We’re pleased to launch the eighteenth edition of the renowned trinidad+tobago film festival (ttff), which has been managed for the past four years by the Filmmakers Collaborative of Trinidad and Tobago (FILMCO). FILMCO is a registered not for profit membership based organization dedicated to promoting and supporting Caribbean affiliated films, including distribution of these films on television and online streaming platforms. The Company has worked on successfully executing the ttff since 2019 and growing the brand further.
The trinidad+tobago film festival showcases films from and about the Caribbean and its diaspora. The excitement surrounding the Festival this year is indescribable, as many films shown during the festival include World and Caribbean premiers. Audiences will have the opportunity to see new work from their favorite filmmaker. The countries represented in the Festival include Trinidad, Jamaica, Guyana, Barbados, Antigua and Barbuda, Suriname, St. Vincent, Haiti, Brazil, The Bahamas, Puerto Rico, France, Spain, Germany, USA, Netherlands, and Nepal.
This year’s Festival premieres on September 20, with the Opening Night, being hosted at Queen’s Hall from 6pm-11pm. Audiences will be able to mix and mingle with local and international filmmakers and actors, while getting the chance to see the premier film, ‘Doubles’ which was written and directed by Ian Harnarine, a Canadian born to Trinidadian parents. They’ll also be treated to live entertainment by Olatunji Yearwood. Tickets can be purchased in advance on Island e-Tickets.
The Festival will continue on September 21, to end on September 27, presenting just over 100 films from a variety of genres. These films were the final selections from over 200 entries received, showcasing the caliber of films that can be produced in the Caribbean, by Caribbean roots, or for the Caribbean. Movie lovers can attend screenings at MovieTowne (Port of Spain), the National Library and Information System Authority (NALIS – PoS), and The UWI Film Programme (St Augustine Campus).
Two special open air night cinema activations will be held at Fatima College and Naparima Bowl.
The trinidad+tobago film festival continues to be a mainstay of Trinidad and Tobago’s cultural calendar, and is well-established as the premiere film festival of the English-speaking Caribbean. It is a key incentive for creative innovation in the Caribbean film industry. The Festival continues to carve a needed space that does not readily exist for independent films to be reviewed by local audiences and international sales agents or distributors. It also brings together the business community, by creating a tangible product that they can invest in because it delivers value. The Festival also generates employment opportunities.
This year, ttff introduces two new additions: an award category for the best film by a woman, as well as a film block titled i-Advocate, that deals with issues relating to domestic violence and women’s rights. i-Advocate has been curated in conjunction with the European Film Festival and entries for the 2023 ttff.
The Festival will also include master classes and panels. There is special emphasis on professional development workshops which will be hosted at NALIS.
We are pleased to have the National Gas Company of Trinidad and Tobago as the Signature Sponsor of the Festival. We’re happy, also, to have Republic Bank Limited, Shell, and The Trinidad and Tobago Film Company Limited (FilmTT), as lead sponsors.
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