It is finally here! The Annual CaribbeanTales International Film Festival (CTFF) returns for its 19th Edition in Toronto, showcasing the talents of established and emerging filmmakers of Caribbean and African heritage.

This year’s theme, “HOME,” is a dynamic exploration of self-care, healing, and preserving Caribbean traditions through the lens of home and sanctuary. This year’s films offer a powerful perspective on the vital connections between cultural roots and personal well-being, capturing the essence of resilience and renewal within the diaspora.

For the first time, CTFF will feature over 50 films with over 15 countries represented and over 20 Canadian premieres. To assist you in planning for the festival, which runs from September 4th to 15th, we have covered everything you need to know about this epic showcase of films in Toronto.

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2024 CaribbeanTales International Film Festival 

The CaribbeanTales International Film Festival runs from September 4th to 15th, showcasing 50 films with over 15 countries represented and over 20 Canadian premieres. The festival offers in-person and virtual screenings; film lovers and enthusiasts can check out the in-person screenings from September 4th to 15th and the virtual screenings from September 4th to October 4th. The festival passes start at $60 and give you access to every film through the festival (The Festival passes do not provide access to other CTFF signature events)

You can explore the festival guide for the complete list of films.

It’s not a Filmfest without films. Like every year, this year’s catalog offers some must-see films. Here is my list of must-see films down to 15:

Films you cannot miss at this year’s CaribbeanTales International Film Festival. 

ALL SKIN NO LAUGH: A boy spends a regular rainy night home alone when he hears a random knock at the door. Suspicious and surprised, he opens it to a vulnerable, beautiful stranger who needs help. Unbeknownst to him, he welcomes something into his house that he shouldn’t.

A SHADE OF INDIGO: Inventive and vibrant, for six-year-old Kerine, creating her own rag doll from scraps of cloth should have been an achievement showing her desire to be like her mom. But instead, she slams into a history of colourism where being too black is a mark of shame. As Kerine absorbs the generational trauma of colourism, learns the similarities between her and her doll, and the reasons her older sister bleaches her skin, she is led down an increasingly dark path that ends in an unthinkable tragedy.

ASEMA: As Deon spends his summer vacation at his grandma’s, he has an encounter with a mysterious elderly woman who has recently moved into the neighborhood. She alerts the local children of an “asema” haunting the vicinity. Driven by curiosity, Deon and his best friend Jimmy go on a quest to uncover the truth about this legendary creature. Are the warnings merely the ramblings of a crazy old woman, or could she herself be the “asema”?

THE DRAFT: Jack, a young Afro man whose dreams of a hockey career were shattered by a racist attack, places his aspirations in the hands of his gifted younger brother, Will, a part of the new generation. Yet, they must navigate the looming narrative of racial prejudice and police dominance in Montreal.

STILL WATERS: STILL WATERS portrays an intimate moment in the life of a young queer couple, Gabrielle and her wife Raquel, two years after their toddler accidentally drowned in their swimming-pool. Now, they are trying to make sense of their relationship. Like a fly on the wall, we bear witness to their raw and heightened emotions, as they navigate loss and grief.

SOON COME BACK: Soon Come Back is a poetic documentary about migration’s effect on Nande’s relationships to “home” in Jamaica and the US, and her feelings of alienation being a child of the diaspora.

A LETTER FROM FATHERS: A captivating story of Fatherhood from four fathers

FOOD WHAT? LOOKING FOR FOOD SOVEREIGNTY IN BARBADOS: This documentary film is one of the outcomes of over two years of research on the food system of Barbados. Motivated by the multiple crises affecting the island since 2020, the aim of this study was to discuss the potential of the tenets of food sovereignty for Barbados, where the movement is mostly unheard of, obscured by a forced focus on food security.

UNDER THE SAME ROOF: 21-year-old Kiara has just graduated college but isn’t thrilled about starting a mundane life of work and bills. She yearns for something more as she spends her summer working at a local convenience store and dreaming of leaving the suburbs behind

THE BEE – A REFLECTION ON WOMEN, LAND, AND OCCUPATION: This documentary follows a feminist group of women beekeepers living on the island of Vieques, Puerto Rico. Twenty years have passed since the US Navy stopped using Vieques as a bombing range. Still, the locals continue to live through the legacy of a military that savagely displaced the population and affected the use of their land. 

OUTSIDE CENTER: Finding community via his gay rugby league, Jamaican-born Desmond navigates life, love, and identity as an immigrant living in Munich, Germany.

TRINDAD RETURNS: British-born NIKKI HASTINGS reluctantly travels to the island of Trinidad to scatter the ashes of her estranged grandmother. Accompanied by her polar-opposite, free-wheeling cousin, JADE, and her unreliable old car, GOLDIE, they embark on a journey across the country. The trip is jeopardised when they are held-up by an unhinged character. 

EXPLOITING EDEN; ÎLE-À-VACHE: The Haitian government decides to develop a tourist project in the forgotten island of Île-à-Vache, an unexploited paradise in the Caribbean. What seems an opportunity for profit and commonwealth, becomes a nightmare for its people.

INSULAR: Insular follows the sole survivor of an illegal yola (boat) trip from the Dominican Republic to Puerto Rico. As time passes, the castaway (Alexis Díaz de Villegas) learns to cope with his isolation by making ends meet with what the island provides.

THE FISHERMAN’S DAUGHTER: Samuel, the last free-diving fisherman, has lived isolated in the island of La Aguja since he was abandoned by his wife and son 15 years ago. His life is disrupted when his son shows up now as Priscila, a transgender prostitute from the streets of Santa Marta, Colombia.

2024 CaribbeanTales International Film Festival Signature Events

During the festival, the CaribbeanTales Media Group (Organizer of the CaribbeanTales International Film Festival) will run must-attend events to complement the festival, including The BIG PITCH at TIFF, THE RED HOT MIXER, Honouring our Legends: The Hon. Dr. Jean Augustine (Don’t you worry, we have the details covered below)

Honouring our Legends: The Hon. Dr. Jean Augustine

This special event will honor Jean Augustine’s extraordinary contributions to the community and her lasting impact on Canadian society. It will also serve as a fundraiser for CaribbeanTales.

The evening will begin with a special screening of a film that reflects the themes of resilience, leadership, and community, echoing the values that Jean Augustine embodies. During the evening, we will also honor a local legend with the Jean Augustine Excellence Award. Following the film, guests are invited to a reception featuring delectable hors d’oeuvres and beverages; this will be an excellent opportunity to mingle with fellow attendees and celebrate in a festive atmosphere. The highlight of the evening will be a heartfelt toast to Jean Augustine, who will be in attendance, honoring her legacy and wishing her continued success and happiness.

The BIG PITCH at TIFF

Returning for its 15th year, the annual sold-out event, THE BIG PITCH at TIFF is a competitive event that pits 12 BIPOC Filmmakers to pitch their short proof of concept for their series or feature film to a veteran industry jury on September 8th, 2024, at the TIFF Bell Lightbox. TIFF Industry pass holders and the participating audience can vote for the best presentation along with the industry judges.

The BIG PITCH AT TIFF is the last step in the nine-month CaribbeanTales Black Incubator and Studio Access Project (CTBISAP) and the CineFam Limitless Incubator, which champions the creativity of women and non-binary people of color, which provides Black Canadian filmmakers market-driven training from concept through delivery and monetization to ensure their success in the film and television industry. The BIG PITCH draws inspiration from CaribbeanTales industry programs and the Cross Continental Forum, which connects film & tv producers across Canada, the UK, South Africa, and the Caribbean.

THE RED HOT MIXER

One of the CTFF’s signature events, The Red Hot MIXER, is CaribbeanTales Media Group’s Annual TIFF Networking event!

The Red HOT MIXER provides guests a unique opportunity to meet top filmmaking talent from the Caribbean and Canada, network with industry VIPs, and spend their afternoons with other filmmaking professionals.

For more information on CTFF 2024, visit the CaribbeanTales International Film Festival website.

As always, you can keep up with all the fun happenings in Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area on efosa.

2024 CaribbeanTales International Film Festival

When: September 4th to 15th, view festival guide here

Where: 837 Dundas Street West, Toronto

Admission:  Priced. Tickets start at $39. Grab your tickets here.

Honouring our Legends: The Hon. Dr. Jean Augustine

When: September 7th, 7:30 pm

Where: 231 Queens Quay West, Toronto

Admission:  Priced. TBA

The BIG PITCH at TIFF, presented by CaribbeanTales Media Group

When: September 8th, 8:00 am – 10:00 am

Where: Luma, Old Toronto

Admission:  Priced. Tickets start at $55. Grab your tickets here

THE RED HOT MIXER, presented by CaribbeanTales

When: September 8th, 10:30 am

Where: TIFF Bell Lightbox, 350 King Street West, Toronto

Admission: Free. Reserve your spot here.