A TWELVE-MEMBER delegation from Guyana participated in the recently concluded 51st Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), held from September 10–20, 2026, where Guyana was featured prominently at the TIFF Market.
According to a press release, the TIFF is one of the world’s most prestigious annual film festivals and it is held every September in Toronto, Canada, where it showcases hundreds of films from around the globe, including major studio releases, independent films, documentaries, and international cinema.
This was the first time that Guyana officially participated in the event as part of the country’s effort to advance its involvement in the global film industry.
The release said that Guyana’s participation followed direct engagement with President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali during his recent visit to Canada, where he met with the TIFF directorate.
The engagement focused on promoting Guyanese filmmaking and positioning Guyana as a competitive destination for screen production, cultural investment, and tourism promotion.
“Through industry networking, cultural promotion, and strategic engagement, the initiative created opportunities for Guyanese stories, locations, and creative talent to reach global markets.
“At the festival, Guyana’s distinctive landscapes, multicultural heritage, emerging production capacity, and potential as a destination for film and television projects were presented to international industry stakeholders.
“Consequently, the delegation’s participation positioned Guyana before international filmmakers, producers, distributors, commissioners, investors, and diaspora audiences at one of the world’s most influential film festivals,” the release said.
It added that the booth generated significant interest from filmmakers from Canada, India, the United Kingdom, Africa, the United States, and the Guyanese diaspora. Several visitors expressed interest in filming in Guyana and in supporting the continued development of the local film industry.
Following this participation, Guyana will advance work on a strategic framework to guide the future development of its film sector. This engagement also provided an opportunity to build relationships that can support future collaborations, including production partnerships, location promotion, training opportunities, and investment in Guyana’s film ecosystem, the release emphasised.
Guyana’s participation comes as the country places growing emphasis on the creative industries as drivers of economic diversification, youth employment, entrepreneurship, and tourism.
The delegation included Ruel Johnson, Adviser to President Ali; Director of Culture, Tamika Boatswain; filmmakers Yaphet Jackman, Kevin Garbaran, and Tara Smith; actress Marisa Morgan-Bonie; executive film producer Weggon Allen; and film destination coordinators Carla Vantull, Chris Rahaman, and Stacey Rahaman.
