I recently spent a week in Trinidad & Tobago at the film festival as part of their immersion program, designed to help develop new projects from Caribbean and Caribbean Diaspora filmmakers. The project I brought to the group was “Surrounded by the Ocean”, a detective thriller about a commercial diver who is brought into the investigation of a suspicious sea disaster – and ends up having to turn to his resourceful mother to help save him from growing conspiracy that threatens to drown him.

The writing group was filled with wonderful, highly creative people from or with roots from all over the islands. Our mentor Julia Solomonoff helped us craft these stories and I am looking forward to seeing them all brought to screen. There was a lot of talk of a “New Caribbean Cinema”, and the festival brought a real sense that this movement was coming to form. Now that I am back in chilly Canada (sadly the stereotype is true right now as fall is here in full force), I long for the energy and warmth of the TTFF.

Surrounded by the Ocean is just one of many scripts I am developing now, but it might be getting closer to the top of the pile for me to work on. I think it’ll be a nice treat to work on something a little lighter after I finish the current script I am working on – a yet untitled espionage drama set in New York during WWII.

Left to Right: Ryan C. Khan, Damian Marcano, Fréro Pierre, Faisal Lutchmedial, Karen Martinez, Storm Saulter, Ivette Davila, Ivan Herrera, Gabrielle Blackwood and Shakirah M Bourne at Hyatt Regency Trinidad.