A celebration of cinema continued at Saturday’s edition of the 2025 Barbados Independent Film Festival’s Africa Night on the grounds of the Barbados Museum & Historical Society, the Garrison, St Michael.
Eleven films, showcasing the talents of African film-makers around the world, graced the silver screen before a crowd of film lovers and creators at the Trevor Carmichael Walled Theatre.
The museum was transformed with the energy of tuk bands, and a marketplace featuring vendors of West African descent. There were also free servings of Nigerian Jollof Rice, dubbed as the best in Africa, according to chefs Arit Peggy Okey and Sharon Terry.
Deputy director of the Barbados Museum Kevin Farmer expressed his enthusiasm for the penultimate event of the film festival, and the range of short films showcasing a blend of traditional folk stories translated for modern and global audiences.
“The one that really stuck with me was this one where this rather evil man compelled women to cry as he was collecting tears to use in a ritual. It’s a re-telling of a traditional folk tale but done in a modern way and that stuck with me. Then there is another that spoke of feminine identity and power especially in a world that is so patriarchal,” he said.
Throughout five days, the Barbados Independent Film Festival showcased 60 films from as many as 20 countries. Awards were presented to the standout films.
The award for Feature Length Narrative went to the team behind All I Got And Then Some, based around the real life story of actor and
director Rasheed Stephens.
The film depicts Rasheed as a struggling, young, black comedian from Los Angeles as he seeks the opportunity to break into the art form that fuels his passion.
Mary Cecilia Walker received the Best Short Film award for her piece, The Roads We Travel, which she wrote and directed. The story follows young Tamara on a night of adventure set against the backdrop of a pivotal crossroad that forces her to choose between her dreams or staying closer to home.
Best Documentary Short was presented to Kayli Kimuri for Sansedai, a film that explores the themes of identity and belonging expressed through the memories of her 92-year-old grandmother.
Told through the archives of old photographs and intimate conversations, it details the experiences of Japanese-American immigrants chronicling the horrors of war, and the uncertainty of migrating to a new place and being branded an enemy. (JRN)
