Five filmmakers of Jamaican descent have films nominated for awards at the 2026 Conch Shell International Film Festival (CSIFF26), which will take place in New York from October 9 to 11.
The filmmakers include Jamaicans Hanif James, Jamar Cleary and Simon Mais, along with Jamaican Americans Laurie Lambert and Safiyah Chiniere. Their films cover subjects including colorism, Jamaican migration, public access to Bob Marley Beach, African diasporic traditions and family relationships.
Five Jamaican Filmmakers Receive Nominations
Hanif James, a Jamaican filmmaker, received three nominations for his film A Shade of Indigo. The film is nominated for Best Film, Best Screenplay and Best Cinematography.
The film follows six-year-old Kerine, whose creation of a rag doll leads to an exploration of colorism, beauty and generational trauma within a Jamaican family.
Jamar Cleary is nominated for Best Documentary for Raizal: The Jamaican Connection. The film examines the historical and cultural links between Jamaica and the Raizal people of San Andrés, Colombia. It looks at the influence of Jamaican migration, language, music and traditions.
Simon Mais received a Best Documentary nomination for Bob Marley Beach: The Fight for Your Right. The documentary examines the issue of public access to Bob Marley Beach and the site’s cultural, environmental and historical importance.
Jamaican American filmmaker Laurie Lambert is nominated for Best Documentary for Tambu. The film explores TambuFest, a celebration of drumming and dance in Jamaica. It also looks at how these traditions carry memories connected to African diasporic history, slavery, indenture and survival.
Safiyah Chiniere, a Jamaican American filmmaker, is nominated for Best Cinematography for If Only You Knew. The narrative short follows a woman confronting her father about his absence.
Jamaican Stories Screening in Queens
The five filmmakers are among the Caribbean and Caribbean diaspora filmmakers represented at CSIFF26.
The festival has selected 47 films from 14 countries for its 2026 program. The countries represented include Jamaica, Haiti, Colombia, Aruba, Canada, Curaçao, Dominica, France, Martinique, Puerto Rico, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Suriname, the United Kingdom and the United States.
A special Jamaican Stories screening is scheduled for Saturday, October 10 at 7:00 PM at Regal UA Midway in Forest Hills, Queens. The screening will bring several Jamaican and Jamaican heritage stories together as part of the festival.
Three Days of Film and Industry Events
CSIFF26 opens on Friday, October 9 at HB Playwrights Theatre at 124 Bank Street in Manhattan’s West Village. The opening day will include industry panels and professional development sessions.
The festival moves to Regal UA Midway at 108-22 Queens Boulevard in Forest Hills on October 10 and 11. The program includes film screenings, filmmaker conversations, red carpet events and the awards celebration.
The festival’s 2026 theme is “Our Culture Lives in Our Stories.”
Founded in 2021 by Conch Shell Productions, CSIFF provides a platform for Caribbean and Caribbean diaspora filmmakers. The festival includes screenings, panels, workshops, networking and other programs focused on connecting filmmakers with audiences and industry professionals.
Conch Shell Productions is a New York City based nonprofit arts organization that develops, presents and produces theatre and film works by Caribbean heritage artists. Since its first production, The Hunting Season, in 2018, the organization says it has supported more than 120 Caribbean heritage film and theatre artists and reached more than 15,000 audience members in person and online.
Early bird festival passes for CSIFF26 are available through the festival’s website.
