Trinidad Film Festival Marks 20 Years in Port of Spain
The Trinidad and Tobago Film Festival turns 20 this year, running September 23 to 27 in Port of Spain. That is shorter than some earlier listings suggested, so it is worth checking the real dates before you book.
Key Facts
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The event The Trinidad and Tobago Film Festival opens its 20th edition on September 23, 2026, in Port of Spain. -
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The scale Organizers typically screen 120 to 140 films from Caribbean and diaspora filmmakers each year. -
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The bigger picture What began as one screening in 2002 has grown into the Caribbean’s leading platform for regional cinema. -
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The catch Some travel listings say the festival runs through September 29, but the official schedule closes it on September 27. -
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Who it affects Filmmakers, distributors and moviegoers in Trinidad and Tobago, plus a UK audience the festival reached earlier this year. -
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What’s next A monthly anniversary series continues at the Little Carib Theatre in Port of Spain through the rest of the year.
Twenty Years of Caribbean Cinema
The Trinidad and Tobago Film Festival, known locally as TTFF, is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. Organizers have confirmed the main event runs from September 23 through September 27, 2026, based in Port of Spain, Trinidad’s capital.
TTFF started small, as a single screening in 2002 called the Kairi Film Festival. Film historian and producer Bruce Paddington relaunched it as an annual festival in 2006, and it has run every year since.
Correcting the Record on Dates
An earlier round of event listings suggested the anniversary edition would run through September 29, a full nine days. The festival’s own website tells a different story, showing a five-day run that wraps up on September 27.
That two-day gap matters if you are planning a trip around the closing weekend. Booking travel based on the wrong end date could mean missing the festival’s final screenings entirely.
What’s Actually Screening
TTFF typically shows between 120 and 140 films in a single festival. The lineup mixes feature narratives, documentaries, short films and experimental work, almost all connected to the Caribbean or its diaspora.
Most screenings happen in Port of Spain, though the festival has expanded programming to Tobago in past years. That reach beyond the capital lets audiences on the smaller island take part too.
Two Decades of Growth
The festival added the Little Carib Theatre as a venue in 2011, the same year it introduced a lifetime achievement award. Entertainer and civil rights activist Harry Belafonte received that first honor.
Telecommunications company Flow has served as the festival’s presenting sponsor since 2008. TTFF also created a youth jury prize and an Amnesty International human rights prize in 2014, broadening who gets recognized each year.
The festival kept running even through the pandemic, shifting to livestreamed screenings between 2020 and 2022. That pivot kept Caribbean filmmakers connected to audiences when in-person gatherings were not possible.
Marking 20 Years Beyond Trinidad
TTFF used its anniversary year to reach audiences well outside the Caribbean. A UK screening series, “Crossroads: Where Caribbean Cinema Meets the UK,” reached four venues in South East England earlier in 2026.
Back home, the festival launched “10 for 20,” a monthly series revisiting ten landmark films from its own 20-year archive. Those screenings take place at the Little Carib Theatre in Port of Spain throughout the year.
TTFF’s Role in the Wider Caribbean
Trinidad is not the only Caribbean country with a film festival, but TTFF is widely seen as the region’s largest and longest-running. It draws entries from filmmakers across the English, French and Spanish-speaking Caribbean each year.
That regional reach makes the festival a rare meeting point for an industry spread across many small, separate markets. A director in Jamaica and one in Trinidad rarely share a screen otherwise, and TTFF gives them one.
Why This Matters for Visitors
Trinidad already draws travelers for its beaches, food and Carnival culture, and TTFF adds a cultural anchor for anyone visiting in September. For nomads and expats elsewhere in the Caribbean or Latin America, it is a short flight to a respected regional film event.
The festival’s industry program also matters beyond tourism. It gives Caribbean filmmakers access to workshops, funding conversations and international distributors who might otherwise never visit the region.
If You’re Planning to Go
Tickets and festival passes go on sale through the official TTFF website ahead of the September dates. The site also lists opportunities to volunteer, submit a film for a future edition, or join the festival’s industry track.
Filmmakers looking ahead to next year can already submit work through FilmFreeway, an online platform TTFF uses for entries. That process stays open long before each festival’s official lineup gets announced.
Because this is the 20th edition, expect a busier-than-usual program with extra tributes to the festival’s history. Booking accommodation in Port of Spain early is a sensible move given the anniversary interest.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Trinidad and Tobago Film Festival really 20 years old in 2026?
Yes — it traces back to a single 2002 screening, then became an annual festival in 2006, making 2026 its 20th official edition.
When exactly does TTFF run this year?
The festival’s own website lists September 23 through September 27, 2026, shorter than some earlier event listings claimed.
Where can I watch the films?
Most screenings take place in Port of Spain, including at the Little Carib Theatre, with some programming also reaching audiences in Tobago.
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