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Advisory Group

Recognising that meaningful partnerships and collaboration are essential to moving TTFF forward, we have brought together a passionate and talented group of professionals from around the Caribbean and beyond to help guide our progress.

TTFF/25 Advisory Group members

  • Melanie Archer, designer + curator
  • Leslie Fields-Cruz, executive director + producer
  • Kareem J. Mortimer, executive producer + filmmaker
  • Renee Robinson, international film industry expert
  • Donna N. Thomas, senior business consultant

MELANIE ARCHER

Based in Port of Spain, Trinidad, Melanie Archer is an award-winning book designer whose practice also includes branding, curating, design management, art book publishing, and writing about art and design.

She was the art director of the trinidad+tobago film festival (2010–2015), as well as co-curator/curator of the Festival’s New Media programme of experimental works (2012–2015/2020–2022). Melanie has also run a co-working studio in the artistic centre of Port of Spain, and has taught in the Department of Creative and Festival Arts at the University of the West Indies, St. Augustine.

No matter her current focus, a strong desire for collaboration and for the documentation and re-presenting of Caribbean stories remains at the heart of her practice.

LESLIE FIELDS-CRUZ

Leslie joined Black Public Media in 2001 to manage its programme development fund, which supports the production of documentaries about the Black experience. In 2005, she was named director of programming to supervise the distribution of BPM-funded programmes to public television. By 2008, with six independent titles in need of a public television broadcast, Leslie had the grand idea to launch AfroPoP: The Ultimate Cultural Exchange, a documentary series highlighting the variety and depth of the global Black experience. Now enjoying its 16th season, AfroPoP has garnered several awards and is still the only national public television series focused solely on stories of the Black experience. In 2014, Leslie was appointed to serve as BPM’s third executive director. Under her leadership, BPM has cultivated new partnerships, diversified revenues, and initiated vital new programmes (360 Incubator+, PitchBLACK Forum, BPMplus, and the Black Media Story Summit) to support Black talent and content development.

Leslie is a Ford Foundation JustFilms Rockwood Fellow and was recognized by Crain’s New York as a 2021 Notable Black Business Leader. She serves on the board of directors for New Era Creative Space and New York Women in Film and Television (NYWIFT). Leslie holds a BA in psychology from UC-Berkeley and an MA in cinema studies from NYU.

KAREEM J. MORTIMER

Kareem is a Bahamian filmmaker, theatre director, curator, and video artist celebrated for his ability to tell authentic, compelling stories that resonate across cultures. Over his 15-year career, he has earned more than 35 prestigious awards, including the African Movie Academy Award, the Pare Lorentz Documentary Grant, and two Icon Awards. His work has been distributed in 52 countries, screened at over 100 film festivals globally, and aired on platforms such as PBS, Showtime, TTT, and Croatian Public Television. Kareem’s expansive body of work includes award-winning shorts (Float, Passage), powerful documentaries (Chartered Course, Vision, The Eleutheran Adventure and the ITVS-supported upcoming Brigidy Bram), and acclaimed feature narratives (Children of God, Wind Jammers, and Cargo).

In addition to his filmmaking, Kareem has created notable video art pieces like Where I’m At and TRANSient, and directed the National Arts Award-winning play Pastor’s Little Problem. He has also served as a producer for Full Circle, The Snare (2025) and co-executive producer for To Live and Die and Live (Sundance 2023). Most recently, Kareem was the executive producer of Kidnapping Inc. (Sundance 2024) and Sisters (Austin Film Festival 2024). He created the television series This Is Paradise (2023) and its spinoff, Rachel in LA. As the Chief Creative at Best Yet Entertainment and former Programmer of The Island House Cinema and creative director of The Island House Film Festival, he continues to push boundaries and expand Caribbean storytelling on the global stage.

RENEE ROBINSON

Renee Robinson is an international film industry expert with 20 years of leadership in festival strategy, public policy, film finance, investment promotion, and cultural trade. As the second longest serving Film Commissioner of Jamaica, Robinson facilitated 600+ productions on the island, including major projects – James Bond’s “No Time To Die”, Idris Elba’s “Yardie”, HBO / Marlon James’ “Get Millie Black”, and the Paramount Pictures / Bob Marley film “One Love”. She also prioritised the development of the local screen industry – launching talent discovery programmes, leading national delegations to film festivals, negotiating co-production treaties, catalysing access to finance, and shepherding the approval of the inaugural screen fund. Her private consultancy advises clients such as the Hyphen Group, PwC, Toronto International Film Festival, and UNESCO on topics such as corporate governance, film finance, growth strategy, and industry mapping.

Renee serves on the EU/UNESCO Culture Expert Facility, is an International Women’s Forum Global Leaders Fellow; and provides film funding advisory to Telefilm Canada and the European New Dawn Fund. She is an alum of Harvard Business School, York University, and Williams College.

DONNA N. THOMAS

Donna brings over a decade of expertise in strategic planning, international marketing, and business development, with senior management roles spanning industries such as FMCG, B2B, commodities, financial services, and non-profits. As a senior business consultant with in-depth knowledge of Caribbean, Latin American, and Asian markets, she is also an approved business lecturer for the Australian Institute of Business.

A passionate advocate for social change, Donna has served on the Board of Directors for the Centre for Social Entrepreneurship Development, earning the VCTT Innovator’s Award for her impactful work. As a former Director of Research and Public Advocacy at the Association of Female Executives of Trinidad and Tobago (AFETT), she contributed to the abolition of child marriage in Trinidad & Tobago and spearheaded the groundbreaking national study, “Crossing the Precipice: Womens’ Journey to the C-suite,” which explored gender biases and the underrepresentation of women in leadership roles. Her insights on career, corporate governance, and gender issues have been published in national newspapers and regional business journals.

An award-winning scholar, Donna holds a Master’s in Marketing (Distinction) and a BSc in Management Studies, specialising in Finance & Economics (Honours). Trained in the performing arts as well, she blends creativity and strategy to drive impactful initiatives and meaningful change.