Studio Caribe: Six project selected for production grant
"I hope this selection helps our makers build a portfolio that ultimately paves the way for larger productions."
Selected producer Michel Drenthe
Studio Caribe offers filmmakers from Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Saba, St. Eustatius or St. Maarten the space to further develop their talents and enrich the film landscape with original stories from and about the islands.
Following the launch, the Film Fund received nearly 60 applications from across almost all islands, with a relatively large number of female film makers among the applicants.
In addition to funding, the selected filmmakers received coaching, training, and participated in workshops to develop their film plans in the categories of fiction, documentary, animation, or experimental film.
Out of the 12 teams selected for development, 6 have now been awarded funding to realize their short films. This week, they are taking part in workshops in Curaçao led by Roos Smits and Paul Zomerhuis, focusing on the practical aspects of planning and budgeting—with tailored guidance for each team.
"We look forward to short films that will bring unique, locally rooted stories to life."
Monique Ruinen
Selected producer Michel Drenthe:
‘Studio Caribe gives filmmakers on the islands the space to create their own independent films—works with a distinct, personal style. I also hope that this scheme serves as a valuable stepping stone for writers and directors to collaborate with producers outside the program and submit projects to the Netherlands Film Fund. This way, they can build a portfolio that ultimately paves the way for larger productions. The same goes for Stephanie: I truly hope her film ALA marks the beginning of a beautiful series of animated films from Curaçao.’
Monique Ruinen (Film Fund):
‘We’re incredibly proud of the wide range of selected films—from animation to powerful dramas and an experimental piece. With this selection, we aim not only to further support the teams’ talent development and stimulate the film industry on the islands, but also to look forward to short films that will bring unique, locally rooted stories to life.’
The 6 selected projects are:
ALA – Short Animation
Curaçao
Director/script: Stephanie van Heijningen
Producer: Michel Drenthe
Logline: Guided by a mysterious voice, a gifted enslaved boy discovers a forgotten tale that inspires freedom in ways he never imagined possible.
Adrift/Wak Leu - Short Experimental Film
Aruba
Director/Script: Velvet Ramos
Script: Dimanche Jolie
Producer: Rebecca Roos
Logline: A dreamscape unraveling through abstraction—where land, sound, and memory merge in a poetic echo. A coming-of-age of wakefulness within the dream.
Close to Home – Short Fiction
Aruba
Director: Juan Francisco Pardo
Producer: Rebecca Roos
Logline: A lonely man struggles with life, but after reliving his memories, he frees himself from feelings of guilt and finally begins to live.
Hidden Hurt – Short Fiction
Curaçao
Director: Angelo Lourens
Script: German Gruber
Producer: Sulin Passial
Logline: After his partner suffers a miscarriage, a stoic mechanic struggles to process his grief, torn between the weight of expectation and the need to confront the pain he’s been avoiding.
Pèrdi - Short Fiction
Curaçao
Director/script: Ryan Navarro
Script: Tyson Hill
Producer: Sulin Passial
Logline: A young nurse seeking a new life is lured into a ruthless world of deception and survival, where every choice she makes only tightens the chains around her.
Wow’i Asombro – Short Fiction
Curaçao
Director/script: Ralph Winedt
Producer: Elizabeth Francisco
Co-Producent: Robin Amatmoestar
Logline: Eight-year-old Joshua observes nature with a sense of wonder, but when his parents—pastors in a Pentecostal church—force him to take on adult responsibilities due to financial struggles, he finds himself caught between his childlike innocence and the harsh realities of the adult world.
Pictures: Derek Oblion
