Kanaval

In the mid-1970s, Rico, a 9-year-old Haitian boy, was brutally taken from his native land along with Erzulie, his mother, to a strange planet called Canada. Since their arrival, a distance seems to have grown between mother and son. To regain the love of his mother, Rico will have to understand this New World populated by individuals with strange habits and customs. Fortunately for him, he can count on Kana, his imaginary friend who comes straight out of Haitian mythology.

Crossroads is a new annual screening series bringing contemporary Caribbean film to independent venues across South East England. Drawing on standout selections from recent editions of Trinidad+Tobago Film Festival, the series introduces audiences to bold, formally inventive, and politically resonant cinema emerging from one of the most underrepresented regions in global film culture. Conceived as both cultural exchange and long-term audience-development strategy, Crossroads builds sustained relationships between venues and communities – broadening reach, deepening engagement, and laying the groundwork for Caribbean cinema to become a recurring and visible presence within the UK’s exhibition landscape.

The Trinidad+Tobago Film Festival (TTFF) is the world’s leading Caribbean-focused film festival, championing films made by Caribbean filmmakers and from across the diaspora. For two decades, TTFF has created vital platforms for stories emerging from one of the most underrepresented regions in global cinema –  celebrating the richness, complexity, and evolving identities of the Caribbean.

The first edition of Crossroads, draws directly from the 2025 edition of TTFF, presenting a curated selection of standout titles to audiences across South East England. Selected within a Caribbean context and now shared within a UK one, these films extend a curatorial vision grounded in authorship, care, and lived experience.