Anthony Mackie steps into a new role this January as host of the 6th season of AfroPoP: The Ultimate Cultural Exchange – the documentary series showcasing contemporary life and culture from across the African diaspora, which kicks off with Bobbito García and Kevin Couliau’s basketball doc Doin’ It in the Park: Pick-Up Basketball, NYC, co-presented by Latino Public Broadcasting, on January 13. 

Other subjects that will be on the menu this season include the dynamic collaboration between American and Indian dance masters, Kathak guru Pandit Chitresh Das and tap dance star Jason Samuels Smith, in the documentary Upaj: Improvise by Hoku Uchiyama, co-presented by the Center for Asian American Media. That will air on January 20.

The series then journeys to Africa for a special look at Sierra Leone with two films: Rebecca Richman Cohen’s War Don Don (The War Is Over), described as an inside view of the U.N. special court trial of senior rebel leader Issa Sesay for his role in the country’s 10-year conflict. It airs on January 27. And Daan Veldhuizen’s Stories from Lakka Beach, which captures the engaging stories of a colorful mix of villagers in the post-conflict nation. That airs on February 3. 

Also on schedule is Boys of Summer by Keith Aumont, about a scrappy but determined band of young ballplayers on the Caribbean island of Curaçao who are trying to make it to the Little League World Series for the eighth year in a row. It airs on February 10.

“As an actor I’ve been blessed to be immersed in various world cultures, so I’m honored to have a role in sharing compelling stories like these with people across America,” said Mackie. “Film is such a powerful tool in bringing understanding and harmony to people of all backgrounds and life experiences.“

Last season’s host was Gabourey Sidibe.

Ahead of the new 6th season, a first trailer for the upcoming series of films has been released and is embedded below: