The Bermuda Black Film Festival holds its first edition October 15 to 18, 2026, at the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute. More than 20 films from over 15 countries and territories will screen. Los Angeles filmmaker Sienna McLean-LoGreco’s “Three Black Men: A Journey Into the Magical Otherwise” opens the festival and receives its top honor, the Black Atlantic Storytelling Award.
Key Takeaways
- The inaugural event, called the Bermuda Black Film Weekend: Founders Edition, runs under the theme “Connecting Voices Across the Diaspora.”
- “Three Black Men” follows three Black men retracing the transatlantic slave route in reverse, traveling from Los Angeles to Salvador da Bahia and then to Accra.
- Film submissions came from the United States, Jamaica, the US Virgin Islands, Curaçao, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Cabo Verde, Algeria, the United Kingdom, and several other European countries.
- The free GIFTED Youth Film Summit on October 15 will host 50 girls between 13 and 18 for hands-on filmmaking workshops.
- Actress and producer Tangi Miller will hold the world premiere of “A Christmas Conflict” during the festival’s women-in-cinema day on October 16.
- Zhyon International Ltd. produces the festival, led by founder and festival director Dr. Dana Selassie and festival producer Sia Spence, an award-winning screenwriter.
Bermuda Positions Itself at the Center of the Black Atlantic
The Bermuda Black Film Festival starts from a geographic argument. Bermuda is a majority-Black island in the North Atlantic, shaped by the same ocean that carried the transatlantic slave trade. Its location connects Africa, the Caribbean, North America, and Europe. The organizers’ case is that this position makes Bermuda a natural meeting point for the global Black film community, not a remote outpost.
Dr. Dana Selassie put it plainly in the festival’s announcement: “Bermuda is not on the edge of the Black Atlantic.” That framing shapes the program. Rather than modeling itself on large Black film festivals in the United States, the Bermuda Black Film Festival describes itself as a boutique international destination where filmmakers from across the diaspora can meet in a setting tied to their shared history.
The festival has said its program is not limited to Black filmmakers. Selection centers on stories that explore Black lives, histories, identities, and futures, judged on quality, integrity, and cultural significance rather than the filmmaker’s background.
“Three Black Men” Retraces the Middle Passage in Reverse
Sienna McLean-LoGreco’s “Three Black Men: A Journey Into the Magical Otherwise” will open the Bermuda Black Film Festival at the Black Carpet: Opening Night Experience on Thursday, October 15, at 6 p.m. The documentary follows its three subjects from Los Angeles to Salvador da Bahia in Brazil and then to Accra, Ghana, where they pass through the Door of No Return. The film deals with generational trauma while reimagining Black male identity, healing, and liberation.
The opening night choice fits the festival’s theme. Dr. Selassie has described the film as tracing the route ancestors were forced to take and returning with a freedom they were denied, and she called it an especially meaningful opening for an island shaped by the same Atlantic history. A curated conversation with international and Bermudian film professionals follows the screening.
Women Filmmakers and Diaspora Stories Shape the Festival Program
The Bermuda Black Film Festival gives each day its own focus. Friday, October 16, is She Creates: Celebrating Women in Cinema, a full day of screenings and panels by and about women. Alongside Tangi Miller’s “A Christmas Conflict” premiere, the program includes “Ms Jobson,” a film about Diane Jobson, Bob Marley’s lawyer, known in Jamaica as the “Rasta lawyer.”
Saturday, October 17, is Roots, Rock, Revolution: Stories. Power. Change., with diasporic and island-centered films, including Rico Speight’s “Rediscovering Fanon,” and discussions with Black male filmmakers and executives. That evening, a closing feature presentation leads into the first Bermuda Black Film Festival Awards.
Industry Access Is the Festival’s Long-Term Goal
The Bermuda Black Film Festival is designed to build Bermuda’s creative economy, not only to screen films. International directors, producers, and executives, including industry professionals from Los Angeles, New York, Atlanta, and the Nollywood industry, are traveling to Bermuda to work with local and Caribbean storytellers.
Dr. Selassie has described the gap the festival is trying to close: talent already exists in Bermuda and across the Black Atlantic, but access to decision-makers, funding networks, and distribution channels often does not. The Sunday, October 18 Industry Workshop, From Vision to Screen, addresses this directly with sessions on directing, cinematography, editing, project development, film funding, and distribution. Spaces are limited.
The GIFTED Youth Film Summit, short for Girls in Film, Technology, Entertainment and Design, targets the next generation. The free summit responds to the continued underrepresentation of women in film leadership and technical roles. Young men interested in filmmaking are also welcome. CONVEX sponsors the summit, with support from Bermuda’s Ministry of Education.
Tickets and Passes for the Bermuda Black Film Festival
Black Carpet Opening Night tickets are sold through GPass, and general festival tickets became available through ByBermuda on October 1. Options include individual screening tickets, day passes, and a VIP Festival Pass covering screenings, the Industry Workshop, and Awards night. Availability is limited for some events.
For the global Black film community, the first edition will show whether a small Atlantic island can become a lasting meeting point for diaspora cinema. The organizers have described this Founders Edition as the first step toward that goal.
FAQs
When is the Bermuda Black Film Festival?
The inaugural Bermuda Black Film Festival, called the Bermuda Black Film Weekend: Founders Edition, takes place October 15 to 18, 2026.
Where is the Bermuda Black Film Festival held?
The main festival events take place at the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute (BUEI), including the opening night, women in cinema day, and the closing awards.
What film opens the Bermuda Black Film Festival?
Sienna McLean-LoGreco’s “Three Black Men: A Journey Into the Magical Otherwise” opens the festival on October 15 and receives the Black Atlantic Storytelling Award.
Is the Bermuda Black Film Festival only for Black filmmakers?
No. The festival welcomes filmmakers of any background whose work authentically explores Black lives, histories, identities, and futures.
How can young people take part in the Bermuda Black Film Festival?
The free GIFTED Youth Film Summit on October 15 offers hands-on workshops for 50 girls between 13 and 18, and young men interested in filmmaking are also welcome.
