‘Threads of Us’ premieres at Skylark Film Festival
Published:Thursday | October 9, 2025 | 12:10 AMDamian Levy/Gleaner Writer
As the closing feature at The Skylark Film Festival, the newly completed Threads of Us was one of the festival’s most anticipated screenings. Written by Donisha Prendergast and directed by Mykal Cushnie, the film stars Shomari Downer as Malcolm and Anna-Share ‘Sevana’ Blake as Danielle – romantic leads whose deep connection is tested by a dark plot unfolding around them. In a panel moderated by writer-director Kevin Jackson, Prendergast and Cushnie shared how they brought the feature-length film to life in just six months.
The screening is the world premiere of the film, and according to Prendergast, it was made in part to silence doubters of Jamaica’s film industry. “It came from a place of rebellion. We started the Bob Marley Museum independent film series in February and the aspiration was to show one Jamaican film every Friday for the rest of the year. There was a rumour that we’re not making movies but we are, and we’re making movies of quality. So we took on the challenge with some other crazy people...because this was a crazy initiative to think that I could write a film in one month and get it financed, produced and screened, four and a half months later,” Prendergast told said.
Aside from making the film as a testament to what’s possible in the local cinema landscape, the story came from a familiar place for the writer.
“It’s a personal story because my grandmother on my father’s side was a seamstress. The factory where we shot this space is my father’s factory. Many of the characters in the story are loosely inspired by characters that I grew up with my entire life.”
In speaking about Prendergast’s writing, Cushnie shared that: “Sometimes, I feel like Donisha is like the other half of my brain. She puts in words the things that I want to see. So when she had those words on the paper, it made it very easy to make the film poetic.”
Their partnership seemed to have resonated with the audience as well. Among them was fellow filmmaker JP Williams, whose short film BLV also screened at the festival.
“Right now we don’t have any Jamaican movies showing in theatres, and we now have a Jamaican movie showing in theatres. We have a sold out audience. Everybody had a good time. I had an amazing time. Truly amazing guys. Thank you so much for doing it. You’re not just paving the way, you’re doing it by example,”Williams explained.
Although the film was screened before a live audience, Cushnie explained that the project is still being refined. He noted that a few post-production adjustments remain, including final colour grading and sound work, with only minor technical tweaks left to complete the film.
In explaining what makes Threads of Us stand out, Cushnie said the film’s focus on a love story set around Jamaica’s Independence Day called for a more reflective tone. “You watch Jamaican films, they’re usually fast-paced and with lots of action, but I feel like with a story talking about independence, we had to slow it down a little bit and really add a lot of layers in terms of the metaphors. It’s something that even for me as a filmmaker, that I really like, where you watch a film and you have to watch it two or three times to catch the nuances.”
The project was first conceived as a YouTube release, but after Prendergast completed the script and actress-singer Sevana was cast in the lead role, the team decided to expand it into a full feature film.
Following the panel discussion, Sevana closed the festival night with a live performance. Reflecting on her role in the film, she said, “It was a huge honour to be the lead in a film. I’ve been acting for some time, and 2017 was my first lead role, but a lot of people don’t know that I act.”
Her first lead role came in the 2017 mini web series Losing Patience, and she has since appeared in films such as Bob Marley: One Love in a supporting role. Reflecting on her experience leading Threads of Us, Sevana said, “Honour authentic stories and your authenticity. Show up as yourself, always with grace. Community takes work, and real love is work.” In that same spirit of community, she dedicated her performance of Carry You to her brother, who worked in the wardrobe department and designed two costumes of narrative importance to the film.
The filmmakers announced that Threads of Us will premiere on November 2 and run throughout the month at the Bob Marley Museum Theatre.