The Bahamas has been a destination for filmmakers ever since pioneer underwater cinematographer John Ernest Williamson shot the first ever underwater film, In the Tropical Seas (1914). Bahamian actors and entertainers who have shaped international film culture include Hollywood icon Sidney Poitier, silent film star Bert Williams, and Bahamian-Danish jazz and gospel artist Etta Cameron. 

Part of our work at the BFCP has involved assembling stories and histories of the array of filmmakers and industry professionals—actors and musical entertainers, makers of useful films including advertising and educational video—who have shaped Bahamas film culture from the earliest years of silent film production, to twenty-first century moving image industries. Our concept of the ‘filmmaker’ at BFCP is a broad one. We know that a film history slanted towards feature film directors privileges white male practitioners. In our project, women and men of colour take centre stage. The BFCP also moves beyond the mainstream to focus on independent and documentary production as well as experimental and ‘useful’ (educational, commercial, industrial) film.

Click on links in the dropdown menu for profiles and insights into key figures in Bahamas film production and heritage.