2021 Caribbean Film Festivals
The uncertainty 2020 brought with it changed the game for film festivals. Organizers had to decide whether to postpone, move online, or cancel. Some creative solutions like hybrid festivals and socially-distanced physical screenings came out of the shift. Welcome back, drive-ins! Cinephiles around the world won big with some festivals opening up tickets to international virtual audiences, which meant smaller festivals that adapted quickly could grow their reach significantly.
Navigating postponements, cancellations, which festivals you could attend online, and what films were available to watch in your region, and for how long likened to a game of Dandy Shandy.
We’re helping you keep track of the 2021 film festival schedule. We’ll update this list through the year, follow us on Twitter or join our mailing list to get notified when we update details on a festival.
Bahamas International Film Festival
→ January 4-10, 2021
Hybrid with limited physical screenings
The Bahamas International Film Festival (BIFF), already wrapped for 2021, presents films from around the world. It premieres titles that “might not otherwise be released theatrically in the Bahamas”, in a hybrid of virtual venues and two physical, with select titles only screening in the Caribbean.
3 BLADES from Haitian director Matthieu Maunier-Rossi won a special mention in the festival’s Short Film competition.
Barbados Independent Film Festival
→ April 7-11, 2021
Physical Event*
The Barbados Independent Film Festival (BIFF) programs feature-length narrative (drama, comedy, sci-fi), documentary, and short films “that celebrate resilience and humankind’s capacity to overcome adversity” and ocean-themed environmental and adventure shorts.
*The official festival venue list doesn’t include any online options
The Nouveau Regards Festival
→ April 15-18 2021
Venues Unconfirmed
The Nouveau Regards Festival based in Guadeloupe “explores new ways of creating and experiencing cinema”, selecting titles internationally, and for its competition, from the Caribbean.
KingstOOn
→ April 21-25, 2021
Online
KingstOOn is an animation festival, held by a Jamaican organization of the same name, that is part of a larger conference for animation professionals. Like many festivals, it provides education, competitions, and opportunities for creators who participate. Screenings will feature winners from each category. Registration opens in February.
Conch Shell International Film Festival
→ May 21-23, 2021
Online
Conch Shell International Film Festival is a New York City-based online festival, that celebrates shorts from the Caribbean region and Diaspora. It’s available to international audiences through Filmocracy, a platform that recreates the in-person film festival experience – with different buildings, rooms, that your avatar can travel to and from to enjoy programming. Titles are available on-demand for 24 hours after release.
The Piton International Film Festival
→ Sept 17-24, 2021
Online
Founded in St. Lucia to bring awareness to films in the region, Piton International Film Festival (PIFF) is now a global enterprise with offices in the U.S., Zimbabwe, and Botswana, and two festivals PIFF Africa (May 2021) and PIFF Global (September 2021) that includes films from the Caribbean and its Diaspora. Film lovers can attend live interviews with filmmakers and speakers and screen official selections online within 24-hour windows, including family-friendly films on the designated Family Day of the festival.
Windrush Caribbean Film Festival
→ June 22-August 29, 2021
Online
The Windrush Caribbean Film Festival (WCFF) debuted in 2020 and delivers films exploring “the contributions of the Windrush generation and its impact on the country through screenings.” Themes found in selected titles center on racism, colonialism, immigration, and cultural contributions of members of the Windrush generation.
Third Horizon Caribbean Film Festival
→ June 24-30, 2021
Online with possible limited physical events
Third Horizon Caribbean Film Festival is produced by Caribbean Film Academy and the Third Horizon creative collective. In 2020, the two companies merged, expanding their reach to serve Caribbean communities in the region and Diaspora. In another unifying move, the Timehri Film Festival joins this year’s staging of the event with a full day dedicated to showcasing titles from Guyanese filmmakers.
Haiti International Film Festival
→ August 14-15, 2021
Online
The Los Angeles based Haitian International Film Festival “specializes in portraying the humanity of Haitian culture through the curation of amazing films from the Haitian Diaspora such as short films, documentaries, and feature films.” This year’s theme is Haitian Collaboration & Excellence with a possible physical extension in Haiti in November.
Caribbean Tales Film Festival
→ September 8-24, 2021
Online
The CaribbeanTales International Film Festival (CTFF), based in Canada, celebrates its 16th year in 2021. CTFF “celebrates the talents of established and emerging filmmakers of Caribbean and African heritage who practice their art across the Caribbean Diaspora worldwide.”
Trinidad & Tobago Film Festival
→ September 22-28, 2021
Online
The trinidad+tobago film festival (ttff) is one of the largest film festivals in the region, it “celebrates films from and about the Caribbean and its diaspora, as well as from world cinema, through an annual festival and year-round screenings”. Last year’s staging had restrictions on screening, limiting virtual screenings to the English-speaking Caribbean.
Festival organizers, to submit, update or change your listing, contact us. Tell us if your festival is running online, physically, or both; if you have any location-based restrictions; and when tickets go on sale.
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