Sugar Island (film)

Sugar Island
Theatrical release poster
Directed byJohanné Gómez Terrero
Written byJohanné Gómez Terrero
María Abenia
Produced byDavid Baute
Fernando Santos Diaz
StarringYelidá Díaz
CinematographyAlván Prado
Edited byRaúl Barreras
Music byJonay Armas
Production
companies
Guasábara Cine
Tinglado Films
Release dates
  • September 5, 2024 (2024-09-05) (Venice)
  • May 21, 2025 (2025-05-21) (Spain)
  • May 29, 2025 (2025-05-29) (Dominican Republic)
Running time
91 minutes
CountriesDominican Republic
Spain
LanguagesHaitian Creole
Spanish

Sugar Island is a 2024 coming-of-age drama film co-written and directed by Johanné Gómez Terrero.[1] It stars Yelidá Díaz as Makenya, a 14-year-old Dominican-Haitian teenager who lives in a sugarcane community and is forced to begin her journey to adulthood after becoming pregnant.[2]

Synopsis

Makenya is a 14-year-old teenager who, after becoming pregnant, is forced to grow up by her family's fury, while her grandfather joins the protests for the right to a pension and a group of women rescue the history of their slave ancestors.[3]

Cast

  • Yelidá Díaz as Makenya
  • Juan Maria Almonte as Grandfather
  • Diogenes Medina as Leroi
  • Ruth Emeterio as Filomena
  • Xiomara Rodríguez as Doctor
  • Francis Cruz as The Seller
  • Génesis Piñeyro as Yelidá
  • Keven Carvajal as Chinese in the chicken
  • Marivel Contreras

Production

Principal photography took place in San Pedro de Macorís, Dominican Republic.[4]

Release

Sugar Island had its world premiere on September 5, 2024, at the 81st Venice International Film Festival,[5] then screened on October 18, 2024, at the 68th BFI London Film Festival,[6] on November 6, 2025, at the 65th Thessaloniki International Film Festival,[7] on November 9, 2025, at the 35th Stockholm International Film Festival,[8] on November 12, 2025, at the 73rd International Filmfestival Mannheim-Heidelberg,[9] on March 19, 2025, at the 28th Málaga Film Festival,[10] on June 21, 2025, at the 27th Taipei Film Festival,[11] and on August 24, 2025, at the 29th Lima Film Festival.[12] Patra Spanou Film acquired international sales rights.[13]

The film was released commercially on March 21, 2025 in Spanish theaters,[14] and a limited theatrical release on May 29, 2025, in the Dominican Republic.[15]

Accolades

Year Award / Festival Category Recipient Result Ref.
2024 81st Venice International Film Festival GdA Director's Award Sugar Island Nominated [16][17]
Edipo Re Award - Special Mention Won
Ca' Foscari Young Jury Award Won
65th Thessaloniki International Film Festival Golden Alexander Nominated [18]
WIFT GR Award Won
73rd International Filmfestival Mannheim-Heidelberg International Competition - Audience Award Nominated [19]
45th Havana Film Festival Best Fiction Feature Film Nominated [20]
Coral Award for Artistic Contribution Won
2025 24th Geneva International Film and Forum Festival on Human Rights Gran Prix de Genève Nominated [21]
Mention Spéciale del Gran Prix de Genève Won
28th Málaga Film Festival Best Latin-American Film Nominated [22][23]
Best Cinematography Alván Prado Won
15th Beijing International Film Festival Forward Future Award - Best Director Johanné Gómez Terrero Won [24]
27th Taipei Film Festival New Talents - Grand Prize Sugar Island Nominated [25][26]
14th BlackStar Film Festival Best Feature Narrative Award Won [27]
29th Lima Film Festival Trophy Spondylus Nominated [28][29]
Best Director Johanné Gómez Terrero Won
Best Cinematography - Special Mention Alván Prado Won
CINETRAB Award for Best Fiction Sugar Island Won

References

  1. ^ ""Sugar Island aborda muchos temas, pero termina con un mensaje esperanzador"". Casa de América (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-08-26.
  2. ^ Domínguez, Micaela. "LatAm premiere: Johanné Gómez Terrero, directora de "Sugar Island"". LatAm cinema. Retrieved 2025-08-26.
  3. ^ "Sugar Island cautiva al público en el Festival Global de Santo Domingo". RC Noticias (in Spanish). 2025-02-03. Retrieved 2025-08-26.
  4. ^ "Sugar Island". Suria Comunicación (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-08-26.
  5. ^ "Biennale Cinema 2024 | Sugar Island". La Biennale di Venezia. 2024-08-07. Retrieved 2025-08-26.
  6. ^ "'Sugar Island' de Johanné Gómez Terrero". Afroféminas (in Spanish). 2024-09-12. Retrieved 2025-08-26.
  7. ^ Sugar Island. Retrieved 2025-08-26 – via filmfestival.gr.
  8. ^ Goodfellow, Melanie; Whittock, Jesse (24 October 2024). "Red Sea Unveils First Titles; Stop-Motion Film 'Kiri and Lou' Sets Innovative Prod Partnership; Willem Bosch Signs With Ent. Lab & Costa-Gavras Stockholm Honor – Global Briefs". Deadline Hollywood.
  9. ^ "Sugar Island". Internationales Filmfestival Mannheim-Heidelberg. Retrieved 2025-08-26.
  10. ^ "Sugar Island". Festival de Málaga. Retrieved 2025-08-26.
  11. ^ Morel, Francis (2025-06-23). "Sugar Island, ganadora de FONPROCINE, representa a El Caribe en el 27º Festival de Cine de Taipei". DGCINE (in European Spanish). Retrieved 2025-08-26.
  12. ^ "Sugar Island". Lima Film Festival.
  13. ^ Barraclough, Leo (2024-08-27). "Patra Spanou Picks Up Venice-Bound Coming-of-Age Story 'Sugar Island,' Debuts Trailer (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 2025-08-26.
  14. ^ "Estreno en cines de 'Sugar Island', dirigida por Johanné Gómez". Asociación de mujeres cineastas y de medios audiovisuales (in Spanish). 2025-03-21. Retrieved 2025-08-26.
  15. ^ ""Sugar Island" llega a los cines dominicanos el 29 de mayo con una cosecha de premios internacionales". RC Noticias (in Spanish). 2025-05-27. Retrieved 2025-08-26.
  16. ^ Dams, Tim. "Venice's Giornate degli Autori line-up includes Quay Brothers animation and Peaches biopic". Screen. Retrieved 2024-07-20.
  17. ^ Dalton, Ben. "'Manas', 'Alpha.' win Venice Giornate degli Autori prizes". Screen. Retrieved 2024-09-06.
  18. ^ "The Awards of the 65th TIFF!". Thessaloniki Film Festival. 2024-11-10. Retrieved 2025-08-26.
  19. ^ "Award Winners | IFFMH". Internationales Filmfestival Mannheim-Heidelberg. Retrieved 2025-08-26.
  20. ^ "Premios Corales de la edición 45 del Festival Internacional del Nuevo Cine Latinoamericano". Festival Internacional del Nuevo Cine Latinoamericano La Habana (in European Spanish). Archived from the original on 2025-08-26. Retrieved 2025-08-26.
  21. ^ "'Sugar Island' suma un nuevo premio en Ginebra". Programa Ibermedia (in European Spanish). 2025-04-03. Retrieved 2025-08-26.
  22. ^ "Todas las películas, cortos, documentales y series del 28º Festival de Málaga". Málaga Hoy. Grupo Joly. 27 February 2025.
  23. ^ Sánchez, Isabel (22 March 2025). "'Sorda' y 'El ladrón de perros', Biznagas de Oro del 28 Festival de Cine de Málaga". Onda Cero.
  24. ^ "'Sugar Island' pone en alto a la República Dominicana en el Festival Internacional de Cine de Beijing". Cine Dominicano (in Spanish). 2025-04-27. Retrieved 2025-08-26.
  25. ^ "'Sugar Island', de Johanné Gómez Terrero, seleccionada para la competición oficial del Festival de Taipéi". Programa Ibermedia (in European Spanish). 2025-06-24. Retrieved 2025-08-26.
  26. ^ "2025 Taipei Film Awards Winners Announced Documentary Island of the Winds Wins Grand Prize Wanlop Rungkumjad Becomes First Non-Taiwanese to Win Best Actor at Taipei Film Awards Alexia Kao Named Best Actress for Family Matters". Taipei Film Festival.
  27. ^ Siddiquee, Imran (2025-08-04). "BlackStar Film Festival Announces 2025 Jury and Audience Award Winners". BlackStar. Retrieved 2025-08-26.
  28. ^ "Toda la programación del Festival de Cine de Lima 2025". Escribiendo Cine (in Spanish). 24 July 2025. Retrieved 18 August 2025.
  29. ^ "¡Estos son los ganadores del 29 Festival de Cine de Lima PUCP!"". festivaldelima.com. Archived from the original on August 19, 2025. Retrieved August 16, 2025.
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