Once again, the Montreal International Black Film Festival (MIBFF) won’t stray from its mission in showcasing productions from around the planet, from Algeria to Senegal, Brazil to the U.S. But while the 21st edition of the fest, running Sept. 24 to 28, will screen 70 films from 20 countries, it will also be taking a deep dive inward with its series Being Black in Canada.

To that end, the series will present 40 Canadian films and documentaries, of which 27 have been created by Black Canadian filmmakers, age 18 to 30, from all parts of the country.

On that note, this year’s MIBFF, Canada’s largest Black film festival and the only bilingual event of its kind in North America, will pay special homage on its opening night at Outremont Theatre to Montreal writer/filmmaker Dany Laferrière, who will also serve as its honorary president. This year marks the 40th anniversary of Laferrière’s groundbreaking novel How to Make Love to a Negro Without Getting Tired, later adapted for the screen.

Laferrière, who succeeds the MIBFF’s 20th-anniversary honorary president and frequent festival guest Spike Lee, will also be conducting a master class, I Am a Camera: From Novel to Screen, Sept. 26 at 7 p.m. at Cinéma du Musée. Plus, there will be an online link available throughout the festival for a retrospective on the work of Laferrière.

Fabienne Colas, the bundle of energy who founded and directs the MIBFF, believes........

© Montreal Gazette