News Americas, New York, NY, June 2, 2025: The countdown is on to the Cross Continental Forum (CCF) 2025 in Barbados.
Felicia J. Persaud, the trailblazing CEO of Invest Caribbean, is set to co-moderate a pivotal panel at the event on “Decolonizing Financing & Investment.” The session, part of a five-day landmark gathering, aims to radically reshape global media investment frameworks and champion equity for Black and Global Majority content creators.
Persaud, a South Florida-based journalist, media and investment entrepreneur, and passionate advocate, has consistently raised awareness about the critical lack of access to capital – particularly for the Caribbean region, will join UK-based finance strategist Nathan Adabadze in leading the June 15th dialogue. Together, they will guide critical conversations with top-tier industry leaders, including Victor Mukete of Afrixembank (Nigeria), Joel Phiri of Known Associates (South Africa), Kerwyn Valley of C15 (Trinidad), and Kaye Greenidge of Invest Barbados.
Their collective goal? To explore new global ecosystems that prioritize inclusive capital flows and dismantle long-standing colonial power structures in media financing. This bold conversation is expected to surface solutions that emphasize cultural sovereignty, equitable partnerships, and sustainable development across Africa, the Caribbean, and beyond.
The Cross Continental Forum, produced by CaribbeanTales Media Group in partnership with the University of the West Indies, unites over 30 producers and 25 industry delegates from the UK, Canada, Africa, and the Caribbean. The forum seeks to reimagine global storytelling through a decolonial lens and is a cornerstone event of the CaribbeanTales International Film Festival’s 20th anniversary celebration.
Each day of CCF 2025 focuses on a different facet of decolonization in media:
- June 14: Decolonising Policy & Legislation – Featuring experts from Canada, the UK, the Caribbean, and Africa, this panel tackles systemic legislative and policy barriers to equitable media production. Notable speakers include Joy Lowen (Canada Media Fund), Denitsa Yordanova (British Film Institute), and CARICOM’s Wayn McCook.
- June 15: Decolonising Financing & Investment – Moderated by Felicia Persaud and Nathan Adabadze, this panel highlights new financing frameworks for empowering Black content creators and creating sustainable global partnerships.
- June 16: Decolonising Content – This session explores authenticity in Black and Global Majority storytelling, with insights from Asha Lovelace (Caribbean Film Festival), Effie T. Brown (Gamechanger Films), and Elon Johnson (Tyler Perry Studios). The evening culminates in a conversation with Oscar-nominated filmmaker Ava DuVernay.
- June 17: Decolonising Distribution – A deep dive into dismantling systemic distribution biases, featuring case studies and strategies for independent, decentralized media delivery.
- June 18: Decolonising Co-Production – A culminating session that reflects on the forum’s insights and presents concrete action plans for sustainable global collaboration in Black and Indigenous media.
Complementing the panels are a series of public film events celebrating the CaribbeanTales International Film Festival’s two decades of impact:
- June 13: Opening reception and screening of short films at Hayman’s Market.
- June 14: Screening of HBO’s Get Millie Black followed by an in-depth conversation with Booker Prize-winning author Marlon James at Frank Collymore Hall.
- June 15: Screening of Banel and Adama with a talkback featuring UK distributors We Are Parable at the Barbados Museum.
- June 17: Screening of Ernest Cole: Lost & Found, directed by Haitian filmmaker Raoul Peck, also at the Barbados Museum.
About the Cross Continental Forum:
The Cross Continental Forum (CCF) 2025 is a production of CaribbeanTales Media Group in collaboration with the Department of Creative and Performing Arts (UWI Cave Hill). It is generously supported by the Canada Media Fund, British Film Institute, Mango Bay Group of Companies, Invest Barbados, Inter-American Development Bank, Picture NL, National Cultural Foundation of Barbados, Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc., Barbados Film and Television Association, Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago, Telefilm Canada, and numerous other global partners.
Guiding the forum is a distinguished Steering Group that includes Frances-Anne Solomon (CEO, CaribbeanTales Media Group), Andrew Millington (UWI Cave Hill), CCH Pounder (actor and activist), Dr. Keith Nurse (COSTAATT), Zikethiwe Ngcobo (Fuzebox Entertainment, South Africa), John Reid (former FLOW CEO), Agnieszka Moody (British Film Institute), Chloe Sosa Simms (CBC), and international events producer Diana Webley.
The film screenings are open to the public, and tickets can be obtained at: https://ticketnation.nuwebgroup.com/
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