Fiesta Macumba x Carnaval Film Festival: King’s Day Selection 2026

The 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗮𝘃𝗮𝗹 𝗙𝗶𝗹𝗺 𝗙𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗮𝗹 is proud to present a special 𝗞𝗶𝗻𝗴’𝘀 𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝗦𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 at 𝗙𝗶𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗮 𝗠𝗮𝗰𝘂𝗺𝗯𝗮’s legendary 𝗡𝗼𝗰𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗹 𝗥𝗲𝘆 on 𝗦𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝗔𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗹 𝟮𝟲, in 𝗠𝗲𝗹𝗸𝘄𝗲𝗴 𝗖𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗺𝗮!

𝗙𝗶𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗮 𝗠𝗮𝗰𝘂𝗺𝗯𝗮 (𝗡𝗼𝗰𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗲𝗹 𝗥𝗲𝘆) 𝘅 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗮𝘃𝗮𝗹 𝗙𝗶𝗹𝗺 𝗙𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗮𝗹: 𝗟𝗮𝘇𝗮𝗿𝗼 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗸: 𝗖𝘂𝗯𝗮 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘂𝗿𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗲
Date: King’s Night, Sunday, April 26, 2026
Time: 23:30 hrs
Venue: Melkweg Cinema
Address: Lijnbaansgracht 234A, Amsterdam
Title: 𝗟𝗮𝘇𝗮𝗿𝗼 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗸: 𝗖𝘂𝗯𝗮 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘂𝗿𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗲
Director: William Sabourin O’Reilly
Country: Cuba and United States
Year: 2022
Length: 76′
Language: Spanish
Subtitles: English
Extra: The short films 𝗝𝗮𝗯 𝗝𝗮𝗯 (2017, 5′, Grenada), 𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝗶𝗻 𝗗𝗮 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 (2023, 7′, Bahamas), and 𝗣𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗹𝗵𝗮𝗼 (2025, 13′, Brazil)
Extra: Curated by the 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗮𝘃𝗮𝗹 𝗙𝗶𝗹𝗺 𝗙𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗮𝗹 (𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗯𝗯𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆 x 𝗔𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗰)
More info & tickets: www.melkweg.nl/en/agenda/fiesta-macumba-26-04-2026/ (almost sold out!)

𝗙𝗶𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗮 𝗠𝗮𝗰𝘂𝗺𝗯𝗮 (𝗡𝗼𝗰𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗲𝗹 𝗥𝗲𝘆) 𝘅 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗮𝘃𝗮𝗹 𝗙𝗶𝗹𝗺 𝗙𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗮𝗹: 𝗞𝘂𝗿𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗗𝗶 𝗨𝗻 𝗣𝘂𝗲𝗯𝗹𝗼
Date: King’s Night, Monday, April 27, 2026
Time: 01:15 hrs
Venue: Melkweg Cinema
Address: Lijnbaansgracht 234A, Amsterdam
Title: 𝗞𝘂𝗿𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗗𝗶 𝗨𝗻 𝗣𝘂𝗲𝗯𝗹𝗼
Director: Corine Djaoen-Genaro
Country: Curaçao
Year: 2021
Length: 87′
Language: Dutch
Subtitles: Dutch
Extra: The short film 𝗕𝘂𝗯𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗕𝗮𝗯𝘆 (2025, 18′, NL)
Extra: Curated by the 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗮𝘃𝗮𝗹 𝗙𝗶𝗹𝗺 𝗙𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗮𝗹 (𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗯𝗯𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆 x 𝗔𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗰)
More info & tickets: www.melkweg.nl/en/agenda/fiesta-macumba-26-04-2026/ (almost sold out!)

𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗟𝗮𝘇𝗮𝗿𝗼 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗸: 𝗖𝘂𝗯𝗮 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘂𝗿𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗲
In Santiago de Cuba, rival conga bands scour the sparse marketplace for materials to create show-stopping numbers for the annual Carnival competition. In this film, documentary maker William Sabourin O’Reilly, an Afro-Cuban native to Havana who hasn’t lived in his home country for 17 years (he is now based in New Orleans), follows Lázaro, the leader of the Conga de Los Hoyos, who is determined to beat ‘the Shark’, his older and more establishment-favored competitor. Tensions build and tempers flare as the government restrictions and scarcity of present-day Cuba come to bear on one of the world’s poorest Carnivals. 𝗟𝗮𝘇𝗮𝗿𝗼 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗸 offers us a rare window into communist Cuba, a country that is often romanticized, and almost always portrayed through the eyes of an outsider.

𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗞𝘂𝗿𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗗𝗶 𝗨𝗻 𝗣𝘂𝗲𝗯𝗹𝗼
𝗞𝘂𝗿𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗗𝗶 𝗨𝗻 𝗣𝘂𝗲𝗯𝗹𝗼 is a documentary film by Corine Djaoen-Genaro that commemorates the 50th anniversary of Curaçao’s Carnival, focusing on the lead-up to the ‘Gran Marcha’ and exploring the historical significance of the celebration. Through interviews, archival footage, and vibrant visuals, it delves into the cultural importance of Carnival for the people of Curaçao, highlighting its role in fostering community identity and unity.

𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗳𝗶𝗹𝗺 𝗝𝗮𝗯 𝗝𝗮𝗯
The 2017 short film 𝗝𝗮𝗯 𝗝𝗮𝗯, directed by Tom Harrad and Reuben Millns, that delves into the tradition of Grenada’s J’ouvert festival. Set in the early hours before dawn, the film captures the fervent energy of thousands of Grenadians who gather to play Jab, an ancestral masquerade where participants cover themselves in black oil, don horns, and wield chains. This ritual is both a commemoration of emancipation and a powerful act of cultural defiance. Through its evocative cinematography and soundscape, 𝗝𝗮𝗯 𝗝𝗮𝗯 offers a compelling glimpse into a living cultural heritage that continues to evolve while honoring its roots in resistance and remembrance.

𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗳𝗶𝗹𝗺 𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝗶𝗻 𝗗𝗮 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻
𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝗶𝗻 𝗗𝗮 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻 a short film co-directed by Jonathan Isaac Jackson and Philip Williamson about Junkanoo, one of the Caribbean’s most celebrated and spirited carnivals. Being practiced most notably in Jamaica, The Bahamas, Belize, and Florida, this documentary focuses on Bahamian Junkanoo, hosted over Boxing Day and New Year’s Day. The largest Junkanoo celebration takes place on Bay Street, in downtown Nassau, but Bahamians across the 16 islands celebrate this joyful tradition. From colourful costumes to exuberant dance routines, participants spend months preparing for the pageantry of this street parade accompanied by the steady beat of whistles, cowbells, horns, and goatskin drums that starts in the wee hours after midnight.

𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗳𝗶𝗹𝗺 𝗣𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗹𝗵𝗮𝗼
Directed by Victoria Fiore, 𝗣𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗹𝗵𝗮𝗼 (2025, 13′) is a short film set in Rio de Janeiro, where Aleksia, a young woman, embarks on a mystical journey through time. Along the way, she uncovers the origins of samba, tracing its roots in the resilience, joy, spirituality, and resistance of the Afro-Brazilian community. Through Aleksia’s eyes, Pavilhão reveals how samba emerged from generations of Afro-Brazilian struggle and celebration, highlighting the powerful cultural forces that continue to shape this music and its significance today.

𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗳𝗶𝗹𝗺 𝗕𝘂𝗯𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗕𝗮𝗯𝘆
𝗕𝘂𝗯𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗕𝗮𝗯𝘆 is a short documentary by Sharine Rijsenburg exploring the rich history and cultural significance of bubbling music, a genre that originated in the 1980s within Caribbean-Dutch communities, particularly among Surinamese and Antillean youth in Rotterdam, The Hague, and Amsterdam. DJ Moortje, a Dutch-Caribbean DJ of Curaçaoan descent, is often credited as the pioneer of bubbling. In 1986, he accidentally played a dancehall record at an accelerated tempo in a Rotterdam club. Instead of stopping the track, the crowd responded enthusiastically, dancing in a new, quick, jerking style that became associated with bubbling. The high-energy sound was soon embraced by other DJs, who developed the style, blending dancehall, reggae, and Surinamese and Antillean rhythms. Making the sound even more unique, DJs started remixing Jamaican dancehall with electronic beats. More than just a music genre, bubbling evolved into a dance movement, resembling dancehall but faster and more expressive. Above all, bubbling became a way for Surinamese- and Caribbean-Dutch youth in the Netherlands to express their cultural identity in a new social environment, including on Zomercarnaval (Summer Carnaval). 𝗕𝘂𝗯𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗕𝗮𝗯𝘆 , which premiered at the 2025 International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) last February, delves into the genre’s roots and its evolution into a vibrant club music and dance movement.

𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗙𝗶𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗮 𝗠𝗮𝗰𝘂𝗺𝗯𝗮’𝘀 𝗡𝗼𝗰𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗹 𝗥𝗲𝘆
Fiesta Macumba returns with its legendary Noche del Rey on Sunday, April 26, 2026, at Melkweg Amsterdam. Get ready to celebrate King’s Night like never before: dance all night to top Latin DJs, enjoy live music, vibrant shows, workshops, great food, Latin karaoke, and your favorite cocktails. In addition, for the first time, Noche del Rey presents a special King’s Day Selection from the Carnaval Film Festival. With five areas (MAX, OZ, UP, FIRST FLOOR, and CINEMA), and non-stop Macumba energy, this is the place to be on King’s Night. Don’t wait too long, as tickets are selling fast. Secure yours now and make it a night to remember! For more information and tickets: www.fiestamacumba.nl/events/melkweg-55/.

𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗮𝘃𝗮𝗹 𝗙𝗶𝗹𝗺 𝗙𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗮𝗹
Held for the first time in Amsterdam in July 2025, the Carnaval Film Festival is a film festival exploring how Carnaval has inspired filmmakers around the world to tell stories of joy, resistance, community, and freedom. From the dazzling parades of Rio de Janeiro and Port of Spain to the rhythmic expressions of Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean and the Prince Carnaval traditions of the Netherlands and Belgium, Carnaval is a global phenomenon, rooted in history, culture and community. The Carnaval Film Festival honors the complexity, creativity and resistance of these traditions, while asking urgent questions about culture, identity, and belonging in a changing world. For more info: www.caribbeancreativity.nl.

𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗯𝗯𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆
Caribbean Creativity is an Amsterdam-based non-profit organization that is, since 2008, committed to the programming and promotion of Caribbean and Caribbean-themed cinema in the Netherlands and beyond. Over the years, Caribbean Creativity has hosted over 300 screenings in Dutch cinemas and at film festivals, including numerous premieres. In 2020, they launched YardVibes, a streaming platform featuring content from independent Caribbean and African filmmakers. YardVibes currently offers over 100 titles, including feature films, web series, documentaries, and short films, with new content added monthly. For more information, visit www.caribbeancreativity.nl.

𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗔𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗰
Africadelic is an Amsterdam-based non-profit organization that, since 2016, is committed to the programming and promotion of African and African diasporic cultural creativity, diversity and activism in the Netherlands. Each year on and around International Africa Day (May 25), they organize the Africacadelic Festival in Paradiso and various other venues across Amsterdam. This year, the 11th edition of the festival will be held from May 20-27, 2026. For more information, visit www.africadelic.com.