The Nouveaux Regards Film Festival drew to a close on March 29, 2026 in Guadeloupe with a prize list that confirms the rise of Caribbean and Guyanese cinema. Held from March 25 to 29, this 9ᵉ edition closed at the Sainte-Anne nautical base, on the ANASA site, in a rare setting: light installations, chairs placed on the sand, a marine horizon as a backdrop and a traditional canoe whose sail had been transformed into an open-air screen. The stage alone summed up the festival’s identity: rooted in its territory, but focused on creation in motion.
Over the years, the Nouveaux Regards Film Festival has established itself as a key event in the regional audiovisual industry. The festival acts as a space for distribution, a tool for professionalization, a place of visibility for emerging talent and a gateway to a better circulation of Caribbean stories on the international scene. In addition to this, the festival also raises public awareness, giving the event a wider scope than just a succession of screenings.
A 9ᵉ edition buoyed by solid figures
This year, the Nouveaux Regards Film Festival brought together 45 films from 20 countries including 21 films from the Caribbean and Guyana. Programming also included 5 immersive virtual reality works and welcomed 2021 students in school sessions, a record for the event. Another highlight: 55% of the films presented were directed by women, a sign of an editorial line attentive to the plurality of viewpoints.
These figures are more than just a balance sheet. They show that in Guadeloupe, the Nouveaux Regards Film Festival has become a credible platform for cinema from the Caribbean and French Guiana. The awards list is therefore not just a list of prizes: it maps out contemporary Caribbean cinema, with its multiple territories, scripts and realities.
A competition designed for Caribbean and French Guiana cinema
True to its identity, the Nouveaux Regards Film Festival has placed at the heart of its programming a competition devoted exclusively to cinema from the Caribbean and French Guiana. This choice remains essential in an environment where many regional works still struggle to find distribution and recognition. This year’s award-winning films demonstrate the extent to which Caribbean narratives are able to speak to the present with force, nuance and singularity.
Documentary: Haiti honoured, Guadeloupe applauded
In the documentary category, the Jury Prize for Best Documentary endowed with 2,500 euros from the Région Guadeloupe, was awarded to KOUTKETKOUT by Joseph Hillel for Haiti. A special mention from the jury was also awarded to AN DIW JWI, A BANANA IN THE TROPICS by Kristine Blonbou for Guadeloupe. This double signal shows the diversity of the proposals selected, between a Haitian vision rewarded at the highest level and a Guadeloupean work hailed for its own strength.
Short film: GLORIA takes the cake
In the short film category, GLORIA by Marvin Yamb for Guyana was one of the big names of the year. The film received the Jury Prize for Best Antilles-Guyane Short Film with 5,000 euros from the Conseil départemental as well as the Audience Award supported by the Communauté d’agglomération de la Riviera du Levant and the Prix du Jury Jeunes Regards supported by the DAC Guadeloupe. This triple distinction shows that the same work has won over professionals, the general public and young viewers alike.
The Jury Prize for Best Caribbean Short Film endowed with 1,500 euros was awarded to SUNNY by German Gruber Jr for Curaçao. Poté Ganm Award for Best Screenplay supported by Karibbean Hive went to FORT BUKU by Loëlle Monsanto for Suriname which also won a special mention from the Jury Jeunes Regards. A special mention from the Short Film Jury went to THE ROADS WE TRAVEL by Mary Cecilia Walker for Barbados. Together, they make up an award list that spans several territories, several sensibilities and several ways of telling the Caribbean story.
Immersive Lab: virtual reality takes its place
New for this year’s edition is the Immersive Lab confirmed the festival’s interest in new writing. The two prizes in the virtual reality section were won by Draw for change: Existimos, Resistimos from Mariana Eva Cadenas for Belgium. The work was awarded the High School Award for Best VR Experience awarded by Lycée Sonny Rupaire and the People’s Choice Award for Best VR Experience, endowed with 1,000 euros with the support of Evaveo. By fully integrating this aspect, the Nouveaux Regards Film Festival shows that it also keeps pace with formal developments in the audiovisual sector.
A festival serving the region and its talents
Beyond the awards, the Nouveaux Regards Film Festival is asserting its role as an economic engine by mobilizing the local production chain, as a space for professionalization notably through the NR Academy and its professional meetings international showcase for Caribbean designers, and a educational tool for tomorrow’s audiences. In a region where the structuring of cultural industries remains a concrete challenge, this mission gives the festival a particular importance.
This 9ᵉ edition of the Nouveaux Regards Film Festival is also a reminder that a cultural event of this scale relies on a collective dynamic. Institutional and private partners, guests, juries, the organizing team, the large and enthusiastic audience 21 volunteers contributed to the success of this event. This human dimension is just as important as the awards themselves, as it demonstrates a region’s ability to sustain an ambitious cultural project over the long term.
Heading for a 10ᵉ anniversary edition
The date has already been set for 2027 with a 10ᵉ anniversary edition announced as exceptional. At this stage, the Nouveaux Regards Film Festival is no longer just rewarding works: it is accompanying the gradual affirmation of a Caribbean cinematographic space that is more visible, better structured and more sure of its voice. The 2026 prize list is further proof of this.
The winners of the Nouveaux Regards Film Festival 2026 feature several outstanding works of Caribbean and Guyanese cinema. The documentary KOUTKETKOUT by Joseph Hillel (Haiti) won the Jury Prize for Best Documentary. In the shorts category, GLORIA by Marvin Yamb (Guyana) won three major awards: the Prix du Jury, the Prix du Public and the Prix Jeunes Regards. Other films such as SUNNY by German Gruber Jr (Curacao) and FORT BUKU by Loëlle Monsanto (Suriname) are also among the works honored, confirming the diversity of viewpoints present in this edition.
The Nouveaux Regards Film Festival takes place in Guadeloupe, a territory that plays a central role in its identity. The 2026 edition took place in the commune of Sainte-Anne, with a closing evening organized at the ANASA nautical base. This seaside setting, with an open-air screen, reflects the festival’s determination to offer an experience rooted in its Caribbean environment, while remaining open to works from different horizons.
The 2026 edition of the Nouveaux Regards Film Festival presented 45 films from 20 countries, including 21 from the Caribbean and Guyana. The program reflects a balance between international openness and regional roots. It gives concrete visibility to Caribbean productions, while encouraging exchanges with other territories and other forms of storytelling.
Virtual reality plays an increasingly important role at the Nouveaux Regards Film Festival, thanks to the Immersive Lab section. In 2026, this category rewarded the experience Draw for change: Existimos, Resistimos by Mariana Eva Cadenas, which won both the Prix Lycéen and the Prix du Public. This orientation shows the festival’s interest in new forms of storytelling and the evolution of audiovisual practices.
The Nouveaux Regards Film Festival plays a structuring role for Caribbean cinema. It provides a distribution platform for the region’s creators, encourages the professionalization of the sector and contributes to the international visibility of works. At the same time, it contributes to image education by welcoming a large school audience. This combination makes it a key event for the development and recognition of Caribbean and Guyanese cinema.
