News Americas, New York, NY, Fri. October 4, 2024:  The Dance Grenada Festival returns for its fifth season on the beautiful island of Grenada. Under the theme “From the Ground Up 5 Years and Beyond: Promoting Resiliency, Sustainability, & Freedom in the Arts,” this year’s festival honors this monumental milestone and the tenacity of dancers and creatives globally.

Dance Grenada Founder and Artistic Director Shola K. Roberts (center) joins teaching artist Keith Williams (fifth from right) and performers during the vibrant opening ceremony of the 2023 festival.

From October 17-21, 2024, Dance Grenada will mark its five-year anniversary with a vibrant five-day festival featuring eight immersive workshops and two engaging panel discussions led by renowned dance professionals.This year’s special events include the debut of the inaugural Dance Grenada concert and a tribute to Veni Vwai La Grenade, a revered Grenadian dance company celebrating its 50th anniversary. Attendees can also enjoy the return of the popular international vendor’s marketplace and the annual island tour, offering a rich fusion of culture, artistry, and authentic local experiences.

“As I reflect on where we started five years ago to now, I’m grateful to have created a community that can gather and exchange culture, creativity and connectivity through dance. This festival brings together talented artists from across the globe to engage in and share the value of African diasporic dances, which are often overlooked and rarely viewed as serious art forms when compared to their Western counterparts,” said Founder and Artistic Director Shola K. Roberts, a Caribbean dance expert and professor at Arizona State University.

Dance Grenada is crucial to uplifting and preserving African diasporic dance forms such as Grenadian Folk Dance like Shango, Afro-Cuban and Grenadian Masquerade. Through thoughtfully curated programming, the festival hosts international dancers to not only study these dances but also to partake in additional learning opportunities that speak to the importance of the creative economy in Grenada, the Caribbean, and beyond.

Dance classes will be led by renowned dancers, including Grenada’s own Keith Williams, who has led international masterclasses across the Caribbean and the United Kingdom; Grenadian Broadway star Oneika Phillips; Rene Arneaud, who has toured with soca music superstars Machel Montano and KES the Band; and Otis Donovan Herring, who just returned from a nationwide tour with R&B groups Xscape and SWV. The festival preserves the intangible cultural heritage of dance and attracts new travelers to the island who seek creative outlets alongside the island’s beauty.

“Dance has always been a vibrant part of Grenada’s cultural traditions and a reflection of our deep African heritage, which has been preserved and maintained through generations. The Dance Grenada Festival is a powerful celebration of this legacy, allowing us to showcase our cultural diversity and talent to the world,” said CEO of The Grenada Tourism Authority, Petra Roach. “The Grenada Tourism Authority is committed to supporting initiatives like this, as they not only enrich the lives of our people but also offer visitors an authentic glimpse into the soul of our island. We believe that nurturing such festivals helps sustain our heritage while enhancing Grenada’s appeal as a cultural tourism destination,” she said.

The Dance Grenada Festival is a central hub for dance innovation, scholarship, and entrepreneurship. It celebrates its fifth season at a pivotal time for the cultural and creative industries sector with the recent creation of the Grenada Office of Creative Affairs.

“As people of the diaspora, our existence is sustained through our interaction with others. When we commune, it creates a sense of belonging that feeds the vessel that goes into the global community to thrive. Regardless of age, race, or ethnic background, the feeling of home is palpable to all who step into Dance Grenada,” said Roberts.

For more information on Dance Grenada and how you can purchase tickets to this dance festival, please visit www.dancegrenada.com.

About Dance Grenada
Dance Grenada provides a platform for Grenadian and international dance artisans to share and increase their knowledge base of traditional and contemporary dance styles and techniques through dance workshops, performances, panel discussions, and symposiums while contributing to the larger Grenadian and international dance community.

News Americas, New York, NY, October 4, 2024: The Jamaican suspense drama Behind Closed Doors, produced by Kingston-based Yaad Boiiz Productions, has won the prestigious Best Caribbean Film award at the Toronto International Nollywood Film Festival (TINFF). The film was honored during the festival, held from September 8 to 15 in Toronto, which showcased nearly 100 films from around the world.

Producer of Behind Closed Doors Orville Matherson accepts the Best Caribbean
Film Award at The Toronto Nollywood Film Festival.
(PHOTO COURTESY OF YAAD BOIIZ PRODUCTIONS)

Behind Closed Doors emerged as a standout at the festival, earning such positive reviews that an additional screening was added on September 14. The film was met with overwhelming applause, receiving a standing ovation at its final screening.

Orville Matherson, CEO of Yaad Boiiz Productions and producer of the film, accepted the award at the festival’s closing gala. “I’m accepting this award on behalf of my entire team from Jamaica who did an amazing job on this film. The reaction we’ve received has been incredible. As a producer, I’m in heaven!” Matherson said.

Matherson, also known for producing Jamaican Mafia, shared the perseverance it took to complete Behind Closed Doors, a project that spanned six years from its start in 2018. The film faced numerous challenges, including delays due to COVID-19, but Matherson and his team remained dedicated to finishing the project.

Shot entirely in Jamaica, Behind Closed Doors is directed by Marc Anthony Deacon and written by Tachelle Ferron. The film stars Shevrado Oliver, Rachel Seaton, Pepita Little, and Leroy ‘Tommy Lee Sparta’ Russell, and tells the gripping story of a young college student who, facing financial hardship, reluctantly accepts help from a wealthy entrepreneur, only to realize the danger that comes with it.

The film’s success at TINFF is part of an impressive run on the festival circuit in 2024. Behind Closed Doors has already won Best International Feature Film, Best Director, and Best Editing at the Switzerland Film Fest, as well as Best Caribbean Drama at The International Black Diversity Film Festival.

Matherson is now seeking distribution deals and recently represented Jamaica at Fame Week Africa in Cape Town, where he is in talks with major distributors and streaming platforms. A soundtrack for the film is also in the works, with premieres planned for Jamaica and several other countries.

News Americas, LOS ANGELES, CA: British Caribbean-roots actors are making a major impact in Hollywood with several currently on major U.S. television shows or on the silver screen. Here are ten famous Caribbean actors you should know:

1: Naomie Harris

Actress Naomie Harris’ roots extend to Jamaica and Trinidad. (Photo by Karwai Tang/WireImage)

Born in Britain in 1976, to a Jamaican mother and Trinidadian father, Harris became famous for her performances as Tia/Calypso in two of the wildly popular Pirates of the Caribbean movies. But she truly hit it out of the park when she landed the role of Eve Moneypenny in the James Bond films Skyfall and Spectre becoming the first black actress to play the role. On her Caribbean roots, the graduate of Cambridge University has said: “I was raised within the Jamaican culture in Britain. I was surrounded by these incredibly powerful women growing up — independent, opinionated, strong-willed women, like my mum and my aunt.” 

2: Lennie James

The Walking Dead’s Lennie James’ Caribbean roots extend from Britain to Trinidad.

Lennie James has appeared in more than 20 films, including Les Misérables, Snatch, and Colombiana (2011) as well as Robert Hawkins in the CBS series Jericho, Detective Joe Geddes in the AMC television series Low Winter Sun and Morgan Jones in the popular AMC series The Walking Dead.  James was born in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire to Trinidadian parents. He has professed to being the main cook for his family of four with a fondness for Caribbean cuisine. James also works as a mentor to black inner-city kids, and says he rejects the importance people attach to fame and celebrity.

3: Nathalie Joanne Emmanuel

British-born actress Nathalie Joanne Emmanuel of ‘Furious 7’ roots extend to St. Lucia.

Nathalie Joanne Emmanuel is known for playing computer hacker Ramsey in ‘Furious 7’ (2015). She was born in Southend-on-Sea, Essex, England, to a father of Saint Lucian and English descent and a mother of Dominican origin. She was also the interpreter Missandei on the HBO fantasy series Game of Thrones. FHM magazine ranked Emmanuel as 99th in their 100 Sexiest Women of 2013. In 2015, she appeared in the April 2016 issue of InStyle and GQ magazines.

4: Marianne Ragipcien Jean-Baptiste

Marianne Jean-Baptise who plays Bethany Mayfair in The Blindspot has St. Lucian roots. (Photo by: Giovanni Rufino/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)

She is an English-born actress who plays FBI agent plays Bethany Mayfair in the popular series on NBC, ‘The Blindspot.’ Marianne Ragipcien Jean-Baptiste was born in London to a mother from Antigua and father from St. Lucia. She grew up in Peckham and was classically trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London and performed at the Royal National Theatre. Jean-Baptiste gained international success from the Mike Leigh-directed social drama Secrets & Lies (1996), receiving both Golden Globe and Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress nominations for her performance, becoming the first black British actress to be nominated for an Academy Award, and the second black Briton to be nominated, succeeding Jaye Davidson. She has been married to Evan Williams since 1997. She is also a writer and composer and wrote the score for Mike Leigh’s “Career Girls.” Jean-Baptiste has also written and performed with British jazz musicians, including Jason Rebello, for whom she wrote and recorded four tracks on his album “Keeping Time.”

5: Naomi Elaine Campbell

Naomi Campbell was born in London to a Jamaican mother and father.

Of course many know this English born beauty for her super model fame but the 45-year-old is now an actress. Campbell, 45, was born to Jamaican parents in London and has established herself among the top three most recognizable and in-demand models. She recently had a recurring role as a cougar for a guest role in the hit US television show “Empire,” playing Camilla Marks the love interest of the youngest son Hakeem. Camilla is 20 years Hakeem’s junior in the show, and Campbell said at times she felt shy when filming the raunchy scenes. Campbell has a three-bedroom oceanfront property is in Oracabessa, Jamaica.

6: Eamonn Walker

Actor Eamonn Walker who plays Chief Wallace Boden on Chicago Fire has Trinidadian and Grenadian roots. (Photo by: Elizabeth Morris/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)

He is a famous Caribbean actor who plays fire chief Firehouse 51 Battalion Chief Wallace Boden on NBC’s ‘Chicago Fire’ but few know that actor Eamonn Walker has Caribbean roots. Walker was born in London to a Grenadian father and a Trinidadian mother, in 1962. He also actually lived in Trinidad for six months when he was nine years old before returning to London to attend the Hungerford School in Islington and later the University of North London. Of his Caribbean roots he says: “My whole being and everything that I do has my British and Grenadian sides running through me. Until I went to grade school, I spoke with my Caribbean accent as my mother did but quickly received my first taste of discrimination when kids made fun of me and made my life pretty miserable, because we all know how cruel kids can be (laughs). So I learned to speak like everyone else with a North London accent. Again, my need to be connected with my people has always been in me and I recently returned from Grenada where I met my father’s side of the family for the first time and it was beautiful. In every fiber of my being, knowing my people has always been important to me and I’m glad I was able to meet my extended family.”

7: Alfred Enoch

Actor Alfred Enoch of ‘How To Get Away With Murder’ traces his roots to Barbados. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Trevor Project)

 Alfred “Alfie” Enoch plays the role of Wes Gibbins in the ABC legal drama series, ‘How to Get Away with Murder.’ He was born in London to but traces his roots to Barbados through his maternal grandparents. He made his big acting debut in 2001 as Dean Thomas in ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.’ He has appeared in seven of the eight Harry Potter films and also voiced the character in the video game based on the first part of the film. For his portrayal of Gibbins, Enoch has received two NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series consecutive nominations. His father, William Russell, is a renowned actor who played Ian Chesterton in the original run of the BBC show, ‘Dr. Who.’’’

8: Delroy Lindo

Actor Delroy Lindo was born in the UK to Jamaican parents.

Delroy Lindo is perhaps best known for his roles in a trio of Spike Lee films, especially as West Indian Archie in Lee’s Malcolm X (1992) and Woody Carmichael in Crooklyn (1994), Catlett in Get Shorty, Arthur Rose in The Cider House Rules, and Detective Castlebeck in Gone in 60 Seconds (2000). Lindo starred as Alderman Ronin Gibbons in the TV series The Chicago Code (2011) and as Winter on the series Believe, which premiered in 2014. He was born in England to Jamaican parents. Lindo was recently cast as Dominic Fortune in ABC’s pilot of Marvel’s Most Wanted opposite Adrianne Palicki and Nick Blood.

9: Marsha Thomason

Actress Marsha Thomason roots extend to Jamaica. brecht/USA Network/NBCU Photo Bank)

Marsha Thomason is best known for playing Nessa Holt in the first two seasons of the NBC series Las Vegas, Naomi Dorrit on the ABC series Lost, and FBI agent Diana Berrigan on the USA Network series White Collar. She was born in Moston, Greater Manchester, England to Phyllis (née McCrae), a Jamaican electronics company employee, and Peter Thomason, who worked in politics.

10:  Adrian Lester, OBE

Actor Adrian Lester was born in in Birmingham, Warwickshire to Jamaican immigrants.

Adrian Lester is a multi award winning actor and director, known for seven seasons of the hit TV show Hustle (2004), The Day After Tomorrow (2004) and Primary Colors (1998) and his extensive classical work in the theatre playing Othello, Henry V, Rosalind and Hamlet to name but a few. He was born in Birmingham, Warwickshire, the son of Jamaican immigrants Monica, a medical secretary, and Reginald, a manager for a contract cleaning company. Lester was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2013 New Year Honours for services to drama.