Turks and Caicos Celebrates Regional Film Festival Debut with “Ripple Effect” Screening at Caribbean Film Festival in Trinidad

Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands – Wednesday, 18 June 2025: The Turks and Caicos Sports Commission is proud to announce its participation in the 2025 Caribbean Film Festival held in Trinidad and Tobago from 11 – 15 June. Representing the Turks and Caicos Islands was a delegation led by Sports Commission CEO Jarrett Forbes, alongside Media and Communications Specialist and Executive Producer Nandina Hislop, and Project I.D.E.A. Media Club member Malachi Jarrett, who also served as the student director of the film.

The team attended the festival’s opening night in Port of Spain, supporting Ripple Effect, a short film developed through the Commission’s youth-focused initiative, Project I.D.E.A. The film earned its place as an official selection from a highly competitive field of over 1,000 entries, and was screened on Saturday, 14 June, at CinemaOne, alongside productions from countries such as Haiti, Jamaica, and Canada.

This milestone marks a historic first for the Turks and Caicos Islands, as Ripple Effect becomes the country’s debut entry in a regional film festival, in 4DX. Created by youth under the guidance of the Sports Commission and One Island Media, the film has surpassed expectations and affirmed the value of investing in creative, sport-based storytelling.

“Project I.D.E.A. Media Club is a powerful extension of our mandate to foster youth development through sport and innovation,” said Director of Sports Jarrett Forbes. “By combining sport, storytelling, and media, we are creating new opportunities for cultural expression, economic diversification, and national branding. A film like Ripple Effect not only showcases the creative talents of our youth but also positions Turks and Caicos as a destination for sport tourism and cinematic exploration.”

Sport-themed films have the unique ability to spotlight local talent, promote the country’s natural beauty and facilities, and tell stories rooted in community and identity. This directly supports Turks and Caicos’ sport development goals while offering a platform to inspire regional partnerships and attract global audiences.

Festival director Asha Lovelace shares, “The Caribbean Film Festival offers a platform that helps us to contend in the world. This festival is ours, built by us, for us to assert our presence and provide a point of reference for the region’s films”. Lovelace further adds, “For audiences it offers a rare and powerful experience of seeing ourselves reflected with honesty, complexity and care. For the wider world, it announces that the Caribbean is not a backdrop; it is a source, a source of vision and immense talent.”

The festival is open to being hosted in other Caribbean countries annually.

Hon. Rachel Taylor, Minister with responsibility for Sport, added, “Ripple Effect is a powerful demonstration of how sport can be a gateway, not just to physical development or competition, but to leadership, creative expression, and social impact. Born from a sports-based initiative, this film shows how programs rooted in sport can cultivate life skills, unlock talent, and open new pathways for our youth. When we invest in platforms for young people to express themselves, we’re also investing in national identity, social awareness, and emerging industries like film and media. Sport is a global force that transcends boundaries, reaching into media, health, education, justice, and economic development. Through sport, we gave birth to a project that goes beyond the playing field and speaks directly to the heart of social change. We are building confident, conscious citizens with the power to shape their future through storytelling, advocacy, and innovation.”

Looking ahead, the team plans to expound on Ripple Effect, making it into a feature-length film that will expand on its central theme—the consequences of our actions—through a bold and twisted narrative with a young athlete. Executive Producer Nandina Hislop shares, “The team is immensely proud of what we were able to accomplish. With limited resources and gifted minds, we were able to position ourselves where we could tell such a complex story, uplifting local talent and becoming recognised among the top 7% of entries in the Caribbean region. Talent exists in copious amounts within the TCI, but a powerful engine is needed to get us moving.”

The project is currently seeking funding from both private and public sector partners to take the film to the next level. For more information or to support this initiative, please contact project lead Nandina Hislop at nehislop@gov.tc.