Haiti International Film Festival celebrates 10 years in LA

Editor’s Note: The Haitian Times is a media sponsor of the 2025 Haiti International Film Festival.

As Haiti confronts deepening gang violence, political instability and international neglect, the 10th Haiti International Film Festival (HIFF) opens this month with a focus on resistance through storytelling.

Founded in 2015 by Jacquil Constant, a documentary filmmaker and cinema professor, the festival will mark its milestone year on August 16 at the Barnsdall Gallery Theatre in Los Angeles. The theme, Liberty: The Art of Liberation in Haitian Cinema, frames the weekend of film screenings and cultural programming as a counterpoint to the crises plaguing the nation.

Hosting the event is Béchir Sylvain, a Haitian American actor, director and producer who appears in the 2025 blockbuster Jurassic World Rebirth as Leclerc. The opening ceremony begins at 11 a.m.

“The power of Haitian storytelling cannot be overstated,” said Constant. “With Haiti under siege from gang violence, political collapse and international neglect, the act of storytelling is more than cultural—it’s essential. HIFF remains committed to platforming voices that counter stereotypes and restore nuance to Haitian identity.”

This year’s film selections highlight a wide range of voices from Haiti and the diaspora. Notable screenings include Mountains, Monica Sorelle’s story of a demolition worker forced to dismantle his rapidly gentrifying Miami neighborhood; and Kidnapping Inc. by Bruno Mourral, a political satire wrapped in an action-comedy.

The lineup also features Broken Hope by Hess Wesley, Evil, I by Vanessa Beletic, Keur Simbara by Sea Mahsati, and SIMONE by Philippe Roc. Additional works from filmmakers Gabriyèl Barlatier, Al’Ikens Plancher, Robenson Lauvince, and Fernandel Almonor offer nuanced explorations of migration, memory, and survival.

In conjunction with the festival, Pasadena City College’s Boone Family Gallery is hosting Haitian Revolution: Art of the Haitian Global South, an art exhibition running through August 14. Curated by Constant, the exhibit includes portraits of Haiti’s revolutionary leaders—Toussaint Louverture, Jean-Jacques Dessalines, Henri Christophe and Alexandre Pétion—alongside contemporary pieces by artists such as Saurel Louis and Ayanna Legros.

Legros’s work repurposes discarded materials into installations that reflect rural Haitian life, while Louis’s brightly colored paintings draw from magical realism to depict domestic spaces and street scenes. Together, the exhibit and film festival create a cultural bridge connecting past struggles for independence with present-day expressions of resilience.

The milestone year, organizers say, is not only a celebration of Haitian cinema but also a rallying point for reclaiming Haiti’s global image. 

“Now more than ever, the Haiti International Film Festival is essential,” said Cliff Decatrel, an Oscar- and Emmy-winning development executive and producer, and board member of the festival. 

“In a time when Haiti is too often reduced to crisis headlines, this festival amplifies the stories, artistry and humanity that the world needs to see. It’s a space where Haitian voices take the lead, reclaiming narrative power and reminding us that culture is not just a reflection of struggle, it’s a declaration of strength.”

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