FOCUS ON ETHIOPIA
Sun, Feb 22 · 7:15 PM · The Main (Screening + In-Person Q&A)
BEFF 2026 special closing event: a celebration of a new generation of Ethiopian and Ethiopian American filmmakers. Screening starts at 7:15pm, join us for the closing reception and award ceremony at 6pm.
THE RIVER (dir. Herrana Addisu, 2024)
Ethiopia | Amharic | Experimental documentary (short) — 18 min
Attendance: Director in attendance
Selected Awards: Urbanworld Film Festival (Winner: Best Female Director, Short Film)
Trailer: Watch trailer
The River is an award-winning, intimate, poetic short that explores women’s lived experiences in Ethiopia through tradition, memory, and resilience. Set to the rhythms of daily life along the riverbanks, the film follows a young woman navigating inherited customs, forced marriage, and gender-based violence. Water becomes both literal and symbolic: a source of beauty and sustenance, but also a burden that captures the tension between survival and sacrifice. A Qene Films production, the project was created with support from the SheaMoisture Blueprint Grant.
Director: Herrana Addisu is an award-winning film director, multidisciplinary artist, and social impact strategist passionate about using storytelling to drive systemic change. She is the founder of Chucha Studios. Her work has screened internationally and engages questions of human rights, gender justice, and advocacy.
