Bahamas-Produced TV Show Goombay Kids Wins Asian Film Award

Media Release – An Asian film festival has awarded the 2022 Best Television Award to Bahamas-produced Goombay Kids. The show is making rounds in festivals from Canada to England to Russia and an American film festival reviewer ranked the origin of Junkanoo episode five out of five for highlighting culture. The honours are a first for a Bahamas television production.

The groundbreaking educational show was created by Stephanie Nihon who was ecstatic to share the news on New Year’s Day. Nihon, who films the show on location, presenting Atlantis, The National Art Gallery of The Bahamas, the Pirate Museum, stunning islands and even Junkanoo to the world.

Supervising producer of Goombay Kids is Rowena Poitier-Sutherland, niece of legendary Bahamian-American actor Sir Sidney Poitier. She is also the force behind the leading film and acting school in the Caribbean, the Bahamas Artist Movement and the former Executive Director of the Ministry of Culture. Serving as the senior producer is Leslie Ellis-Tynes known as the star and producer of the hit Bahamian talk show The Stew.

“This is truly beyond our wildest expectations,” said Nihon. “We knew we had a hit but it’s just a new level of excitement when international bodies recognize the talent, effort and work we put into it, so much so that they present us with this award. We are absolutely honoured and this shows that The Bahamas can create a dynamic product that can be appreciated across the world. It is meant to be awarded in India because we actually featured India on the show in Season 2 as well as had Indian Bahamian actors on it ”

Goombay Kids was the Award Winner of Best TV Series at the 2 11 17 International Film Festival in Tamil Nadu, India. The show was also a finalist in the St. Petersburg Television and Film Festival for Best TV or Web Series where many founders and members of the jury on the panel work in the leading areas of cinema, TV and Streamers in Russia. The show was the official selection at the KIDS FIRST! Film Festival for Best Episodic in Hawaii. The festival, now in its 30th year is one of the largest children’s content festivals in the USA and it partners with 50 venues worldwide to screen KIDS FIRST! curated content. It is owned by the Coalition for Quality Children’s Media. The London Indie Short Film Festival, being named an official selection at the Multi Dimension Independent Film Festival and a quarter-finalist in the Vancouver independent film festival as well as the rounded off the accolades for 2021.