Georgetown Film Festival showcases “Sugar Island” and mental health shorts

The Georgetown Film Festival will screen “Sugar Island,” a film by Afro-diasporic filmmaker Johanné Gómez Terrero, on March 28 at the Herdmanston Lodge Hotel.
The screening, part of the festival’s monthly film series supported by the Inter-American Development Bank, will explore themes rooted in the Caribbean’s colonial history and the legacy of the sugar industry.
“Sugar Island” follows the journey of a teenage protagonist navigating motherhood, while examining the historical exploitation of Black bodies and linking past resistance to contemporary struggles.
The evening will also feature three short films produced by the Georgetown Film Festival in partnership with the Government of Canada and the International Development and Relief Foundation as part of a mental health awareness initiative.
The films — “Prayers and Prescriptions,” directed by Kevin Garbaran; “The First Step,” directed by Jaheim Jones; and “A Phone Call Away,” directed by Nickose Layne — address issues including grief, depression and addiction in Guyanese communities, while promoting dialogue and support.
The event, which is open to the public, is expected to attract members of Georgetown’s diplomatic community, a release said.