A New Kind of Caribbean Cinema
On September 19, 2025, The Soucouyant made its haunting world premiere at Loft at Congress in Boca Raton, Florida. Presented by Elite Island Resorts and directed by VMA-winning filmmaker Michael Garcia, the six-minute music video short blends Caribbean folklore, film noir, and goth metal, a fusion that redefines how the world views Antigua & Barbuda.
Set entirely on location, The Soucouyant stars goth-metal band Creepscience and features some of Antigua’s most striking landmarks, including Fort James, Shirley Heights, and Pineapple Beach Club. The film reimagines the legend of the Soucouyant, a mythical Caribbean vampire woman, through moody cinematography and a haunting rock score.
Beyond its eerie allure, The Soucouyant is a cinematic love letter to Antigua & Barbuda’s natural beauty and cultural richness, highlighting the islands’ growing reputation as a premier destination for global film and television production. With no permit fees, government support, and a talented local workforce, Antigua has become a creative haven where storytelling, culture, and opportunity converge.
Following the premiere, The Knockturnal sat down with Director Michael Garcia and Elite Island Resorts’ Larry Basham to discuss the film’s creative process, the fusion of folklore and modern cinema, and why Antigua & Barbuda are becoming the Caribbean’s next film capital.
The Knockturnal: When you merge Caribbean folklore with film noir and goth metal aesthetics, how do you strike a balance between honoring cultural authenticity and pushing creative boundaries?
Michael Garcia (Director):
We approached The Soucouyant as a short film set to music, with Antigua’s stunning visual aesthetics as the main character. This enabled us to emphasize Antigua & Barbuda’s historical and cultural authenticity by focusing on the amazing historical sites, National Parks locations, and iconic coastlines, which are all intertwined with Antigua’s rich culture and heritage. Then, we expanded the viewing audience beyond the Caribbean by collaborating with a Miami-based rock band. This essentially allowed us to double the size of the audience and thereby gain maximum exposure for Antigua & Barbuda as an ideal destination for film and television production.
The Knockturnal: What makes Antigua’s landscapes and cultural identity particularly magnetic for international filmmakers, and how does that compare to more traditional cinematic destinations?
Michael Garcia:
Simply put, Antigua & Barbuda offer some of the most attractive and diverse filming locations in the region. Whether you want to shoot the next White Lotus or a reality show at a resort on a gorgeous white-sand beach, a historical piece featuring forts and cannons, tropical backdrops, bustling markets, or million-dollar villas, Antigua has a location that will bring your vision to life.
The Knockturnal: Beyond cost considerations, what unique advantages does Antigua offer filmmakers, whether in terms of community support, natural diversity, or creative freedom, that production hubs like Los Angeles or London cannot?
Larry Basham (Elite Island Resorts):
Antigua & Barbuda makes filmmaking easy, economical, and accessible. This greatly reduces production costs and significantly increases speed to market. The government is very supportive and does not impose permit fees or location fees. There are no work permit fees for production crew, and incoming production gear clears Customs quickly with no fees or duties.
Local resources like drivers, fabricators, shoppers, fixers, catering, makeup artists, seamstresses, and great accommodations allow producers to complete projects under budget and ahead of schedule. There is so much talent in Antigua, and when you combine that with a strong creative community and supportive Government, great things happen.
The Knockturnal: In what ways can cinema serve as both a preservation tool and a reimagination of Caribbean folklore, ensuring younger generations engage with these narratives while still making them accessible to global audiences?
Michael Garcia:
Audiences of all ages are consuming film and television on platforms like YouTube and similar streaming services, which makes great content widely available on a scale never before seen. Cinema is the natural heir to the oral tradition of storytelling, which is where much of our folklore comes from.
If you want to preserve folklore, you have to present it in the manner your audience wants to see it. If you can’t get them telling stories around the campfire, you can probably get them watching and engaging on YouTube and streaming channels. The trick is to be where your audience is and be available when they want to engage.
Folklore and traditional tales like The Soucouyant evolve over time. These stories often mirror the social issues of the day. Cinema keeps the message current while preserving the tradition of telling these culturally and geographically unique stories.
The Knockturnal: How is the rise of film tourism reshaping Antigua & Barbuda’s economy and cultural landscape, and what safeguards are needed to ensure that local communities benefit equitably from this growth?
Larry Basham:
Antigua & Barbuda benefits greatly from film and television production. Locally, producers hire drivers, fabricators, hair and makeup artists, seamstresses, shoppers, production assistants, caterers, and more. They also need lodging, which helps maintain the country’s vital tourism sector.
Moreover, film and television production is an industry that can be accessible to young professionals in Antigua & Barbuda. For example, video editing, colorizing, and special effects services can all be done remotely with a computer and some free online training. A lot of agencies outsource these services to the Caribbean and Latin America, which creates opportunity.
Finally, film and television exposure drives interest in Antigua & Barbuda from a tourism perspective, which again drives community economic involvement and benefits.
The Knockturnal: With resorts often serving as both shooting locations and logistical anchors, how do you see their role evolving in supporting not only film productions but also music, art, and broader cultural exports from the region?
Larry Basham:
The Caribbean is the world’s best example of a true cultural melting pot. In Antigua & Barbuda, you will see longstanding cultural influences originating from Africa, Latin America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.
Cultural and experiential tourism is at an all-time high, which has inspired us to produce original music videos with local artists like Causion, Antigua’s Reggae Ambassador. We also exhibit local artists in our one-of-a-kind Art Tunnel at Hammock Cove Antigua, and we strongly encourage guests to participate in local events like Culinary Month, attend local music events like the weekly steel pan and reggae shows at Shirley Heights, and visit iconic National Parks attractions like Nelson’s Dockyard where they can learn and experience more.
