Mdou Moctar in Akounak Tedalat Taha Tazoughai

The 23rd edition of the New York African Film Festival gets underway this week. Presented under the theme “Modern Days, Ancient Nights: 50 Years of African Filmmaking” (a nod to the 50th anniversary of the “Father of African Cinema” Ousmane Sembène’s first feature, Black Girl), this year’s festival includes 25 feature-length films and 27 short films from a total of 26 countries. As in previous years, the festival begins with a week of screenings and events at the Film Society of Lincoln Center (May 1 + May 4-10) before continuing throughout the month of May at Maysles Cinema in Harlem (May 13-15) and over Memorial Day Weekend at the Brooklyn Academy of Music as part of BAM’s DanceAfrica festival (May 26-30).

Okayafrica is teaming up with the NYAFF to offer up a pair of tickets to see Akounak Tedalat Taha Tazoughai (“Rain The Color Blue With A Little Red In It”) on Saturday, May 7th, at the Film Society of Lincoln Center. Akounak, if you recall, is Sahel Sounds founder and filmmaker Christopher Kirkley’s remake of Prince’s Purple Rain starring Nigerien musician Mdou Moctar. The project marks the first time a full-length film has been shot entirely in the Tuareg language.