A screening of three short films followed by a powerful discussion exploring the needs, challenges, and aspirations of Black immigrants. This event will also examine the deep connections between Black displacement, migration, and the systemic forces of racial capitalism and global anti-Blackness driving these issues.

Hosted by Ryan Darbonne, co-founder of the Black Auteur Film Festival.

The screening will be followed by a panel discussion with Nana Gyamfi (executive director of BAJI and executive producer of MEXICO IS HELL FOR BLACK MIGRANTS); Jimmy Jean-Louis (actor, producer, activist, and ambassador-at-large to Haiti); and Rhym Guisse (director, writer, and actress for CARTES). The panel will be moderated by Jasmyne Cannick (PAFF director of public affairs & public relations).

ABOUT THE FILMS

BOAT PEOPLE (10 min), dir. Al’Ikens Plancher
Inspired by true events, a Haitian refugee fights to survive the inhumane conditions at Guantánamo Bay.

Texas Premiere.

Awards:
Best Caribbean Short, Nouveaux Regards Film Festival 2025
Best Short Narrative, BlackStar Film Festival 2024

CARTES (14 min), dir. Rhym Guissé
Immigrant Aliyah wants to volunteer at the Environmental Justice Society (EJS), the organization that helped her family’s village in Mali. She finds herself an outlier within the trendy white environmental activism world, juxtaposed against her coworkers’ ego-driven activism. Her dreams of giving back turn into a nightmare when her boss asks for proof of employment documents. Panicked, undocumented Aliyah tries to find a way to come up with proof of her citizenship, risking her family’s safety and everything they’ve built.

Regional Premiere and Texas Premiere.

MEXICO IS HELL FOR BLACK MIGRANTS (12 min), dir. Tommy Franklin
In the Mexican state of Chiapas, near the Mexico/Guatemala border, thousands of Black migrants seeking asylum face anti-Blackness in the city of Tapachula, Mexico. The US has extended its borders to South and Central America by enforcing policies that trap Black Migrants from a dozen countries in horrific conditions as they attempt to journey to the US.

Regional Premiere and Texas Premiere.

ABOUT THE PANELISTS

NANA GYAMFI

Nana Gyamfi is the executive director of the Black Alliance for Just Immigration (BAJI).  She received her undergraduate degree from Cornell University and her Juris Doctorate from UCLA School of Law. She brings with her over three decades of service to the movement for Black liberation and over twenty years’ experience directing Black social justice organizations and networks. Gyamfi is a human rights and criminal defense attorney, a professor in the Pan African Studies Department at the California State University, Los Angeles, and a radio personality who hosts two popular shows in Los Angeles, CA. She is also the president of the National Conference of Black Lawyers (NCBL).

As a seasoned organizer and activist, Gyamfi has been involved with and led various local, national, and international social justice organizations for over thirty years. She is a co-founder and managing member of two Black-led and Black-focused organizations: Justice Warriors 4 Black Lives and Human Rights Advocacy. She is a co-founder and core team member of Black August Los Angeles. She has also served as the executive director of Black Women’s Forum, an organization founded by Congresswoman Maxine Waters, who serves as its president.

JIMMY JEAN-LOUIS  

Jimmy Jean-Louis is a Haitian actor, producer, and humanitarian. Born in Pétion-Ville, he moved to Paris as a child and later pursued a career in modeling and dance before transitioning to acting. He appeared in films like PHAT GIRLZ, TEARS OF THE SUN, TOUSSAINT LOUVERTURE, and THE GOAT LIFE, as well as TV shows like Heroes, Arrow, and Claws. In 2020, he won Best Actor in a Leading Role at the Africa Movie Academy Awards for DESRANCES. Beyond acting, he is deeply involved in humanitarian work, founding Hollywood Unites for Haiti to support underprivileged youth. Following the 2010 earthquake, he became an advocate for Haitian relief efforts and was named ambassador-at-large to Haiti in 2014. Fluent in multiple languages, he continues to balance his acting career with philanthropy. In 2024, he released his memoir, Héros: l’Enfant d’Haïti – Des Bidonvilles de Port-au-Prince aux Étoiles d’Hollywood, detailing his journey from Haiti to international acclaim.

RHYM GUISSÉ

Rhym Guissé is a Los Angeles-based director, actor, and screenwriter whose work bridges the worlds of performance and filmmaking with a distinct emotional and cultural lens. A multidisciplinary storyteller, she brings a uniquely layered perspective informed by her experience both in front of and behind the camera.

Her directing credits include high-profile promotional campaigns for Disney/Hulu and Kerry Washington’s series UnPrisoned, Vanderpump Villa, a series Little Lens airing on Nickelodeon, and a nine-part branded series for the NBA. Guissé was a fellow in the DGA’s Commercial Directing Program in 2022. Her short film CARTES is on the film festival circuit, and she is currently developing two narrative feature films and a pilot. Guissé’s screenwriting has been a semifinalist at the Atlanta Film Festival and a Diverse Voices Official Screenplay Selection.

PAN AFRICAN FILM FESTIVAL PASSES

Purchase a PAFF pass for tickets to all six PAFF screenings, taking place Thursday, July 31–Saturday, August 2, and receive 25% off the full ticket purchase price. AFS Members receive additional discounts on passes and individual tickets. The PAFF pass includes one ticket to each film screening and the opening night reception.

This project is supported in part by the City of Austin Economic Development Department and a grant from the Texas Commission on the Arts.

This event is sponsored by BAJI (Black Alliance for Just Immigration).