Caribbean film celebration in Hastings

Caribbean cinema comes to Hastings this spring with the new screening series Crossroads.

Spokeswoman Sophie Goldstone said: “Electric Palace Cinema presents three unmissable events – including a children’s half-term programme and a live talkback – as part of a bold new UK film series.

“Electric Palace Cinema in Hastings is proud to host Crossroads, a ground-breaking new screening series bringing contemporary Caribbean cinema to south-east England for the first time.

“Running this May and June, the series presents a curated selection of films drawn from the Trinidad+Tobago Film Festival (TTFF) – the world’s leading platform for Caribbean filmmaking – offering Hastings audiences rare access to stories rarely seen on UK screens.

“Electric Palace will screen three events as part of the series: a half-term children’s programme, a feature screening of the Trinidad and Tobago drama, Queen of Soca, and a closing night screening of the TIFF and TTFF award-winning, Kanaval, accompanied by a live facilitated talkback.”

Coming up:

Big Stories for Little Ones: Short Caribbean Films for Children and Families, Wednesday, May 27, 11am: “Timed for the half-term holiday, this special children's programme brings together a collection of vibrant Caribbean short films – spanning animation, fiction, and documentary – from Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, and Dominica. Playful, imaginative, and full of heart, the films introduce young audiences and families to new voices and worlds, including Talisman the Goat, The Hip Hops, Little Moko, Gods of the Universe, Evangeline, and Smile.”

Tickets: £10 per adult/£5 per child.

Queen of Soca, Thursday, June 4, 7.30pm: “A bold, joyful, and emotionally charged feature from Trinidad and Tobago, Queen of Soca follows Olivia – a singer from the slums of Port of Spain – as she battles her devout mother’s disapproval and chases her dream of competing in the country’s biggest soca competition. Featuring a leading performance from soca star, Terri-Ann Lyons, Queen of Soca – funny, fierce, and full of music – is a film about ambition, identity, and the power of culture.”

Tickets: £12.

Kanaval + Talkback with Tola Dabiri, Wednesday June 18, 7.30pm. “The series closes with Kanaval, a luminous and emotionally rich feature in which nine-year-old Rico – uprooted from Haiti to Canada in the 1970s – navigates a strange new world with the help of Kana, an imaginary friend from Haitian mythology. Following the screening, Hastings-based facilitator Tola Dabiri (Electric Piers) will lead a post-film talkback, creating a welcoming space to explore the film's themes of displacement, memory, and belonging.”

Tickets: £12.

Crossroads is presented by SAVANT Media, the Hastings-based organisation led by TTFF director and Hastings resident Mariel Brown in partnership with Electric Palace and independent cinemas across the region.

“Crossroads is about creating a space in the UK for Caribbean stories to be seen, heard, talked about, and celebrated,” Mariel said.

Tickets for all screenings are available at electricpalacecinema.com. The full Crossroads series also takes place at Depot (Lewes), Towner Cinema (Eastbourne), and BEAM (Hertford).