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Theme for 2027: “Fanm Djanm: The Art of Resilient Women in Haitian Cinema”
The board and I are thrilled to welcome submissions for the Haiti International Film Festival and elevate Pan-African stories for the 12th year running.”— Festival Executive Director and filmmaker Jacquil ConstantHOLLYWOOD, CA, UNITED STATES, October 16, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Filmmakers and storytellers now have a window to get their work in front of a global audience as the Haiti International Film Festival opens the call for its 12th annual edition, set to unfold at Hollywood’s historic Barnsdall Gallery Theater. The timing of the event is anything but arbitrary — it aligns with Dessalines Day, the annual observance honoring Jean-Jacques Dessalines, the revolutionary leader whose efforts were pivotal in making Haiti the first independent black nation in the Western Hemisphere.
The festival’s creative direction for 2027 draws directly from Executive Director Jacquil Constant’s forthcoming feature documentary, which shines a light on female Haitian creatives — a first glimpse of which is available here. That inspiration crystallizes into the theme “Fanm Djanm: The Art of Resilient Women in Haitian Cinema.” The chosen date also carries deep historical weight: it marks the anniversary of the Bois Caiman ceremony, the gathering in the woods near Le Cap in the French colony of Saint-Domingue where 200 enslaved Africans plotted their revolt for independence on August 14, 1791.
“The 2027 theme really spoke for itself as this past August we had so many powerhouse female creatives on the stage and in the room. Haitian women have shaped the nation’s freedom, cultural memory, and community life for generations. Centering their stories on screen recognizes them as historical actors and creative voices with a celebratory spotlight, and also allows for the exploration of not only their suffering, but their artistry, authority, ambition, joy, and complexity. The board and I are thrilled to welcome submissions for the Haiti International Film Festival and elevate Pan-African stories for the 12th year running,” said Constant.
Since its founding in 2015 by Constant — an award-winning documentarian, cultural curator, and film professor — HIFF has worked to counter the global erasure of Haitian culture by amplifying Haitian and Pan-African voices and their contributions to cinema. Constant’s own feature directorial debut, Haiti Is A Nation Of Artists, which offers an intimate look at Haitian artists creating transformative work in the aftermath of the 2010 earthquake, was officially screened at Cannes Pavillion Afronova. A trailer for that film is available here.
Entry fees begin at $30, with categories spanning shorts, features, and documentaries. Submissions are being accepted via FilmFreeway. Key dates for the 2027 cycle are as follows:
Early Deadline: December 14, 2026
Regular Deadline: January 12, 2027
Late Deadline: May 31, 2027
Selection Notification: July 18, 2027
HIFF stands as a leading platform for Haitian and Pan-African artists and scholars, working to bridge continents, challenge bias, and build cultural pride through the moving image. The 2027 program will again be hosted by Haitian American actor Béchir Sylvain (Jurassic World: Rebirth). Past festival honorees include award-winning author and Yale Professor Marlene Daut; actress and producer Tessa Munro (NCIS, Captain Tsunami); actor/model Rodney Charles; actor and creative consultant Jean Elie (Send Help, Wonder Man, Insecure); Kelley Kali, recipient of the 2021 SXSW Special Jury Award (Hulu’s Jagged Mind, Lalo’s House); Meta Golding (Ransom Canyon, The Hunger Games franchise); and Jimmy Jean-Louis (Toussaint Louverture, Heroes), among others.
Beyond the festival itself, Constant and his team are expanding their nonprofit mission into new territory with a creative retreat in Cap-Haïtien from January 11–18, 2027. Designed to strengthen the Haitian creative ecosystem, the inaugural HIFF Retreat will bring the festival’s archive into conversation with northern Haiti’s history, ancestral memory, and contemporary creative life through screenings, workshops, and project development.
For more details or to apply, please reach out to: https://filmfreeway.com/HIFFRetreat or hiffretreat@haitiinternationalfilmfestival.org
Cydney Prentice
Cydney Schiller Prentice PR
+1 805-660-9778
cydneysppr@gmail.com
