Participants announced for RBC Focus: Filmmakers’ Immersion at ttff/15

Ten participants from across the Caribbean have been selected for the fifth annual RBC Focus: Filmmakers’ Immersion at the trinidad+tobago film festival (ttff), it was announced today.

An intensive development programme for emerging Caribbean and diaspora filmmakers, the Immersion will take place from 23–25 September, during the ttff/15, which runs from 15–29 September.

“Once again we’re excited to be offering Caribbean filmmakers this important opportunity to interact with and learn from some of the top professionals in the international film industry,” said ttff Programme Director Annabelle Alcazar.

“We’re pleased as always to have a cohort of women and men from across the region, including participants from Dominica and Guyana—countries which will be represented in the Immersion for the very first time.”

The facilitator for the Immersion will be Academy Award-nominated screenwriter Christina Lazaridi.

The participants were chosen after an open call for applications. They will enter the Immersion with a concept for a feature-length fiction film, which they will develop into a full treatment.

The ten selected filmmakers and their projects are:

Luis Ernesto Doñas, Cuba – Havana Essence
Sandra Vivas, Dominica – Shameless
Dulcita Lieggi, Dominican Republic – Crown of Thorns
Kojo McPherson, Guyana – Adero
Bradley Bixler, Puerto Rico – Caribe
Javier Colón, Puerto Rico – Dance Machine
Nicholas Clarke, T&T – The Continued Misadventures of Brian and Sachin
Sonja Dumas, T&T – Angels Live in Tunapuna
Michael Rochford, T&T – Andrea
Ernest Che Rodriguez, T&T – Insurrection

At the end of the Immersion the participants will all be given a chance to pitch their project to a jury. The participant with the best project and pitch, as determined by the jury, will win a cash prize of TT$20,000.

Image: RBC Focus: Filmmakers’ Immersion 2014 pitch session winner, Raisa Bonnet of Puerto Rico (right)