How the Caribbean Film Industry Is Taking Center Stage at Cannes

The energy, artistry, and opportunity of the Caribbean film industry is taking the spotlight in Cannes.

This year is seeing the the festival’s first-ever Caribbean Day, which is putting the spotlight on the region’s growing film industry.

The event was held this week at Pavillon Afriques, the Cannes Film Festival’s hub dedicated to African and diaspora cinema.

Designed for producers, distributors, investors, sales agents and media programmers, Caribbean Day is a dynamic, day-long event with screenings, panels discussions, and a curated networking session connecting Caribbean storytellers with industry stakeholders. 

“Caribbean Day is a call to industry professionals looking for fresh stories, new talent, and untapped co-production opportunities,” said Mark Walton, Ambassador for Pavillon Afriques and Associate Professor of Media Management at The New School in New York City. “The Caribbean is open for collaboration and ready to take its place on the global film stage.”

This initiative also highlights the growing recognition that filmed entertainment is a powerful driver of tourism, with storytelling serving as both a cultural export — and a tool — to inspire global travel to the Caribbean.  

“Film and television are powerful tools for destination marketing, helping audiences around the world connect emotionally with our culture, landscapes, and people,” said Faye Gill, Director, Membership Services at the Caribbean Tourism Organization. “We’re proud to support Caribbean Day at Cannes, which strengthens the bridge between tourism and the creative industries and elevates the Caribbean’s presence on the world stage.”

“Pavillon Afriques is proud to program the first-ever Caribbean Day at the Cannes Film Festival — a natural evolution in our mission to showcase the richness and diversity of global Black cinema,” said Karine Barclais, Founder of Pavillon Afriques. 

Since 2019, Pavillon Afriques has championed the global visibility of African and diaspora cinema. In 2024, it welcomed over 3,500 film and media professionals from 61 countries. 

The festival comes just a few weeks after the Caribbean’s leading film festival, the St Barth Film Festival, which just hosted its 28th edition and also featured a focus on Caribbean film.

So what was on the marquee at this year’s Caribbean Day?

Two films: Double Play, a Curaçao-set drama directed by award-winning filmmaker  Ernest Dickerson; and The Tall Boy, a documentary on legendary Trinidadian carnival artist Peter Minshall, directed by Life Garland