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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 Constant
HOLLYWOOD, CA, UNITED STATES, October 16, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — The countdown is on for the 12th annual Haiti International Film Festival (HIFF), and the call for entries is officially open. The festival is set to unfold at Hollywood’s historic Barnsdall Gallery Theater, with the event deliberately timed to coincide with Dessalines Day, a commemoration of Jean-Jacques Dessalines, the revolutionary leader whose efforts helped establish Haiti as the first independent Black nation in the Western Hemisphere.
This year’s edition draws direct inspiration from Jacquil Constant’s upcoming feature documentary centered on female Haitian creatives — a first look at Haiti Is A Nation of Artists – Femmes de Couleur is available here. The 2027 theme, “Fanm Djanm: The Art of Resilient Women in Haitian Cinema,” honors that legacy. The date also carries deep historical resonance: August 14 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 the revolt that ignited the Haitian Revolution in 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.
Founded in 2015 by Constant, a documentarian, cultural curator, and film professor, HIFF was created to counter the erasure of Haitian culture on a global scale by amplifying Haitian and Pan-African voices in cinema. Constant’s own directorial debut, Haiti Is A Nation Of Artists, which offers an intimate portrait of Haitian artists producing transformative work in the aftermath of the 2010 earthquake, was officially screened at Cannes Pavillion Afronova. The trailer can be viewed here.
Submission fees begin at $30 and cover shorts, features, and documentaries. Filmmakers can submit via filmfreeway.com/HIFF. Key dates for the 2027 festival cycle are as follows:
Early Deadline: December 14, 2026
Regular Deadline: January 12, 2027
Late Deadline: May 31, 2027
Selection Notification: July 18, 2027
As the leading platform for Haitian and Pan-African creatives and scholars, HIFF works to bridge continents, challenge bias, and foster cultural pride through film. The 2027 edition will once again be hosted by Haitian American actor Béchir Sylvain (Jurassic World: Rebirth). Past 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 (Jagged Mind, Lalo’s House); Meta Golding (Ransom Canyon, The Hunger Games franchise); and Jimmy Jean-Louis (Toussaint Louverture, Heroes).
Beyond the festival itself, Constant and his team are planning a creative retreat in Cap-Haïtien from January 11-18, 2027, aimed at strengthening Haiti’s creative ecosystem. The inaugural HIFF Retreat will pair the festival’s archive with northern Haiti’s history, ancestral memory, and contemporary creative scene, offering screenings, workshops, and project development sessions.
For additional information or to apply, visit https://filmfreeway.com/HIFFRetreat or contact hiffretreat@haitiinternationalfilmfestival.org
Why it matters: With each edition, HIFF continues to carve out space for stories that mainstream cinema too often overlooks. By centering Haitian women and Pan-African narratives, the festival not only preserves cultural memory but also shapes the future of global filmmaking from a perspective rooted in resilience and creativity.
Cydney Prentice
Cydney Schiller Prentice PR
+1 805-660-9778
cydneysppr@gmail.com
