Actor and activist CCH Pounder, known for her roles in Avatar and NCIS: New Orleans, took part in the opening day of the Cross Continental Forum 2025 with a passionate call for narrative sovereignty. As a member of the Steering Committee, Pounder has been instrumental in shaping the forum’s vision.
“I came last year as an honoured guest and they corralled me—persuaded me into joining the Steering Committee,” she said. “And I’m really delighted to be here.”
Pounder emphasized the power of Caribbean-rooted storytelling and the urgency of structural change in the global media landscape. She paid tribute to Jamaican author Marlon James, reflecting on how his complex, authentic narratives exemplify what Global South creators are striving for. Though James was not in attendance, Pounder’s recognition of his work underscored the forum’s mission to elevate bold, grounded storytelling.
“My personal support is because I’m interested in telling stories from the Caribbean. I’m Guyanese-born and I want to see more of our stories on film, in books, everywhere,” she said. “Our timing is good to start.”
She went on to highlight a broader issue faced by diasporic creators: fragmentation. “We were discussing the other day—just to get from Guyana to London, you have to go through some other Western country first. Within Africa, there are so few direct passages between countries, even when they’re right next to each other. That’s a direct result of colonial history,” she noted.
“What this idea—this forum—hopes to expand on is creating and pushing stories from the diaspora, so they not only reach the Caribbean, but also Africa, America, Canada… places where our people live. And we can know each other again. Really, that’s it. It’s knowing each other.”
Her message was clear: these aren’t just creative gaps—they’re infrastructural, historical, and deeply political. And CCF 2025 is tackling them head-on.
Building the Infrastructure for Change
Beyond panels and talks, CCF 2025 is focused on practical transformation. The forum features:
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Pitch labs and development clinics linking producers with international funders
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Mentorship sessions offering strategic guidance from senior creatives
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Matchmaking meetings sparking real cross-border collaborations
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With support from institutions like the Canada Media Fund, Invest Barbados, British Film Institute, University of the West Indies (Cave Hill), and the National Cultural Foundation of Barbados, the event is laying down a collaborative foundation for a new creative ecosystem.
A Forum That’s Becoming a Movement
As energy builds and deals begin to take shape, it’s clear that the Cross Continental Forum is growing beyond a yearly event—it’s a movement for systemic change.
The forum rejects outdated hierarchies, centres cultural ownership, and encourages partnerships that reshape industry norms.
As one producer put it:
“This is no longer about asking to be let in. It’s about defining the terms ourselves.”
With its clear commitment to equity, bold storytelling, and global solidarity, CCF 2025 isn’t just imagining the future of film and television—it’s actively building it.
The Cross Continental Forum runs until 18th June in Barbados more HERE https://decolonisingcoproduction.com/
