FiWi Short Film Competition finalists revealed

The 10 finalists selected for the 2026 FiWi Short Film Competition have been disclosed by the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC) ahead of the competition’s awards ceremony scheduled for November 26.

They are: Reciprocity (Horror) – Gillian Wisdom; Mi Soon Come (Animation) – Nathan Chen; Aged (Sci-Fi) – Terron Mitchell; The Last Cookie (Sci-Fi) – Cleveland McLeish; Running on Empty (Drama) – Marrissa Hepburn; Day Off (Comedy) – Ricardo Anderson; Borrowed Time (Sci-Fi) – Alicia Walker; Last Hand (Drama/Thriller) – Diandra Michelle Schroeter; Dancer Girl (Drama) – Jayda Pitter; and Trench Town: The Birth of a Cultural Revolution (Documentary) – Lennox Richards.

The films, which are available for viewing on the JCDC’s YouTube channel, give Jamaicans at home and across the diaspora an opportunity to experience the creativity and storytelling talent of emerging local filmmakers. By making the productions accessible on YouTube, the JCDC noted that it is expanding opportunities for audiences to engage with local films, support new talent, and contribute to building a wider audience for Jamaican storytelling.

Executive director of the JCDC, Lenford Salmon, said the competition is an important part of the commission’s commitment to grassroots cultural development and the continued growth of Jamaica’s creative industries.

“Grassroots development is critical to building a sustainable creative industry. We must create opportunities for our people, particularly emerging filmmakers, to discover their potential, develop their craft, and share their stories with the world. Through the FiWi Short Film Competition, the JCDC is helping to lay that foundation by providing a platform for Jamaican talent to flourish and strengthening our capacity to tell our own stories through film,” Salmon said.

Shaun Drysdale, conceptualiser of the FiWi Short Film Competition and drama and theatre arts development specialist at the JCDC, expressed satisfaction with the standard of entries, describing the finalists as evidence of the growing potential of Jamaican filmmaking.

“We are very encouraged by the high quality of this year’s entries. The films demonstrate creativity, imagination, and a growing confidence among our filmmakers in their ability to tell compelling stories through film. The top 10 finalists represent an exciting showcase of local talent, and we look forward to audiences experiencing the work, thought and creativity that have gone into these productions,” Drysdale said.

He encouraged the public to watch and share the films, emphasising that audience engagement is essential to building appreciation for Jamaican film and encouraging the next generation of storytellers.

“We want Jamaicans at home and across the diaspora to watch these films, celebrate the talent behind them, and show our emerging filmmakers that their stories matter. Supporting Jamaican film begins with giving our productions an audience. By watching and sharing these films, the public can help amplify our stories, encourage our creatives, and demonstrate that Jamaican talent deserves recognition on every screen. The likes on YouTube and Instagram will count as votes for the Viewer’s Choice Award in the competition,” he said.

The 2026 competition challenged participants to explore the overarching theme of ‘Resilience’ through original short films ranging from five to 15 minutes. Entrants were required to work within one of five genres: comedy, drama, science fiction, documentary or animation, drawing inspiration from a Jamaican proverb selected by the organisers.

The proverbs guiding this year’s entries are: Any dutti waata kool hat iron; Ole file cyaan shaap’n new machete; A nuh same day leaf drap it ratten; Ef yuh bawn fi heng yuh cyaan drown; and Wha sweet Nanny goat ago run him belli.

Participants were encouraged to interpret these familiar Jamaican sayings creatively, exploring their relevance to resilience while demonstrating the power of film to communicate cultural values, experiences and perspectives.

entertainment@gleanerjm.com