St Barth Film Festival Returns with a Focus on Caribbean Stories in Motion
ST BARTH — The 28th edition of the St Barth Film Festival is set to open on April 30, with a lineup that cuts across borders and cultures, examining the many forms of movement that shape Caribbean life — from migration and exile to adventure and artistic ambition.
Held across two venues on the island — AJOE and Théâtre du Paradis — the festival once again turns its lens on the region’s most urgent and personal stories. Whether it’s the political dislocation of a bandoneon player fleeing Argentina’s 2001 economic crisis or the quiet resilience of four women from Haiti and Cuba living in exile, the films tap into themes of identity, displacement, and cultural memory.
This year’s program travels widely: from Suriname to Guadeloupe, Algeria to Paris. It features the story of a doctor from Martinique working in colonial-era Algeria, a Guyanese footballer making his way in the English leagues, and a young Martinican performer building a life in France.
The festival also spotlights artists who navigate multiple homelands. Filmmakers and musicians featured in the program often live and work far from their origins, offering complex portraits of diaspora life and cultural legacy.
All screenings are free and open to the public. Here’s a look at this year’s schedule:
What to Watch: The St Barth Film Festival Schedule
Wednesday, April 30
AJOE, 8PM
Mama Sranan
Dir. Tessa Leuwsha (2024, Netherlands, 71 min, Dutch with French subtitles)
Presented by the director.
Thursday, May
Théâtre du Paradis, 3PM
Cyrille Régis, itinéraire d’une légende
(2023, France, 53 min)
Presented by producer Barcha Bauer.
AJOE, 8PM
Magma
Dir. Cyprien Vial (2023, France, 85 min)
Presented by Dmitry Zandronis.
Friday, May 2
Théâtre du Paradis, 3PM
Destins d’Exil
Dirs. Steve and Stéphanie James (2025, Guadeloupe, 52 min)
Presented by the directors.
AJOE, 8PM
Fanon
Dir. Jean-Claude Barny (2024, France, 2h13)
Presented by lead actress Déborah François.
Saturday, May 3
Théâtre du Paradis, 10AM
Lisette Malidor, une artiste universelle
Dir. Pierre-Yves Hampartzmoumian (2024, France, 53 min)
Presented by producer Barcha Bauer.
AJOE, 8PM
End of the Road
Dir. Dirk Braun (2024, USA, 8 min, English with French subtitles)
Presented by the director.
Adios Buenos Aires
Dir. German Kral (2022, Argentina/Germany, 90 min, Spanish with French subtitles)
Presented by the director.
