Carnival Film Series to honour The Mighty Sparrow, Lord Superior, Pan! and the Calypso Craze
The trinidad+tobago film festival is starting off its 10th anniversary celebrations on a high note with its 5th annual Carnival Film Series (CFS). Over the past four years, the CFS has presented diverse and unusual representations of Carnival on film and screen. Films have included tributes to pioneers such as Lord Superior, Calypso Rose and Shadow, Peter Minshall and other Carnival practitioners in narrative and documentary forms. In addition, the highly entertaining, anecdotal presentations on vintage Carnival by historian Ray Funk has continued to delight and surprise audiences. For this year’s Carnival Film Series, the ttff promises even more diversity and entertainment. Admission is FREE to all screenings and presentations for the Carnival Film Series.

Calypso Dreams and Tribute to Midnight Robber, Brian Honoré at UWI
The first of the four-part 2015 Carnival Film Series will be shown on Saturday January 17 from 6:30pm at the UWI Film Department’s Studio at 12 Carmody Road, St Augustine. The programme will feature Calypso Dreams – directors Geoffrey Dunn and Michael Horne’s chronicle of the rich and complex cultural roots of calypso music in Trinidad and Tobago. Also on the programme is Robbertalk, a special film and Midnight Robber performance tribute to Brian Honoré, one of this country’s most popular Midnight Robbers, on the 10^th anniversary of his passing. This will be preceded by Living Legacies: Trains in Trinidad; and Clay and Dirt Ovens in T&T – two short documentaries produced with the support of the Ministry of National Diversity and Social Integration.

The Mighty Sparrow and Lord Superior at the Globe Cinema:
Next, the CFS moves on to the highly-anticipated Caribbean premiere of The Glamour Boyz Again: Sparrow and Lord Superior on The Hilton Rooftop, at the Globe Cinema, on Sunday January 18. At this screening, both Sparrow and Lord Superior will be present to receive honorary awards by the Embassy of The United States of America, Port of Spain. The audience in the 1,200 seat Globe Cinema will also be treated to an exclusive live performance by both honourees. This special event is sponsored by RBC Royal Bank in association with the Embassy of the United States of America. The International Art Alliance (IAA) is also working closely with the Embassy to facilitate the awards and the participation of The Mighty Sparrow and Lord Superior. This event starts at 6pm and doors open at 5pm. THIS EVENT IS NOW SOLD OUT

Pan! Our Musical Odyssey at San Fernando Hill
On Friday January 23 from 6.30pm, San Fernando Hill will become an outdoor cinema for the special showing of Pan! Our Musical Odyssey, which recently had its theatrical release at local cinemas. Limited DVDs and CDs of the film will be available for purchase. Refreshments will be on sale and limited seating will be provided. Audiences are invited to bring their own seating and refreshments.

Ray Funk Presents: Calypso Craze at NALIS, Port of Spain
The CFS will conclude at NALIS Amphitheatre on Sunday January 25 from 6.30pm, with Ray Funk Presents: Calypso Craze. Once again, Alaskan-based Carnival historian Ray Funk will thrill audiences with rare vintage Carnival film clips—this time focusing on the Calypso Craze—a comprehensive survey of the excitement for calypso that swept America in 1957 when the whole American entertainment industry thought calypso would kill rock and roll. This presentation at the NALIS Amphitheatre will also coincide with the official launch of the book, CD and DVD set of the same name. Both events on this weekend will be preceded by Living Legacies: Trains in Trinidad; and Clay and Dirt Ovens in T&T, produced with the support of the Ministry of National Diversity and Social Integration.

The trinidad+tobago film festival is presented by Flow, and given supporting sponsorship by the Embassy of the United States of America.

A new version of the classic documentary Calypso Dreams, directed by Geoffrey Dunn and Michael Horne, will be screened at the National Library in Port of Spain as part of the ongoing T+T Film Nights, an initiative of the trinidad+tobago film festival (ttff) and sponsored by the Trinidad & Tobago Film Company.

The screening, which is being held in association with NALIS, takes place on Sunday 12 February from 6.30pm. Admission is free.

First released in 2004 to great popular and critical acclaim both in T&T and abroad, Calypso Dreams is the story of calypso as told through interviews with and the music of some of its greatest exponents, including Mighty Sparrow, Calypso Rose, Black Stalin, Crazy and Sugar Aloes.

The film—which novelist Earl Lovelace called “a cinematic monument to calypso”—also pays posthumous tribute to many legendary calypsonians, such as Lord Kitchener, Lord Pretender, Mighty Terror, Lord Blakie and Mighty Duke.

The version of the film to be screened at the National Library is a recent directors’ cut, never seen in T&T and featuring significant new footage.

Before the screening there will be a live performance by an artiste who appears in the film, courtesy of TUCO. There will also be food and drinks on sale.

“NALIS is once again pleased to collaborate with the ttff to showcase our culture via the medium of the film,” said Debbie Goodman, Public Relations and Marketing Officer of NALIS. “We view our role in preserving and promoting our national heritage as critical to the development of a sense of self and national identity.”

UPDATE: Lord Superior, one of the stars of Calypso Dreams, will perform before the screening.