British filmmaker sweeps awards at Black River Film Festival
Published:Monday | July 7, 2025 | 12:09 AM
The Black River Film Festival 2025 wrapped up its two-day programme with British filmmaker Sofian Francis dominating the awards, taking home five honours for his short film Dante’s Inferno – The Ascension. The festival, staged June 27–28, at Cloggy’s on the Beach in Black River, St. Elizabeth, achieved its goal of facilitating co-productions and film distribution opportunities for local and international filmmakers, producers, and creatives.
Audiences were captivated by the gripping and visually striking Dante’s Inferno – The Ascension, starring Francis who is of Barbadian descent. The film earned the most accolades of the night, winning Best Sound, Best Editing, Best Cinematography, Best Narrative Short, and Best Director.
Other notable awardees included Philosophy of a Jamaican Landscape Photographer, which won Best Documentary; Village Keeper, awarded Best Feature-Length Narrative; Sherando Ferril, who earned Best Actress for her role in Sweet Rind; Sugar Dumplin, which took home Best Story and Best Jamaican Film; Evy Royal, honoured with the Best Cultural Icon Award; and Renee Williams and Kaleb D’Aguilar, who received the Spirit of the Festival Award for their film Just Like Mommy.
Oliver Samuels received Best Actor in Sugar Dumplin as well as the Lifetime Achievement Award for his outstanding contribution to the Jamaican cultural and creative industry.
Reflecting on the film’s success, Sofian Francis said, “It was met with cheers, tears, laughter, applause, people sitting on the edges of their seats and jumping out of their skin! It felt incredible to watch an audience who knew nothing about Dante’s react to this very ambitious film, the combination of the audience reaction, industry recognition.”
Panel discussions explored topics such as What Makes Good Content, the Future of the Jamaican Film Industry, International Partnerships, Sustainable Growth, and Global Film Distribution. Among this year’s special guests and speakers were Jackie Jackson, Jamaica’s film commissioner; JAMPRO’s Kevin Jackson; Netflix series producer Samad Davis; Cédric Pierre-Louis of Canal+ International; executive film producer, Dolapo Erinkitola; UK vlogger Jetset Jackie; Jamaican Digital Content Creator, Evy Royal; and Floyd Green, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Mining.
In praising the festival’s impact, Minister Green said that it was an “an exceptional event and this second staging showed significant growth”.
“Thanks to the CHASE Fund and the Jamaica Tourist Board for their support. I look forward to the third staging,” Green said.
Dr. Ava Eagle Brown, founder and CEO of the Black River Film Festival, added, “This year’s festival proved that Jamaican storytelling resonates powerfully on the world stage and that Jamaica has more than enough hope ... Jamaica has promise.”
The festival was hosted by Cornelius Grant and Sherando Ferril, who carried audiences through two days of excitement and activities.