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The Black River Film Festival returned to St Elizabeth last weekend, bringing together film professionals for two days of panel discussions, guest appearances, and independent film screenings.
The festival opened with a panel titled ‘What Makes Good Content’, moderated by filmmaker Horane Henry, and included the perspectives of Netflix series producer Samad Davis; UK-based actor and stunt performer, Sofian Francis; writer, director and curator for the festival, Sosiessia Nixon, and actor and director Sherando Ferril, CEO of Yaad Bridge Entertainment. While the panel encouraged originality, Davis noted that audience support ultimately drives studio investment.
“I think it’s imperative that the viewers support out-of-the-box thinking kind of content. Sinners is a good example. High concept, people went out and supported it and it did really well globally,” Davis said.
The documentary line-up featured both local and international stories. Spanish Wall highlighted the work of The WARE Collective to restore historic buildings in South St Elizabeth — a powerful tribute to cultural preservation that drew visible excitement from local viewers. One young viewer, nine-year-old Seth Shepherd, summed up the sentiment with a surprised “Wow, it’s really St Elizabeth!” upon seeing familiar scenes on screen.
Rashid Williams’ Philosophy of a Jamaican Landscape Photographer followed one man’s journey to capturing the island’s natural beauty. Jamar Cleary’s Raizal: The Jamaican Connection explored Jamaica’s historical and cultural ties to the Colombian island of San Andrés.
The film’s message resonated with viewers, including audience member Fredrica Webster, “It ( Raizal) reminded [me] how significant, how rich, how bold, Jamaican spirit is, and how strong our survival is. That really emboldened and strengthened me.”
In the short-film section of the evening, the filmmakers came to the stage for different reasons. Chris Browne brought his newest work, Ignorance Is A Lifestyle with little more desire than making the short for making its sake.
“I just wanted to make another film ... and the quickest way to do it is by doing a short film,” Browne explained.
No stranger to feature films, he offered insights to the crowd on the realities of the process, “A feature takes almost two to five years to get made ... you’re spending years finding all the money to make it, then you make it, then you have to find years to try and sell it ... . In the meantime, while you’re trying to develop other films, you may as well continue making short films.”
Contrasting Browne’s comedic work was Ricardo Sean Thompson’s Brooklyn Reverie, a moving portrait of a fractured father-son relationship. The idea came from Thompson’s son, who wanted to tell the story but felt too young to direct it himself.
The film’s emotional depth resonated with viewers. Audience member Dr Steve Lawrence told The Gleaner that, “They were all amazing productions but that one was tough for me. I know what that feels like, the pressure of the religious expectations of the parent, and the reality of the person going out there, trying to make sure they are true to their craft. That was something I’d hope to see as a full-blown film one day”.
Also featured was Andre Wynter, who screened two short films. His first, Silver Silhouettes, told the story of an exotic dancer trying to escape an abusive relationship.
A member of the audience, Dr Francine Gayle, highlighted the film by saying “We still have not addressed domestic violence, especially against women, and I think we need to have better laws to protect our women.”
Wynter’s second film, Sweet Rind, was a hard-to-watch short about a woman fuelled by grief enacting revenge on the man who caused her pain. Wynter revealed plans to expand the story: “There is a feature in the works ... .You guys are just seeing the tip of the iceberg.”
Sweet Rind features an outstanding performance by Sherando Ferril, who told The Gleaner,“This was my first time seeing it with a live audience ... . Typical characters I’ve played are straightforward. It’s a mother, a daughter, a girlfriend. With this, it forced me to figure out how to play someone who was hurting, who has actually kidnapped another human being and is hurting that human being, and to have the audience still feel empathy for her.”
English (US) ·