Conch Shell Caribbean Film Festival Opens in New York
Caribbean cinema takes the spotlight in New York today as the Conch Shell International Film Fest opens its October 9–11, 2026 edition. For audiences deciding what to see, the weekend offers a chance to discover regional filmmakers and stories shaped by life across the diaspora.
Plan for two locations: Friday’s industry programming takes place at HB Playwrights Theatre, 124 Bank Street in Manhattan. Film screenings follow October 10–11 at Regal UA Midway, 108-22 Queens Boulevard in Forest Hills, Queens.
What to watch at Conch Shell
Start with Pan Gyul, directed by Juliette Jeffers. Filmed in Nevis with local participants, the project grew from her stage work and interest in women playing steel pan. Its nominations for Best Film, Best Director and Best Screenplay make it a useful starting point for an awards-focused itinerary.
For a story that may resonate with New York’s diaspora audiences, seek out Green by Katiana Farrier. It follows a Haitian-American woman returning to Miami for her grandmother’s funeral after moving to New York. Family expectations and the emotional complications of leaving home give this selection particular relevance to viewers navigating more than one sense of belonging.
Animation fans can look for The Star Boy by Jamaica-born, Canada-based Wayne Carnegie. Inspired by questions about his daughter’s connection to her heritage, the film draws on the experience of children spending summers with Caribbean relatives.
Jamaican selections worth adding to your watchlist include Hanif James’s A Shade of Indigo, nominated for Best Film and Best Screenplay, and two documentary nominees: Simon Mais’s Bob Marley Beach: The Fight for Your Right and Jamar Cleary’s Raizal: The Jamaican Connection. The festival lists the latter under Colombia and Jamaica.
For a specific Saturday starting point, the organizers have announced Adrift Wak Leu and Where the Waves End in the Shifting Realities film block at 2:30 p.m. on October 10. Aruban filmmaker Velvet Zoé Ramos’s Adrift Wak Leu is nominated for both directing and experimental filmmaking. Check the live ticket listing before setting out.
Countries represented and filmmakers to discover
The official selection totals 47 films across what organizers describe as 14 countries and territories. Listings span Jamaica, Haiti, Dominica, Aruba, Curaçao, Martinique, Puerto Rico, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Suriname and Colombia, alongside the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and France. These are festival listing credits; they should not be read as a complete account of each filmmaker’s heritage.
For viewers interested in the next generation, the Best Student Film nominees offer a practical discovery list: Cadencia by Paulís Cofresí, Finding Syn by Sean-Josahi Brown, The Making of a Matriarch: La Creación de una Matriarca by Vanessa Cruz, and Unbroken by Carmen Santiago. Also look out for Haitian selection Through the Barricades, whose director Alexandrine Benjamin earned a directing nomination.
More than a screening weekend
Friday’s program addresses the business of filmmaking, distribution, migration and storytelling, and artificial intelligence. A conversation between Stefon Bristol and Rashad Frett examines the journey from short film to feature. For aspiring filmmakers, these sessions may be as useful as the screenings themselves.
With CARIFF also opening in Delaware, the weekend offers two distinct opportunities to engage with Caribbean cinema in the United States. Conch Shell’s New York program gives local audiences a way to discover unfamiliar names, meet storytellers and support their work in person.
The official website lists a three-day festival pass at $150, alongside links to individual tickets. Review screening blocks and current availability before booking. This is a preview based on the announced program, rather than reviews of films CEM has screened.
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