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.
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| Nicole Mapu, an expat from Chile, knows the secret that is Samaná—she now calls Las Terrenas home. Nicole was one of the locals who seamlessly mixed in, warmly welcoming our community of attendees and connecting with us in a way that reflected the very essence of Samaná—where presence becomes participation, and visitors become part of something shared and meaningful. |
Samaná is the Secret.
Not as a slogan, but as a structural truth. The region—its layered history, its geography, its distinct communities across Las Terrenas, El Limón, and Santa Bárbara de Samaná—does more than host the festival. It shapes it. The character of the place, still balancing its evolution from fishing village and rural town into an international destination, gives Alma something few festivals possess: an environment where discovery still feels possible.
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| An unforgettable moment—Malik Yoba took to the stage, seamlessly blending in with a band led by Junior Jose Marcelino for a dynamic, spirit-lifting set featuring Bob Marley classics alongside global pop favorites. A truly electric and joyful experience. |
A Moment That Couldn’t Be Scripted
That sense of discovery crystallized one evening at Eden Beach Club.
When Malik Yoba picked up a guitar and began to play, there was a brief moment—just a few seconds—where the audience leaned in, unsure of what was about to unfold. Then his voice cut through the air, opening with a familiar Bob Marley refrain, and the room shifted.
Phones came out almost instinctively. Conversations stopped. For the next twenty minutes, Yoba moved through a series of spiritually resonant songs, carrying the crowd with him in a performance that felt entirely unplanned and yet completely inevitable. It was intimate, unguarded, and met with a kind of collective recognition: this was not a scheduled highlight. It was something happening in real time.
More than anything, the moment affirmed what Alma is beginning to reveal about itself—when the conditions are right, when the environment is open and grounded, something unexpected can emerge and elevate the entire experience.
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A powerful moment of vision and alignment—Malik Yoba and Diana Lynch-Grissett sit down on the future home of the Grand Cay development, as Malik records a conversation for his new podcast exploring community, real estate, and cinema. Also pictured, Venezuelan filmmaker Alfredo J. Williams capturing the moment. |
That presence extended beyond the performance itself. During the festival, Yoba also recorded an episode of his forthcoming podcast, sitting down with Diana Lynch-Grissett, to discuss the vision behind the Grand Cay development in El Limón. The conversation connected directly to his broader work through Casa Noir, where cinema, economic development, and community engagement intersect—offering a real-time example of the kind of cross-sector dialogue the festival is designed to encourage.
Ceremony, Stillness, and the Power of Intention
If that evening would later be remembered for its spontaneity, it began with something far more deliberate. Led by Signify TV and its executive director Alahna Lark, “Threads of the Sun” unfolded along the shoreline at Eden Beach Club as a gathering of women filmmakers from across the globe. The ceremony centered on meditation and the tying of waist beads—an act rooted in tradition, identity, and intention.
There was a quiet gravity to it. The kind of stillness that holds weight.
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| Alahna Lark, through her work with SignifyTV and Lark Media, organized Threads of the Sun as a space dedicated to centering and empowering women filmmakers from around the world—captured here in a quiet moment of reflection within the experience. |
Filmmakers from different regions, working in different contexts, found themselves in shared space—not in competition, not in presentation, but in recognition. It was a moment of alignment, of grounding, and of affirmation around the value of women’s voices in cinematic storytelling worldwide.
Within the rhythm of the festival, it stood out as something essential: a pause that deepened everything around it.
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| Joe Ramos, the first Black filmmaker from Honduras, is pictured here with students from Comunidad Arcadia. His visit was met with genuine enthusiasm, as the students responded powerfully to his talk—engaging deeply with his story, his journey, and the possibilities he represented. |
Cinema Beyond the Screen
Some of the most meaningful moments of the week were not on stage or screen at all.
Through an impromptu connection with a parent in the community, the festival found its way into a local school—Comunidad Arcadia, led by Susy Belussi—where filmmakers and team members spent time speaking directly with students about careers, creativity, and the possibilities within cinema.
What stood out immediately was the level of engagement. The students didn’t just listen—they lit up. For many on the Alma team, it became clear that this was one of the most receptive audiences of the entire festival.
The context mattered. Samaná, particularly Las Terrenas, is in the midst of a transformation—from a small fishing and farming community into a global tourist destination. While the region has a rich local culture, access to international creative exchange remains limited outside of its hospitality-facing spaces.
That gap became visible in the room.
And just as quickly, it became an opportunity.
What began as a chance encounter evolved into something more intentional: a commitment to building a long-term relationship with these students and expanding the festival’s presence within the community in ways that extend beyond a single week of programming.
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| Students from Comunidad Arcadia bring energy and excitement to a powerful exchange in the mayor’s chambers, where filmmakers and industry professionals engaged them in meaningful conversation about storytelling and creative possibility. The impact was so strong that it sparked the creation of a new fellowship—supporting these students as they develop original films over the next year, with select works set to premiere at the Alma Film Festival in 2027. |
The Fellowship as a Window Into the Future
That connection carried directly into the festival’s fellowship programming—arguably some of its most engaged screenings.
Students from the community attended presentations from filmmakers across the Global South, including Tumeli Tuqota (Fiji), Khotso “Jaden” Maphathe (Lesotho), Joe Ramos (Honduras), and Kurt and Noelle Wright (Jamaica). The rooms were active, attentive, and energized—less like passive screenings and more like shared experiences unfolding in real time.
Ramos, presenting excerpts from his upcoming feature, anchored his session with a candid and expansive conversation that resonated deeply with the audience. The Wrights’ Origins quickly emerged as a festival favorite, but it was their discussion of Jamaica’s evolving independent film landscape that lingered.
These sessions did more than showcase films—they demonstrated what happens when emerging voices are met with an audience ready to engage.
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| Vanessa Lubeigt, Virginia Paradinas, and Nicole Cachiguango Cahuasquí take part in a dynamic conversation following the screening of Rachel M’Bon’s film Je Suis Noires (Becoming a Black Woman). |
Conversations That Carry Forward
Among the festival’s most intellectually and emotionally resonant moments was the screening of Je Suis Noire, directed by Rachel M’Bon and Juliana Fanjul.
The film served as a springboard for an extended, deeply intentional conversation on womanhood across cultures—one that moved fluidly between personal experience and broader structural realities. It was specific, nuanced, and affirming without losing its edge.
Crucially, it did not end in the room.
The discussion was recorded as part of the festival’s research-centered approach, contributing to a growing body of knowledge that Alma is actively building. What began in Samaná will continue—first in Atlanta in May, and again in September with a younger cohort—expanding the conversation into an ongoing inquiry rather than a singular event.
Here, the festival’s philosophy becomes clear: the film is the entry point, but the work happens in what follows.
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| At ONNO’s, the rhythm never misses—one of the most legendary beachside spots in Las Terrenas, known for its electric DJ sets, packed dance floors, and unforgettable nights. From iconic Taco Tuesdays to high-energy Friday dance parties, ONNO’s delivers an atmosphere where the music carries you and the crowd keeps you moving well into the night. |
Where Celebration Becomes Connection
As the days gave way to evening, the festival extended into the social fabric of the town itself.
Rather than isolating attendees, Alma embedded its gatherings within venues already alive in the community—Onno’s Beach Club, ETNO Beach Club, Eden Beach Club, El Mosquito, and others.
Because the festival took place during peak season, those spaces were already filled with a mix of locals and international visitors. What resulted was not a closed circuit of industry professionals, but an open, fluid exchange of cultures—conversations over cocktails, music crossing genres from bachata and merengue to hip-hop, and dance floors that felt less curated than shared.
The energy was celebratory, but never disconnected. It was rooted in place.
A Closing That Stayed With You
The festival closed on Sunday with a measured sense of reflection.
A beachfront brunch gave way to a performance by Ciara A. Shaw, who presented a riveting excerpt from her one-woman show, Ain’t But a Few of Us Left, marking its international debut. The performance was intimate and emotionally direct, and the response was immediate—several audience members visibly moved, some in tears.
What followed extended the moment even further. Before departing the country, Shaw spent time with the same group of students from Comunidad Arcadia, engaging them in conversation and sharing her perspective as an artist. It was a quiet continuation of the themes that had defined the week: access, exchange, and presence.
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The future home of Soule Reserve’s Grand Cay Resort in El Limón—a stunning 60-acre development envisioned to include private home sites, performance spaces, two golf courses, and a vibrant community village. |
What Alma Is Becoming
What distinguishes the Alma Film Festival is not scale—it is intention.
It is a deliberate choice to prioritize depth over volume, engagement over access, and conversation over consumption. It is a recognition that cinema can function not only as art, but as infrastructure—capable of shaping relationships, informing research, and contributing to the long-term development of creative ecosystems.
Throughout the experience, what made so much of this possible was not only the strength of the festival’s global community—more than 140 stakeholders across 52 cities in 35 countries—but also the presence of key partners on the ground. Among them, Soule Reserve and the Grand Cay, led by Diana Lynch-Grissett, served as a cornerstone of continuity and support. From the earliest stages through the final moments of the festival, her leadership and commitment helped shape both the experience and its trajectory.
Visitors were also given a glimpse into what comes next. The Grand Cay Resort, currently in development in El Limón, will serve as the future home and central hub of the Alma Film Festival—an anchor that allows the festival to deepen its footprint while continuing to extend outward into the surrounding communities.
That trajectory is already expanding. The next edition of the festival is set for March 12–21, extending to ten days across two weekends—creating more space for community engagement, workforce development initiatives, training programs, and continued cultural exchange.
But the core remains unchanged.
Samaná is the secret.
Not simply because of its beauty, but because of what it makes possible.
Festival Feedback...
"It was a blessing and a pleasure to participate in the Alma Film Festival.
My vision has always been to bring together arts, stories, and cross-cultural, global connections, as we become more and more aware that we all live on one planet. This film festival opened a space for us not only to receive these stories, but also to reflect on them and share with one another. This, in itself, creates a deeper connection. I believe this is what helps us grow—true connection and collaboration.
It brought joy to my heart to see this festival come to Las Terrenas, opening a space for creation to unfold as we tell and share our stories, wisdom, perspectives, and unique gifts. This can only expand the souls of all who participate and become part of such a beautiful vision.
The Alma Film Festival was a God-sent surprise and an answer to an unspoken prayer for our evolving and growing Caribbean and richly international community in Las Terrenas."
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