Bronx World Film at Fifteen: A Celebration of Vision, Culture, and Community

Bronx World Film’s Winter 2026 Cycle Reaffirms New York’s Place As A Crossroads Of Global Film Culture

As Bronx World Film marks its fifteenth anniversary with the Bronx World Film Cycle, Winter 2026 this January 11–18th, the event resonates far beyond its screenings. The program is a celebration of persistence, cultural integrity, and the transformative power of independent cinema. Over the course of a week, audiences in both Manhattan and The Bronx will experience 23 curated films representing 17 countries, along with premieres, artist spotlights, and community-driven programming that reaffirm Bronx World Film’s position as a vital thread in New York’s cultural tapestry.

Founded in the spirit of expanding access to world cinema, Bronx World Film has spent the past decade and a half championing stories and filmmakers that might otherwise remain unseen in mainstream circuits. Its fifteenth edition strengthens that mission, blending innovation and grassroots engagement with the polish of global artistry. This year’s lineup includes an impressive slate of premieres, which is a testament to the festival’s growing prestige within the international arthouse community.

Among this season’s highlights is the world premiere of Spray Can Stories: TATS CRU, a passionate documentary by Bronx filmmaker Emmitt Thrower that honors the borough’s legendary muralists and hip-hop pioneers. By showcasing such deeply local stories alongside international films like I, Father, a bold Albanian-language reinterpretation of Hamlet featuring and Besim Ajeti, Bronx World Film demonstrates its curatorial ethos: cinema as a universal language, rooted in authenticity yet globally resonant.

Adding a dynamic visual layer to the program, Spotlight Artist and filmmaker Alan Rexroth, known for his immersive photographic and cinematic work—will exhibit large-format photography and screen his daring border-crossing film #WAY_Aurelio. His presence underscores Bronx World Film’s commitment to multidisciplinary storytelling, where the boundary between film and art gallery dissolves into shared creative expression. Rexroth’s inclusion of free photo sessions throughout the festival echoes the organization’s community-first values, inviting audiences not just to observe art but to actively participate in it. The marquee also welcomes a showcase of micrométrages by students of longtime collaborator Jennida Chase at UNC Greensboro Film Department.

FULL PROGRAMME LINK: https://www.bronxworldfilm.org/guidebwfcycle

DATES & TIMES: January 11-18th, 2026

MANHATTAN VENUE: La Nacional – 239 West 14^th Street (JAN. 11-13th 2026)

BRONX VENUES: Andrew Freedman Home (Jan. 17th)/ Sankofa Haus (Jan. 18th)

Beyond the screen, Bronx World Film’s enduring alliance with La Nacional in Manhattan speaks volumes about its capacity to sustain cross-borough collaboration. The partnership, going strong for fifteen years, bridges cultural history and contemporary innovation. Following the success of Bronx World Film’s 2025 pilot program, A Night at La Nacional, which reenergized downtown Manhattan’s art scene, this relationship continues to symbolize how shared artistic spaces can inspire urban renewal.

In many ways, Bronx World Film’s story mirrors that of The Bronx itself: resilient, diverse, and fiercely creative. What began as a small arthouse initiative has grown into an internationally recognized institution that connects communities through cinema. As the 2026 cycle unfolds, audiences can expect not only expertly curated films but also a reflection of global humanity viewed through a distinctly Bronx lens, which is yet another reminder that world cinema doesn’t just belong on distant festival circuits, but right here in New York’s own neighborhoods.

For fifteen years, Bronx World Film has redefined what it means for art to belong to a community. As it steps into its next chapter, the program continues to prove that cinema, when nurtured locally and shared globally, has the power to transcend borders and redefine cultural identity itself. The fifteen-year-old partnership between Bronx World Film and La Nacional is special and cherished. La Nacional is among the city’s oldest non-profits now in its 100th year at its present location and last redoubt of Manhattan’s “Little Spain,” dubbed “a hidden gem” by Daily News --  and Bronx World Film, its protegé institution. Bronx World Film is thankful to La Nacional for the continuous support it has offered over this time, allowing our organization to grow into an internationally respected arthouse film entity. For more follow Bronx World Film on Instagram.