Naples Cinematheque to host first ever Caribbean Film Festival in Naples

Writer: Elyssa Morataya
Published: Updated:
Select films featured in the Carib Film Festival

The Naples Cinematheque will soon host its first Caribbean Film Festival.

The four-day festival kicks off on Feb. 20 and runs until Feb. 23 at the Paragon Theater Pavilion.

The festival will screen 19 of the best films from seven Caribbean countries.

David Garonzik, Co-Founder and CEO of the Naples Cinematheque, said that over the last year, he has contacted filmmakers from every island in the Caribbean and received close to 80 submissions.

Two of the films showcased in the festival have also appeared in larger film festivals.

The Haitian film “Kidnapping Inc.” premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival and the Jamaican film “When Morning Comes” debuted at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival.

Garonzik describes “Kidnapping Inc.” as a “fun, Saturday night, popcorn, action-packed movie.”

Garonzik describes the festival as a labor of love, something he has been passionate about establishing since moving to Naples in 2022.

“I always had a relationship with Jamaica and Jamaican Cinema, and so it was just sort of a natural progression for me to put together a festival celebrating all films from the Caribbean,” said Garonzik.

Caribbean culture has a deep history in Florida.

“The fact is that they’re all our neighbors,” said Garonzik. “We’re closer to Jamaica and Haiti, to the islands than we are to Alabama and North Carolina and Virginia.”

Garonzik said he’s grateful for the support he’s received from the Naples Botanical Garden, Naples Cinematheque sponsor Carl Fernstrom, and, of course, Paragon Theaters.

The Naples Cinematheque hopes to establish the event as an internationally recognized Caribbean film festival in the future.

The festival kicks off on Feb. 20, the same day as acclaimed Bahamian actor Sidney Poitier’s birthday.

Tickets for the festival are on sale now, click here to purchase.

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