Hairouna Film Festival 2025 Wraps with Final Screening in Bequia
The curtains came down on Hairouna Film Festival 2025 last Saturday evening with a moving final screening at the scenic Bequia Plantation Hotel. The closing event marked the end of a four-week cinematic journey that featured nine screenings across St. Vincent and the Grenadines, drawing enthusiastic audiences from all walks of life.
The finale spotlighted five compelling short films from Barbados, the US Virgin Islands, Canada, Jamaica, and Bequia—highlighting the diversity and richness of Caribbean and diaspora storytelling. Over 50 attendees gathered to watch the lineup, with the standout piece being the premiere of Bush Medicine: Stories that Remember the Land, a powerful short documentary produced by The Hub Collective.
Focusing on ancestral wisdom and intergenerational exchange, Bush Medicine explores the enduring relevance of traditional practices such as bush medicine, subsistence farming, and communal rituals in Bequia and mainland St. Vincent. The film struck an emotional chord with many in the audience, who saw their own stories and landscapes reflected on screen.
Running from March 15 to April 12, the 2025 festival offered an alternative form of outdoor entertainment that blended culture, community, and cinema. Attendees praised the welcoming atmosphere and thoughtful curation at each venue. Local content creator Vashelle Glasgow shared, “The Hairouna Film Festival is so important to Saint Vincent and the Grenadines because it sheds light on important work being done by content creators and filmmakers in SVG. Without HFF we would not have known about the local filmmakers, and I love that they are being given light and space to show the world what they’ve been working on. I am so ready for next year!”
A major festival highlight was Vincy Night, a local showcase featuring ten Vincentian films that tackled topics from mental health awareness to the history of the Spiritual Baptist faith in SVG.
Festival Director Aiko Roudette expressed her heartfelt gratitude: “The outpouring of support and engagement from communities across the mainland and the Grenadines was phenomenal,” she said. “We’re already looking ahead to a bigger and even more dynamic festival in 2026.”
This year’s edition also gained international attention, with growing engagement across social media platforms. A special highlight was the presence of acclaimed Haitian filmmaker Bruno Mourral and actor Marcus Boereau, who attended in support of Kidnapping Inc., Haiti’s official submission to the 2025 Oscars and the feature film for Opening Night.
