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Discovering Las Terrenas: Building Community Through Story, Culture, and Collaboration - A Cultural Travel Documentary Premiere in Partnership with iTravel for Culture

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Las Terrenas, Samaná, Dominican Republic — The Alma Film Festival is proud to spotlight the premiere of Episode 1 of The Secret Is Samaná , the new cultural documentary travel series created by filmmaker Reggie Gibbs and iTravel for Culture . Titled “Discovering Las Terrenas | Where Culture Meets the Caribbean,” the first installment opens a cinematic journey into the heart of the Samaná Peninsula, revealing Las Terrenas through the voices, rhythms, and lived experiences that define the town beyond its tourist image. This is not a resort guide. It is cultural travel through everyday people, daily life, and the stories visitors often miss. In this first episode, viewers are invited into a grounded, immersive exploration of Las Terrenas through a documentary lens inspired by the spirit of Anthony Bourdain–style storytelling. The focus is not on attractions, but on connection—on the people, the food, the energy, and the quiet moments that shape a community. Throughout the episode, a...
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Alma Film Festival Announces Dangerous Waters as 2026 Opening Night Selection

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Las Terrenas, Dominican Republic — The Alma Film Festival is pleased to announce that Dangerous Waters (2023) has been selected as the festival’s Opening Night selection for its 2026 edition. The special screening will launch the week’s programming and will be followed by a reception welcoming filmmakers, industry leaders, partners, and guests from around the world. Filmed in and around Las Terrenas and the Samaná region, Dangerous Waters reflects the Dominican Republic’s growing capacity to support sophisticated international productions. Its inclusion is both a celebration of the film itself and a recognition of the region’s expanding role within the global production landscape. Odeya Rush, an Israeli-American actress, stars as Rose in the 2023 thriller Dangerous Waters, portraying a determined young woman driven to fight for survival and vengeance after a sailing trip turns deadly, alongside Eric Dane and Ray Liotta. “We are genuinely excited to showcase Dangerous Waters as part o...
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Afro-Mosaic Cinema Summit Announces Initial Speakers and Launches the Framework for a Global Cinematic Agenda

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Las Terrenas, Samaná (Dominican Republic) —  The Afro-Mosaic Cinema Summit , the cultural intelligence engine of the Alma Film Festival, has announced its initial group of featured speakers. Bringing together filmmakers, cultural leaders, producers, and creative-economy professionals, the Summit marks the beginning of a coordinated effort to develop a global cinematic agenda that will continue to evolve throughout the year through activations in multiple locations around the world. Guided by Alma’s Six Pillars of Purpose — Conversation | Connection | Community | Collaboration | Cultural Diplomacy | Collective Growth — the Afro-Mosaic Cinema Summit is designed to spark meaningful dialogue that leads to new partnerships, research pathways, and coordinated global engagement across the film ecosystem. Initial Featured Speakers Include: Diana Lynch-Grissett Hospitality, Real Estate, & Brand Strategist; Former CEO, Alma de Samaná Golf Resort & Residences. Pedro Daniel Catrain F...
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The Alma Film Festival Announces Partnership with iTravel for Culture on New Six-Part Cultural Travel Series, The Secret Is Samaná

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Las Terrenas, Samaná, Dominican Republic — The Alma Film Festival is proud to announce a creative partnership with filmmaker and cultural documentarian Reggie Gibbs and his platform iTravel for Culture on the release of The Secret Is Samaná , a six-part cultural documentary travel series exploring the people, history, food, and everyday life of the Samaná Peninsula. The series will roll out in the weeks leading up to the 2026 Alma Film Festival, with five episodes premiering in advance and a featured screening of the final episode during the festival itself. The collaboration reflects a shared commitment to authentic cultural storytelling, place-based discovery, and meaningful engagement with the communities that shape the identity of the region. Series Overview The Secret Is Samaná is a cinematic cultural travel docu-series that moves beyond typical destination coverage to uncover the stories that define community life. Each episode explores the peninsula through lived experience...
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World Premiere Preview: West Comix — A Live Reading & Performance Event at the Alma Film Festival

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A Special Festival Presentation | Exclusive Preview The Alma Film Festival is proud to present a special live preview of West Comix , a bold, genre-defying narrative universe developed by Clifton West , founder and lead visionary of the project. This exclusive festival presentation features a live reading of the debut episode, paired with performance elements that bring the world of West Comix into the room. Conceived as an immersive preview rather than a traditional screening, the event offers audiences an early encounter with a story universe that blends superhero storytelling, anime-inspired visual language, and emotionally grounded character work. West Comix is supported by renowned scholar, philosopher, and cultural critic Dr. Cornel West , who serves as a co-owner of the series and appears within the narrative through a character modeled after him—infusing the series with intellectual gravity and moral inquiry. At the center of West Comix is the Amazing Ninja —a rock-star Ninja ...
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Las Terrenas will host the Alma Film Festival with institutional support

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Las Terrenas, Samaná. Mayor Eduardo Esteban , Senator Pedro Catrain , the Minister of Tourism Andy Taveras , along with National Police authorities and cultural figures, held a coordination meeting on Friday, February 6th, to discuss the Alma Film Festival, an international film event scheduled to take place from March 17th to 22nd, 2026, in Las Terrenas, Samaná province. The initiative is led by filmmaker Anthony R. Page , who has extensive experience in the audiovisual industry. Las Terrenas Mayor Eduardo Esteban (center), alongside Minister of Tourism Andy Taveras (left), showing full commitment and the integration of local efforts in support of the Alma Film Festival. Representing the cultural sector were Liset Manzueta , Colonel Fidel de la Cruz Alcántara , commander of the National Police department, and Ana Padilla , representing the department that coordinates actions with the Ministry of Tourism, among other authorities.  During the meeting, the potential of Las Terrenas a...
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Afrotōpia, A Film By Gabonese Filmmaker David Mboussou, Named an Official Selection of the Alma Film Festival 2026

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Ezekiel on a boat. Caught between inheritance and imagination, between land and water, between what is expected and what must be protected. Las Terrenas, Samaná Province, Dominican Republic — The Alma Film Festival proudly announces Afrotōpia , directed by David Mboussou , as an Official Selection of its inaugural festival edition, taking place March 17–22, 2026 , in Las Terrenas, Dominican Republic. Afrotōpia (2025) is a Gabonese narrative film that follows Ezekiel , a 25-year-old aspiring filmmaker compelled to leave behind his artistic ambitions to work in his father’s logging business in the Congo Basin. When Ezekiel discovers plans to exploit a sacred forest, he is thrust into a profound moral conflict—one that places filial loyalty, creative freedom, and the survival of Indigenous communities in direct opposition. Rooted in the ecological and cultural realities of Central Africa, Afrotōpia examines legacy, power, and responsibility, asking urgent questions about who shapes th...
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