Film & culture
Global Caribbean Cinema, Film Talent and Red-Carpet Culture Come to Wilmington
CARIFF and the inaugural Caribbean Film Awards unite Caribbean stories, fashion and film talent for a two-day celebration.
WILMINGTON, Del. — September 2026 — Caribbean filmmakers, actors, creatives and cultural leaders from across the region and diaspora will come together in Wilmington this fall for CARIFF — the Caribbean International Film & Fashion Festival and the inaugural Caribbean Film Awards (CFA), taking place October 9–10, 2026.
The two-day weekend will feature Caribbean film screenings at Penn Cinema at the Riverfront, a Caribbean Fashion Show at Sheraton Suites Wilmington Downtown and the Caribbean Film Awards at Theatre N.
The festival lineup brings together commercially distributed films, Sundance- and ESSENCE-recognized projects, major streaming talent, award-winning filmmakers and Caribbean stories from across the diaspora.
Special Guests & Presenters
Among the expected filmmakers, nominees, presenters and industry guests are:
Fredi Nwaka — Writer and director of JAFAICAN
Jacinth Headlam — Actress, filmmaker and CFA nominee; Love After the Holidays on BET+
Nicoye Banks — Actor who portrayed Jacob in Sinners
Lorena Jorge — Actress and producer from Disney’s Ultra Violet & Black Scorpion and HBO Max’s Young Love
Christina Cooper — CFA Award Presenter with credits connected to BET, Hulu, Peacock and Disney
Deon Gibson — Filmmaker with work available on platforms including Prime Video, Tubi and Roku
Rep. Madinah Wilson-Anton — Delaware State Representative and CFA nominee for Pie So Hard
Additional presenters and special guests will be announced leading into the weekend.
Featured Films & Industry Recognition
Homage — Available on Prime Video and Apple TV, featuring Majah Hype.
JAFAICAN — Directed by Fredi Nwaka and featuring Wil Johnson of HBO’s House of the Dragon, Peter Andre, Oliver Samuels and Sizzla Kalonji; available on platforms including Google Play and Apple TV.
Threads of Us — From Donisha Prendergast and Mykal Cushnie, with recognition at the ESSENCE Festival of Culture.
Dreams Like Paper Boats — Official Selection of the 2024 Sundance Film Festival.
Someone Loves You — Featured at the ESSENCE Film Festival.
Discovering Bessie Coleman — Award-winning documentary recognized at the Cannes World Film Festival.
Together, the weekend brings Wilmington Sundance-selected cinema, ESSENCE recognition, Cannes-recognized documentary work, Prime Video and Apple TV distribution, HBO and BET+ credentials, and nationally recognized film and television talent.
Two Days of Film, Fashion and Awards
On Friday, October 9, CARIFF will present Caribbean short-film showcases, filmmaker conversations and feature screenings including JAFAICAN and Threads of Us.
Saturday continues with feature programming including Queen of Soca, Redeemed: A Father’s Love, Homage and additional official selections.
At 7:00 p.m., CARIFF moves downtown for the 2nd Annual Caribbean Fashion Show at Sheraton Suites Wilmington Downtown, featuring designers and Carnival presentations from across the Caribbean.
The weekend concludes at 9:00 p.m. with the Caribbean Film Awards at Theatre N, recognizing achievement across acting, directing, documentary, short and feature filmmaking, music, costume and fashion, heritage storytelling and emerging talent.
“Caribbean stories deserve to be seen, celebrated and recognized on a global stage,” said Lexi Whilby, Founder of the Caribbean Film Awards and Festival Director of CARIFF. “This weekend brings together established talent, emerging filmmakers and audiences around the incredible range of Caribbean storytelling.”
CARIFF — Caribbean International Film & Fashion Festival
October 9–10, 2026 | Wilmington, Delaware
Film Screenings: Penn Cinema at the Riverfront
Caribbean Fashion Show: Saturday, October 10 | 7:00 p.m. | Sheraton Suites Wilmington Downtown
Caribbean Film Awards: Saturday, October 10 | 9:00 p.m. | Theatre N
Tickets & Schedule: caribbeanfilmandfashion.com
Caribbean Film Awards: CaribbeanFilmAwards.com
Lexi Whilby
Founder, Caribbean Film Awards
Festival Director, CARIFF
info@caribbeanfilmawards.com