Out Of The Caribbean: Screen News
Celebrating Two Decades of Storytelling at CaribbeanTales International Film Festival CaribbeanTales International Film Festival (CTFF) celebrated its 20th anniversary, a testament to two decades of cinematic storytelling rooted in Caribbean life, the diaspora, and its ever-evolving global resonance in the zeitgeist of modern film. From September 3-13, 2025, in Toronto, with online programming running through […]
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Celebrating Two Decades of Storytelling at CaribbeanTales International Film Festival
CaribbeanTales International Film Festival (CTFF) celebrated its 20th anniversary, a testament to two decades of cinematic storytelling rooted in Caribbean life, the diaspora, and its ever-evolving global resonance in the zeitgeist of modern film.
From September 3-13, 2025, in Toronto, with online programming running through til October 3, CTFF presents 49 films from over 15 countries, each offering a unique lens into the tapestry of Caribbean identity, culture, struggle, and creativity.
The opening night featured Bankie Banx: King of the Dune by Nara Garber (Anguilla/USA), a documentary portrait of reggae icon Bankie Banx the “Anguillan Bob Dylan” which set the tone of the festival: bold, musical, and deeply rooted in Caribbean soil.
What stood out this year is the geographic and thematic diversity. Filmmakers and stories come not only from the islands themselves — Anguilla, Barbados, Dominica, Trinidad & Tobago, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Haiti — but also from the diaspora: Canada, the United States, the UK, France among others. CTFF has long offered that bridge between island and international experiences, and this edition reinforces that duality.
Some of the standout works include short films and documentaries that touch on climate, identity, legacy, music, migration, and culture. For example, Territory by Jael Joseph from Dominica and Negra, Yo Soy Bella by Vashni Korin from Puerto Rico (both nominated in short documentary categories) speak to intimate yet universal themes of belonging and memory. Meanwhile Here Ends the World We’ve Known from Guadeloupe captures new voices pushing the boundaries of genre and narrative form. Films produced in Curaçao, Belize/USA co-productions, as well as rising creators from Canada and the Caribbean diaspora also feature prominently.
The 20th Anniversary of CTFF
Twenty years is no small feat in the unpredictable world of film festivals, especially those dedicated to under-represented voices. For CaribbeanTales, this edition is both a celebration and a reckoning; celebrating what has been accomplished, while also recognising how much more remains to be done. Frances-Anne Solomon, the festival’s founder and executive director, has emphasised this duality— looking back on groundbreaking films, while also calling attention to the need for more visibility, more ownership, and more diverse storytelling.
Over its lifespan, CTFF has screened more than 1,000 films and supported hundreds of filmmakers. It has also played a vital role in shifting how Caribbean stories are perceived globally — moving them beyond stereotypes toward nuanced, multidimensional representations. The inclusion of online programming in this edition is especially significant, expanding access to the Caribbean diaspora around the world and enabling films and filmmakers to reach audiences who may not have the opportunity to attend in person.
As CTFF enters its third decade, the challenges remain: funding, distribution, and sustaining infrastructure for Caribbean filmmakers. But this anniversary edition, with its strong lineup and broad geographical reach signals optimism. New voices are emerging from small island nations to diasporic communities, and their stories are growing bolder, more experimental, more sought after. There is a lot more to come.
CTFF 2025 WatchList
Bankie Banx: King of the Dune (Nara Garber, Anguilla / USA)
The opening night film for CTFF 2025, a documentary profile of reggae legend Bankie Banx celebrated in Anguilla and beyond. The film traces his musical journey, his impact on Caribbean soundscapes, and includes appearances by artists incl; Jimmy Buffett, Kevin Bacon, and Stephen “Cat” Coore.
The Last Meal (Maryse Legagneur, Canada / Dominican Republic)
The closing night feature tells the story of Reynold, who is dying of stomach cancer, and uses his final meals with his daughter Vanessa (whom he hasn’t seen for two decades) as a vehicle to reflect on life, reconciliation, legacy, and the emotional weight of parting.
Nomad in No Man’s Land (Hester Jonkhout, Netherlands / Curaçao)
This documentary has its Canadian premiere at CTFF 2025 and delves into the life and work of Felix de Rooy, a pioneering artist and filmmaker from Curaçao. The film explores his identity as a queer Caribbean artist and his contributions across disciplines.
