PoFF2026: Film in Portland, Portland in Film Workshop by Emiel Martens
On ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐, ๐๐๐น๐ ๐ญ๐ญ, at ๐ฏ.๐ฏ๐ฌ๐ฝ๐บ, Dutch film scholar-practitioner ๐๐บ๐ถ๐ฒ๐น ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐ will lead a ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ธ๐๐ต๐ผ๐ฝ on the ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ต๐ถ๐๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ณ๐ถ๐น๐บ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ณ๐ถ๐น๐บ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ถ๐ป ๐ฃ๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐น๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ at ๐๐ถ ๐๐ถ๐ฝ ๐ฆ๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฝ in Port Antonio as part of the ๐ญ๐ฌ๐๐ต ๐ฃ๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐ถ๐ฒ ๐๐ถ๐น๐บ ๐๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐น.
Known as Jamaica’s most beautiful parish, with its lush mountains, dramatic coastlines, and rich heritage, Portland has long captured the imagination of filmmakers from around the world. The parish has particularly served as a filming location for many Hollywood productions. The workshop will examine a wide range of films shot in Portland and Jamaica, tracing how cinematic portrayals of the parish and the island have evolved over time. The session will also feature exclusive clips from the upcoming documentary series ๐๐ถ๐น๐บ ๐๐ผ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ฎ๐บ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ, which explores Jamaica’s film heritage through the stories behind iconic filming locations across the island. The trailer of this series is also featured in this year’s Portie Film Festival programme.
Designed for filmmakers, students, researchers, educators, community organizers, and anyone interested in Jamaican film history, this workshop will explore the ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐น๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ต๐ถ๐ฝ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ป ๐ฃ๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐น๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐บ๐ผ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ถ๐บ๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ. Participants will gain insight into the history of film production in the parish, the reasons why international filmmakers have been drawn to Portland, and the ways in which Portland, and Jamaica more broadly, have been ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฑ, ๐ถ๐บ๐ฎ๐ด๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฑ, ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ผ๐๐๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฑ on the big screen.
Drawing on years of research into Jamaica’s film history, Martens will provide participants with a deeper understanding of the ๐ถ๐๐น๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ’๐ ๐ฝ๐น๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐๐ถ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ป ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ป๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ฎ๐น ๐ณ๐ถ๐น๐บ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฑ๐๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป and the enduring ๐๐ถ๐ด๐ป๐ถ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ฃ๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐น๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฎ๐ ๐ผ๐ป๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ฎ๐บ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ’๐ ๐บ๐ผ๐๐ ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ณ๐ถ๐น๐บ ๐น๐ผ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐.
๐๐ฑ๐บ๐ถ๐๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ถ๐ ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฒ, but please ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ด๐ถ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ by sending an email to [email protected] as space is limited.
๐ฃ๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐ถ๐ฒ ๐๐ถ๐น๐บ ๐๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐น ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฒ: Film in Portland, Portland in Film
Date: Saturday, July 11, 2026
Time: 3.30am
Venue: Di Hip Strip
Address: 25A Folly Rd, Port Antonio, Portlandย
Hosted by: Dutch film scholar-practitioner ๐๐บ๐ถ๐ฒ๐น ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐
Extra: The ๐ฃ๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐ถ๐ฒ ๐๐ถ๐น๐บ ๐๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐น ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฒ is presented by ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ ๐๐๐๐ & ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฏ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ป ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐๐ถ๐๐
Tickets: ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐บ๐ถ๐๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป, but please ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ด๐ถ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ by sending an email to [email protected] as space is limited
More info:ย www.caribbeancreativity.nl
๐๐ฏ๐ผ๐๐ ๐๐บ๐ถ๐ฒ๐น ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐
Emiel Martens is a Dutch film scholar-practitioner whose work has, over the past 20 years, focused on the interwoven histories of film, tourism, and empire in the Caribbean, with a particular emphasis on Jamaica. He is Assistant Professor of Postcolonial Film Studies at the University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and served as a Visiting Research Fellow at the University of the West Indies in Kingston, Jamaica, during the 2025-2026 academic year. During his fellowship, he worked on several publications, including this one, alongside the documentary series Film Location Jamaica (2027) and the short documentary ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ต ๐๐ป๐ป๐ฎ ๐๐ผ๐ป๐ฑ๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ: ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐ฎ๐บ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎโ๐ ๐๐ผ๐ฎ๐๐๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ (2026). Martens is also Co-Founding Director of the Expertise Centre Humanitarian Communication (HUCOM) and the Erasmus Knowledge Centre for Film, Heritage, and Tourism (FIHETO). In addition, he is the founder of Caribbean Creativity, a non-profit organization dedicated to the production, programming, and promoting of Caribbean and Caribbean-themed cinema. Finally, he serves as one of the Film Review Editors of the European Review of Latin American and Caribbean Studies.
๐๐ฏ๐ผ๐๐ ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ ๐๐๐๐
Located on the cliffs of Boston Bay in Portland, Jamaica, Great Huts is an eco-resort that combines natural beauty with a celebration of African and African-Jamaican heritage. More than a place to stay, Great Huts offers a cultural experience that reflects the history, creativity, and resilience of the African diaspora in Jamaica. The resort’s grounds are adorned with African-inspired art and sculptures, while its location provides easy access to some of Portland’s must-visit attractions, including Boston Beach, Frenchman’s Cove, Reach Falls, and the Blue Mountains. With its commitment to sustainability, cultural preservation, and community engagement, Great Huts has become a distinctive destination for those seeking a connection to Jamaica’s rich natural environment and cultural heritage. As the initiator of the Portie Film Festival, Great Huts is proud to welcome the festival back to Portland for its 10th edition, in partnership with Caribbean Creativity, continuing its longstanding commitment to celebrating Jamaican film, arts, and culture. For more information, visitย www.greathuts.com.
๐๐ฏ๐ผ๐๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฏ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ป ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐๐ถ๐๐
Caribbean Creativity is an Amsterdam-based non-profit organization that is, since 2008, committed to the programming and promotion of Caribbean and Caribbean-themed cinema in the Netherlands and beyond. Over the years, Caribbean Creativity has hosted over 300 screenings in Dutch cinemas and at film festivals, including numerous premieres. In 2020, they launched YardVibes, a streaming platform featuring content from independent Caribbean and African filmmakers. YardVibes currently offers over 100 titles, including feature films, web series, documentaries, and short films, with new content added monthly. This year, they are based in Kingston, working on several film projects and film events, including this screening. For more information, visitย www.caribbeancreativity.nl.
