Brooklyn Caribbean Literature Festival 2026: Beach Inna Bondage (New York Premiere)

🎥 🇯🇲 🇺🇸 𝗔𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗬𝗼𝗿𝗸! Join us on 𝗦𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝗦𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟭𝟮, at 𝟰𝗣𝗠 for a 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 of 𝗕𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗜𝗻𝗻𝗮 𝗕𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗴𝗲: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗝𝗮𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗰𝗮’𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 at the 𝗕𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗹𝘆𝗻 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗯𝗯𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗟𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗙𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗮𝗹 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 in 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗬𝗼𝗿𝗸. Following 𝗺𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗝𝗮𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗰𝗮, including its 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗲𝗿𝗲 at the 𝗣𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗲 𝗙𝗶𝗹𝗺 𝗙𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗮𝗹 in July, and its 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗨.𝗦. 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗲𝗿𝗲 at the 𝗔𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗗𝗶𝗮𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗿𝗮 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗙𝗶𝗹𝗺 𝗙𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗮𝗹 in 𝗪𝗮𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗼𝗻, 𝗗𝗖 in August, we’re proud to bring our film to 𝗕𝗖𝗟𝗙 in September for its 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗬𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗲𝗿𝗲. The screening will be followed by a 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 featuring 𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗼𝗻 𝗧𝗮𝘆𝗹𝗼𝗿, President of the 𝗝𝗮𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗰𝗮 𝗕𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗕𝗶𝗿𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗘𝗻𝘃𝗶𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗠𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 (𝗝𝗮𝗕𝗕𝗘𝗠), writer, theorist, and artist 𝗧𝗮𝗼 𝗟𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗵 𝗚𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗲, and lecturer, researcher and artist 𝗗𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗲 𝗘𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝘁. 🙏🏿🖤✊🏿

𝗕𝗖𝗟𝗙 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲: 𝗕𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗜𝗻𝗻𝗮 𝗕𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗴𝗲: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗝𝗮𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗰𝗮’𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 (𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗬𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗲𝗿𝗲)
Date: Saturday, September 12, 2026
Time: 4PM
Venue: The Center for Fiction
Address: 15 Lafayette Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11217 🇺🇸
Title: 𝗕𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗜𝗻𝗻𝗮 𝗕𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗴𝗲: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗝𝗮𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗰𝗮’𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲
Director: 𝗘𝗺𝗶𝗲𝗹 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘀 and 𝗘𝗹𝘀𝗶𝗲 𝗩𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗲𝗿 in collaboration with 𝗝𝗮𝗕𝗕𝗘𝗠 and 𝗞𝗲𝘇𝗻𝗮𝗺𝗱𝗶
Country: Jamaica 🇯🇲 and the Netherlands 🇳🇱
Year: 2026
Length: 30 min
Language: English with English subtitles
Extra: A post-screening 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 featuring 𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗼𝗻 𝗧𝗮𝘆𝗹𝗼𝗿 (𝗝𝗮𝗕𝗕𝗘𝗠), 𝗧𝗮𝗼 𝗟𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗵 𝗚𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗲, and 𝗗𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗲 𝗘𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝘁.
Extra: Presented by the 𝗕𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗹𝘆𝗻 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗯𝗯𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗟𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗙𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗮𝗹 in partnership with 𝗚𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁
Tickets: 𝗯𝗸𝗹𝘆𝗻𝗰𝗯𝗲𝗮𝗻𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘁.𝗼𝗿𝗴 | https://www.bklyncbeanlitfest.org/events

𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗕𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗜𝗻𝗻𝗮 𝗕𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗴𝗲
Beach Inna Bondage explores the growing struggle for beach access in Jamaica. Since the 1950s, public access to the island’s beaches has steadily declined, leaving less than one percent of the coastline publicly accessible for Jamaicans. Over the decades, most of Jamaica’s beaches have been captured by private and tourist interests, and particularly since the 2000s, large-scale hotel developments have limited beach access for Jamaicans. This film follows the grassroots movement resisting the privatization of Jamaican beaches by zooming in on three frontline struggles: Bob Marley Beach near Kingston, the Blue Lagoon in the parish of Portland, and Mammee Bay Beach on the island’s North Coast. The interviewees, all Jamaicans, reveal how the 1956 Beach Control Act, which is still in effect today, vests ownership of the foreshore in the Jamaican state (and ultimately the British Crown), and trace how this colonial-era law, combined with the island’s all-inclusive tourism model, has displaced communities, disrupted livelihoods, and degraded environments. Interwoven with archival footage, news clips, and recordings of protest rallies and court cases, the interviewees situate today’s beach access struggles within Jamaica’s troubled history of land ownership following emancipation and independence. They argue that the island’s tourism industry replicates plantation logic by monopolizing land, concentrating wealth, exporting profits, and ultimately marginalizing the people. Beach Inna Bondage shows that beach access, which is not only an issue in Jamaica but across the Caribbean and beyond, is an urgent matter of historical, economic, social, cultural, and environmental justice, raising the question of who the tropical paradise of sun, sand, and sea truly serves, and at what cost.

𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗝𝗮𝗕𝗕𝗘𝗠
JaBBEM (Jamaica Beach Birthright Environmental Movement) is a grassroots movement dedicated to protecting Jamaica’s coastal ecosystems while affirming the inherent right of all people to access, enjoy, and steward the island’s beaches. Rooted in the belief that Jamaica’s shores are part of a shared cultural and ecological inheritance, JaBBEM advocates against land privatization, tourism development, environmental degradation, and exclusionary practices that limit public access to coastal spaces. The movement brings together community members, environmental activists, cultural practitioners, and youth to promote sustainable coastal management, climate resilience, and environmental justice. Through beach cleanups, public education campaigns, policy advocacy, and cultural events, JaBBEM highlights the interconnectedness of ecological preservation and social equity. JaBBEM considers beaches not just as natural resources, but as vital spaces of history, identity, and community life—places where heritage, livelihood, and environmental responsibility meet. By mobilizing local voices and fostering collective action, the movement seeks to ensure that Jamaica’s beaches remain protected, accessible, and thriving for present and future generations. For more information, visit www.jabbem.org.

𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗞𝗲𝘇𝗻𝗮𝗺𝗱𝗶
Keznamdi is a Kingston-born Jamaican reggae artist, singer-songwriter, and producer known for blending roots reggae with contemporary sounds influenced by soul, hip-hop, and African musical traditions. Raised in a deeply musical family and shaped by experiences across Jamaica, Tanzania, Ethiopia, and the United States, he has become a leading voice within Jamaica’s reggae revival movement. Known for songs such as ‘Pressure,’ ‘Time,’ and ‘Grade,’ Keznamdi’s music explores themes of identity, spirituality, social justice, and liberation. He is also a collaborator and supporter of the documentary Beach Inna Bondage: The Fight for Jamaica’s Coastline, contributing both his music and voice, and especially his song ‘Colonial Bondage,’ to the film’s message around public beach access, land rights, and environmental justice in Jamaica. For more information, visit www.keznamdi.com.

𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗯𝗯𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆
Caribbean Creativity is a Kingston- and Amsterdam-based cultural non-profit organization committed to the production, programming and promotion of Caribbean and Caribbean-themed cinema. Over the years, Caribbean Creativity has hosted more than 350 screenings in film theatres 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 more than 100 titles, including feature films, web series, documentaries, and short films, with new content added monthly. This year, they devoted most of their time and energy to the making of Beach Inna Bondage. For more information, visit www.caribbeancreativity.nl.

𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗕𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗹𝘆𝗻 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗯𝗯𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗟𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗙𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗮𝗹
The Brooklyn Caribbean Literary Festival (BCLF) is a New York-based nonprofit organization dedicated to celebrating, promoting, and creating opportunities for Caribbean writers and the region’s rich storytelling traditions. Founded in 2019 in Brooklyn’s ‘Little Caribbean,’ the festival brings classic and contemporary Caribbean literature to wider audiences while supporting writers across the diaspora through year-round programming, partnerships, and professional development. Embracing the Caribbean’s multilingual, multi-ethnic, and plural identity, BCLF champions stories across English, French, Spanish, and Dutch-speaking traditions, preserves oral and written heritage, and inspires new generations to connect with Caribbean folktales, histories, and culture. Through public events, innovative platforms, and industry networks, BCLF works to ensure that Caribbean writers are recognized, resourced, and represented as vital contributors to the global literary landscape. For more information, visit https://www.bklyncbeanlitfest.org.