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What We Saw in Samaná Changed Us—Here’s What We’re Doing About It...

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Pictured here: Some of the Alma Film Festival's Community of Stakeholders. (L-R) Anthony R. Page (Festival Director), Perla Janerky Armando Sanchez, Yalonda Lolar-Johnson, Noelle Wright, Mal, Viara, Star, Kurt Wright, Nina, Katrin Kocsis, Alahna Lark, and Leonardo Armando.   A Festival Is Not Enough: Why We’re Investing in Samaná’s Creative Economy We are building a creative and workforce development pipeline in Samaná, Dominican Republic—designed to connect local talent to the global film and television economy. This work is rooted in something simple: presence. During our time in Las Terrenas and the greater Samaná region, we were welcomed with warmth, openness, and generosity—by students, educators, local leaders, and families. What we experienced was real, and it stayed with us. But so did what we observed. Samaná is a place with a rich and layered history—once a quiet fishing and farming community, now evolving into a destination with increasing global visibility. With that g...
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The Alma Film Festival Confirms The Secret, That Is Samana - Inaugural Festival Highlights and Hot Moments

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An impromptu performance by Malik Yoba became one of the many serendipitous moments that defined the spirit of the Alma Film Festival. Festival Recap At the outset, there was a question—quiet but persistent. With more than 12,000 film festivals operating around the world, was it still possible to create something that felt genuinely new? What emerged over the course of the Alma Film Festival in Samaná was not an answer in theory, but in practice. And it became clear, almost in real time, that what distinguishes Alma is not simply its programming model—though its emphasis on fewer films, deeper engagement, and research-centered dialogue is notable. It is the place itself. Here is a series of short visual sizzles capturing the essence, depth, and energy of the Alma Experience The Opening Night Of The Festival The Beauty of The Beach and The Beat Dominican Day in El Limón Our Community Connections Deepened We Made A Moment...Together Nicole Mapu, an expat from Chile, knows the secret th...
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Alma Film Festival Announces 2026 Award Winners Across the Global South

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Las Terrenas, Samaná, Dominican Republic — March 2026 The 2026 Alma Film Festival concluded with a powerful celebration of cinema from across the Global South, honoring films and artists whose work reflects the depth, creativity, and cultural force emerging from around the world. From Gabon to Cameroon, Switzerland to Fiji, Jamaica to Kenya , this year’s awards underscore Alma’s commitment to storytelling as a vehicle for connection, cultural exchange, and global dialogue. ----------- Honorary Recognition  -----------  The Dr. Cornel West Award for Global Truth & Cultural Conscience was presented to Rachel M’Bon of Switzerland , co-director of Je Suis Noires  and her work with Now We Are Rising and Afropeian Cultural Center . Je Suis Noires stands as a profound meditation on identity, belonging, and the lived experience of Black women in Switzerland—an essential contribution to global cinematic discourse. -----------  Marquee Awards  -----------...
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