring dynamic films by anyone about anything under the sun.” The festival will take place May 18th- 28th, 2023 at the AMC Magic Johnson Harlem 9 Theaters, located at 2309 Frederick Douglass Blvd in Harlem, New York.
This year, the Harlem International Film Festival will celebrate music and shine a light on “relatively undiscovered international cinematic gems” and the filmmaking community in New York. The 2023 lineup is set to show 64 films that include 35 features (14 narrative, 21 documentary), 29 shorts (20 narrative, 9 documentary), 2 television episodes, and 2 VR projects.
Some of the films to be screened include Peter Schnall’s Ron Carter: Finding The Right Notes, Christina Kallas’s Paris Is In Harlem, and the first two episodes of season two of STARZ’s Run The World. Notable figures like Doug E. Doug and Malik Yoba will participate in a panel discussion.
In a press release obtained by EBONY, Harlem International Film Festival’s Program Director Nasri Zacharia stated, “This year we are celebrating over a century of Harlem Renaissance and Resilience with an amazing slate of films from the area. We are also glad to be back at the AMC Magic Johnson Theaters and Columbia University as well as Maysles Documentary Center, and this year we are thrilled to present the world premiere of the first two episodes of STARZ ‘Run the World’ season 2, set in Harlem, to our lineup featuring several other world premieres, and wonderful work by our filmmakers here in Harlem, Upper Manhattan, and the Bronx.”
Zacharia went on, “This year, music runs throughout our schedule with amazing documentaries, very special honorees, culminating in a big day of music films and a special live performance on Sunday, the 21st. This film festival has always emphasized the idea of being a festival with exciting and entertaining events inspired by the films we screen, and this year really underlines that idea.”
Following the in-person festivities, event-goers will be able to participate in virtual screenings throughout the second week. For updates, film festival passes, tickets, and more information on the Harlem International Film Festival go to HarlemFilmFestival.org.
