Negril Universal Film Festival (NUFF), formerly known as the Skylark Film Festival, brought four days of Jamaican and international storytelling from Thursday, October 8, to Sunday, October 11.

Noella Arnold, public relations manager and stylist, made the weekend film getaway a must-do..

The weekend paired film screenings with conversations, industry sessions, culture and hands-on learning, creating a gathering for audiences and emerging film-makers alike.

From left: Dorett Scott, Mary Ellen Reece, and James Jackson enjoy the screening of Life and Debt.Aceion Cunningham

The festival, now in its 7th staging, opened with a special 25th-anniversary screening of Stephanie Black’s landmark documentary
Life and Debt. The film’s examination of Jamaica and the forces shaping its economy provided a fitting starting point for a conversation about the issues it raised and how they resonate a quarter-century later.

Attorney-at-law Camille Agard in from New York for the event..

On Friday, the programme shifted from film-maker development by day to a celebration of Jamaican storytelling in the evening. The WES Studios-sponsored Vertical Film-making Masterclass, led by Richard Lawson of Hyperlens Studios, offered practical insight into a changing screen format. Documentary shorts and opportunities to learn, connect, and exchange ideas rounded out the daytime programme.

Friday night’s Jamaican Film Block gave way to a special Jimmy Cliff tribute featuring his daughter Odessa Chambers. Storm Saulter then presented the first two episodes of his new
SKY-TV series,
Possession. An in-depth conversation and question-and-answer session invited the audience to explore the series and its creative vision with the film-maker.

Saulter returned on Saturday to lead JAFTA’s workshop, ‘Directing Tropical Noir: Lessons from Possession and the Spirit of Jamaican Storytelling’. The session offered film-makers a closer look at his approach to directing, visual language, and the distinctive qualities of Jamaican storytelling.

Actresses Parisa Fitz-Henley (left) and Maylynne Lowe soak up the NUFF vibe.Aceion Cunningham

The afternoon also included the JAMPRO Industry Session and the Regional Film Block, broadening the festival’s focus from craft to the wider film industry and regional voices.

Gareth Cobran (centre), founder, Negril Universal Film Festival (NUFF), shares a photo op with Skylark Negril Beach Resort partners Max Glazer (left) and Paul Salmon (second right); Charity Bowman (second left), film-maker; and Vanessa Moore, director of partnerships, Rockhouse Foundation.Aceion Cunningham

A special screening of
Reggae Girlz, co-directed by Trish Dalton and Academy Award-winner Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, brought audiences together for a story rooted in Jamaican women’s football. A post-screening conversation and Q&A extended the discussion, before Jesse Royal closed the evening with a spirited performance.

Lexi Chow, founder and CEO, Caribbean On Demand (CODA)Aceion Cunningham

Sunday’s closing programme turned to maternal health with
Listen to Me, directed by Kanika Harris and Stephanie Etienne. The film explores the maternal-health crisis affecting black women in the United States, bringing a pressing subject into the festival’s wider conversation about representation and lived experience. The afternoon spotlighted emerging creators through the NUFF Pitch Competition & Awards, where finalists presented their projects.

Festival founder Gareth Cobran shared his thoughts on the event and developments for the future of the event.

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“I think the biggest accomplishment this year was seeing the vision for the Negril Universal Film Festival finally beginning to take shape. We’ve been working towards creating something much bigger than a traditional film festival, and this year we took a significant step in that direction.

“The introduction of the NUFF Culture Market was particularly important to me. I’ve always believed that a film festival in Jamaica should celebrate more than cinema. It should celebrate the culture that produces our stories. Bringing together Jamaican artisans, film-makers, musicians, and entrepreneurs in one space created with an experience that was uniquely ours.

“We also expanded the programming across four days, incorporating film screenings, industry workshops, conversations, live performances, and cultural experiences. The level of attendance and engagement was encouraging, and it demonstrated that there is a genuine appetite for this kind of cultural event in Jamaica,” Cobran stated.

“For me, the next step is to build on the momentum and continue developing NUFF into a platform that creates tangible opportunities for Jamaican film-makers. We have an enormous amount of creative talent in this country but talent alone isn’t enough. We need stronger connections to financing, distribution, international markets, and the infrastructure necessary to sustain a viable film industry. That’s where I believe festivals like NUFF can play an important role,” Cobran added.

Film-maker Lesley-Ann Wanliss, whose film
Bright Sparks screened on Friday, was happy with the growth of the festival and the opportunities it affords.

“I’m impressed with the growth of the festival and how vital the workshops are as they provide a space to communicate about the gaps that exists and to begin to imagine possibilities within. Also, I’m happy that people were able to watch my film. I’m happy to have been at NUFF, to have the people who made the film be able to watch it along with people who have been asking to see the film and it being shown in that environment,” Wanliss explained.

Across four days, the festival connected established artists, industry partners, film enthusiasts, and new voices honouring Jamaican stories while creating space for the next generation of film-makers to learn, share, and be seen.

“It was a great event. I found the entire experience amazing with the focus on local art and film. A high point for me was the screening of the episodes from Storm Saulter’s
Possession. The workshops were also very informative; you could pull-up from the beach and then be in this chill environment discussing films. It was a great weekend for me,” said Yanique Redway, a festival attendee.

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