Evoke Entertainment Signs Tribeca-Honored Filmmaker Elisee Junior St. Preux
Deadline
•Fri, 26 Jun 2026 17:00:00 +0000
📰 What Happened
Deadline reports exclusively that Evoke Entertainment has signed Haitian American filmmaker Elisee Junior St. Preux, whose debut feature The Tropic Sun and His Eyes world premiered at the Tribeca Festival's Viewpoints section and earned a Special Jury Mention for Best New Narrative Director. Shot entirely in Haiti's northern Cap-Haïtien region, the film follows a young man attempting to reconnect with his estranged father, guided by a street kid who becomes an unexpected companion. The Tribeca jury specifically cited St. Preux's work for its 'emotional clarity, visual confidence, and the emergence of a distinct new directing voice.'
St. Preux's signing with Evoke Entertainment marks a significant step forward for the emerging filmmaker. His previous work includes the short film Aurinko in Adagio, which premiered at Tribeca, and he is an HBO Short Film Award recipient, Sundance Ignite Finalist, and NAACP Image Awards nominee. Under the new representation deal, St. Preux is currently developing new narrative projects that continue his focus on diasporic identity, fatherhood, and culturally specific storytelling — themes that resonated strongly in his Tribeca-winning debut. The deal positions Evoke Entertainment as a home for distinctive voices in independent cinema, particularly those bringing underrepresented cultural perspectives to the screen.
🔍 The Backstory
Elisee Junior St. Preux is a Haitian American filmmaker whose work focuses on themes of identity, diaspora, and family. His debut feature The Tropic Sun and His Eyes was shot on location in Cap-Haïtien, a historic city in northern Haiti known for its colonial architecture and proximity to the Citadelle Laferrière, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The Tribeca Festival (formerly the Tribeca Film Festival) was founded by Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal, and Craig Hatkoff in 2002 and has become a major showcase for independent cinema. The festival's Viewpoints section highlights distinctive directorial perspectives. Evoke Entertainment is a management and production company representing talent in film and television. The HBO Short Film Award, Sundance Ignite program, and NAACP Image Awards are all significant platforms for emerging filmmakers from underrepresented backgrounds.
🎯 Why It Matters
St. Preux's emergence represents an important addition to the landscape of diasporic Haitian and Caribbean storytelling in cinema. His Tribeca recognition and Evoke signing signal that there is growing industry appetite for authentic, culturally specific narratives from filmmakers who can bring first-hand experience to their stories. His focus on fatherhood and identity also fills a notable gap in the representation of Black male narratives in independent film.
Deadline reports exclusively that Evoke Entertainment has signed Haitian American filmmaker Elisee Junior St. Preux, whose debut feature The Tropic Sun and His Eyes world premiered at the Tribeca Festival's Viewpoints section and earned a Special Jury Mention for Best New Narrative Director. Shot entirely in Haiti's northern Cap-Haïtien region, the film follows a young man attempting to reconnect with his estranged father, guided by a street kid who becomes an unexpected companion. The Tribeca jury specifically cited St. Preux's work for its 'emotional clarity, visual confidence, and the emergence of a distinct new directing voice.'
St. Preux's signing with Evoke Entertainment marks a significant step forward for the emerging filmmaker. His previous work includes the short film Aurinko in Adagio, which premiered at Tribeca, and he is an HBO Short Film Award recipient, Sundance Ignite Finalist, and NAACP Image Awards nominee. Under the new representation deal, St. Preux is currently developing new narrative projects that continue his focus on diasporic identity, fatherhood, and culturally specific storytelling — themes that resonated strongly in his Tribeca-winning debut. The deal positions Evoke Entertainment as a home for distinctive voices in independent cinema, particularly those bringing underrepresented cultural perspectives to the screen.
Elisee Junior St. Preux is a Haitian American filmmaker whose work focuses on themes of identity, diaspora, and family. His debut feature The Tropic Sun and His Eyes was shot on location in Cap-Haïtien, a historic city in northern Haiti known for its colonial architecture and proximity to the Citadelle Laferrière, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The Tribeca Festival (formerly the Tribeca Film Festival) was founded by Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal, and Craig Hatkoff in 2002 and has become a major showcase for independent cinema. The festival's Viewpoints section highlights distinctive directorial perspectives. Evoke Entertainment is a management and production company representing talent in film and television. The HBO Short Film Award, Sundance Ignite program, and NAACP Image Awards are all significant platforms for emerging filmmakers from underrepresented backgrounds.
St. Preux's emergence represents an important addition to the landscape of diasporic Haitian and Caribbean storytelling in cinema. His Tribeca recognition and Evoke signing signal that there is growing industry appetite for authentic, culturally specific narratives from filmmakers who can bring first-hand experience to their stories. His focus on fatherhood and identity also fills a notable gap in the representation of Black male narratives in independent film.