Film festival seeks jury applicants for bpTT Youth Jury Prize

In an effort to stimulate interest in and a critical appreciation of film among young people, the trinidad+tobago film festival (ttff) has joined forces with leading sponsor bpTT to establish a prize to be adjudicated by a youth jury at this year’s Festival.

The bpTT Youth Jury Prize will be awarded to the best film at the ttff as decided by a jury of young people. The inaugural prize will be handed out at the ttff/14, which runs from September 16–30.

The Festival is now looking for five (5) young people from T&T to be members of the jury. We are seeking young women and men from the ages of 16 to 21 (inclusive) who love all kinds of movies. You must be enthusiastic about watching movies with a critical eye, with a view to gaining a better appreciation of the artform.

Prospective jury members should submit an application stating their name, date of birth, sex and school or occupation. You must also submit an essay—with a 250 word limit—saying what your favourite movie is and why.

Selected jurors will meet at the ttff/14. Under the guidance of an experienced film critic, the jury will watch a selection of Caribbean and international feature-length fiction films with young-adult protagonists, films that deal with themes and issues affecting young people.

After the jury has viewed all the films in competition, it will choose the winning film. The director of this film will receive a trophy plus a cash award of TT$5,000, to be presented by the jury at the ttff/14 awards ceremony on 28 September at the Central Bank Auditorium.

For being a participant, each jury member will receive a ttff/14 pass (which provides free entry to all film screenings), invitations to the opening gala, awards ceremony and closing-night film, and invitations to selected social events during the Festival.

To be considered for the youth jury, please e-mail the stipulated information to submit@ttfilmfestival.com (subject line: Youth Jury Application) no later than Monday 01 September. Successful jury members will be notified by Friday 05 September.

Image: A still from ttff/13 prizewinning selection 3 Kids (Jonas d’Adesky, Haiti)