News Americas, Bridgetown, Barbados, Mon. June 30, 2025: Two filmmakers, Ife Alaba (Canada), and Kerel Pinder (Bahamas), walked away from the Cross Continental Forum (CCF) 2025 with grant funding to kickstart co-productions, thanks to support from the Inter-American Development Bank – marking a tangible outcome of a weeklong event that moved beyond conversation and into transformation.
The forum, presented by CaribbeanTales Media Group and the Department of Creative and Performing Arts at UWI Cave Hill, concluded its five-day convergence on June 18 with a bold message: The time to build is now. Producers and delegates from across the Caribbean, Africa, Canada, the UK, Europe, and the U.S. issued a united call to design, fund, and activate local film ecosystems without waiting for the “perfect” conditions.
Held under the theme Decolonising Co-Production, CCF 2025 brought together over 50 producers, industry delegates, and creatives to interrogate the systems that determine whose stories are told – and how. The forum challenged participants to shift their gaze from scarcity to opportunity. As Frances-Anne Solomon, CEO of CaribbeanTales and co-creator of the forum, emphasized: “It’s great to tell the story—we’re already good at that. The real question is: where will you get the money? Who can you collaborate with to make your project real? These two points must always be front and centre.”
Rather than reinforcing narratives of lack, the forum functioned as a live, collaborative lab – providing real-world opportunities for filmmakers to forge meaningful partnerships and begin building with what they have.
High-Profile Contributors Included:
- CCH Pounder – Guyana-born acclaimed actor, CCF Steering Group member, and activist.
- Lorraine Toussaint – Celebrated Trinidad & Tobago-born actor, producer, and cultural trailblazer.
- Ava DuVernay – Renowned filmmaker, producer, and founder of ARRAY.
DuVernay’s virtual keynote was a standout moment. In a direct message to emerging creators, she dismantled the myth that big budgets make better films: “If your first idea moves you way outside your budget – pivot. Use what’s around you. The best films often happen in the smallest spaces.”
Global media powerhouses Fiona Lamptey, former Head of UK Features at Netflix; Joel Phiri, leading South African producer and distributor with Known Associates; Effie T. Brown, Gamechanger Films, USA, and celebrated Canadian content creator, Jen Holness, took center stage over five days – leading powerful conversations with producers in the room and helping to surface hard truths and tangible next steps.
The forum tackled structural barriers to equity across key pillars:
Day 1 – Decolonising Policy & Legislation: Reforming frameworks that hinder equitable content creation
Day 2 – Decolonising Financing: Disrupting traditional funding streams to centre Black and Global Majority creators
Day 3 – Decolonising Content: Preserving cultural authenticity while scaling reach
Day 4 – Decolonising Distribution: Building inclusive, sustainable distribution models
Day 5 – Decolonising Co-Production: Forging cross-border collaboration rooted in equity
Key stakeholders – including C15 Studios, Caribbean Creative Fund, and major partners such as the Inter-American Development Bank, Invest Barbados, Barbados Tourism and Marketing Inc., Barbados Film and Television Association, Canada Media Fund, Picture NL, and the KZN Tourism and Film Authority – joined the forum to offer funding insights and forge next-step pathways.
Felicia J. Persaud, CEO of Invest Caribbean, moderated a pivotal panel on financing and pointed to a lack of infrastructure: “Few Caribbean countries have usable tax incentives or co-production treaties. While a handful – like Jamaica, Puerto Rico, and Trinidad & Tobago – offer tax rebates, many, including Barbados, are still playing catch-up.”
What’s Next: Turning Vision Into Industry
With over 30 producers participating in intensive sessions, 20 industry delegates engaged, and hundreds more reached through public programming, CCF 2025 delivered more than discussion – it produced a working blueprint for regional film industry growth.
Key recommendations from forum attendees include:
- Establishing robust film tax incentive programs across the region
- Negotiating formal co-production treaties with countries like Canada, South Africa, and the UK
- Developing inter-island agreements to enable seamless Caribbean collaboration
As one of the few forums of its kind, The Cross Continental Forum is a real-time lab for creative disruption, and with next year’s application cycle opening soon, it continues to position Caribbean and Global South storytellers not on the margins – but at the center of global storytelling futures.
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