Experience

Third Horizon Film Festival

• Director of Programming

  • Apr 2016 - Present

  Miami, Florida My role is to lead on all film programming aspects of this Caribbean-themed festival, which takes place one weekend every September. The 2016 edition was given a positive review by Filmmaker magazine, in which my curating was singled out for praise (“Jonathan Ali’s textured and dextrous programming”). The 2018 edition also received praise from Filmmaker magazine. 2019 achievements and accolades: • Led on curating the inaugural Caribbean Film Series Festival in March at BAM in… Show more My role is to lead on all film programming aspects of this Caribbean-themed festival, which takes place one weekend every September. The 2016 edition was given a positive review by Filmmaker magazine, in which my curating was singled out for praise (“Jonathan Ali’s textured and dextrous programming”). The 2018 edition also received praise from Filmmaker magazine. 2019 achievements and accolades: • Led on curating the inaugural Caribbean Film Series Festival in March at BAM in Brooklyn, New York • Curated, on behalf of THFF, a programme of short films for the Tout-Monde Festival in Miami in March, an initiative of the French Embassy’s Cultural Services, in partnership with the France Florida Foundation for the Arts • Led on curating Third Horizon in Los Angeles, a weekend of screenings of films in July at the School of Cinematic Arts at the University of Southern California • THFF named one of the twenty-five coolest film festival in the world by MovieMaker Magazine Show less



Locarno Film Festival

• Switzerland
• Movies, Videos, and Sound
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Open Doors Programme Advisor

  • Feb 2022 - Present

  I advise on programming for the Open Doors film sidebar and on the Open Doors Hub and Lab initiatives. I host screenings at the festival, moderate discussions etc.



Twelve30 Collective

• Movies, Videos, and Sound

• Co-Founder

  • Sep 2019 - Present

  London, United Kingdom The Twelve30 Collective screens films from the Caribbean and its diaspora. Our aim is to reframe the moving image by interrogating the ethics and aesthetics of on-screen representation, and in doing so strategically relocate Caribbean cinema within the global film landscape. We take inspiration for our name from the past days of watching movies at the old cinema palaces—12.30pm was the time each day that the first feature screened in Trinidad’s cinemas. “All Port-of-Spain is a 12.30 show/Some… Show more The Twelve30 Collective screens films from the Caribbean and its diaspora. Our aim is to reframe the moving image by interrogating the ethics and aesthetics of on-screen representation, and in doing so strategically relocate Caribbean cinema within the global film landscape. We take inspiration for our name from the past days of watching movies at the old cinema palaces—12.30pm was the time each day that the first feature screened in Trinidad’s cinemas. “All Port-of-Spain is a 12.30 show/Some playing Kojak, some Fidel Castro.” - Derek Walcott, The Spoiler's Return Show less



Myself

• United Kingdom
• Marketing Services
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Freelance film curator

  • Jan 2016 - Present

  London I organise and execute screenings of films in London and elsewhere, working with partners as appropriate.



Caribbean Beat Magazine

• Contributing Writer & Film Critic

  • 2006 - Present

  I write about film for Caribbean Beat, the in-flight magazine of Caribbean Airlines, contributing reviews, interviews, profiles and other articles.



Alchemy Film & Arts

• United Kingdom
• Artists and Writers
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Programmer

  • Nov 2019 - Present

  Hawick, Scottish Borders I am a programmer for this experimental film festival out of Hawick, Scotland.



Open City Documentary Festival

• United Kingdom
• Movies, Videos, and Sound
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Programme Advisor

  • Dec 2019 - Present

  London, United Kingdom In addition to viewing submissions I curated the programme A Radical Empathy, films about the Haitian diaspora by Esery Mondesir. I also wrote an essay on the films and conducted a Q&A with the filmmaker.



Tribeca Film Festival

• Movies, Videos, and Sound
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Associate Programmer - Features

  • Nov 2019 - Oct 2023

• Shorts submissions viewer

  • Nov 2019 - Feb 2020

  Greater New York City Area I was a submissions viewer for the festival's short films programme.



True/False Film Fest

• United States
• Movies, Videos, and Sound
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Programme Advisor, Film

  • Oct 2022 - Mar 2023

  Columbia, Missouri, USA



DocSociety/BFI

• Peer reviewer

  • Sep 2022 - Oct 2022

  Reviewed projects in development and production for BFI/DocSociety Documentary Fund.


International Documentary Association (IDA)
• United States
• Civic and Social Organizations
• 1 - 100 Employee
• Programmer - Getting Real Conference 2022

  • May 2022 - Oct 2022


European Film Festival of Trinidad and Tobago

• Film Programmer

  • Jan 2012 - Jun 2022

  Trinidad and Tobago I work with both the European Film Festivals in Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados to programme films from the EU member states and other European countries.



Independent Cinema Office/LUX

• Commissioning Panel Member

  • Jan 2022 - Apr 2022

  Member of commissioning panel for Right of Way artists’ moving image film programme



Independent Cinema Office

• United Kingdom
• Movies, Videos, and Sound
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Screening Days Advisory Group Member

  • May 2021 - Jan 2022

  London, England, United Kingdom I advised, made programming suggestions and gave feedback on the ICO's Screening Days programme.



Sight and Sound Magazine

• United States
• Music

• Consultant, Greatest Films of All Time Poll

  • 2022 - 2022

  I was an advisor on diversifying the list of filmmakers and critics who participated in the 2022 poll.


Sheffield Doc/Fest
• United Kingdom
• Movies, Videos, and Sound
• 1 - 100 Employee
• Consultant for the Caribbean

  • Nov 2020 - Jun 2021


East End Film Festival

• Movies, Videos, and Sound
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Head Programmer - Discovery

  • Oct 2017 - May 2018

  London, United Kingdom My role was to programme and present a diverse selection of UK and international feature film titles without distribution, fiction and documentary, by first- and second-time filmmakers, across several East London venues .

• Head of Shorts Programming

  • Mar 2017 - Jul 2017

  London, United Kingdom My role was to programme and present a selection of short films—British and international, fiction and documentary—to festival audiences across several East London venues.



Trinidad and Tobago Film Festival

• Film Programmer

  • Jan 2006 - Dec 2015

  My role at the Trinidad and Tobago Film Festival was to curate and present the majority of the films—feature-length and short, fiction and documentary—presented annually at this international film festival. I also led on developing initiatives to increase and educate young audiences for independent film, as well as emerging-filmmaker development initiatives. I also played an integral role in the general development and execution of various other programming- and industry-related features of… Show more My role at the Trinidad and Tobago Film Festival was to curate and present the majority of the films—feature-length and short, fiction and documentary—presented annually at this international film festival. I also led on developing initiatives to increase and educate young audiences for independent film, as well as emerging-filmmaker development initiatives. I also played an integral role in the general development and execution of various other programming- and industry-related features of the festival. I achieved great success in my ten years at the festival, helping to make it go from a three-day event to become a fortnight-long one, the largest film festival in the English-speaking Caribbean, screening annually roughly 60 features and 70 shorts. Show less



Toronto International Film Festival

• Canada
• Movies, Videos, and Sound
• 200 - 300 Employee

• Programming Associate

  • Aug 2012 - Sep 2012

  Toronto, Canada Area My role was to introduce the premieres of feature films from around the world, both fiction and documentary; and facilitate Q&A sessions with directors, producers and actors. I led on introducing, and facilitating Q&A sessions for, most of the films in TIFF’s City to City: Mumbai sidebar.