On Friday, August 26, film producer and curator Storm Saulter took over the Innovation Gallery at the AC Hotel Kingston for part two of the Pressure Kingston Biennial 2022 film screening series.

The event — which saw complimentary passes depleted moments after they were made available online — opened with Winston, a short directed by Jamaican director Tanya Taylor, and wrapped with Right Near The Beach, by Jamaican Gibrey Allen.

But before the play button was pressed and the lights dimmed in the ‘theatre’, guests mingled while sipping on fresh brews from Starbucks and cocktails from the hotel’s bar.

At 7:00 pm, the buzzing crowd settled into their seats and fixed their eyes on the screen for showtime.

Filmed on location with a Jamaican cast, Right Near the Beach details a father’s search, full of noble dignity, for some response to the tragic death of his son, who was rumoured to be homosexual. It recounts the aftermath of Jamaican sprinter Jeffrey Jacobs’ brutal murder, revealing rumours about the secret life he may have lived.

Winston — set on a secluded Kingston beach — sees the protagonist unpacking his true feelings after the discovery by his life-long friends of his secret life forces him to kill.

Page 2 shares scenes.