In case you were under a rock, the Super Bowl, with all its pageantry and legendary TV commercials – not to mention a controversy-laden performance by Bad Bunny – happened on 8 Feb.
In Cayman, social media wasn’t so much focused on the trouncing that the Seahawks gave the Patriots, or even whether M’sieur Bunny had any bidniz headlining the halftime show. No, the subject that got the most posts on that day were about spying the Cayman Islands flag being flown in a parade of Caribbean and Latin American flags near the end of said show.
Facebook and Instagram were awash with screenshots, accompanied by exclamations like “Wow! Is that the Cayman flag I see?” and “Yes! Cayman Islands! Represent!”
It was one of the biggest sporting events of the year, but for those of us in Cayman, the thrill of spotting our coat of arms waving through the crowd was an absolute highlight. Island love is absolutely alive and well here.
When I look back over the years, I think of all the times that Caymanians have excelled on the world stage, or our islands have been featured in films or TV, and there is no question that everyone rallies to show their support.
Here’s an immediate example: Last week, Frank E. Flowers’ film ‘The Bluff’ launched on none other than Amazon Prime, after a special screening in Pedro St. James and a premiere in Los Angeles. From local actor Ronnie James Hughes, who was cast in the film, to all those who attended the Pedro event, there is a groundswell of excitement and buzz being created around this latest production from the Caymanian writer/director.
Just the fact that it’s titled ‘The Bluff’ in a nod to Cayman Brac has been enough to make chests swell with pride. Lead actress Priyanka Chopra Jonas’ character has the last name of Bodden; and the audience cheered when they heard the colloquialism “geezum piece” being exclaimed in one of the scenes.
When someone from Cayman succeeds, it’s exciting for everyone.
One woman who should be seen as a role model for others is Jazz Pitcairn, who is blazing a trail with her own film career. A writer for HBO’s Emmy Award-winning series ‘A Black Lady Sketch Show’, she also wrote and directed the short ‘Ivan’, which she is now expanding to a feature-length movie. She has been tirelessly promoting the project, raising funds through sheer determination and belief in what she is trying to achieve.
You may have heard that a couple of weeks ago, she held an open audition, where local actors could have the chance to end up on the big screen. How fabulous is that? We should be championing productions like this that don’t just offer others opportunities, but also show our young people that dreams can come true if they work hard enough. I am happy to include the email [email protected] for potential investors to reach out for further information.
Badir Awe, who founded Awesome Productions, has been in the arts for a long time. He co-created the Poinciana Festival to promote local talent, worked on numerous projects (including ‘The Bluff’), and was hired for his expertise on films like ‘The Baker’ and ‘The Retirement Plan’, starring the likes of Ron Perlman and Nicolas Cage.
He also produced ‘AwesomeMan’, a short film by Asher Lopez, which won the latter a Best Actor award at the Ardélion International indie film and screenplay festival. Not too shabby!
And, lest we not forget Jeremy Walton, previously a senior partner at Appleby law firm, who has now pivoted to the film industry. An executive producer of such notable films as ‘Saving Buddy Charles’, ‘The Inventor’ and ‘Mr Burton’, he was in the UK last week to attend the prestigious BAFTAs ceremony, as ‘Mr Burton’ was nominated for the Outstanding British Film award.
Turning to music, did you know that in 2024, Swanky Kitchen Band was asked to perform, and be recorded at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.? Now, Cayman’s cultural songs and music are forever preserved in the largest library in the world. It’s a huge deal. I think of how proud the late Radley Gourzong would be, and the late Dave Martins, who over 20 years ago encouraged a group of young musicians to keep these precious tunes alive.
Jason ‘JG’ Gilbert, the soft-spoken Grammy Award-winning record producer, has produced albums for the likes of Eminem, Akon, Christina Aguilera and Taio Cruz. When he isn’t helping top artists chart hits, he’s teaching the next generation through after-school programmes and summer camps. In fact, a band of students created from his classes will be opening for Swanky at Red Sky at Night on 21 March. Want to learn more about the great work he’s doing? Visit jgrecordingschool.com.
No matter where they are in the world, Caymanians making a splash create waves here at home.
Look at the international beauty pageants, where we always have ladies representing us. We cheer them on from our couches as they walk the stage in their national costume. Many’s the time we’ve run from the kitchen with a bowl of popcorn to get in front of the TV so we don’t miss them.
“Come on! She’s up soon!”
[Announcer]: “Bulgaria … Cambodia … Cameroon … Canada … CAYMAN ISLANDS!”
Whether they place or don’t in the big competitions, there is always a crowd of well-wishers ready to welcome them home.
It just so happened that I was on the same flight as Miss Cayman Islands Universe Tahiti Seymour, landing in Grand Cayman last December. I had only been in Miami, whereas she had travelled from Thailand. She was in a proper gown with her crown, sash and heels – the whole works. I cannot imagine how exhausted she must have been, but when she saw the smiling, proud group awaiting her – complete with flag and flowers – she was an absolute trouper; a queen to the last. It did my heart good to see that warm reception.
(I made sure to shuffle out of the way of the cameras before people wondered why she’d brought an old hobo back with her.)
What about our athletes? From the days of Kareem Streete-Thompson (the man has a Wikipedia page, need I say more?), even those of us who aren’t terribly sporty (ahem) have yelled for them from the sidelines.
Yes, I was one of the people racing from a taxi stuck in bumper-to-bumper in New York to get to a TV where we could see Jordan Crooks in the 2024 Olympics 50m final, taking over the trail blazed by those who came before him, like Shaune and Brett Fraser. I bet he also cheers on his sister Jillian when she goes for gold. Come on Cayman!!!
Aaron Jarvis and Justin Hastings have accomplished amazing things, considering the limited golf courses there are on the island. Both of them won the Latin America Amateur Championship, with Jarvis subsequently becoming the first player representing the Cayman Islands to compete at Augusta National Golf Club.
Footballing sensation Molly Kehoe; our medal-winning gymnastics teams; Christopher ‘345 Viking’ Hurlston, who at 6 feet 7 inches stands tall in the boxing ring. The talent coming out of these islands to compete internationally is a credit to us all.
When I went back through this column, looking for spelling/grammar mistakes, I knew that there would be readers who wondered why certain names aren’t mentioned. It isn’t deliberate – I simply realised as I started listing those I could think of, just how many homegrown stars we have in Cayman. It’s extraordinary for a population of this size.
As I write this, RogerEbert.com has given ‘The Bluff’ a fresh tomato score on Rotten Tomatoes, woo-hoo! And we’re only at the end of February! Can’t wait to see what the rest of 2026 has in store.
Congrats to all who put us on the map in such a positive way – let’s support them in any way we can.
Speaking of which, time for a goodly spritz of Ted Green’s Ghost Orchid fragrance, methinks.
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