CARIBBEAN FILM FESTIVAL
SATURDAY, AUGUST 23 | 11:30AM - 1 PM
Dive into the captivating world of Caribbean cinema with free short-film screenings presented by the Caribbean Film Festival at Sankofa Square on August 23rd! Join us from 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM for an inspiring showcase of films celebrating diverse stories and voices.
The Caribbean Film Festival, a world-class destination for Caribbean cinema, serves as the central hub uniting islands under a shared love for storytelling. Dedicated to reviving the Caribbean film industry, its mission is to showcase the region’s top talent on screen and behind the scenes — all in support of representation, reclaiming narratives, and creating opportunities for new voices. The festival was founded by renowned filmmaker Asha Lovelace and continues to energize the industry with compelling stories from across the Caribbean.
Featured screenings include films from talented filmmakers like Ghanaian-British director Curtis Essel, Trinidadian cinematographer Walt Lovelace, Toronto-based Muslim Indo-Caribbean filmmaker Yazmeen Kanji, Haitian director Samuel Frantz Suffren, and many more! Each film embodies vision, persistence, and the shared goal to energize and ignite new waves in the region’s film and multimedia industry.
Don’t miss this opportunity to experience unique and powerful storytelling celebrating the richness of Caribbean culture.
Limited seating available—register now to secure your spot!
Let us know you're joining us!
Important note: This registration is to help us plan for attendance. Participation is available on a first-come, first-served basis on the day of the event. Early arrival is encouraged.
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Beneath the ocean, a slumbering Blue Devil awakens, rising in a ritual of rebirth. Dripping in folklore, his breath ignites flame as he steps onto land—ominous, divine, and powerful. Mounting a spectral horse, he vanishes, leaving only embers and echoes of an ancient world behind.
Duration: 3:47
Language: English
Genre: ExperimentalDirector: Walt Lovelace
Producers: Asha Lovelace, Melanie Jones PowellCountry of Filming: Tobago
Country of Origin: Trinidad and Tobago -
Two Secret Lovers escape their reality and get marooned on an island. They meet a nymph who presents them with a choice, go back to their previous life or retrieve artifacts from four spirits.
This film is a collaboration with Spirit Mas Carnival and explores the joint venture of filmmaking and story telling in tandem with the cultural phenomenon that is Trinidad Carnival and the thematic presentation of their Carnival 2025 theme.
Duration: 6:22
Genre: Fashion, romance, fantasy, carnival, fiction, folkloreDirector: Shea Best
Producers: Marvin Eversley, Shea Best, Isabel FarahCountry of Filming: Trinidad and Tobago
Country of Origin: Trinidad and Tobago -
An exploration of the ties between the ocean and West-Indian Heritage.
Duration: 2:09
Language: English
Genre: ExperimentalDirector: Kait Sookdeo
Country of Filming: United States
Country of Origin: United States -
My Dad, Guyana and Me which is one woman's voyage of discovery to understand her heritage and what makes somewhere truly home.
Duration: 9:15
Language: English
Genre: DramaDirector: Noella Letitia Mingo
Producers: Damian Paul DanielCountry of Filming: Guyana
Country of Origin: United Kingdom -
A visual poem on African diaspora, reconnection, and finding power within your own origin story. It is the journey of moving from cultural disconnection to cohesion. In this piece, we move from images of barren landscapes and isolation, to imagery representing themes of creation and origin stories. It is about finding power within yourself, rather than turning to external ideals. As the piece progresses, we find unity, through a dance around a fire, showing strength by uniting with their own inner power and knowledge.
Duration: 6:13
Genre: ExperimentalDirector: Jessamine Yú Fok
Producers: Tomas Medero, Lisandro Ramos, Stephen TrivieriCountry of Filming: Argentina
Country of Origin: Canada -
Follows the compelling journey of Stacy, a spirited 19-year-old Dominican girl whose life takes an unexpected turn when she secures a prestigious scholarship to pursue her studies in the vibrant landscape of Canada. However, as she embarks on this thrilling new chapter, Stacy is confronted with an emotional struggle that threatens to overshadow her dreams.
Duration: 12:00
Language: English, Spanish
Genre: DramaDirector: Jamlec David
Producers: Jamlec DavidCountry of Filming: Canada
Country of Origin: Canada -
An experimental expression of the intangibilities of maternal love. Reflected throughout many West Indian households, families spend evenings cutting fruit and sharing it amongst themselves as a silent love language. 'Sitrus' narrows in on this experience and uses the symbolism of sharing fruit to demonstrate the depth of love shared by mothers and daughters. This mixed media animation aims to capture the essence of this simplistic act and highlight its maternal sentimentalities.
Duration: 4:00
Language: English
Genre: ExperimentalDirector: Angelina Ramdhan
Producers: Angelina RamdhanCountry of Filming: Trinidad and Tobago
Country of Origin: Trinidad and Tobago -
Allumuah [Pronounced: ‘A-Loom-Wah’] is a short film by Curtis Essel that explores the path of intersectional/generational relationships which vividly depicts the beauty in culture and the characters within it. A tribute by the director to his late grandmother, in his own words: “A love letter to himself and for anyone on the path of re-discovery of self.”
Duration: 4:23
Language: English
Genre: Narrative, DramaDirector: Curtis Essel
Producers: Kobby ParkerCountry of Filming: Ghana
Country of Origin: Ghana -
In a suburb just outside of the downtown core of Toronto, Ontario, an Indo-Caribbean Muslim teenager, Adeela, can’t help but fantasize her way through every part of her day. Adeela is secretly fiery, searching for her confidence amongst the emotionally limiting environments she feels she has no control over. In her daydreams, Adeela explores her desires to be seen and heard as the stylish, artsy, justice-seeking young woman she anxiously wants to be. Hesitant to radiate that confidence in real life, she seeks inspiration from an outspoken classmate and comes to learn that she is the only one capable of giving herself the push she needs. Adeela becomes changed in one day, simply by imagining what could be.
Duration: 16:52
Language: English
Genre: Drama, comedy, coming of ageDirector: Yazmeen Kanji
Producers: Maryam RemtullaCountry of Filming: Canada
Country of Origin: Canada -
Stanley Wallice, a young Jamaican boy with dreams of filmmaking, faces discouragement from his father, who views his career choice as impractical. Encouraged by his grandmother’s words about self-belief and transformation, he gains the courage to present his vision on Career Day, determined to prove that his passion is his purpose.
Duration: 10:40
Language: English
Genre: DramaDirector: Justin-Paul Williams
Producers: Justin-Paul Williams, Jeanette ClintCountry of Filming: Jamaica
Country of Origin: Jamaica -
"The experience of steelpan music is something that can be difficult to put into words, but when Attillah Springer was interviewed as part of ""Pan Is..."", a short-format documentary for the National Gas Company (NGC) which explores the genesis and evolution of Trinidad and Tobago’s national instrument, she managed to tap into it. The feelings stirred by Attillah’s lively retelling of her adventures at Panorama, the instrument’s most illustrious music competition, seemed to naturally lend themselves to a short film format. The timing was perfect: after two years of COVID-19 restrictions, Carnival 2023 would be the first in-person festival."
Duration: 2:23
Language: English
Genre: DocumentaryDirector: Walt Lovelace
Producers: Janine Mendes-FrancoCountry of Filming: Trinidad and Tobago
Country of Origin: Trinidad and Tobago -
Ten years ago, François left Haiti on a sailboat to try his luck in the United States, leaving behind his wife Myrlande, who was six months pregnant. Since then no sign of it. And yet, even today, Myrlande continues to believe in his return. In a final act of faith mixed with pain, she offers a sacrifice to Agwé, the sea god, pleading to return what he may have taken.
Duration: 17:00
Language: Creole
Genre: DramaDirector: Samuel Frantz Suffren
Producers: Samuel Frantz Suffren, Phalonne Pierre LouisCountry of Filming: Haiti
Country of Origin: Haiti -
Based on the poem "Love After Love" by Derek Walcott (St. Lucia born, based in Trindad and Tobago) this monologue explores an intimate moment of searching for connection and self-love.
Duration: 2:20
Language: English
Genre: ExperimentalDirector: Carolina Pais
Producers: Pedro SantasmarinasCountry of Filming: Portugal
Country of Origin: Portugal
