bpTT Youth Jury and Prize returns to film festival

Once again, bpTT is teaming up with the trinidad+tobago film festival (ttff) to give five young people an opportunity of a lifetime, through the bpTT Youth Jury and Prize at the ttff/15 (September 15–29).

The initiative was conceived as a way of stimulating interest in and a critical appreciation of independent film among the country’s youth. The prize will be awarded to the best film screening at the ttff/15 as decided by a jury of five youngsters.

Jurors were selected by an open call. To be considered for the jury, applicants had to be from 16 to 21 years of age. Each had submit an essay saying what their favourite film is, and why.

The five members of the ttff/15 bpTT Youth Jury are:

Saskia Johnson, 16, Maple Leaf International School. Favourite film: The Fall
Claude Lilford, 19, home-schooled. Favourite film: The Pirates of Penzance
Auset McClean, 16, Fatima College. Favourite film: Atonement
Sarah Mongroo, 18, St Stephen’s College. Favourite film: It’s Kind of a Funny Story
Teneka Mohammed, 21, University of the West Indies. Favourite film: In the Mood for Love

Under the guidance of film critic and journalist BC Pires, the jury will watch eight Caribbean and international feature-length fiction films featuring young protagonists. After the jurors have viewed all the films in competition, they will choose the winning film, the director of which will receive a trophy plus a cash award of $5,000.

The eight films in competition are:

Girlhood: Céline Sciamma, 2014 / France
The Greatest House in the World: Ana V. Bojórquez, Lucía Carreras, 2015 / Guatemala, Mexico
Güeros: Alonso Ruizpalacios, 2014 / Mexico
Honeytrap: Rebecca Johnson, 2014 / United Kingdom
Margarita, with a Straw: Shonali Bose, 2014 / India
On the Road, Somewhere: Guillermo Zouain, 2015 / Dominican Republic
Stories of Our Lives: Jim Chuchu, 2015 / Kenya, South Africa
Theeb: Naji Abu Nowar, 2014 / Jordan, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom

Image: A still from Stories of Our Lives