The Conch Shell International Film Fest (CSIFF) has announced its 2026 Official Selection, bringing 47 films from 14 countries and territories to New York City for a three-day festival from October 9 to 11. The programme gives audiences a chance to explore contemporary Caribbean and Caribbean diaspora filmmaking through stories shaped by different cultures, languages, histories and experiences.
The selection represents Aruba, Canada, Colombia, Curaçao, Dominica, France, Haiti, Jamaica, Martinique, Puerto Rico, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Suriname, the United Kingdom and the United States. That list includes independent Caribbean nations alongside French and Dutch territories, and countries with large Caribbean diaspora populations, reflecting how widely Caribbean identity now stretches across languages, histories and generations, well beyond the boundaries of any single island or nation.
The 47-film lineup includes titles such as Bob Marley Beach: The Fight for Your Right, My Dad, Guyana and Me, Ordinary Citizens of Suriname – Episode 1, Tambu, The Coqui Sings, Trinidad Remains and Where the Waves End. Other selected films include 2012/What Happened in 2012, A Shade of Indigo, Adan Nanm Ek Kò, Bossladysk8, Cadencia, Finding Syn and The Douen. Mentioning only a handful of the films gives a clearer sense of the programme without reducing it to a single style or subject.
The selection also includes documentary, narrative, animation, experimental and pilot projects, according to the festival. That range is important because Caribbean filmmaking can come from different generations and communities, with filmmakers working both within the region and across the wider diaspora.
Founded in 2021, CSIFF is presented by Queens-based nonprofit Conch Shell Productions, Inc. The festival was created to give Caribbean and Caribbean diaspora filmmakers opportunities to showcase their work, connect with audiences and industry professionals, and build creative relationships. It also seeks to increase the visibility of Caribbean heritage storytellers in the American film industry.
The 2026 edition opens on October 9 at HB Playwrights Theatre in Manhattan’s West Village. The opening day will feature industry panels and professional development sessions, giving filmmakers and other creative professionals space for discussion and connections.
On October 10 and 11, the festival moves to Regal UA Midway in Queens for Official Selection screenings, filmmaker conversations, red-carpet events and awards. The 2026 CSIFF Award Jury has seven members: Lamar Richardson, Sekiya Dorsett, Lu Childs, Stefon Bristol, Nambi Kelly, Angelina Villapiano and Gillian Isabelle. Award nominees are expected to be announced in September.
For international audiences, the selection is useful because it shows that Caribbean storytelling is not one fixed category. The films come from different locations and can reflect different cultural backgrounds and experiences. The presence of diaspora filmmakers also shows how Caribbean identity can continue to influence filmmaking far beyond the region itself.
For New York audiences, CSIFF offers an opportunity to discover filmmakers and stories they may not normally encounter in the wider American film landscape. At the same time, bringing these works together creates a meeting point for audiences with Caribbean connections and viewers encountering these perspectives for the first time.
The festival’s structure connects the programme with professional activity. Beginning in Manhattan with panels and development sessions before moving to Queens for screenings and audience events, the schedule gives the selection a setting within New York. For filmmakers, the combination can provide space to present their work while meeting creatives and industry participants. For audiences, it makes the festival more than a screening programme and opens a path into Caribbean filmmaking.
With 47 films from 14 countries and territories, CSIFF 2026 presents a varied group of voices without suggesting that they tell one single Caribbean story. The October programme will bring those voices together across Manhattan and Queens, giving filmmakers room to share their work and audiences a chance to discover a wider range of Caribbean and diaspora cinema.
Read More: