For Bronx-born filmmaker Dante Hillmedo, storytelling has always been rooted in home — specifically the lived experiences of Caribbean immigrant families navigating life in New York City.
Raised by Jamaican parents, Hillmedo’s work reflects “the rhythm, resilience and emotional complexity of the Black Diaspora, bringing stories often overlooked into sharp cinematic focus,” according to Marie Driven, a Brooklyn-based Haitian-American entertainment publicist and managing director of PlaybookMG.
“Hillmedo’s journey into filmmaking was not traditional, but it was intentional,” she told Caribbean Life on Monday, Feb. 9,
After enrolling at the School of Visual Arts with dreams of becoming an animator, Driven said financial challenges forced Hillmedo’s leave after his first year.
After enrolling at the School of Visual Arts with dreams of becoming an animator, Driven said financial challenges forced Hillmedo’s leave after his first year.
But rather than walk away from his creative calling, Driven said he pivoted — teaching himself videography and landing his first paid job through a Craigslist post filming Caribbean DJ, and DJ Mad Out.
“That opportunity introduced him to New York’s Caribbean music scene, where he went on to work with artists such as Shaggy, Ding Dong and Kranium,” she said.
“That opportunity introduced him to New York’s Caribbean music scene, where he went on to work with artists such as Shaggy, Ding Dong and Kranium,” she said.
“Those early experiences sharpened Hillmedo’s eye for authenticity, capturing Caribbean culture not as spectacle, but as lived reality,” she added.
Hillmedo also told Caribbean Life that his goal is “to create films that people feel.
“Black and Caribbean stories are layered,” he said. “They deserve care, truth, and emotional honesty.”
Hillmedo also told Caribbean Life that his goal is “to create films that people feel.
“Black and Caribbean stories are layered,” he said. “They deserve care, truth, and emotional honesty.”
Today, Hillmedo is the founder of Team Elite Productions, a visual production company known for its polished execution and cultural integrity.
He said his work behind the camera has earned him trust in high-profile environments, including documenting private and public events for Michael Rubin and spaces connected to Jay-Z’s Shawn Carter Foundation.
He said his work behind the camera has earned him trust in high-profile environments, including documenting private and public events for Michael Rubin and spaces connected to Jay-Z’s Shawn Carter Foundation.
Hillmedo said he has also collaborated with platforms such as Essence Magazine, further expanding his reach while maintaining a grounded, community-centered approach.
He recently reached a major milestone with his debut feature film, Butterfly, which won Best Feature Film at the Big Apple Film Festival in Spring 2025.
He recently reached a major milestone with his debut feature film, Butterfly, which won Best Feature Film at the Big Apple Film Festival in Spring 2025.
The filmaker said the coming-of-age drama follows a teenage girl growing up in a single-parent immigrant household in New York City, who uses dance to navigate identity, peer pressure, and instability.
Hillmedo said the story draws directly from his own upbringing, raised by a single immigrant mother, reflecting a reality familiar to many Caribbean-American families.
Hillmedo said the story draws directly from his own upbringing, raised by a single immigrant mother, reflecting a reality familiar to many Caribbean-American families.
Rather than relying on dramatics, he said Butterfly resonates through its quiet moments, highlighting the “emotional strength, sacrifice, and resilience that define immigrant households across the Diaspora.”
In addition to filmmaking, Hillmedo said he has expanded into entrepreneurship with the launch of Lunessence, a luxury fragrance brand “inspired by memory, mood, and cultural expression.”
In addition to filmmaking, Hillmedo said he has expanded into entrepreneurship with the launch of Lunessence, a luxury fragrance brand “inspired by memory, mood, and cultural expression.”
Hillmedo said he is also deeply committed to mentorship, having spent six years teaching film and music production at a Riverdale high school, exposing students from underrepresented communities to creative industries often inaccessible to them.
“As Butterfly prepares for wider distribution and Hillmedo continues to grow his creative ventures, he stands as a powerful example of Caribbean-American excellence using storytelling to honor heritage, uplift community, and redefine what success looks like on his own terms,” Driven said.
