Caribbean Film Festival premieres in Trinidad and Tobago

Port of Spain will come alive with the colours, sounds, and stories of the Caribbean as the inaugural Caribbean Film Festival (CFF) rolls out five days of dynamic cinema, culture, and connection, from June 11-15. From glamorous red carpets and international premieres to industry mixers and immersive workshops, CFF marks a bold new chapter for regional storytelling – one that proudly places TT at the heart of the global cultural map.

Festival director and filmmaker Asha Lovelace hopes it will push regional film production into overdrive, and that it will become an event held in islands across the archipelago. Lovelace and cultural strategist and executive director Melanie Jones Powell are at the helm of the project.

In a phone interview on Tuesday, Lovelace told Newsday the idea germinated from her Africa Film Trinidad and Tobago (AFTT) festival. After the AFTT’s tenth edition in 2024, Lovelace saw there was a gap for a Caribbean Film Festival and it was something of which she and others had long thought about.

“The point was, outside of Carnival, having another big cultural event for which people would come to TT.”

She also sees it as an opportunity for regional communing. But, more importantly, Lovelace wants the festival to ignite film production across the region, particularly with the opportunities presented by growing streaming platforms.

“The Caribbean Film Festival is a celebration of Caribbean culture.

"We are bringing together the best of our region’s talent – on screen and behind the scenes – to share stories that have taken vision, persistence, and belief to tell. It’s about representation, reclaiming our narratives, and creating opportunity and space for new voices to emerge.

“For a long time we have been talking about film but we are certainly not creating enough films. So we wanted to create a festival that would be an ecosystem from which we could produce more films, collaborate regionally in terms of production, financing, education and support in all ways.”

The rich programme will feature over 60 films from across the Caribbean and diaspora, spotlighting diverse voices and experiences that reflect the full spectrum of Caribbean life. The opening night gala will be at CinemaONE IMAX, and features the Guadeloupean film Zion by Nelson Foix, kicking off the festival with excellence and flair.

But beyond screenings, CFF includes master-classes, symposiums, and cultural experiences like FEVER, a high-energy Caribbean party hosted at Calabash Garden. Festival programming also includes a symposium on Caribbean Cinema in partnership with Carifesta XV, creating space for deeper reflection on the industry’s growth and future

“This festival is a space where we take the fullness of our stories seriously,” Jones Powell explained.

“We are not just here to entertain, we are here to spark conversations, create opportunities, and build bridges between generations and geographies­ –”

a commitment reflected in the festival initiatives. From Young, Gifted & Caribbean, an education-focused film experience for students, to Her Frame, Her Future, an ongoing training programme for girls at St Jude’s Home, Jones Powell said the CFF is laying the groundwork for sustainable industry development.

When asked about it adding to the Caribbean’s economic development, Lovelace said something has to push the industry.

“We have seen examples of films boosting economies, globally. However, we have not really put it into full action. So this is an attempt to try to get it into action to really see what we can reap out of the effort we put into it.

“I do believe if we were producing films on a consistent basis, it would help economically.”

She said streaming platforms like Netflix were acquiring content from new regions, and the Caribbean could be its next focal point.

“Globally, we (the film industry) are moving away from that concentration of North American films and there is more space and room with the streaming platforms for other voices to be heard and I feel we ought to be a part of that.

“Which is why it is necessary for us to be producing our own films to be shared on these platforms.”

Lovelace and her partners are already working on projects to ensure project continuity, among them, Her Frame, Her Future.

“We are now in the screenwriting stage with the girls which we will take straight up to production.”

Another is a grassroots cinema project, Lovelace said.

“We really hope that, at some point, we’d be able to take the festival to different territories in the region so that everybody could get an opportunity to participate, share and be a part of this.”

The festival will also feature the voices of high-profile guests such as VP, Accessibility and Engagement at Meta (formerly Facebook) Maxine Williams; independent film and TV producer T.Coe; Neon 16's Eddie Valcin; Toronto-based curator Ashley McKenzie Barnes; and a cohort of regional and international creatives.

With an international delegation of over 40 people, including visiting filmmakers and specially invited guests, Jones Powell said CFF is already positioning TT as a year-round cultural capital, going beyond Carnival by spotlighting film, food, fashion and music as pillars of Caribbean identity and tourism. The festival is also part of a wider destination marketing strategy, inviting international visitors to explore TT’s natural beauty and creative energy.

“We want people to walk away knowing the Caribbean is not just for locations, we have the stories and the talent,” Lovelace added.

“From the films, panels and fierce conversations happening in our workshops, CFF is where the future of Caribbean cinema is unfolding.”

The festival will be closed with the screening of Fanon, directed by Jean-Claude Barny. "This powerful new film delves into the life and legacy of Frantz Fanon, the revolutionary thinker, psychiatrist, and freedom fighter whose ideas continue to shape global conversations on race, colonialism, and liberation. Fanon is not just a biopic; it is a cinematic reckoning with history and identity, and a bold affirmation of the Caribbean’s intellectual and political contribution to the world," Lovelace said.

For the full Caribbean Film Festival schedule and updates visit caribbeanfilmfestival.com or follow the festival’s Instagram @caribbeanfilmfest

For questions or contributions contact Asha Lovelace at lovelaceasha@gmail.com or call 868-683-6237, or Melanie Jones Powell at filmfestcaribbean@gmail.com or call 868-745-2700.

.