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MARCH 28 - APRIL 1, 2025

EDITION

By Yasemin Şamdereli

SAMIA

MARCH 28, 2025

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Opening FILM

#OBFF2025

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INDUSTRY

CONFERENCES,

WORKSHOPS & MORE...

MARCH 29, 2025

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BLACK MARKET

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OPENING NIGHT'S RED CARPET EVENT,
FEATURING
OTTAWA'S DJ MACE

LIVE MUSIC

#OBFF2025

MARCH 28, 2025

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About
The Festival

The Ottawa Black Film Festival (OBFF) is dedicated to showcasing unique voices in cinema, offering audiences fresh perspectives on the world. With a mission to support the growth of independent filmmaking, OBFF highlights stories that reflect the realities, experiences, and diversity of Black communities worldwide.

March 28 – April 1, 2025 Ottawa, CA

About our founder:

Fabienne Colas is an award-winning actress, filmmaker, speaker, and entrepreneur dedicated to promoting diversity on and off-screen. Founder of 9 international festivals, including the Montreal Black Film Festival, she champions underrepresented artists. A recipient of multiple prestigious awards, she tirelessly advocates for inclusion in the arts.

Day 1 (28 March)

OBFF 5th Edition Opening Night Red Carpet

6:00pm - 7:00pm

Join us for the exciting launch of the Ottawa Black Film Festival’s 5th edition with a vibrant red carpet event!

Opening Film: Samia (In Theatre Only)

7:00pm - 8:45pm

Samia defies taboos by racing through the streets of Mogadishu, in a society where a woman is not supposed to run…

Day 2 (29 March)

Black Market Panel

12:00pm - 5:00pm

Short Film Series

1:00pm - 3:00pm

(Online & In Theatre)

BBIC Ottawa / Montreal / Toronto

3:00pm - 4:30pm

Being Black in Canada (Ottawa, Montreal, Toronto)

Hanami (In Theatre Only)

5:30pm - 7:30pm

On a remote volcanic island that everybody wants to leave, little Nana learns how to stay.

Legacy (Online & in Theatre)

7:00pm - 9:00pm

An exploration into South Africa, featuring, in unprecedented access, the grandson of the “Architect of Apartheid”…

Day 3 (30 March)

Johanne (Online Only)

12:00pm - 1:00pm

A contemporary tribute to trailblazer Johanne Harrelle: artist, actress and one of North America’s first Black models.

The Hearing (Online Only)

1:30pm - 3:00pm

L’audience (The Hearing) delves in the daily life of the Nkunga Mbala family over one year, as they go through the complex legal maze of claiming asylum in Canada.

The Athlete (Online Only)

3:00pm - 5:00pm

Equal parts family saga, sports film and intimate portrait, The Athlete offers a unique window into the story of Stevens Dorcelus.

Legacy (Online & in Theatre)

7:00pm - 9:00pm

An exploration into South Africa, featuring, in unprecedented access, the grandson of the “Architect of Apartheid”…

Day 4 (31 March)

Black Market Online Panel

12:00pm - 1:30pm

Short Film Series

1:00pm - 3:00pm

Legacy (Online & in Theatre)

7:00pm - 9:00pm

An exploration into South Africa, featuring, in unprecedented access, the grandson of the “Architect of Apartheid”, who takes an honest look into his ancestry, exposing the systemic remnants of Apartheid today.