Jacmel, Haiti: Outdoor Film Festival Supports Growth of Haitian Cinema

The Festival Film Jacmèl is one of Haiti's largest cultural events, founded in 2004 by Haitian artist Patrick Boucard and American filmmaker David Belle through FOSAJ, an arts development organization in the beautiful southern coastal city of Jacmel. Since its creation, over 200 films have been shown to large Haitian and international audiences. All screenings are free to the public.

The second edition of the festival drew more than 2,000 viewers to the opening night world premiere of Cousines, a Haitian film by director Richard Senecal, screened on the city's wharf -- a public space that had sat largely unused since it was built six years earlier to attract cruise ships. “A previously neglected section of Jacmel has suddenly found new life,” one observer wrote. Word of mouth doubled attendance on the second night; vendors set up at the gate selling food and drinks.

The festival screened over 100 films across four venues, including a restored former cinema, a disco repurposed as a daytime screening house for 500, and the open-air wharf for night screenings. More than 15 directors attended, with representatives from 30 countries. Workshops and filmmaker dialogues were organized throughout the week, including sessions on adapting novels to cinema, the practice of cinematography, and working with non-professional actors. Participants ranged from high school students and journalists to aspiring videographers and university students drawn from across the country.