Over the next two weekends, Saint Lucians have the rare opportunity to support homegrown talent on the big screen as two locally produced films are set to be showcased at Caribbean Cinemas.
The first of the two, Heartfall, written, directed and produced by Elijah Anatole, will be screened on Saturday, May 24 at 7 p.m., and again on Sunday, May 25 at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. Tickets are priced at just $13 – less than the $18.75 cost of a standard adult ticket.
Sheldon Isidore, general manager of Caribbean Cinemas Saint Lucia, said the discounted price was a deliberate move to encourage wider attendance and support for local creatives.
“We always look to support local filmmakers,” Isidore told St Lucia Times. “We did not want only adults to come to see it. Because of the rating of the movie, it’s $13. Everyone is invited to come and watch.”
Commenting on Heartfall, Isidore said, “When I looked at the quality and the way it was presented, that film was done by international standards.”
He also highlighted the broader significance of screening locally produced films: “The big benefit when it comes to local films, if you look at the bigger picture, any movie that’s filmed here locally appears on our website now. That’s more recognition for Saint Lucia and more recognition for local filmmakers.”
Heartfall, Anatole’s debut feature film, premiered at Caribbean Cinemas on May 4 to positive reviews.
Speaking ahead of this weekend’s screenings, he reflected on the physical toll of bringing the film to life, having shouldered much of the production, post-production, distribution and promotion himself. “It has really been a lot of sleepless nights,” Anatole said. “But going into this weekend, I’m excited for Saint Lucia to see this film. I’m happy that people are showing interest. It’s a wait-and-see situation to see whether people are going to take advantage of the very low price.”
Although Anatole initially intended to first take the movie through the international film festival circuit, he ultimately opted to premiere it locally, citing strong public anticipation and a smooth partnership with Caribbean Cinemas.
“They were very accommodating. They were excited,” he said. “After showing them the trailer, they basically just made everything work and even offered for me to have the premiere with them as well. So the experience was really good. I think they’re very accommodating to local filmmakers. That could be a partnership of good things to come for Saint Lucia.”
Another locally made film will take centre stage at Caribbean Cinemas next weekend. Saint Lucia: The Wild Side, a feature-length documentary by Darnel Kendal John and Lyndon John, will be screened on Saturday, May 31 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, June 1 at 4 p.m. Tickets are priced at $35 for adults and $15 for children.
Isidore encouraged more local filmmakers to engage with Caribbean Cinemas.
“Anyone out there who has a film that they want to present to the Saint Lucian public, contact us,” he said. “We’re always willing to help, to negotiate. It’s something that we do in other territories as well. We always want to support the local talent.”
