LAB Studios is breaking new ground in Caribbean storytelling with The Marriage Clause, the first Jamaican-produced vertical drama to secure distribution on a global streaming platform.

The series is now streaming on MANSA, the global Black culture-focused streaming platform co-founded by acclaimed Selma actor and producer David Oyelowo, alongside filmmaker Nate Parker.

Created specifically for mobile viewing, the 34-episode series uses the 9:16 vertical format familiar to audiences on Reel Shorts, TikTok, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts, bringing that viewing behaviour into short, scripted episodic entertainment designed for the mobile screen.

MANSA Co-Founder Nate Parker shared, “Expanding Mansa into the Caribbean alongside the launch of The Marriage Clause is an important milestone for us and for the broader global diaspora. The Caribbean has helped shape culture around the world for generations, and we believe building stronger connectivity between these regions and global audiences is critical. MANSA is committed to helping amplify those voices and stories at scale.”

A Marriage That Was Never Supposed to Be About Love

The Marriage Clause follows Ellie, a struggling tutor who enters a 90-day marriage of convenience with billionaire CEO Aiden Collins. She needs to save her father from prison, while he needs a wife to secure control of his family company. What begins as a calculated business deal quickly becomes complicated by unexpected attraction, jealousy and dangerous secrets.

The series stars Quera South as Ellie Anderson, Jeff Crossley as Aiden Collins and Tiffany Kerr as Jessica. South’s credits include Stew Peas and Sprinter, while Crossley’s credits include Bob Marley: One Love, in which he portrayed legendary Jamaican producer Coxsone Dodd, and Possession.

Written by Daniel Campbell, the series was directed by Jamaican filmmaker Omar Derby, an Atlanta-based director with experience in the international vertical-drama industry.

The release comes as vertical dramas, also known as micro-dramas, gain momentum globally, reflecting the shift in how audiences discover and consume entertainment on their phones.

MANSA is positioning itself at the forefront of that shift. In 2026, the platform expanded into original vertical storytelling, with its first wave of vertical series generating more than 6.5 million impressions and views in its first 30 days. Most recently, MANSA expanded its programming onto TikTok Minis, launching original vertical series directly on TikTok following a collaboration between the companies.

“Jamaica and the Caribbean have long been powerful creative forces within the global diaspora, and The Marriage Clause is a great example of storytelling rooted authentically in community while resonating far beyond it. “We’re excited to help build stronger bridges between creators in the region and audiences around the world,” shared MANSA Co-Founder, David Oyelowo.

From Jamaica to the Global Screen

For LAB Studios, The Marriage Clause represents more than a new release. It reflects the studio’s continued push to develop Jamaican-owned stories and intellectual property with international potential, while participating early in the formats and distribution models shaping global entertainment.

“We’ve always believed Jamaican creativity belongs on the global stage,” said Kimala Bennett, CEO of The LAB. “As audiences change the way they discover and consume entertainment, there is an opportunity for Jamaica to participate in these emerging formats from the beginning. The Marriage Clause is about creating Jamaican IP that can travel, find new audiences and open new commercial opportunities.”

That ambition also reflects the wider vision behind the Jamaica Screen Development Initiative (JSDI), the Government of Jamaica’s J$1 billion investment established to strengthen the local screen industry. Led through JAMPRO and the Jamaica Film Commission, the initiative was designed to help Jamaican creatives develop high-quality, commercially viable screen content capable of reaching both domestic and global markets.

“This is exactly the kind of progress the Jamaica Screen Development Initiative was built to support,” said Jackie Jackson, Film Commissioner of Jamaica. “We are proud to see Jamaican films, stories and now new formats taking their place on world stages. The recent developments from LAB Studios, alongside the progress of so many Jamaican filmmakers and creatives, speak to why the Government of Jamaica, through JAMPRO and the Jamaica Film Commission, has invested in this sector – because of the tremendous potential it holds for Jamaica, our stories and our creative talent. As Jamaican-owned content reaches new audiences and platforms, we are seeing that potential increasingly translate into global opportunity.”

The arrival of The Marriage Clause on MANSA signals an opportunity for Jamaica’s screen industry not simply to produce content for the world, but to create and own Jamaican stories in the formats the world is increasingly watching.

The Marriage Clause is now streaming on MANSA.