The Pan-African revenge thriller “3 Cold Dishes” has made history, clinching the coveted Best World Film Award at the 2025 Harlem International Film Festival (Hi), a powerful recognition for a story rooted in African resilience yet deeply universal in its message of survival and justice.
Directed by acclaimed Nigerian filmmaker Asurf Amuwa Oluseyi, the 116-minute film is a co-production between Côte d’Ivoire, France, and Nigeria, further proof that African cinema is expanding its reach and impact on the global stage. The win marks one of the most prestigious honors for an African narrative at the Harlem festival, which is renowned for celebrating fresh voices and groundbreaking storytelling.
3 Cold Dishes follows the haunting yet empowering journey of three women who were trafficked as young girls, stripped of innocence, and left to navigate life’s darkest corners. Years later, bound by shared trauma and unyielding determination, they reunite to hunt down the powerful men who destroyed their childhoods. The film transforms their pain into a defiant pursuit of justice — a story of female empowerment, retribution, and triumph over systemic exploitation.
Speaking after the win, director Asurf Oluseyi described the project as “a cinematic scream against silence,” adding that the award “belongs to every survivor whose story was ever dismissed or unheard.”
The Harlem International Film Festival set in the heart of the Harlem Renaissance’s legacy, has become one of the world’s most respected cultural showcases, championing daring filmmakers from Harlem to Hong Kong. Known for its eclectic mix of features, documentaries, shorts, animation, music videos, panel discussions, and its signature Renaissance Awards gala, Hi continues to position itself as a space where creativity meets global conversation.
For African creatives, the win is symbolic: Harlem, a global capital of Black culture, recognizing a story born from Africa’s harshest realities yet told with cinematic sophistication. It underscores the evolution of African cinema — from locally cherished dramas to world-class, festival-winning art.
3 Cold Dishes is also a landmark moment for its producers — including music powerhouses Bose Ogulu and Damini “Burna Boy” Ogulu, alongside lead star and executive producer Osas Ighodaro — whose influence helped bridge mainstream attention to a raw, vital story.
The film’s success at Harlem follows its world premiere at London’s Indigo at The O2 and sets the tone for its theatrical rollout across Africa, the UK, and Francophone countries this November. With its blend of Pan-African casting, bold visual storytelling, and unflinching subject matter.
This Harlem win signals what many have said for years: African stories are not just local tales; they are global, cinematic revolutions waiting to be seen, and heard.
