ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES: The Evolution of Bahamian Filmmaker Lavado Stubbs

By Nikia Wells

After that, I decided that I still wanted to learn more of the technical aspects of filmmaking and wanted to be around other filmmakers, since everything that I had done so far was self-taught. So, I then went off to film school before moving to L.A. for a bit.

Up and Away: Who were some of the filmmakers, directors and producers that inspired your love for filmmaking?

There’s so many! (He says with a laugh) But, I think my filmmaking is fuelled and inspired by a combination of family, culture and the veterans that came before me.

I am a Spike Lee fan, and I think I’m heavily influenced by his work. He really tunes into his culture, and you see it in his films. That’s one of the things that I really respect about him. His style and the way he has made an impact on filmmaking and cinema, not only for filmmakers, but for Black people as a whole. He doesn’t care what anybody says—he’s going to create his films, the way he wants to.

I’m also influenced by Sidney Poitier. He’s obviously known as an actor, but he also became a director later in his career. I greatly respect his work, but just knowing that he was someone from The Bahamas, from an island, made his work that much more powerful. He was this Bahamian, an island boy, that took over the world stage in cinema, but didn’t forget his roots.

My grandfather, Maxwell Stubbs, was also a big influence. He was a photographer—one of the Bahamian pioneer photographers. There weren’t a lot of Black photographers in his era. When he came from Cat Island and moved to Nassau, he was able to tell me his story.

My parents also encouraged me to be whatever I wanted to be. I think that was so important. I have to really commend my parents, Philip and Sharlamae Stubbs, for that.

Up and Away: You speak with great pride about your Bahamian culture. Can you tell us a bit about how that has influenced your work?

No matter where I’m doing a film—it could be in the U.S., Canada or Europe—I put myself, where I’m from, and my cultural influences in it. My company is called Conchboy, and I try to put a conch shell in almost every piece that I do, as a signature. That is a part of me. No matter where I am, my dialect never changes.

I feel like Bahamians are natural storytellers, and our culture is filled with so many vibrant colours. All that influences my work.

Up and Away: Where did the name Conchboy Films come from?

A few foreign friends used to tease me and some of the Bahamians and call us the Conchboys – that was the nickname that they gave us, and it stuck with me.

Up and Away: Can you tell me about what you have been working on recently?

I recently did a short film called Training Wheels, which has done really well at several film festivals. It’s about a Black father, his six-year-old son and a simple bike ride in their suburban neighbourhood which turns into a life-changing lesson for the boy. I wrote this film when I became a father for the first time. Fatherhood is treating me good, and it has motivated me on a different level.

I wanted to showcase the father, because a lot of times you don’t see [positive depictions of] Black fathers in film. You always see Black fathers in jail or in a negative light. So, I wanted to change that. I wanted to show a father, like me. I wanted to show a strong relationship like the one that I’m building with my son.

Up and Away: What’s next for you and Conchboy Films?

I’m moving into the narrative film stage of my life, and closer towards having a feature film debut. I am working on something that is “Bahamian”. Can’t share too much right now, but I will say that I want to explore more human stories—our behaviour, our culture.

Up and Away: One last question... If you could give other young Bahamian filmmakers one piece of advice, what would it be?

I always go by this philosophy: take the word “impossible” out of your vocabulary. Don’t think that because you are in The Bahamas, that you can’t influence the world. UA