The Necessity of Something New - The Alma Film Festival Continues to Evolve
Many of us have spent decades doing what we were told would work. We earned the credentials. We showed up prepared. We gave more than was asked. We learned how to navigate spaces that were never built with us in mind—and still, we succeeded, even as the rules continued to shift. Over time, one truth became impossible to ignore. The issue was never our talent, our work ethic, or our readiness. It has always been structural.
Across industries, long-standing promises around inclusion are quietly retreating. Doors that once appeared to be opening are narrowing again. In film, media, and culture, storytelling power remains concentrated—often far removed from the lived experiences of most of humanity.
Not long ago, there was a collective pause. A moment that invited reflection, honesty, and possibility. Many leaned in emotionally, professionally, and financially, believing that meaningful change might finally take hold. But before those seeds could mature, much of that progress was rolled back, leaving exhaustion and a lingering sense of lost time.
At a certain point in life, you stop waiting for systems to catch up.
You begin asking different questions. Questions about legacy. About sustainability. About who truly benefits from your labor and your vision. You realize that access alone is not enough. Ownership matters. Community matters. Building something that will outlast you matters.
What emerges is a deeper commitment to conversation and connection, to community and collaboration—to cultural diplomacy that builds bridges, and to collective growth that extends beyond any single moment or institution.
That understanding led us to build the Alma Film Festival.
The Alma Film Festival is a festival built in response to structural gaps in the global film ecosystem. It is a next-generation festival—research-centered, audience-focused, and tech-driven—grounded in scholarship, inquiry, and cultural analysis. Through this approach, we have cultivated a global community of stakeholders spanning more than 50 cities across 34 countries.
By design, Alma features fewer films and deeper engagement, prioritizing meaningful audience–filmmaker relationships over volume, visibility, or transactional exposure.
At its core, the festival is a global gathering created to nurture both ideas and people. It embraces a kaleidoscope of cultures and intentionally shifts the social dynamic from competition to connection. Alma creates space for collaboration, understanding, and shared growth—moving us from extraction to exchange, from visibility to value, and from presence to purpose.
We are doing something new...
There Is a Necessity For Something New
The Alma Film Festival Supports the Next Generation of Global Storytellers
Because building something new requires care, intention, and investment, one of the most meaningful ways to support this vision is through The Dandelion Institute’s Film & Television Fellowship—one of ALMA’s cornerstone programs and a direct expression of our commitment to long-term, structural change.
The Fellowship exists to nurture filmmakers from across the Global South—artists whose stories, perspectives, and cultural knowledge are essential to the future of cinema, yet too often remain under-resourced or unsupported beyond moments of visibility. Through mentorship, international exposure, and sustained support, we help ensure that their work doesn’t simply enter the world but has the opportunity to endure, circulate, and grow within a broader creative ecosystem.
This support shows up in tangible ways: time to develop projects without pressure to conform, access to mentors and collaborators across borders, and opportunities to be seen by audiences and partners who value context, culture, and craft—not just marketability.
If this vision resonates with you, we invite you to contribute. Whether you are an individual supporter, an institutional ally, or someone who simply believes in the importance of cultural stewardship, your participation matters. No amount is too small. Every donation directly supports the artists at the heart of this work and helps us continue building an ecosystem rooted in care, dignity, and long-term possibility.
Your support is not just a gift—it is a quiet but powerful act of belief in what comes next.
Learn More About Our Inaugural Group of Fellows
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Jamaican actress, producer, and voice-over artist Noelle Wright is a dynamic creative force whose work spans stage, screen, and industry leadership. A performer since childhood, she has shared the stage with legends like Charles Hyatt, Oliver Samuels, and Leonie Forbes, earning an Actor Boy Award for Best Supporting Actress and recognition for her role in the award-winning production In The Red & Brown Water. Her screen credits include the feature film Destiny, Gabrielle Blackwood’s Kendal, The Quiet Noise, and Kurt Wright’s Masterminds, alongside a robust career as a sought-after voice-over artist.
A champion for creative equity, Wright previously served on the board of Jamaica Film & Television Association (JAFTA) and now serves as Vice President of Women in Film and Television Jamaica (WIFTJA), advocating for the advancement of women across the industry.
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Fijian filmmaker and animator Tumeli Tuqota is one of the Pacific’s most innovative emerging voices, known for weaving Indigenous storytelling with bold visual experimentation. His award-winning animated short Soli Bula offers a rare pre-contact portrait of Fiji, while his live-action short Daunitukutuku brings 1800s Fiji to life with cinematic precision.
Recently elected President of the Fiji Film Collective, Tumeli is also recognized as the first Fijian filmmaker to create an animated film, marking a major milestone for the nation’s creative industry.
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Solomon Islands filmmaker and actress Regina Lepping is a dynamic cultural storyteller whose work champions Pacific narratives on the global stage. A One Young World Peace Ambassador, she is best known for her powerful lead performance as Rosa in Blackbird (2016) — a film by Amie Batalibasi that exposes the traumatic history of Pacific Island “blackbirding.” Her portrayal earned her the Best Female Lead Award at the 2017 Sydney Indie Film Festival, marking her as one of the region’s most compelling emerging talents.
As Co-Founder of the Native Lens Film Festival (NLFF), Regina continues to elevate Indigenous filmmaking and amplify underrepresented voices across the Pacific.
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Lesotho-born filmmaker and multidisciplinary artist Khotso Jaden Maphathe is shaping a bold new visual language for Basotho storytelling. As the founder of Space Agency Africa and Litema Studios, he blends traditional Basotho aesthetics with contemporary design, crafting narratives that resonate locally while speaking to global audiences.
He is currently developing a documentary series in collaboration with the United Nations and Snake Nation — a mission-driven culture, content, and technology company with headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia, and Cape Town, South Africa. Khotso’s journey reflects extraordinary self-motivation, cultural vision, and an unwavering drive to succeed.
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Honduran filmmaker and actor Joe Ramos is a rising creative voice whose work is gaining recognition for its raw storytelling and grassroots production sensibility. Born in San Pedro Sula and raised in Belize City, he returned to Honduras to pursue cinema, focusing on psychological tension, family dynamics, and the lived realities of urban life. He made his directorial debut with Suplicio (2024), a psychological thriller developed through a free acting workshop he led in El Progreso, where he collaborated with non-professional actors.
Ramos also co-directed and starred in Esperanza de Honor (2022)—a micro-budget feature produced for just $350 that earned a Best Feature Film nomination at the Love & Hope International Film Festival in Barcelona. Widely recognized as the first Black filmmaker in Honduras, Joe continues to expand the possibilities for independent cinema in the region.
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Solomon Islands filmmaker, journalist, and advocate Georgianna Lepping is a multifaceted creative force dedicated to elevating Indigenous Pacific narratives. She co-founded Sparklens Freelance Company in 2013 and, together with her twin sister Regina, co-founded the Native Lens Film Festival, the nation’s first Indigenous-led platform for local storytellers.
Her documentary short, Sky Aelans (2021), premiered at the Mountainfilm Festival, reflecting her commitment to culturally resonant, community-centered storytelling. Beyond film, Georgianna serves as a Communication & Advocacy Officer at Plan International Solomon Islands, champions gender equality and climate justice, and is an accomplished archer who represented her country at the 2023 Pacific Games with a world ranking in compound archery.
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Jamaican filmmaker, director, and screenwriter Kurt Wright is known for bringing authentic Caribbean storytelling to international audiences. A Kingston native and New York Institute of Technology graduate, Wright has worked on major global productions—including No Time To Die, Idris Elba’s Yardie, Marlon James’s Get Millie Black, Marvel’s Luke Cage, and Bob Marley: One Love—cementing his reputation as one of Jamaica’s most sought-after assistant directors.
His acclaimed short film Origins (2016), a reimagining of Jamaican folklore, premiered at the Trinidad & Tobago Film Festival and won multiple awards at GATFFEST. Now expanding Origins into a larger project, Wright continues to champion Caribbean narratives with cinematic ambition and global vision.
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South African director Athi Petela has quickly made her mark in both television and film with a distinct storytelling voice that centers character depth and cultural nuance. She co-directed the acclaimed drama series Ayeye: Stripped (Season 2, Mzansi Magic/Showmax) and is one of the lead directors on the star-studded BET Africa series Queendom (2024), bringing rich, culturally grounded narratives to screens across the continent.
Petela’s creative leadership also spans original TV films such as Thato Ya Modimo and her breakthrough debut Trapped, showcasing her range from intimate dramas to large ensemble storytelling. As President of Women in Film & TV South Africa, she continues to elevate African voices in the global screen industries.
"Everything we build through Alma is guided by a shared set of values—our Six Pillars of Purpose:
Conversation · Connection · Community · Collaboration · Cultural Diplomacy · Collective Growth
These pillars shape how we gather, how we support artists, and how we imagine what comes next. They remind us that storytelling is not only about visibility, but about relationship, responsibility, and the futures we choose to build together."
~ Anthony R. Page, Festival Director
There Is a Necessity For Something New.
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