Conch Shell International Film Festival, highlighting Caribbean filmmakers, coming to Forest Hills this October

An upcoming film festival will showcase some of the best independent filmmakers, writers and directors from the Caribbean diaspora.  

Hosted by Conch Shell Productions, a Queens-based nonprofit aimed at amplifying the voices of Caribbean filmmakers, the third annual Conch Shell International Film Festival will run from Thursday, Oct. 10, to Sunday, Oct. 13. Live screenings will take place at the Regal UA Midway Cinema in Forest Hills, located at 108-22 Queens Blvd. 

The focus of this year’s festival is films that awaken, featuring various independent and student filmmakers of Caribbean descent from around the world, including the United States, Canada, France, Haiti, Guadeloupe, Dominica, Jamaica and Puerto Rico. Artists from Trinidad and Tobago, Puerto Rico, Curacao, Barbados and other Caribbean countries will also be highlighted. Events include a red carpet event, workshops, panels and industry pitch sessions for attendees. Unproduced scripts will also be spotlighted during the film festival. This year’s festival submissions doubled from previous years and will include a lineup of narrative, experimental and documentary short films. 

Jury Award winners will be announced during the Award Ceremony on Sunday, Oct. 13.  The Audience Choice Award winner will be announced on Oct. 22 following online video-on-demand audience screening and voting.

Magaly Colimon-Christopher, founder of Conch Shell Productions and director of the film festival, said the event is a reunion for artists and attendees. “Conch Shell International Film Fest brings together fans of Caribbean culture with industry experts and creatives from around the world for four days of screenings, enlightening panels and workshops, gatherings and valuable networking opportunities. We’re delighted to highlight emerging filmmakers and bring a wide range of empowering stories to our audience,” Colimon-Christopher said in a statement.

Festival passes are available for purchase here. Virtual attendees can watch the festival’s featured films through video-on-demand (VOD) by creating an EoFlix account. 

The lineup for this year’s Conch Shell International Film Festival includes:

Narrative Short

“Black Soldier”

Written and directed by Jimmy Laporal-Trésor 

(Origin: France)
 

“Cachot” 

Written and directed by Samueldavid John Baromeo 

(Origin: Curacao)

“Here Ends the World We’ve Known”

 Written and directed by Anne-Sophie Nanki 

(Origin: Guadeloupe)

“James”

Written and directed by Kenderson Jerome Noray

(Origin: Trinidad and Tobago)

Lakay 

Written and directed by Amarise Rose-Zhané DeFranco 

(Origin: U.S.A)

“Lettre La “ 

Written and directed by Kyvon Edwin 

(Origin: U.S.A) 

“Nwa (Black)” 

Written and directed by Hans Augustave

(Origin: U.S.A.)

“Ricky” 

Written and directed by Rashad Frett

(Origin: U.S.A.)

“See You Yesterday”  

Written by Stefon Bristol and Fredrica Bailey and directed by Stefon Bristol

(Origin: U.S.A.)

“Shot In The Dark (Destello En La Oscuridad)” 

Written and Directed by Astrid Andujar

(Origin: U.S.A.)

“Spotlight”

Written and Directed by Tyquan Rivan and Ashanti Neblett 

(Origin: Barbados)

“Territory”

Written by Nadja Odi Thomas Jael Joseph and directed by Jael Joseph

(Origin: Canada)

“The Four Dance at Night” 

Written by T.S. Evering and K.S. Evering and directed by T.S. Evering 

 (Origin: U.S.A.)

“The Road to Lilith” 

Written by Venessa M. Diaz and directed by Liz Sweeney 

(Origin: U.S.A.)

“The Sacrifice” 

Written and directed by Catherine Bruhier 

(Origin: U.S.A.)

“The Theory Of Josue’ “

Written and directed by Livingston Steele 

(Origin: U.S.A.)

“Time Heals (A Jamaican Christmas Story)” 

Written by Tarik Alexander and directed by Kevin Jackson

(Origin: Jamaica)

“Unbraided” 

Written and directed by Caroline Renard

(Origin: U.S.A)

“Unspoken” 

Written and directed by Danae Grandison 

(Origin: Jamaica)

“Victorine” 

Written and directed by Lunise Cerin 

(Origin: U.S.A)

“With Or Without You” 

Written and directed by Yannick Rosine 

(Origin: Guadeloupe)

“Zeen?” 

Written by Calyx Passailaigue and Richard Walters and directed by Calyx Passailaigue 

(Origin: Canada)

Documentary Short

“Bomba Ancestral” 

Directed by Eli Jacobs-Fantauzzi

(Origin: Puerto Rico)

“Chante Manman Mwen (My Mother’s Song”) 

Written and Directed by Fedna Jacquet

(Origin: U.S.A.)

“Dementia: The Island Journey”

Directed by Rianna Patterson 

(Origin: United Kingdom)

“¡Dímelo Rapeando!” 

Directed by Eli Jacobs-Fantauzzi

(Origin: Puerto Rico)

“Iconography: Roy Cape” 

Written by Aviel Kellile Scanterbury and directed by Mikhail Neruda Gibbings 

(Origin: Trinidad and Tobago)

“Forget-Me-Not” 

Written and directed by Tamika R. Guishard 

(Origin: U.S.A.)

“Jamaica Story” 

Directed by Michael Jerrol Campbell

(Origin: Jamaica)

“Jonkonnu Nuh Dead” 

Written by Ryan Eccleston and Carlton Walters and directed by Ryan Eccleston; 

(Origin: Jamaica)

“Raíces (Roots) “ 

Written and directed by Misael Antonio Martinez Melo 

(Origin: U.S.A.)

“Seventeen Colours And A Sitar”

Written by Michael Mooleedhar and directed by Patricia Mohammed 

(Origin: Trinidad and Tobago)

“Some Sweet Day “

Written and Directed by Rasheed Peters

(Origin: U.S.A)

“Towards A More Inclusive Jamaica” 

Written and directed by Marion Myrie

(Origin: Jamaica)

Experimental Short

“Coolie Pink and Green” 

Written by Nazma Muller and directed by Patricia Mohammed  

(Origin: Trinidad and Tobago)

“Kankantri (The Silk Cotton Tree)”

Written and Directed by Gabri Christa

(Origin: Suriname)

“Paria’s Pearl”

Written by Suelyn Choo and directed by Suelyn Choo and Kerron Lemmessy

(Origin: Trinidad and Tobago)

“Quest” 

Written and directed by Rebecca Catherine Chandler 

(Origin: Barbados)

“Yemoja’s Anansi – A Dance Interpretation” 

Written and directed by Christal Clashing 

(Origin: Antigua and Barbuda)

Unproduced Screenplay Finalists

“Big Man” 

Written by Rashaad Ernesto Green

(Origin: U.S.A.)

“Living with Mi Familia”

Written by Iraisa Ann Reilly 

(Origin: U.S.A.)