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Bronx World Film Celebrates 15 Years With Movies From Around the World
- Damian Ali
- 2 days ago
- 5 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
The film series continues this weekend with screenings in Bronx community spaces.
Bronx World Film Cycle Winter 2026 Poster. Courtesy of Bronx World Film
A long-running Bronx film organization is marking a major milestone by bringing international movies into neighborhood spaces across the borough. Bronx World Film is celebrating its 15th anniversary with the Bronx World Film Cycle 2026, a weeklong series running from January 11 to 18. The event includes 23 films from 16 countries and continues this weekend with screenings in The Bronx after opening days in Manhattan.
The series started earlier this week at La Nacional, a well-known cultural spot in Manhattan. The first screenings included films from many countries and stories tied to Bronx history and culture. One highlight was Spray Can Stories: TATS CRU, a documentary by Bronx filmmaker Emmitt Thrower. The film focuses on the famous Bronx mural crew TATS CRU and their influence on hip hop and street art in New York City.
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Documentary and Drama Film Posters - Spray Can Stories and I, Father: Courtesy of Bronx World Film
Another film shown at the start was I, Father, an Albanian-language version of Hamlet. It stars Makfire Miftari and Besim Ajeti, both recognized in Kosovo’s arts scene. The program also featured short films edited by students from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, working with film teacher Jennida Chase.
Now, the spotlight turns to The Bronx. Screenings are set for January 17 at the Andrew Freedman Home and January 18 at Sankofa Haus. These locations let Bronx residents watch films from around the world right in their own neighborhood.
Editor’s note: Bronx World Film has announced a program change. Screenings of I, Father and Kosovo: The Cry of Man is Singing scheduled for January 17 and January 18 in The Bronx have been canceled due to unforeseen circumstances. Updated program details appear below.
Updated Bronx Screenings
Saturday, January 17
Andrew Freedman HomeProgram 11, 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Dream Diary
Kumaran
Dreams Cut Short
Ray of the Sun
Our Old Man and the Sea
Sunday, January 18
Sankofa Haus Program 14, 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Kumaran
Ray of the Sun
Sounds Like a Fairy Tale
Spray Can Stories
Original article post
Playing in The Bronx:
I, Father - Director: Mark Norfolk
Runtime: 90 minutes
Language: Albanian with English subtitles
This drama tells the story of a young man coping with his father’s recent death. As his mother and uncle grow closer, he starts seeing visions of his father, leading to a tense moment at an engagement party. The film explores grief, family struggles, and tough choices about love and responsibility.
Upcoming Bronx screenings:
Saturday, January 17 at 2:30 p.m.
Sunday, January 18 at 4 p.m.
Note: This screening scheduled for January 17 and January 18 has been canceled.
Kosovo: The Cry of Man is Singing - Director: Jim Morrison IV
Runtime: 46 minutes
The film follows Naser, a journalist whose life was shaped by the war in Kosovo, and his teenage son Ander. When Ander notices his father’s lingering pain, they travel back to Kosovo together. The story looks at memory, trauma, and the connection between parent and child.
Upcoming Bronx screenings:
Saturday, January 17 at 2:30 p.m.
Sunday, January 18 at 4 p.m.
Note: This screening scheduled for January 17 and January 18 has been canceled.
Spray Can Stories: TATS CRU- Director: Emmitt Thrower
Runtime: 38 minutes
This documentary spotlights BG183 and Nicer from TATS CRU and shows how Bronx graffiti moved from local walls to a worldwide art form. Using interviews and street scenes, the film links art, survival, and identity, and shows how creativity shaped people and communities.
Upcoming Bronx screenings:
Saturday, January 17 at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, January 18 at 7:30 p.m.
# WAY_Aurelio - Director: Alan Rexroth
Runtime: 32 minutes
Language: Spanish with English subtitles
This documentary follows Aurelio, a young man from Guatemala, as he travels north in search of a better life. Riding atop La Bestia, a freight train through Mexico, Aurelio relies on his smartphone as his main connection to family, guidance, and memory. The film looks at migration through the lens of modern technology and human vulnerability.
Upcoming Bronx screening:
Saturday, January 17 at 4:30 p.m.
Estonian Foley Artist Anna-Maria Jams in Kõlab nagu muinasjutt (Sounds Like a Fairytale). Courtesy of Bronx World Film
Sounds Like a Fairy Tale - Director: Eva Kübar
Runtime: 28 minutes
This observant documentary centers on Anna-Maria Jams, Estonia’s only foley artist. Using everyday objects to create sound effects, she quietly keeps film illusions alive. The film follows her daily work and her dream of opening the country’s first dedicated foley studio.
Upcoming Bronx screening:
Saturday, January 17 at 7:30 p.m.
Come and Find Me - Director: Carmine Carpenito
Runtime: 20 minutes
New York City premiere
This short mystery follows a 14-year-old boy who receives a late-night phone call from the afterlife. What begins as a surreal experience leads to an unsettling discovery that challenges ideas of safety and awareness. The film stars Fflyn Edwards and features voice work by Ward E. Sexton.
Upcoming Bronx screening:
Sunday, January 18 at 6:15 p.m.
Kabuki - Director: Tiago Minamisawa
Runtime: 14 minutes
This stop-motion animated film follows Kabuki, a transgender character navigating identity and self-acceptance in a hostile world. Inspired by real-life stories, the film focuses on transformation, resilience, and the search for belonging.
Upcoming Bronx screenings:
Saturday, January 17 at 4:30 p.m.
Sunday, January 18 at 6 p.m.
The Stream XIV- Director: Hiroya Sakurai
Runtime: 9 minutes
Shot in Kyoto Prefecture, this experimental short reflects on the changing landscape of rice fields. Through images of agricultural work and the sound of wind chimes, the film presents nature as a quiet visual poem shaped by time and weather.
Upcoming Bronx screenings:
Saturday, January 17 at 4:30 p.m.
Sunday, January 18 at 6 p.m.
Film Posters for Kabuki and The Ink Bleeds. Courtesy of Bronx World Film
The Ink Bleeds- Director: Ángel-Manuel Torres Jr.
Runtime: 2 minutes
This short micrométrage features a poet reciting a favorite poem while typing it on a mid-20th-century typewriter. The film plays before every screening as a tribute to the blank page and the creative process behind filmmaking.
Plays before all screenings.
Dream Diary- Editor: Alana Gill
Runtime: 3 minutes
Edited from free stock footage, this experimental short creates a visual meditation on dreams and memory through rhythm and montage.
Upcoming Bronx screening:
Sunday, January 18 at 6:15 p.m.
Dreams Cut Short - Editor: Bea Harwell
Runtime: 3 minutes
This video essay reflects on interrupted dreams and unfinished paths, using found footage and editing as its primary storytelling tools.
Upcoming Bronx screening:
Sunday, January 18 at 6 p.m.
Bronx World Film helps make independent movies available in a borough that traditional film spaces often overlook. By holding screenings at places like Andrew Freedman Home and Sankofa Haus, the group brings international films and Bronx stories straight to local audiences.
For many locals, the series is a rare chance to enjoy global cinema and local history together, making film a shared community event instead of something just for a few.
Follow:
On Instagram- Bronx World Film @bronxworldfilm, Sankofa Haus @sankofahaus, La Nacional @lanacionalnyc, and The Andrew Freedman Home @afhbronx.
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