Dear Friends of NOAFEST,

We've got an exciting line-up of events for our 2012 Festival, October 5-7 at Café Istanbul!

We open on Friday the 5^th with a celebration of spoken word artist and activist Sunni Patterson, 2012 recipient of the Toni Cade Bambara Award for Cultural Leadership. Come help us honor Sunni and enjoy Jamaican cuisine; a salute to Sunni by Molto, the funky chamber orchestra led by Dr. Jean Montès, featuring music of the African diaspora; poetry; a solo tribute by singer Colette Handy; and a wonderful documentary, Maestra (Dir. Catherine Murphy), on Cuban women of color. We're throwing in a couple of door prizes you won't want to miss. Limited seating. Buy your ticket in advance ($20)!

For Saturday October 6, our theme is “violence … community … survival.” The lineup includes Ian Padrón's beautiful feature, Habanastation, about two boys from different sides of the track in contemporary Cuba; Stephen James's award-winning documentary, The Interrupters, on a year inside the lives of former gang members in Chicago, who now intervene in violent conflicts. Discussion with special guest Patrick Lile and others; and finally, Fernando Meirelles's classic feature, City of God, about a violent housing project in Rio de Janeiro seen through the eyes of a child with a camera. To close out: Tank and the Bangas, fresh from Jazz Fest! Each screening: $5

On Sunday October 7 we showcase “localâ€� shorts: Afterglow by Ghanian Baff Akoto, honoring NOLA jazzman Abram Wilson who died in London this spring … On the Line (Larry Leverage) … Details (Gumbo Monster) … Statue (Andrew Bryan) … She is Alex (Eritria Pitts) … Modern Romance (FosterBear Films). Followed by a Roundtable: Filmmakers Speak! We close with a special screening cut and discussion of Shell Shocked (John Richie) … And to bring down the house: Caesar Brothers Funk Box … Admission for the evening: $5   Festival Passes: $20

Hope to see yall there!