This April in Barbados, an unprecedented gathering will take place, bringing together esteemed figures from the film industry. Acclaimed actress CCH Pounder, renowned film producer Paul Garnes, and a cohort of international media executives will join 26 top-tier producers from Canada, the United Kingdom, South Africa, and various Caribbean nations for the inaugural Cross Continental Forum (CCF).

Organized by CaribbeanTales Media Group and Imagine Media International in collaboration with the Faculty of Culture, Creative, and Performing Arts at the UWI Cave Hill Campus, the CCF aims to catalyze collaboration and business growth within the global film industry.
Kicking off with a screening of Ava DuVernay’s acclaimed film “Origin” and an interactive talk-back session with Paul Garnes at the Errol Barrow Centre for Creative Imagination, the forum promises dynamic engagement. Hosting the talk-back session will be none other than CCH Pounder herself, as announced in a recent media release.
This pioneering event provides a fertile ground for co-production ventures and the cultivation of new business horizons, bringing together leaders, producers, and innovators from diverse backgrounds. Their collaborative exchanges of ideas and visions are poised to spark innovative co-productions.

Frances-Anne Solomon, CEO of CaribbeanTales Media Group, voiced her excitement, stating, “We are thrilled to convene a diverse array of international professionals to forge new partnerships. As storytellers from the global south, with networks spanning the globe, we possess a wealth of untold stories that resonate globally.”
This year’s focus is on “Decolonizing the co-production process for the benefit of the Global South,” aiming to facilitate interactive networking that fosters successful, long-term production collaborations.

Lisa Wickham, President & CEO of Imagine Media International Limited, emphasized the forum’s potential to uncover compelling, diverse narratives, remarking, “We anticipate the Cross Continental Forum to be a treasure trove of robust, untold, diverse tales.”
Supported by esteemed entities such as the British Film Institute (BFI), the Canada Media Fund (CMF), the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (Fed Dev), the International Trade Centre (ITC), the Trinidad and Tobago Film Co. (FilmTT), and Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc. (BTMI), the event offers an exceptional platform for nurturing partnerships and forging co-productions spanning the UK, Canada, Africa, and the Caribbean.
Highlights of the event include peer-to-peer discussions, real-life case studies, engaging panel discussions, networking opportunities, pitch sessions, and roundtable conversations.
Agnieszka Moody, BFI Head of International Relations, expressed enthusiasm for the forum, stating, “We are delighted to support the Cross Continental Forum in Barbados. It presents a fantastic opportunity for UK-based filmmakers to connect with filmmaking talent across the Caribbean region, which shares rich cultural ties with the UK and Canada.”
Through initiatives like the CCF, the global film industry endeavors to facilitate diverse, collaborative storytelling that captivates audiences worldwide.