The Barbados Independent Film Festival returns from January 17th to 21st, 2024, bringing five days of screenings, filmmaker Q&As, and hands-on workshops to cultural spots across the island. Here is what to check out across this year's schedule.
Opening Night: Heritage at the Barbados Museum
The festival kicks off Wednesday, January 17th, with Why Kites Fly, a documentary looking at the history and craft of traditional Barbadian kite flying. The opening program also screens That Great British Documentary, which explores personal family archives against the backdrop of British colonial history.
Cine Cuisine at Haymans Market
Thursday evening pairs local culinary dishes with documentary cinema. Screenings include Australia's coastal short Just Beneath the Surface and the American feature Common Ground, which digs into industrial farming and soil regeneration.
Animation and Climate Realities
Later Thursday at the Barbados Museum, the lineup shifts toward ecological stories with French-Martinican animation Opal, followed by the Greek-Bangladeshi documentary Mighty Afrin: in the time of floods, tracking a young teenager surviving along the changing Brahmaputra riverbanks.
Indigenous Perspectives and Panel Talks
Friday afternoon includes an open community discussion of Mighty Afrin at The Pink Church. In the evening, the Barbados Museum screens The Land of the Forgotten Songs alongside The Knowledge, which highlights Australian First Nations methods for land preservation.
Craft Workshops for Island Filmmakers
On Saturday, January 20th, Parachute Studios hosts technical sessions for local directors and crews, including a lighting and grip workshop run by Roger Moore and a method acting session with Gary Swanson.
Gala Screening: Bethann Hardison
Saturday night's Red Carpet Gala at the museum features Invisible Beauty, the acclaimed documentary covering the life of Bethann Hardison, the pioneering Black model, agency head, and activist who pushed high fashion toward racial diversity.
Shorts on the Beach
The festival wraps Sunday, January 21st, with the outdoor screening of regional short films on the sand at Southern Palms. Full schedules and ticket links are live at barbadosfilmfest.org ↗.
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