The trinidad+tobago film festival (ttff) will end its activities for the year on a high note with a screening of the award-winning parang documentary La Gaita, followed by a live performance by the celebrated Lara Brothers parang group, on Saturday 8th December in Santa Cruz.

This free screening and performance will bring to an end the bpTT Community Cinergy series of film events held across the country in 2012.

Winner of the ttff/12 People’s Choice Award for Best Documentary, La Gaita profiles the Lara Brothers, the oldest existing parang group in T&T. The film, directed by Janine Fung, pays loving tribute to the band, telling their story in their own words and music. In particular, the film follows the gregarious, extroverted Willy Lara and his more reserved elder brother, the late Tito, whose moving funeral forms part of the film.

Speaking about her experience making the film, Fung noted that “The Lara Brothers have a responsibility—one they have taken on for the last 70 years—to serve their music, their faith and their country.”

She continued: “They are messengers, travelling from rumshop to rumshop throughout Trinidad performing, because they simply love parang, as a way to express themselves and for the people to relate to that expression.”

The film screening and live performance will be held at Baya’s Place, Chiquitto Drive, Sam Boucaud, Santa Cruz (next to the Brian Lara Grounds) from 7pm. Refreshments will be on sale.

The trinidad+tobago film festival has been treating diverse communities throughout Trinidad and Tobago to free film screenings over the past three years. This year, the ttff delivered at least one free film screening a month to communities in Sangre Grande, Mayaro, San Fernando, Siparia, Point Fortin and Tobago among others.

Over the two week film festival, running from September 19 to October 1, the ttff will continue to treat a number of communities to a selection of thought-provoking, inspirational and eye-opening films.

On Saturday September 22 at 3pm music and film fans can look forward to the groundbreaking classic film Reggae by Horace Ove and Breaking Barriers, a touching tribute to Mungal Patasar by Ricki-Nicole Manmohan. There will also be a musical interlude entitled “The Old Yard”, a unique and engrossing concert piece written by Adam Walter specifically for the ten-piece ensemble of the faculty musicians at the Academy for the Performing Arts, with poetry by Muhammad Muwakil and photography by Maria Nunes. Horace Ove will be present for a question and answer session after Reggae.

On Sunday September 23, at 7pm, Omardeen’s School of Accounting in Chaguanas will host a special ttff/12 screening of three shorts from T&T: The award-winning Doubles with Slight Pepper by Canada-based T&T director, Ian Harnarine, along with Dal Puri Diaspora, Richard Fung’s eye-opening and richly enjoyable tribute to roti and its origins, and Juliette McCawley‘s One Good Deed, a sweet short film about a boy’s encounter with douens.

Trevor’s Edge in St. Augustine continues to be an eclectic venue and a memorable lime, and at 7pm on Republic Day (Sept 24) will host the portmanteau feature Ring Di Alarm from the Caribbean New Cinema collective of filmmakers. A number of the directors will be present to introduce the film and answer questions. Botched Up, by recent UWI film graduate Dominic Koo will also be shown.

The free community screenings move on to Mayaro on Tuesday September 24 at 7pm. Held in association with bpTT, this screening will comprise another fascinating selection of seven T&T shorts specially packaged for all ages. Films include No Soca, No Life, Kevin Adams’ story about a young woman’s challenges breaking into the soca world, and starring Penelope Spencer; and Pothound, a dog’s view of life by Christopher Guinness.

The historical drama Toussaint L’Ouverture will be shown in two parts at the Alliance Francaise on Wednesday 26 and Thursday 27 September from 7pm. This film stars famed Haitian actor Jimmy Jean-Louis, who will attend the screenings and will be available for Q&A sessions on both nights.

The final community screening will take place under to the stars, on the Carlton Savannah Hotel’s rooftop at 7pm on Monday October 1. Two films challenging the premise of the novel Wuthering Heights will be shown. The short documentary A Regular Black by acclaimed British documentarian Adam Low will be paired with the new, daring adaptation of Wuthering Heights by Andrea Arnold.

North Eleven, the ttff’s official screen partner, will provide the technical facilitation for each of these screenings.

Caption: A cross-section of the audience at NALIS during the ttff’s Side by Side screening of Bim earlier this year.

Side by Side, a trio of free and exciting public events, will take place as the trinidad+tobago film festival, supported by the Inter-Ministerial Committee for the Celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Independence, joins the nation in celebrating 50 years of independence. Comprising a film series, exhibition and filmmaking competition, Side by Side will take place at the Academy for the Performing Arts (APA) in Port of Spain and across both islands.

Film Series: 05 – 25 August
From The Right and the Wrong (1970)—the first local feature film to be made in colour—to Bim (1974), considered one of the most important films produced in Trinidad and Tobago, as well as a series of short films from the archives of the Government Film Unit, the films all provide important commentary on the history and development of Trinidad and Tobago. The screenings take place from 05 to 25 August at 10 venues across Trinidad and Tobago.

Exhibition: 16 August – 02 October
At APA, an exhibition on the history of film in T&T from 1927 (when the first feature film was made here) to 1999, will document important milestones in the filmmaking and national history of the country, including the production of local feature films and international productions filmed locally. The exhibition will be held from 16 August to 02 October, 10am – 6pm, excluding Sundays. It will also feature local pioneers of the film industry, both at home and internationally, and a display of historic film production equipment from the vaults of the Government Film Unit. The exhibition will feature screens with clips from some of the films as well as photographs by Trinidad-born, British filmmaker Horace. Ové and thirteen other pioneers will be honoured at a special ceremony hosted by bpTT.

50-Second Film Competition: 1 July – 1 August
The final element of Side by Side—a 50-second film competition which was launched on 1 July and closed to entries on 1 August—was open to all residents of Trinidad and Tobago and invited contestants to make a 50-second film on the theme of independence. The five films selected for the finals will be screened at the exhibition and the overall winning film will be announced at the ttff/12 awards ceremony on 30 September. The five finalists will all receive packages from Flow, while the winning filmmaker will win an additional cash prize of TT$5,000.

For the full film series schedule visit www.ttfilmfestival.com. Email hello@ttfimfestival.com or call the ttff office at 621-0709 for more information.

Caption: Anthony Maharaj, filmmaker, producer and distributor, and one of the pioneers who will be honoured during Side by Side.

Please note that the screening dates and times are subject to change.

‘70: Remembering a Revolution
Directors: Alex de Verteuil, Elizabeth Topp
2010, Trinidad + Tobago, English
Documentary feature / 114 minutes
An authoritative look at the Black Power uprising of 1970.
Thursday 23 August, 6pm, Holy Faith Convent, Couva

The Amerindians
Director: Tracy Assing
2010, Trinidad + Tobago, English
Documentary feature / 40 mins
An exploration of the indigenous story of survival in Trinidad and Tobago.
Wednesday 22 August, 6.40pm, Holy Faith Convent, Couva

The Audacity of the Creole Imagination
Director: Kim Johnson
2010, Trinidad + Tobago, English
Documentary short / 13 mins
The story of the creation of the steel pan and the milestones along the road to the modern instrument.
Thursday 23 August, 7pm, Academy for the Performing Arts, Port of Spain

Bacchanal Time
Director: Kamalo Deen
1979, Trinidad + Tobago, English
Narrative feature / 110 mins
Two stickfighters attempt to thwart the schemes of a crime boss and win a Carnival stickfighting competition.
Monday 6 August, 4pm, NALIS, Port of Spain
Thursday 16 August, 7pm, Mayaro Resource Centre

Best Village Finals
Director: Government Film Unit
1967, Trinidad + Tobago, English
Documentary feature / 32 mins
Community groups vie for the Best Village title of 1967, expressing their creativity through folk songs and dance routines.
Friday 10 August, 3.30pm, NALIS, Port of Spain
Tuesday 21 August, 7pm, San Fernando Hill

Bim
Director: Hugh A. Robertson
1974, Trinidad + Tobago, English
Narrative feature / 102 mins
The story of a man who survives a life of violence and crime to become part of the movement towards Independence.
Sunday 5 August, 7pm, NALIS, Port of Spain
Tuesday 21 August, 7pm, San Fernando Hill

Bobby Simpson’s Australian Cricket Team
Director: Government Film Unit
1965, Trinidad + Tobago, English
Documentary short / 13 mins
A look at the visitors from Down Under who came to play against the West Indies at the Queen’s Park Oval.
Monday 6 August, 2pm, NALIS, Port of Spain

Bridge of Friendship: Visit of Indira Gandhi
Director: Government Film Unit
1968, Trinidad + Tobago, English
Documentary short / 13 mins
A document of the 1968 visit to T&T of the Prime Minister of India, Mrs Indira Gandhi, as part of a tour of Latin America.
Sunday 19 August, 7pm, Divali Nagar Site, Chaguanas

Brother Frederick
Director: Government Film Unit
Trinidad + Tobago, English
Documentary short / 21 mins
This film deals with the life of a young man who enters the monastery at Mount St Benedict.
Friday 10 August, 2pm, NALIS, Port of Spain

Captain of the People: 100th Anniversary of the Birth of Arthur Cipriani
Director: Government Film Unit
1975, Trinidad + Tobago, English
Documentary feature / 50 mins
This documentary traces the life of the late Captain Arthur Andrew Cipriani, agitator for the working class and mayor of Port of Spain.
Monday 6 August, 2.15pm, NALIS, Port of Spain

Carnival in Trinidad
Director: Government Film Unit
1959, Trinidad + Tobago, English
Documentary short / 20 mins
A film showing glimpses of Carnival and the months of planning and preparation before the big jump up.
Thursday 16 August, 7pm, Mayaro Resource Centre
Monday 20 August, 7pm, Holy Faith Convent, Couva

Chinee Girl
Director: Natalie Wei
2011, Trinidad + Tobago/Canada, English
Documentary feature / 44 mins
A look at the lives of Chinese women and women of Chinese descent in T&T.
Wednesday 22 August 22, 6pm, Holy Faith Convent, Couva

Cine Magazine
Director: Government Film Unit
1954, Trinidad + Tobago, English
Documentary short / 7 mins
A look at the opening of the Jinnah memorial mosque, the Carnival Queen competition and the 999 emergency police service.
Tuesday 7 August, 2.15pm, NALIS, Port of Spain

Classical Steel
Director: John Barry
2011, Trinidad + Tobago, English
Documentary feature / 42 mins
This film looks at the importance of classical music in the development of the steelband and its acceptance worldwide as a legitimate instrument.
Thursday 23 August, 6.30pm, Academy for the Performing Arts, Port of Spain

East Dry River
Director: Government Film Unit
1972, Trinidad + Tobago, English
Documentary short / 12 mins
Interviews about new government projects.
Tuesday 7 August, 2pm, NALIS, Port of Spain

Eighteen on Steel
Director: Government Film Unit
1962, Trinidad + Tobago, English
Documentary short / 18 mins
Eighteen minutes of steelband music recorded at a steelband jamboree held at the United States naval station in Chaguaramas.
Tuesday 7 August, 4pm, NALIS, Port of Spain
Friday 24 August, 7pm, NALIS, Port of Spain

Fire Down Below
Director: Robert Parrish
1957, USA/UK, English
Narrative feature / 116 mins
Two sailors fall for the same woman, leading to betrayal and a break-up of their partnership.
Friday 10 August, 7pm, Magdalena Grand Resort, Tobago

Girl From India
Director: Harbance Kumar
1982, Trinidad + Tobago, English
Narrative feature / 95 mins
A father returns to Trinidad after a trip to India with a wife for his son, while a macho nightclub singer plays the field.
Friday 10 August, 4pm, NALIS, Port of Spain
Sunday 19 August, 7pm – Divali Nagar Site, Chaguanas

Hurricane Flora
Director: Government Film Unit
1963, Trinidad + Tobago, English
Documentary short / 8 mins
A look at the aftermath of Hurricane Flora, which ravaged Tobago in 1963.
Thursday 9 August, 2pm, NALIS, Port of Spain
Friday 10 August, 7pm, Magdalena Grand Resort, Tobago

Labour Day 27th Anniversary
Director: Government Film Unit
1972, Trinidad + Tobago, English
Documentary feature / 40 mins
A review of the events leading to the riots of June 19, 1937 and the emergence of Tubal Uriah Butler on the labour scene.
Monday 6 August, 3.15pm, NALIS, Port of Spain

The Louis Brothers
Director: Government Film Unit
c1980, Trinidad + Tobago, English
Documentary short / 13 mins
Short feature on a dying breed of craftsmen who make musical instruments.
Wednesday 8 August, 2pm, NALIS, Port of Spain
Saturday 25 August, 7pm, Point Fortin Public Library

Mama Dis is Mas
Director: Government Film Unit
1964, Trinidad + Tobago, English
Documentary short / 41 mins
The film recaptures the 1964 Carnival in all its magnificence and colour at the Queen’s Park Savannah.
Tuesday 7 August, 3.30pm, NALIS, Port of Spain
Thursday 9 August, 7pm, Medulla Art Gallery, Woodbrook
Monday 20 August, 6pm, Holy Faith Convent, Couva

A Man and His Work: Pat Chu Foon
Director: Government Film Unit
1972, Trinidad + Tobago, English
Documentary short / 16 mins
A look at the work of artist Pat Chu Foon, featuring his Spirit of Hope sculpture in Port of Spain.
Wednesday 8 August, 2.15pm, NALIS, Port of Spain
Thursday 9 August, 7pm, Medulla Art Gallery, Woodbrook

Mas Man
Director: Dalton Narine
2009, Trinidad + Tobago, English
Documentary feature / 75 mins
A documentary on the art and life of mas man Peter Minshall.
Tuesday 21 August, 6pm, Holy Faith Convent, Couva

Men of Gray II: Flight of the Ibis
Director: Ric Moxley
1996, Trinidad + Tobago, English
Narrative Feature / 94 mins
A police officer with martial arts skills fights crime in Trinidad.
Thursday 9 August, 4pm, NALIS, Port of Spain
Friday 24 August, 6pm, Holy Faith Convent, Couva
Saturday 25 August, 7pm, Point Fortin Public Library

Our Forgotten Ones
Director: Government Film Unit
c1980, Trinidad + Tobago, English
Documentary short / 6 mins
Short feature on the Institute of the Blind.
Friday 10 August, 2pm, NALIS, Port of Spain

Pan Fusion
Director: Timmy Mora
1993, Trinidad + Tobago, English
Documentary short / 25 mins
An episode from a television series on the national instrument, the steelpan.
Tuesday 7 August, 3pm, NALIS, Port of Spain

The Panman
Director: Kamalo Deen
1997, Trinidad + Tobago, English
Narrative feature / 110 mins
A young man from an affluent family turns down a scholarship to become a panman.
Wednesday 8 August, 4pm, NALIS, Port of Spain

The Rig
Directors: Derek Walcott, Christopher Laird
1983, Trinidad + Tobago, English
Narrative feature / 90 mins
A young man finds himself in conflict and in love with a young dancer from Mayaro, when he returns to Trinidad following university studies in England.
Tuesday 7 August, 4.30pm, NALIS, Port of Spain

The Right and the Wrong
Director: Harbance Kumar
1970, Trinidad + Tobago, English
Narrative feature / 100 mins
A historical drama which tells the story of a rebellion led by black and Indian labourers on an agricultural plantation.
Friday 24 August, 7pm, NALIS, Port of Spain

The Sadhu of Couva
Director: Yao Robert Ramesar
2001, Trinidad + Tobago, English
Narrative short / 5 mins
Derek Walcott narrates this film, which is driven by his poem of the same name.
Wednesday 22 August, 6pm, Holy Faith Convent, Couva
Thursday 23 August, 7pm, Academy for the Performing Arts, Port of Spain

The Shouters and the Control Freak Empire
Director: Oyetayo Ojoade
2012, Trinidad + Tobago, English
Documentary feature / 28 mins
The film revisits the 1917 Prohibition Ordinance that made the practice of the “Shouter” Baptist religion in Trinidad and Tobago illegal.
Tuesday 21 August, 6pm, Holy Faith Convent, Couva

T&T in the 1980s
Director: Government Film Unit
1981, Trinidad + Tobago, English
Documentary feature / 33 mins
A look at life in Trinidad at the beginning of the 1980s.
Tuesday 7 August, 2.30pm, NALIS, Port of Spain

Terrific and Tranquil
Director: Government Film Unit
1967, Trinidad + Tobago, English
Documentary short / 25 mins
This film depicts various aspects of T&T’s people, culture, flora and fauna—including the first ever film recording of the mating dance of the Bird of Paradise of Little Tobago.
Wednesday 8 August, 3.30pm, NALIS, Port of Spain
Monday 20 August, 6.30pm, Holy Faith Convent, Couva

This Land is Ours
Director: Government Film Unit
1963, Trinidad + Tobago, English
Documentary short / 33 mins
This film documents the week of festivities that preceded the coming of Independence on 31 August, 1962.
Sunday 5 August, 7pm, NALIS, Port of Spain
Friday 10 August, 2.30pm, NALIS, Port of Spain

Turn of the Tide
Director: Horace Wilson
1988, Trinidad + Tobago, English
Narrative feature / 98 mins
A film based on the dramatic television series, set in Tobago.
Thursday 9 August, 2pm, NALIS, Port of Spain

Westwood Park
Director: Danielle Dieffenthaller
1997-2004, Trinidad + Tobago, English
Soap Opera Series / 30 mins
Westwood Park tells the story of the Dusoleil and Gunn-Munroe families, driven by love, power, lust, greed, corruption, romance, social justice and heartbreak.
Wednesday 8 August, 3pm, NALIS, Port of Spain

Who the Cap Fits
Directed: Banyan
1977, Trinidad + Tobago, English
Narrative feature / 30 mins
Drama series produced for the Family Planning Association.
Wednesday 8 August, 2.30pm, NALIS, Port of Spain

Click here to view A-Z of all side by side films screening

Please note that all screenings are subject to change.

Sunday 05 August, NALIS, Port of Spain, 7.00pm
This Land of Ours (31’) + Bim (102’)

Monday 06 August, NALIS, Port of Spain, 2.00-6.00pm
Bobby Simpson’s Australian Cricket Team (12′) + Captain of the People: 100 Anniversary of the Birth of Arthur Cipriani (50′) + Labour Day 27th Anniversary (40′) + Bacchanal Time (110′)

Tuesday 07 August, NALIS, Port of Spain, 2.00-6.00pm
East Dry River (12′) + Cine Magazine 1954 – 1 (14′) + T&T in the 1980’s (33′) + Pan Fusion (25′) + Mama Dis is Mas (40′) + 18 on Steel (18′) + The Rig (90′)

Wednesday 08 August, NALIS, Port of Spain, 2.00-6.00pm
The Louis Brothers (13′) + A Man and His Work: Pat Chu Foon (15′) + Who the Cap Fits (30′) + Westwood Park (30′) + Terrific and Tranquil (30′) + The Panman (110′)

Thursday 09 August, NALIS, Port of Spain, 2.00-6.00pm
Hurricane Flora (8′) + Turn of the Tide (98′) + Men of Grey II: Flight of the Ibis (94′)

Thursday 09 August: Medulla Art Gallery, Woodbrook, 7.00pm
A Man and His Work: Pat Chu Foon (15’) + Mama Dis is Mas (40’)

Friday 10 August, NALIS, Port of Spain, 2.00-6.00pm
Our Forgotten Ones (6′) + Brother Frederick (21′) + This Land of Ours (31′) + Girl From India (95’)

Friday 10 August: MovieTowne, Tobago, 7.00pm
Hurricane Flora (8’) + Fire Down Below (116’)

Thursday 16 August: Mayaro Resource Centre, 7.00pm
Carnival in T&T (20’) + Bacchanal Time (110’)

Sunday 19 August: Divali Nagar Site, Chaguanas, 7.00pm Bridge of Friendship: Visit of Indira Gandhi (13’) + Girl From India (95’)

Monday 20 August: Holy Faith Convent, Couva, 6.00pm
Mama Dis is Mas (40’) + Terrific and Tranquil (31’) + Carnival in Trinidad (20’)

Tuesday 21 August: Holy Faith Convent, Couva, 6.00pm
The Shouters and the Control Freak Empire (28’) + Mas Man (59’)

Tuesday 21 August: San Fernando Hill, 7.00pm
Best Village Finals 1967 (32’)+ Bim (102’)

Wednesday 22 August: Holy Faith Convent, Couva, 6.00pm
The Sadhu of Couva (5’) + Chinee Girl (44’) + The Amerindians (40’)

Thursday 23 August: Holy Faith Convent, Couva, 6.00pm
‘70: Remembering a Revolution (114’)

Thursday 23: Academy for the Performing Arts, Port of Spain, 7.00pm
The Audacity of the Creole Imagination (13’) + The Sadhu of Couva (5’) + Classical Steel (42’)
THIS SCREENING HAS BEEN CANCELLED DUE TO CIRCUMSTANCES BEYOND OUR CONTROL. APOLOGIES FOR ANY INCONVENIENCE CAUSED.

Friday 24: NALIS, Port of Spain, 7.00pm
18 on Steel (18’) + The Right and the Wrong (100’)

Friday 24 August: Holy Faith Convent, Couva, 6.00pm
Friday: Men of Grey II: Flight of the Ibis (94’)

Saturday 25: Point Fortin Public Library, 7.00pm
The Louis Brothers (13’) + Men of Grey II: Flight of the Ibis (94’)

A film competition marking Trinidad and Tobago’s 50th anniversary of Independence is now closed

The trinidad+tobago film festival and Flow invited filmmakers to submit short films on the topic of independence to a film competition celebrating the country’s 50th Independence anniversary.

We were looking for the best 50-second films that express what independence means to the filmmaker.

Submissions were accepted on any interpretation of the word independence and filmmakers were encouraged to be as creative as they wish and explore any aspect of what the word means to them.

RULES

• Films must be 50 seconds in length
• Films must be on the theme of independence (be creative!)
• Films must be the original work of the filmmaker/filmmakers and must not include any previously copyrighted material — including background music —without permission.
• Filmmakers may submit as many videos as you wish.
• The competition is open to all ages, professionals and amateurs.
• Entrants must be residents of Trinidad and Tobago.
• Minimum resolution for videos: 720 x 480 NTSC
• The competition is open from July 01–August 01, 2012.
• By submitting a film to the competition, filmmakers agree to allow ttff to use their film in promotional materials, including on our website.

PRIZES
Directors of the five best films will win a Flow package of services. The best film overall will also be awarded TT$5,000 at the ttff awards ceremony on September 30, 2012.

Thursday 16 August – Tuesday 02 October 10am – 6pm, excluding Sundays

Academy for the Performing Arts, Port of Spain

In association with Flow, bpTT and RBC Royal Bank

A highlight of Side by Side will be an exhibition on the history of film in T&T from 1927 (when the first feature film was made here) to 1999. The exhibition will also feature some of the locals who have done pioneering work in the film industry during that time, both at home and internationally. These pioneers will be honoured at a special ceremony to take place during Side by Side. The exhibition will also contain an exhibition of photographs by filmmaker Horace Ové, a display of historic film production equipment from the vaults of the Government Film Unit, a video installation that looks at the work of future pioneers and a screening of the five films selected for the finals of the 50-Second Film Competition. Exhibition materials provided by Paria Publishing, Ray Funk, Roy Rique, Mickey Nivelli, Anthony Maharaj, Kamalo Dean, Annabelle Alcazar, Deborah John, Banyan, Pearl & Dean, Bruce Paddington and GISL.

The trinidad+tobago film festival (ttff) and Flow invite filmmakers to submit short films on the topic of independence to a film competition celebrating the country’s 50th independence anniversary.

We are looking for the best 50-second films that express what independence means to the filmmaker.

Submissions will be accepted on any interpretation of the word independence and filmmakers are encouraged to be as creative as they wish and explore any aspect of what the word means to them.

RULES

• Films must be 50 seconds in length
• Films must be on the theme of independence (be creative!)
• Films must be the original work of the filmmaker/filmmakers and must not include any previously
copyrighted material — including background music —without permission
• Filmmakers may submit as many videos as you wish
• The competition is open to all ages, professionals and amateurs
• Entrants must be residents of Trinidad and Tobago
• Minimum resolution for videos: 720 x 480 NTSC

The competition is open from July 01–August 01, 2012.
By submitting a film to the competition, filmmakers agree to allow ttff to use their film in promotional materials, including on our website.

PRIZES
Directors of the five best films will win a Flow package of services. The best film overall will also be awarded TT$5,000 at the ttff awards ceremony on September 30, 2012.

HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR VIDEO
Films are to be submitted via a private posting on YouTube. Filmmakers are asked to send the link and password to the ttff at hello@ttfimfestival.com.

DEADLINE
All entries must be received by the ttff no later than 4pm on Wednesday, August 01.

For more information on call the ttff office at 621.0709 or email hello@ttfilmfestival.com

T&T Film Nights moves to Beetham Gardens on Saturday, July 7, with the screening of local puppetry comedy I’m Santana, the Movie at the Excel Composite School.

The character Santana has become a household name over the past two years through several short videos that went viral over social networks YouTube and Facebook. Now, director Roger Alexis has brought the self-proclaimed “bad man”, his friends and bitter rivals to the big screen, with a feature-length movie based on the characters popularised in the video shorts. In the movie, Santana’s tender heart is exposed as he tries to win back his love, Janice, who’s left him for the raunchy Pastor Stewart. It’s a drama with plenty of intrigue, back-biting, two-timing action and lots of laughs.

Santana will be screened with Ryan Khan’s Minutes to Midnite, a spooky crime drama involving gangsters, guns, a mysterious woman and some of our local folklore characters.

T&T Film Nights is an initiative of the trinidad+tobago film festival (ttff) and Trinidad & Tobago Film Company (TTFC), and this evening of screenings is being held in collaboration with Excel Composite School.

The movie action begins at 6 pm and there will also be a talk and a question-and-answer session with one of the producers of I’m Santana, the Movie. Admission is free; food and drinks will be on sale.

Asha Lovelace’s comedy about a country boy who dreams of living a charmed life in the USA will head the billing at the next edition of T&T Film Nights, to be held at Iere High School in Siparia on June 30.

Lovelace’s Joebell and America is a movie adaptation of a short story by Trinidadian author (and the director’s father), Earl Lovelace. Brian Green has the lead role as Joebell, a gambler who takes a risky path to fulfilling his dream of going to America. When things don’t go the way he plans, the young man is forced to examine and consider his true identity. Gabrielle Gellineau plays the beautiful Alicia, the love of his life. The cast includes acclaimed actors Eunice Alleyne, Errol Roberts and Grace Maharaj and cameos by Earl Lovelace and the real-life character on which the movie is based. The movie features music by 3Canal, Ataklan and the late rapso pioneer, Lancelot Layne.

T&T Film Nights is an initiative of the trinidad+tobago film festival (ttff) and Trinidad & Tobago Film Company (TTFC), and this evening of screenings is being held in collaboration with Iere High School.

Joebell and America is being screened with Dawn Pirtheesingh’s short animated feature Dirty Clothes, and The Mistake, which was produced by Iere High’s Film Club.

Admission is free and light refreshments will be on sale.