The KIDflix Film Fest of Bed-Stuy is a free annual film festival for kids and their families organized by the Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts (MoCADA). It has taken place in the Stuyvesant Heights section of Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, New York, since 2000, and is now preparing for its 12th season. It is held every Friday night in August in Fulton Park.
The festival was founded and is organized by local artist TRUE and MoCADA Executive Director Laurie A. Cumbo. It has been produced in partnership with the African Film Festival since 2003, and has also collaborated with arts organizations such as DCTV, Red Clay Arts, Reel Sisters of the Diaspora Film Festival, Scenarios USA and others. It is funded, in part, by corporate sponsors, governmental agencies, and audience contributions.
The festival is an extension of MoCADA’s public outreach programs, and strives to present films that further the museum’s mission, to “…give a more accurate portrayal of contributions to the historical, artistic and cultural landscape of the world by people of African descent.”[1] The organizers also try to showcase local and independent filmmakers[2], and films made by youth.[3] Screenings are often preceded by live music and dance performances and workshops that are thematically linked to the night’s films. Selections have included: Amandla: A Revolution in Four-Part Harmony; The Boys of Baraka; Bronx Princess; Chisholm '72: Unbought & Unbossed; Slingshot Hip Hop; and War Dance. Each year, the festival ends with an interactive “Sing & Dance-Along” to The Wiz that features puppets, a costume contest, and a tribute to Michael Jackson and Lena Horne.[4]
Brooklyn Boro President Marty Markowitz proclaimed August 7, 2009 as the official “KIDflix Film Fest of Bed-Stuy Day” in Brooklyn, New York.