12TH ANNUAL HAITI INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL CALLS FOR SUBMISSIONS Celebration of Haitian Diasporic Film Bows 8/14/27

Theme for 2027: “Fanm Djanm: The Art of Resilient Women in Haitian Cinema”

HOLLYWOOD, CA, UNITED STATES, October 16, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — The Haiti International Film Festival (HIFF) is now accepting submissions for its 12th annual show taking place at Hollywood’s historic Barnsdall Gallery Theater. Timed to the historic Dessalines Day, which memorializes Jean-Jacques Dessalines, a leader of the Haitian Revolution who played an integral role in establishing Haiti as the first independent black nation in the Western Hemisphere.

Inspired by The Haiti International Film Festival Executive Director and filmmaker Jacquil Constant’s upcoming feature documentary spotlighting female Haitian creatives (first look at Haiti Is A Nation of Artists – Femmes de Couleur here) the 2027 festival theme is “Fanm Djanm: The Art of Resilient Women in Haitian Cinema.” The event date honors the first major slave insurrection that marked the start of the Haitian Revolution – Bois Caiman is a location in the woods near Le Cap in the French colony of Saint-Domingue where 200 enslaved Africans met and decided to revolt for independence on August 14, 1791.

“The 2027 theme really spoke for itself as this past August we had so many powerhouse female creatives on the stage and in the room. Haitian women have shaped the nation’s freedom, cultural memory, and community life for generations. Centering their stories on screen recognizes them as historical actors and creative voices with a celebratory spotlight, and also allows for the exploration of not only their suffering, but their artistry, authority, ambition, joy, and complexity. The board and I are thrilled to welcome submissions for the Haiti International Film Festival and elevate Pan-African stories for the 12th year running,” said Constant.

HIFF was established in 2015 by award-winning documentarian, cultural curator and film professor Constant to subvert Haitian culture erasure on a global scale by elevating Haitian and Pan-African voices, stories and namely powerful contributions to the canon of film. Constant’s own feature directorial debut Haiti Is A Nation Of Artists – offering an intimate view into the lives of Haitian artists creating transformative work after the 2010 earthquake – was officially screened at Cannes Pavillion Afronova. (Haiti Is A Nation Of Artists-Trailer HERE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVQvmXEk5sw).

Submission fees start at $30 with categories including shorts, features and documentaries. To submit, please visit filmfreeway.com/HIFF. Key dates for 2027 film festival submissions include:

Early Deadline: December 14, 2026
Regular Deadline: January 12, 2027
Late Deadline: May 31, 2027
Selection Notification: July 18, 2027

HIFF is the premier platform for Haitian and Pan-African creatives and academics, bridging continents, confronting bias, giving voice to the voiceless, and building cultural pride through film. The 2027 show will once again be hosted by Haitian American actor Béchir Sylvain (Jurassic World: Rebirth). In recent years, the festival has honored such guests as award-winning author and Yale Professor Marlene Daut; actress and producer Tessa Munro (NCIS, Captain Tsunami); actor/model Rodney Charles; actor and creative consultant Jean Elie (Send Help, Wonder Man, Insecure); recipient of the 2021 SXSW Special Jury Award Kelley Kali (Hulu’s Jagged Mind, Lalo’s House); Meta Golding (Ransom Canyon, The Hunger Games franchise) and Jimmy Jean-Louis (Toussaint Louverture, Heroes), among others.

As a testament to the nonprofit’s broader commitment to community healing, networking, educational and cultural initiatives for creatives from Haiti and across the African diaspora, Constant and team will be hosting a creative retreat in Cap-Haïtien January 11-18, 2027 to help build a stronger Haitian creative ecosystem. The inaugural HIFF Retreat plans to bring the rich HIFF archive into conversation with northern Haiti’s history, ancestral memory, contemporary creative life, and the future of Haitian cinema through screenings, workshops, and project development.

For more details or to apply, please reach out to: https://filmfreeway.com/HIFFRetreat or hiffretreat@haitiinternationalfilmfestival.org

Cydney Prentice
Cydney Schiller Prentice PR
+1 805-660-9778
cydneysppr@gmail.com

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