Cinefilmu Film Festival

Cinefilmu, a film festival organized by Mamá Papaya and TDM5, welcomes diverse underserved filmmakers and storytellers from across the state to a community focused one day celebration of the stories and cultures of Mni Sota Makoce film. The event is free and open to the general public and showcases the powerful and brilliant cultural stories from underserved filmmakers and artists.

Along with the screening of dozens of thought provoking locally-made films, the festival features workshops, social events, and nourishing opportunities to bring our creative communities and general public closer together.

Check out our website for information about the screenings, programs, immersive experiences and the artists:
The festival’s name itself—combining “cine” (Spanish for “film”) and “filmu” (Yoruba for “film”) reflects a collaboration of cultures, reinforcing our commitment to inclusivity and cross-cultural creativity. Cinefilmu centers the stories from immigrants, Black, Indigenous, Hmong, Somali, Latine, and many other ethnic and racial groups in our communities. It is a space to celebrate and pay homage to our cultural heritages and histories. The festival counters the decades of erasure and neglect of underrepresented narratives. We are connected by a shared language of migration, histories of colonialism, ancestral practices, and a rich tapestry of cultural expression.

The festival programs include screenings of local films, profound panels, social gatherings for creatives and filmmakers as well as immersive meditative spaces filled with visual projections and soundscapes. Each of the programs is curated and organized by different local artists and cultural bearers.

Host or Publisher Mamá Papaya & TDM5