Haitian-Led Thriller On Moïse Assassination Hits U.S. Theaters

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News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Tues. May 20, 2025: For the first time, a Haitian-led political thriller is telling the world what many in Haiti have long asked: Who killed President Jovenel Moïse?

July 7 is not just breaking that mold—it’s redefining how Caribbean stories reach global audiences.

“July 7: Who Killed the President?” premiered on May 16, in AMC theaters across the United States. Starring Raquel Pelissier and Haitian born star, Jimmy Jean-Louis, and directed by Robenson Lauvince, the film explores the 2021 assassination of Haiti’s president through the eyes of a determined college student. Her research for a memoir takes a dark turn into a web of conspiracy, violence, and political betrayal.

“This is more than a film—it’s a moment of truth for Haiti,” said Lauvince. “We’re telling our story on our terms, with depth and dignity.” Sunday, May 18th was Haitian flag day.

The film, shot in both Haiti and the U.S., is the first Haitian political drama to receive nationwide theatrical release in the United States—a major milestone for Caribbean cinema. AMC has also launched a community-driven campaign: the more requests a city receives, the more likely it is that July 7 will be added to local theater line-ups.

Confirmed screenings include:

AMC Empire 25 (New York City)

AMC Aventura Mall 24 (Florida)

AMC Boston Common 19 (Massachusetts)

AMC Phipps Plaza 14 (Atlanta)

AMC Burbank 16 (Los Angeles)

The film arrives amid growing interest in Diaspora narratives, yet Haitian and Black independent filmmakers still face steep hurdles in U.S. film distribution. July 7 is not just breaking that mold—it’s redefining how Caribbean stories reach global audiences.

Jovenel Moïse was a Haitian politician and entrepreneur, who served as the 43rd president of Haiti from 2017 until his assassination in 2021. He assumed the presidency in February 2017 after winning the November 2016 election. During his term, Haiti experienced widespread protests. In the early morning of 7 July 2021, Moïse was assassinated and his wife Martine was injured during an attack on their private residence in Pétion-Ville.

“This is a megaphone for our pain, our resilience, and our right to justice,” Lauvince said. “We want to show the world our truth—and this time, you don’t have to ask Hollywood’s permission.”

Audiences can request screenings in their cities by visiting the film’s official website HERE

See a trailer from the movie here.

Decolonising Co-Production: CaribbeanTales Brings The Diaspora Home

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News Americas, BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, May 20,2025: The Caribbean is calling her children home.

In just 3 weeks, the Cross Continental Forum (CCF) 2025, hosted by CaribbeanTales Media Group, (CTMG), in partnership with the Department of Creative and Performing Arts, UWI Cave Hill,  will bring together leading film and television producers  from the UK, Canada, South Africa, the US, and across the Caribbean. They will join creatives, cultural entrepreneurs and the general public, for five powerful days in beautiful Barbados.

Under the theme “Decolonising Co-Production,” the Forum will explore innovative ways to foster collaboration through the empowering lens of the Global South.

“We’re creating a space where Global South producers from around the world can meet on our home soil to together shape new models of financing, storytelling, and ownership,” said Frances-Anne Solomon, founder of CTMG and the visionary force behind the Forum.

Canada will have the largest number of film producers at this year’s Cross Continental Forum (CCF) 2025, hosted by CaribbeanTales Media Group, (CTMG), in partnership with the Department of Creative and Performing Arts and UWI Cave Hill.

Producers will be joining from the following countries:

Canada  – (10)Jennifer HolnessFloyd KaneJennifer PodemskiAndrew Burrows-TrotmanNauzanin KnightGail MauriceVirinder SinghIfe AlabaGeorge Tamakloe

Yejide Emioladipupo

United Kingdom – (6)Ameenah Ayub AllenJonte RichardsonEmma GrazetteLauren GeeFemi Oyeniran

Victoria Thomas

The Caribbean

            Trinidad & Tobago – (3)

Sophie WalcottCamille Abrahams

Shari Petti

            Barbados – (4)

Penelope HynamAlison  Sealy SmithRyan Wilfred

Sheldon St.Clair

                The Bahamas – (3)

Tabitha RitchieKarel Pinder

Maria Govan

            The Dominican Republic – (2)

Eunice Levis

Jenna Cavelle

            Guyana – (2)

Victoria Arjoon

Mason Richar

South Africa – (2)Nhlanhla Mthethwa

SB Sithebe

A Forum For Cultural, Economic, And Creative Evolution

Now in its second year, CCF aims to become a vital platform for reshaping co-production norms and building lasting partnerships across borders.

For the Canada Media Fund, one of the Forum’s key funders, the sense of homecoming is profound. During the Forum’s online opening, CMF’s Joy Loewen remarked, “It’s long overdue. We need to build meaningful and sustainable bridges between our industries and our communities.”

The event addresses critical inequities in the global media production landscape. Agnieszka Moody, Head of International Relations at the British Film Institute, emphasized, “The old models of production and co-production disproportionately favor the Global North. The Cross Continental Forum offers a space to create a blueprint for new ones built on trust, equity, and shared legacy.”

More Than Culture This Is Economic Empowerment

South African producer Kethiwe Ngcobo reflected on the significance of this gathering, “We are here to work, to connect, and to create wealth from our stories. This is not just about culture – it’s about economics. And it starts with us, together.”

ABOUT THE CROSS CONTINENTAL FORUM

The Cross Continental Forum (CCF) 2025 is a production of CaribbeanTales Media Group in collaboration with the Department of Creative and Performing Arts (UWI Cave Hill). Support for the CCF is generously provided by numerous organizations, including the Canada Media Fund, British Film Institute, Mango Bay Group of Companies, Invest Barbados, Inter-American Development Bank, Picture NL, National Cultural Foundation of Barbados, Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc, Barbados Film and Television Association, Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago, Telefilm Canada, and many other international partners.

Guiding CCF 2025 is a Steering Group comprised of: Frances-Anne Solomon (CEO, CaribbeanTales Media Group), Andrew Millington (Head, Department of Creative and Performing Arts – UWI Cave Hill), CCH Pounder (Guyanese-born actor and activist), Dr. Keith Nurse (Founding Chair, CaribbeanTales Worldwide Distribution and President of COSTAATT), Zikethiwe Ngcobo (CEO, Fuzebox Entertainment, South Africa), John Reid (Former CEO of FLOW Telecommunications, Caribbean and Latin America), Agnieszka Moody (Head of International Relations, British Film Institute), Chloe Sosa Simms (CBC Senior Advisor, Acquisitions), and international events producer Diana Webley (Director of Events, CaribbeanTales Media Group).

Case Against Dancehall Artiste Kiprich Adjourned

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News Americas, KINGSTON, Jamaica, Tues. May 21, 2025: The legal case against Jamaican born dancehall artiste, Kiprich, who is facing criminal charges for allegedly promoting gang violence through music, has been adjourned until September 16, 2025.

FLASHBACK: Kiprich during Reggae Sunsplash in Japan 2006 at Yokohama Minato Mirai 21 in Yokohama, Japan. (Photo by Jun Sato/WireImage)

The decision was handed down today by Acting Senior Parish Court Judge Janelle Nelson-Gayle at the St Catherine Parish Court, after it was revealed that the case file remains incomplete. A critical report from the police’s Communication Forensic Cybercrime Division is still outstanding.

Kiprich, 45, whose real name is Marlon Plunkett, is charged with the use of audio and audiovisual communication to promote criminal activity. The charges stem from a song titled Stay Far Freestyle, which authorities allege glorifies criminality and pays tribute to Othniel ‘Thickman’ Lobban, the alleged leader of the One Order Gang who was fatally shot by law enforcement officers.

According to police, the song was circulated on WhatsApp on January 25, 2025, and reportedly includes threats against the police in retaliation for Lobban’s killing.

Following the release of the song, Plunkett and several other men were listed as persons of interest and were asked to surrender to authorities. Kiprich complied and admitted to recording the song but maintains that it was created for a promoter and carried no malicious intent.

As the case remains under investigation, the next court hearing is set for September 16, pending the completion of the forensic cybercrime report.