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 20 – 24, 2026 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 (20 March)

OBFF 6th 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: L'Ete de Jahia / Jahia's Summer (In Theatre Only)

7:00pm - 9pm

Jahia,16 ans, est originaire du Burkina Faso et vit dans un centre pour demandeur·se·s d’asile dans la campagne belge. Sans perspective, Jahia nourrit une peur du futur qui l’isole et l’empêche de vivre. Mais lorsque Mila, une adolescente biélorusse pleine de vie, arrive, une amitié se noue rapidement entre les deux filles qui changera la vie de Jahia pour toujours.L’histoire d’une amitié improbable entre deux jeunes filles qui doivent traverser leur adolescence dans un état perpétuel de flou

Day 2 (21 March)

Black Market Panel

12:00pm - 5:00pm

Narrative Short Film Series (Online & In Theatre)

1pm - 3pm

Series of 7 short narrative films

Of Mud and Blood (In Theatre Only)

3pm - 5pm

Of Blood and Mud documents the everyday existence of the inhabitants of the coltan mining village of Numbi in the Congo DRC, revealing the hardships and trials of a story from which we must not look away.

BBIC Calgary / Montreal / Ottawa (Online & in Theatre)

5pm - 7:30pm

Series of short Docs from the Being Black in Canada Program

The Fisherman (In Theatre Only)

7:30pm - 9:30pm

Venice Film Festival-winning feast of magical realist comedy— aging Ghanaian Atta Oko sets his sights on finally having his own boat and becoming the envy of his village, he’ll just need help from a talking fish first.