Telling Tales: Muestra Karibe and Hairouna Film Festival Sharing Caribbean Stories 

Two film festivals connect the first two cohorts of Caribbean Culture Fund grantees, putting filmmakers from diverse countries around the region in the spotlight and showcasing the power of film to tackle complex social issues.

Muestra Karibe, a non-fiction film festival, took place in the Dominican Republic March 6 – 9, showcasing the work of documentary producers from the DR, Cuba, Jamaica, Haiti, Puerto Rico and Trinidad and Tobago. The festival was part of the inaugural cohort of grantees, showcasing 16 films from the Caribbean and its diasporas, selected through submission to an open call. Led by film-maker Victoria Apolinario from the Dominican Republic, Muestra Karibe included another Cohort 1 grantee, Chelsea Nyomi from Jamaica, whose film Intentional Connection was screened.

The Hairouna Film Festival kicked off on March 15 in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, the first of the Cohort 2 projects to get underway. The Hairouna Film Festival is the brainchild of Vincentian Aiko Roudette, an award-winning film-maker.  

Both festivals prioritized making Caribbean film accessible to audiences who often go overlooked, making special effort to reach beyond major urban centers by hosting events in communities often excluded from cultural conversations.  

Muestra Karibe facilitated workshops that trained young filmmakers in documentary production, equipping them with the tools to tell their own stories. Hairouna Film Festival’s Hairouna Film Fellowship provided mentorship and production support to emerging Vincentian filmmakers, allowing them to create original short films. 

Both festivals also served as platforms for activism and social justice, with films that addressed issues such as poverty, gender rights, environmental challenges, and indigenous culture.

“Despite language barriers, when we see ourselves on screen, when we watch these stories, we recognize ourselves. The reception for this first edition has been excellent, and we are already looking forward to the next edition, hoping to make it even stronger.” shared Vicky Apolinario, from the Muestra Karibe team. 

The Hairouna Film Festival runs until April 12. For more information, visit hairounaff.org.