Sugar Island is a 2024 coming-of-age drama film co-written and directed by Johanné Gómez Terrero. 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.
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.
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.
Release
Sugar Island had its world premiere on September 5, 2024, at the 81st Venice International Film Festival, then screened on October 18, 2024, at the 68th BFI London Film Festival, on November 6, 2025, at the 65th Thessaloniki International Film Festival, on November 9, 2025, at the 35th Stockholm International Film Festival, on November 12, 2025, at the 73rd International Filmfestival Mannheim-Heidelberg, on March 19, 2025, at the 28th Málaga Film Festival, on June 21, 2025, at the 27th Taipei Film Festival, and on August 24, 2025, at the 29th Lima Film Festival. Patra Spanou Film acquired international sales rights.
The film was released commercially on March 21, 2025 in Spanish theaters, and a limited theatrical release on May 29, 2025, in the Dominican Republic.
Accolades YearAward / FestivalCategoryRecipientResultRef.202481st Venice International Film FestivalGdA Director's AwardSugar IslandEdipo Re Award - Special MentionCa' Foscari Young Jury Award65th Thessaloniki International Film FestivalGolden AlexanderWIFT GR Award73rd International Filmfestival Mannheim-HeidelbergInternational Competition - Audience Award45th Havana Film FestivalBest Fiction Feature FilmCoral Award for Artistic Contribution202524th Geneva International Film and Forum Festival on Human RightsGran Prix de GenèveMention Spéciale del Gran Prix de Genève28th Málaga Film FestivalBest Latin-American FilmBest CinematographyAlván Prado15th Beijing International Film FestivalForward Future Award - Best DirectorJohanné Gómez Terrero27th Taipei Film FestivalNew Talents - Grand PrizeSugar Island14th BlackStar Film FestivalBest Feature Narrative Award29th Lima Film FestivalTrophy SpondylusBest DirectorJohanné Gómez TerreroBest Cinematography - Special MentionAlván PradoCINETRAB Award for Best FictionSugar Island
References
External links
Official Page