Caribbeantales International Film Festival Celebrates 20 Years Of Big Vibes, Big Stories And Brilliant Filmmaking

NEWS AMERICAS, Toronto, ONFri. Aug. 1, 2025: The CaribbeanTales International Film Festival (CTFF), North America’s premier event showcasing Caribbean and diaspora cinema, proudly announces its 20th anniversary edition, taking place Wednesday September 3rd to Saturday September 13th, 2025, in Toronto and online worldwide from September 3rd to October 3rd, 2025.

Under the theme “Resilience in Motion,” this milestone festival will celebrate two decades of transformative storytelling from across the Caribbean region and its global diaspora with 49 incredible films. Programming will include premieres, retrospectives, talkbacks, tributes, and a global virtual component, underscoring CTFF’s enduring commitment to elevating underrepresented voices in film.

Founded in 2006 by Frances-Anne Solomon, an award-winning filmmaker and advocate for diverse cinema, CTFF has grown into an internationally recognized platform for Caribbean filmmakers. Over the past two decades, the festival has screened more than 1000 films, supported hundreds of creators, and played a critical role in shifting how Caribbean narratives are represented on screen.

“This 20th anniversary is both a celebration and a call to action,” says Frances-Anne Solomon, Founder and Executive Director of CaribbeanTales Media Group (CTMG). “We look back on a generation of groundbreaking films and look ahead to a vibrant future where Caribbean stories continue to redefine the global cinematic landscape.”

Festival Highlights Include:

●     20th Anniversary | 49 Films | Canadian premieres | 15+ Countries represented

●     Opening Night Film: Bankie Banx: King of the Dune (Nara Garber, Anguilla/USA, 2024), featuring reggae icon Bankie Banx (aka Anguillan Bob Dylan), singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffet, actor Kevin Bacon, Stephen “Cat” Coore (founding guitarist with Third World)

●     Closing night Film: The Last Meal (Maryse Legagneur, Canada/DR, 2024)

●     September 6th – Honouring Our Legends: Celebrating the 88th Birthday of The Honourable Dr. Jean Augustine at The Harbourfront Centre Theatre, film screenings and the presentation of the Jean Augustine Excellence Award to Steelpan Ambassador Wendy Jones

●     September 7th – Canadian Premiere of Nomad in No Man’s Land (Hester Jonkhout, Netherlands/Curaçao, 2024), a film about pioneering director Felix de Rooy, who is an openly gay celebrated artist in the Caribbean

●     Virtual CTFF from September 3rd – October 3rd, an extensive online platform accessible to global audiences.
Over the years, CTFF has been a launchpad for acclaimed works that have gone on to receive international recognition, while also serving as a cultural bridge between the Caribbean and broader international film communities.

The full festival lineup and ticketing details will be announced on August 3, 2025, via the festival website: www.caribbeantalesfestival.com.

Festival Director Diana Webley is available for Radio, Television and Digital Media outlet interviews.

CTFF Film Trailers Link

About CaribbeanTales International Film Festival:

Built over 20 years, CTMG is the only media group in Canada that provides an ecosystem of screen-based activities that serve Black Canadian, and culturally diverse audiences. CTMG provides a pipeline of activities from creation to distribution that aims to uplift, enrich, promote and monetize Black and culturally diverse film and television content for audiences.

CTMG is home to the CaribbeanTales International Film Festival (CTFF), now in its 20th year. CTFF celebrates the talents of established and emerging filmmakers of Caribbean and African heritage who practice their art across the Caribbean Diaspora worldwide.

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Fundraising Effort Launched For Children Of Haitian Immigrant Security Guard Killed In NYC Shooting

By Felicia J. Persaud

News Americas, NEW YORK, York, August 1, 2025: A GoFundMe campaign has raised more than $36,000 toward a $250,000 goal to support the children of Aland Etienne, the beloved Haitian immigrant and security guard who was killed earlier this week in a mass shooting at 345 Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan.

Aland Etienne, a beloved Caribbean immigrant and security guard who was killed earlier this week in a mass shooting at 345 Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan.

Etienne, 46, was working in the building’s lobby Monday evening when authorities say he was fatally shot by Shane Devon Tamura, 27, of Las Vegas. Tamura, armed with an M4-style rifle, wounded several others before proceeding to the building’s upper floors. The office tower houses high-profile tenants including the National Football League and investment firm Blackstone.

Etienne is survived by his two children, whose future the GoFundMe seeks to secure. The page, titled ‘Support Aland Etienne kids after the tragedy,’ notes that “all funds raised will go directly toward their education and well-being, ensuring that even in his absence, his love continues to guide and protect them.”

Etienne’s brother, Smith Etienne, remembered him as a devoted father and a “fantastic” older sibling who inspired those around him. “He was my hero,” he said during a press conference at 32BJ SEIU headquarters on Wednesday. “He was light in every room. He made this city a little safer every day.”

Tamura, the alleged gunman, left behind a rambling suicide note blaming chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) for his deteriorating mental state. He claimed he was attempting to target the NFL but took the wrong elevator. Tamura later died by suicide.

The NYPD confirmed Tamura had a history of mental illness and had expressed grievances about his football-related brain injuries. His note reportedly read, “Study my brain please,” and referenced former NFL player Terry Long, who died by suicide in 2005 and was posthumously diagnosed with CTE.

The fatal shooting has reignited discussions around workplace safety, particularly for front-line security personnel. Etienne was a longtime member of 32BJ SEIU, a union that has previously lost members to similar acts of violence. Union president Manny Pastreich called Etienne a “New York hero.”

“Every time a security officer puts on their uniform, they put their lives on the line,” Pastreich said in a statement. “Their contributions are essential, though often unappreciated.”

He recalled the 2015 killing of 32BJ member Idrissa Camara, a federal building security officer fatally shot in a similar attack.

Etienne’s widow, Rachelle Paoli, stood alongside union leaders and elected officials during Wednesday’s remarks. Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani, who is also running for mayor, praised Etienne’s dedication and called for improved protections for building security staff.

The GoFundMe campaign describes Etienne not only as a protector but also as a filmmaker and a proud father who dreamed of a bright future for his children. The fund’s organizers wrote: “We are grieving, we are heartbroken — but we are also hopeful. Hopeful that the same love Aland gave to the world will now be returned to his children.”

As of today, August 1st, over 362 donations have been made.

To contribute to the Etienne Children’s Fund, visit: gofundme.com/f/aland-etienne

Trump’s Tariffs Hits Guyana, Trinidad & Tobago

BY NAN Business Editor

News Americas, WASHINGTON, D.C., Fri. Aug. 1, 2025: Trump tariffs are back – and this time, two Caribbean nations are feeling the heat.
U.S. President Donald Trump announced new 15% tariffs on goods from Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago as part of his escalating trade offensive targeting dozens of countries. The move has sent shockwaves through the region’s manufacturing and export sectors, particularly among businesses already struggling with supply chain costs and market uncertainty.

In a sweeping move that caught many small economies off-guard, the Trump administration on Thursday re-imposed tariffs on goods from over 70 countries, including Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago, as part of a renewed effort to close America’s trade deficit. Effective immediately, both Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries will face a 15% reciprocal tariff on their exports to the U.S.

FLASHBACK – U.S. President Donald Trump holds up a chart while speaking during a “Make America Wealthy Again” trade announcement event in the Rose Garden at the White House on April 2, 2025 in Washington, DC. Touting the event as “Liberation Day”, Trump is expected to announce additional tariffs targeting goods imported to the U.S. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

The new tariffs come just weeks after a temporary 90-day reprieve on harsher duties, including a previously proposed 38% rate on Guyana, which had sparked diplomatic backlash. While the rollback to 15% softens the blow, the impact remains severe – particularly for niche exporters in Guyana’s timber and manufacturing sectors and Trinidad’s energy and petrochemical producers.

“This is going to have devastating effects on us,” Howard Bulkan, a Guyanese exporter who sells over 60% of his company’s wallaba roof shingles to U.S. buyers told Demerara Waves. “We’ve been absorbing the 10% tariff since earlier this year. A 15% rate is not sustainable. We’ll now have to consider shifting to European markets.”

A Blow To Value-Added Exports

For Guyana, the tariff hike comes at a precarious time. While the country is experiencing rapid GDP growth driven by offshore oil production, its non-oil sectors have been working to diversify and expand exports of value-added goods like wood products, furniture, and agro-processing.

Industry leaders say the U.S. tariffs threaten to undercut those efforts. “That’s going to hurt,” said Ramsey Ali, President of the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA) told Demerara Waves. “We’ll be meeting to assess the fallout, but this clearly impacts competitiveness.”

The U.S. had long been a zero-duty market for many of these products. With freight costs and logistics already straining Caribbean exporters, the added 15% tariff could result in a compounded cost increase of 20–25%, potentially pricing them out of the market.

In Trinidad and Tobago, where petrochemicals, ammonia, and manufactured goods make up the bulk of exports to the U.S., the new tariff could raise costs across supply chains – affecting trade with U.S.-based industrial and construction sectors.

Political Optics vs. Trade Realities

Trump’s move – just a day before his August 1 deadline for trade deal renegotiations – is being billed by the administration as a “reciprocal tariff adjustment.” But critics say it disproportionately harms smaller economies with limited trade leverage and minimal market intrusion.

“The tariff math makes no sense,” said Bulkan. “We’re being penalized for oil exports, even though our wood products aren’t competing with U.S. goods.”

Guyana Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo confirmed ongoing talks with the U.S. Trade Representative, saying Guyana remains hopeful that the duty could be lowered to 10% through bilateral negotiations.

“We’re happy it’s not 38% anymore,” Jagdeo told Demerara Waves. “But we are still working to bring it down further.”

Risk of Market Realignment

The longer-term risk, analysts say, is that Caribbean exporters may permanently pivot away from U.S. markets – opening the door for China, Europe, or South American buyers to step in.

Several GMSA members are already eyeing European buyers as a fallback. But switching markets isn’t simple – it requires new certifications, trade relationships, and logistics chains that many small and mid-sized exporters are ill-equipped to build quickly.

For now, the region’s manufacturers are scrambling to recalculate costs, renegotiate contracts, and brace for a rocky export season.