At only 22 years old, emerging Belizean creative Niya Villanueva is ready to share the nostalgic charm of her country’s childhood experiences with global audiences through her debut short comedy, *Nine Ninety-Nine*. What began as a concept rooted in the familiar rhythms of growing up in Belize has evolved into a heartfelt, locally rooted project that aims to celebrate national culture while creating collaborative opportunities for domestic businesses. Produced under Villanueva’s own production banner Good Gyal Productions, the 10- to 15-minute comedy follows two young siblings, Junior and Rella, on a wild, whimsical quest to earn enough cash to purchase their dream gaming console.
The story opens with the pair glued to their screen, fully absorbed in their digital game, until their fed-up mother intervenes by destroying the console and ordering them outside to experience real life. What follows is a series of chaotic, silly childlike schemes to raise the needed funds, a journey that ultimately leads the siblings to discover that unstructured outdoor play and shared adventures hold far more joy than any digital pastime. For Villanueva, the project is far more than a simple comedy—it is a love letter to the childhood that generations of Belizean kids have experienced, a callback to days spent running outside, exploring local neighborhoods, and getting into harmless mischief far from the glow of a screen.
In a unique twist that aligns the film with Belize’s local economic ecosystem, Villanueva is opening partnership opportunities for Belizean businesses of all sizes to integrate their brands organically into the production. Rather than reserving advertising space exclusively for large corporations with massive marketing budgets, she has structured three distinct partnership tiers tailored to different budget sizes and desired exposure levels, creating space for both small local shops and larger national companies to get involved. This collaborative model not only provides the production with much-needed funding but also gives businesses a chance to connect with audiences through a culturally resonant local project.
Interested businesses can find full details about partnership opportunities on the production’s official website, or reach the team directly via WhatsApp at 606-2608. Currently, the project is in its active funding and pre-production phase, with casting scheduled to kick off across Belize in November 2026. Villanueva and her team are targeting a public release of the completed short film in March 2027, with plans to screen the work at regional film festivals and make it accessible to local audiences across the country first. For a young emerging filmmaker, *Nine Ninety-Nine* represents both a personal creative vision and a new model for how small independent productions can collaborate with local communities to bring authentic cultural stories to the screen.