Belonging, Being and Becoming: The Windrush Film Festival
A celebration of Caribbean cinema, culture, and community that's well worth watching.
The stories of the Windrush generation are varied, vibrant and beautiful.
Thanks to the infamous scandal and repeated government failings that have left this generation fighting for justice and compensation, the narrative of Caribbean migrants in the UK is too often condensed to nothing but struggle. But the reality is so much broader.
The Windrush Caribbean Film Festival [WCFF] provides some much needed light against the shade, with tales of triumph alongside the tribulations of Caribbean people in Britain. The sixth annual edition of the festival – running until 29 June – blends powerful storytelling with a renewed focus on national impact, cultural education, and creative innovation.
Guided by the 2025 festival theme — Belonging, Being and Becoming — filmmakers from across the diaspora explore what it means to find place, identity, and transformation within the Black British and Caribbean experience. with stories of migration and memory, resistance and joy, the festival manages to honour legacy while carving space for future narratives.
We recommend catching Guinness Punch, a short drama by Peter L Pinnock that explores intergenerational tensions in Caribbean families and seamlessly weaves in Jamaican patois to the dialogue. And documentary Roots of Resilience: Stories of Caribbean Women in Agriculture, a portrait of St. Lucia’s agricultural journey, celebrating the strength of its women and the enduring spirit of a community deeply connected to its land.
Patricia Hamzahee OBE, WCFF Co-founder said: “The festival remains committed to telling the stories that matter, stories that educate, inspire, and reflect the Black British and Caribbean experience. WCFF is a celebration of history, identity, and creativity.”
The 2025 programme includes feature films, documentaries, shorts, and events, taking place live in Bristol, Glasgow, London, Liverpool and Birmingham, and globally online. You can get tickets to watch the films in cinemas or online here.