Giselle Mendez with Bruce Paddington at signing of MOU.

Volunteers form an essential part ttff’s success. Every year scores of students, professionals and film fans work with us in hospitality, public relations, technical operations, and administration to make our annual festival one of the ‘must attend’ events in September. In turn volunteers receive hands on experience in festival and arts management from behind the scenes. Stipends, movie tickets, meals and networking opportunities with professional filmmakers also add to the experience we offer.We’re happy to announce our official partnership with The Volunteer Centre of Trinidad and Tobago (VCTT) to manage our volunteer drive for ttff/18 (18-25 September). At the recent signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between VCTT and ttff, Founder & President – Chief Volunteer at VCTT, Giselle Mendez commented “ “At VCTT we believe in the Power of Connections and for 2018 thus far we have connected 263 Volunteers to 7 Causes across Trinidad and Tobago. This partnership with the Trinidad & Tobago Film Festival provides unique and exciting opportunities for skilled Volunteers to lend their Strengths and Passions to the development of the Film Industry while expanding their own knowledge and networks.

According to Dr. Bruce Paddington, ttff’s Founder and Festival Director “Over the years, volunteers moved on to become full or part time staff at the ttff. We value and look forward to working with enthusiastic people who take the time to contribute to a major cultural event annually. Many of our volunteers have gone on to pursue professional studies in film and other creative industries. For others, volunteering with us is a superb addition to their resumés.”

To apply to volunteer for this year’s film festival, please click here.

The trinidad+tobago film festival (ttff) celebrates films from and about the Caribbean and its diaspora, as well as from world cinema, through an annual festival and year-round screenings. In addition, the ttff seeks to facilitate the growth of Caribbean cinema by offering a wide-ranging industry programme and networking opportunities. The ttff is given leading sponsorship by BP Trinidad and Tobago, the Ministry of Community Development, Culture and the Arts; supporting sponsorship by The National Gas Company of Trinidad and Tobago and Republic Bank Limited; and contributing sponsorship by FilmTT and The National Lotteries Control Board (NLCB).

Winners L to R: Francesca Hawkins, Andrei Pierre and Siobhan Millette

The trinidad+tobago film festival in partnership with the Canadian High Commission is pleased to announce the winners of the The Reel Human Rights on Film training programme.

Filmmakers Siobhan Millette, Andrei Pierre and Francesca Hawkins will receive $5,000CDN each. The three short completed films will be shown at ttff/18 in September.

In March 2017 , the trinidad+tobago film festival  partnered with the Canadian High Commission to present a script writing programme for 15  emerging filmmakers. The workshop was facilitated by Canadian film professional Annmarie Morais who continued to mentor the filmmakers throughout the year.

In March of this year, the same fifteen filmmakers attended  a two-day workshop on ‘From script to Production’. This was conducted  by Film Board of Canada producer Selwyn Jacob, and also included presentations from specialists in human rights issues in order to assist the writers develop an approach to their topic. These filmmakers were then tasked to  produce a script for a five minute short narrative or documentary film, on a human rights issue in Trinidad and Tobago, or the wider Caribbean.

In Photo: Her Excellency Carla Hogan Rufelds presents cheque to Dr. Bruce Paddington, Founder and Festival Director, ttff.

At the cheque presentation ceremony at the Canadian High Commission, Her Excellency Carla Hogan Rufelds, reiterated that Canada regards human rights as universal, indivisible, interdependent and interrelated . She emphasised that human rights cinema plays an important role in the struggle for justice and dignity, speaking out against censorship and repression. She remarked that “this extremely powerful medium can touch and inspire audiences, challenging individuals to expand their knowledge and perspectives. It can also stimulate healthy dialogue, and ultimately, change.”

An important part of the ttff’s annual programme is a strong lineup of films that focus on issues of gender inequality, children’s rights, issues impacting the LGBTQI community and other human rights and social and economic inequalities.

According to Annabelle Alcazar, programme director of the ttff: “This programme marries our interest in developing the skills of local filmmakers and writers, with advancing the conversations on human rights in Trinidad and Tobago. We were very excited about this project and we are pleased to see how the filmmakers rose to the challenge of using their artistic knowledge and skill to bring these important issues alive.”

The three successful filmmakers were jubilant about being able to realise their projects. According to Siobhan Millette: “I’m grateful that the Canadian High Commission has afforded me the opportunity to bring attention to one aspect of how these prejudices affect one of the many marginalized communities here in Trinidad and Tobago. Often late to the table, it is high time that ALL citizens are afforded equality and protection from discrimination, violence, unfair treatment and biases under the laws of our land”.

Andrei Pierre remarked on the advantages to his professional development: “This program has given me robust legs to stand on as a filmmaker. I’ve been able to not just hone my craft, but now have an opportunity to prove it. I’m a grateful for the privilege to hold a lens to underrepresented communities and under-addressed issues in our culture, and help tell their stories responsibly and with due empathy.”

Francesca Hawkins complimented the partnership and initiative:
“Our names were removed from the submissions to ensure transparency in the judging process. This collaboration between ttff and the CHC has been extremely supportive of film development while also raising awareness on a variety of Human Rights issues in Trinidad and Tobago.”

The trinidad+tobago film festival (ttff) celebrates films from and about the Caribbean and its diaspora, as well as from world cinema, through an annual festival and year-round screenings. In addition, the ttff seeks to facilitate the growth of Caribbean cinema by offering a wide-ranging industry programme and networking opportunities. The ttff is given leading sponsorship by BP Trinidad and Tobago, the Ministry of Community Development, Culture and the Arts; supporting sponsorship by The National Gas Company of Trinidad and Tobago and Republic Bank Limited; and contributing sponsorship by FilmTT and The National Lotteries Control Board (NLCB).

New World Film Centre (NWFC) is a non-profit organisation established in 2011 and dedicated to the promotion and development of a film culture and the film industry in Trinidad and Tobago, the wider Caribbean and the Caribbean diaspora. The Centre also serves as a cooperative for the procurement of film equipment for use on local independent productions.

NWFC is the parent company of 4 entities towards the fulfillment of these objectives:

1. The trinidad+tobago film festival (ttff), an annual two week flagship event celebrating the best films from the Caribbean, its diaspora and Latin American countries in the Caribbean basin. In addition, the ttff seeks to facilitate the growth of Caribbean cinema by offering a wide-ranging industry programme and networking opportunities during the festival.

   Visit website: ttfilmfestival.com

2. The Caribbean Film Mart (CFM) was launched during ttff/15 to introduce Caribbean films in development and pre-production to the international film industry. The overall objective is to facilitate the creation of professional relationships and partnerships that will enable the financing, production, marketing and distribution of more Caribbean films.
3. The Caribbean Film Database (CFDB) was launched at ttff/15 to meet the NWFC’s objective of creating of an observatory for work related to the research, archiving, publications and preservation of Caribbean cinema. The website presents information on over 500 independent feature-length films made in and about the Caribbean. Accessible in English, Spanish and French, the database is a resource for filmmakers, producers, scholars, festival programmers, regional lm commissions and industry professionals. We intend it to be the definitive authority and repository on Caribbean film.

   Visit website: caribbeanfilm.com

4. Community Cinema Outreach Programme – Community Outreach and building is an essential part of our mission and objectives. Using film as a vehicle of social transformation and education and impetus for discussion on issues pertinent to fostering positive behaviour among our citizens, we work with schools, community leaders, special interest groups, human rights organisations and NGOs island-wide including in remote communities, prisons and community centres.

The Take One Feature Film Grant, being spearheaded by the Ministry of Community Development, Culture and the Arts, in association with New World Film Centre, invites submissions from emerging local first time feature filmmakers.

The Ministry of Community Development, Culture and the Arts, in association with the New World Film Centre (NWFC), will executive produce and coordinate the production of three new local narrative feature films by emerging local first-time feature filmmakers. The Ministry will provide a grant of $250,000TT for each film, while the NWFC will manage the disbursement of these grants, and monitor their progress.

The filmmakers (directors) must be citizens or permanent residents of Trinidad and Tobago and have resided in the country for the past year. They should have directed at least one short film but will be first-time feature filmmakers.

The primary goal of  tttf/18 Caribbean Film Mart (CFM) is to provide local filmmakers with professional levels of  exposure and interactions between the T+T and the international film industry. This will be achieved by setting the scene for  stimulating and creating viable cinematic co-productions; exploring new platforms and markets of distribution; and reviewing international best practices among other areas.gives twelve (12)narrative feature film and creative documentaries  in development or pre-production.T

Twelve selected filmmakers will have the opportunity to meet one-on-one with, and pitch their projects to, international film producers, sales and acquisitions agents and film funds, forging partnerships that can lead to the production and distribution of their films.

The successful candidates and their projects are:

Dance the Cocoa – Juliette McCawley

 Mas Slaughter – Christopher Din Chong

The Jaguar – Ryan Khan

Virus – Michael Rochford

Steel – Glenford Adams

Igual Paradise – Shea Best

Wishing for Wings – Kim Johnson

Silk Road – Janine – Mendes-Franco

Trinidad’s Missing – Reynald Seydass

Hey Handsome – Roderick Weever

Fairway – Kafi Kareem Farrell

Right and Left – Sonja Dumas

A cash prize sponsored by BP Trinidad and Tobago for the Best Pitch will be awarded at the end of the ttff/18 CFM.

The trinidad+tobago film festival (ttff) celebrates films from and about the Caribbean and its diaspora, as well as from world cinema, through an annual festival and year-round screenings. In addition, the ttff seeks to facilitate the growth of Caribbean cinema by offering a wide-ranging industry programme and networking opportunities. The ttff is given leading sponsorship by BP Trinidad and the Ministry of Community Development, Culture and the Arts; supporting sponsorship by The National Gas Company of Trinidad and Tobago and Republic Bank Limited; and contributing sponsorship by FilmTT and The National Lotteries Control Board (NLCB)