Thanks to the folks at MOVA Productions, we’re delighted to be able to put on another screening of Damian Marcano’s award-winning film, ‘Chee$e’. Here are the deets:
#seeyuhself #ttff22 #seeitlive
On 05 September, the trinidad+tobago film festival officially launched its 17th edition festival, ttff/22, and return to in-person screenings, to specially invited guests and members of the media.
Among the attendees were the festival’s signature sponsor, the National Gas Company of Trinidad and Tobago Limited (NGC). Describing the work of ttff as “extremely valuable and of national importance,” Myles Lewis, NGC’s head of corporate social responsibility, reminded the audience that,
“Since inception, the ttff has given local and regional filmmakers the support they need to create, to tell our stories, and to convert creative energy into dollars and cents – for stakeholders of the industry and for the country as a whole. The ttff’s work has also been instrumental in the preservation of our culture – a patrimony as valuable to our nation as our natural resources.”
Sponsored by NGC, this year’s retrospective recognises and celebrates the pioneering work of Banyan Productions and its founders which has been germane to the development of our local film and television industry.
Lewis expressed pride over the ttff’s work and after 14 years of partnership, said this is why NGC remains committed to help the ttff develop and monetise the country’s creative industry.
Representatives of ttff/22’s leading sponsors Republic Bank Limited (RBL) and Shell Trinidad and Tobago Limited also attended the press conference. RBL’s Baldath Ramkissoon general manager, Group Risk stated, “For over three years, Republic Bank has been partnering with FILMCO and it’s been a rewarding experience thus far.” He went on to say,
“By investing in the development of the local film industry, there is limitless potential for revenue generation, as well as an avenue for economic diversification; both of which are definitely needed in today’s economic climate.”
The trailer for the opening night film, ‘Chee$e’ was well received and the festival trailer generated excitement among the audience. Programmer Danielle Dieffenthaller explained that as in previous years, the ttff/22 will also include many panel discussions and workshops aimed at boosting film quality and enhancing storytelling techniques. Describing the local industry as “abundantly creative,” she further praised it for having technologically savvy people with major ideas, and who were great storytellers.
Kelli-Marie Patel, Shell’s corporate social advisor explained that her company had a rich legacy in the energy sector and to preserve it, Shell continues to invest in the arts, inspiring younger generations and contributing to economic diversification. Patel shared that Shell recognises the capacity of the local arts and film industry to unify communities and promote sustainable development and has sponsored the ttff for the past four years. A leading sponsor, Shell is looking forward to the return of in-person events, and anticipates seeing people and feeling their energy at the Shell Cinema Under the Stars screenings (which will be free to the public) to be held at the NALIS Amphitheatre 24 and 25 September.
Programming partner, the National Library and Information System (NALIS) was represented by Debbie Goodman, manager, corporate communications who also expressed delight at being associated with this year’s festival as it allowed the organisation to serve its role to mandate to ensure “everything produced about Trinidad and Tobago, or by Trinbagonians, regardless of where they may be domiciled is preserved for posterity so that generations to come will know the paths our country has travelled.”
NALIS’ services facilitate “the cultural, educational, social and economic development of the people of Trinidad and Tobago” so the local film industry serves in this regard, adding to nations’ literary and cultural landscape… The material reflects us and causes us to reflect, think and ponder.”
With such exciting partners onboard, ttff has been able to make it through the pandemic and is growing from strength to strength. The event was broadcast by ttff/22 media partner, TTT Limited.
Under the mentorship of film critic and ttff/22 festival programmer, BC Pires, the Youth Jury allows young people to take part in reasoned, if passionate, debate about film. Many jury members have gone on to study film at university and several now work in the industry. The Youth Jury has proved to be a gateway and developmental path for young future film industry professionals. The Youth Jury views and considers for award recognition, films which focus on young protagonists dealing with coming-of-age issues, challenges and triumphs.
For film synopses, screening details and director bios, please click the links (indicated as blue underlines) below.
BEST FILM AS DECIDED BY A YOUTH JURY
At ttff/22 we’re celebrating 60 years of Trinidad and Tobago independence with our love t+t programme which is presented with the support of The National Gas Company of Trinidad and Tobago Limited (NGC). Films made in our about Trinidad and Tobago will be screened at MovieTowne Port of Spain and online on Republic Day (24 September); the MovieTowne screenings (in one screen) will be free of charge all day; online screenings will be available to viewers in the Caribbean, the USA and Canada.
For film synopses, screening details and director bios, please click the links below:
We are honoured to introduce the jury members who will be judging the student films in competition at ttff/22: producer and distributor, Gian Franco; TTT programme manager, Diane Robertson; president of JAFTA, Saeed Thomas.
Films in juried competitions are rigorously discussed and dissected before being selected by the programming team, and must be unanimously agreed by the five programmers. The shortlisted films then move to the juries which are given a list of criteria on which they must score each film. Films are watched, scored and debated by the relevant jury, with the winning films ultimately being those which receive the highest aggregate scores. All the winners will be announced at the ttff/22 awards, 27 September.
Gian Franco
Gian worked at the Microsoft Corporation before moving to Amazon.com in 2010 to launch their digital gaming distribution platform. He then assumed responsibility for Global Content Business Development in Amazon’s TV and film distribution group, after having completed US content acquisition for the same group. As an independent advisor and consultant, Franco has worked with companies such as Comcast on its digital distribution, operations and training strategies; executing training and deployment for products like Xfinity on Roku and others. In 2015 he left Amazon to launch Pavilion Entertainment with business partner Min Lee. Pavilion Entertainment is a TV and film production and distribution company based in Los Angeles that seeks to tell universal stories from a Caribbean point of view.
Diane Robertson
Diane is a broadcast television and multimedia professional with over 20 years of experience in the industry. She has led the Broadcast Services department, including the website and social media component, of a Washington, DC PBS station. Her role included vetting local programmes, working with producers to green light, and bringing their projects to fruition. While serving on national review panels, Diane’s contributions led to the release of popular, national PBS television series, including ‘Independent Lens’ and ‘Afropop’. She has also served as an advisor to the Caribbean Filmmakers Symposium. In 2018 she joined TTT Ltd as the television programming manager. Since then, she has been instrumental in forming partnerships with FILMCO, FilmTT, Tempo Networks, and other key organisations, to populate local and diasporic content and support local and regional creatives.
Saeed Thomas
Saeed began working in the creative arts as a stage technician, backstage assistant and audio tech. He also delved into stage management and audio for film and television. He has collaborated on projects with international companies such as Hulu, UNICEF, Concacaf, and IAAF. Saeed is the current president of the Jamaica Film and Television Association (JAFTA), co-founder and CEO of M-One, previously known as Cine-core, a Jamaica-based video production company. A recipient of the 2020 Prime Minister’s Youth Award for Arts and Culture, he has for worked on various short films such as ‘Enhanced’, ‘Kinto’, ‘Cross my heart’ and ‘Flight’ and was selected as a participant of the Clermont Ferrand 2020 Euro Connection Programme with his script, ‘Black girl in the ring’. His most recent produced work is the short drama, ‘Sugarcake’.
We are pleased to announce the films in competition for best t+t film at ttff/22. Films in juried competitions are rigorously discussed and dissected before being selected by the programming team, and must be unanimously agreed by the five programmers. They are then watched, scored and debated by their specific genre jury, with the winning t+t film ultimately being the one to receive the highest aggregate score.
All the winners will be announced at the ttff/22 awards, 27 September, with cash prizes and trophies furnished by our sponsors.
For film synopses, screening details and director bios, please click the links (indicated as blue underlines) below.
BEST T+T FILM
We are pleased to announce the student films in competition at ttff/22. Films in juried competitions are rigorously discussed and dissected before being selected by the programming team, and must be unanimously agreed by the five programmers. They are then watched, scored and debated by the relevant jury, with the winning films ultimately being those which receive the highest aggregate scores. All the winners will be announced at the ttff/22 awards, 27 September, with cash prizes and trophies furnished by our sponsors.
For film synopses, screening details and director bios, please click the links (indicated as blue underlines) below.
BEST STUDENT FILM
Premiere regional film festival returns for its 17th edition
Port of Spain, Tuesday 16 August 2022 – The region’s premier film festival, trinidad+tobago film festival (ttff) is back with a full calendar of events. This year’s festival will see a return to in-person screenings and events after two years online due to pandemic restrictions.
With an impressive panel of film programmers comprising three Caribbean and two international industry specialists, more than 250 films were considered for the festival programme. This year’s film programmers are Bruce Paddington (ttff founder), Danielle Dieffenthaller, BC Pires, Ivonne Cotorruelo and Jim Kolmar. Together, they have shortlisted just over 25 films to compete for prizes and awards recognition.
Kolmar, also a writer who has been curating features for the renowned South by Southwest Film Festival (SXSW), shares, “It’s been a real thrill to work with the programming team on this year’s lineup. It represents the diversity, creativity and the sheer breadth of talent emerging from the Caribbean and beyond. Heartfelt and restlessly inventive, these films exemplify the bold visions and unique voices long celebrated by the festival.”
He continues, “The most exciting part of all this is the opportunity to watch these films with enthusiastic audiences. It’s the kind of community experience that we need more than ever, and it’s a great pleasure to play a part in that. I can’t wait for people to watch these remarkable films.”
Apart from the opening night (which will be at IMAX), screenings will be held at MovieTowne, Port of Spain and NALIS (AV Room and Amphitheatre). Screenings at NALIS are free to the public and tickets for MovieTowne will be available at their box office from 15 September.
The trinidad+tobago film festival wishes to acknowledge the generous support of our sponsors – our signature sponsor:The National Gas Company (NGC); our leading sponsors: Shell Trinidad and Tobago and Republic Bank; our contributing sponsor: the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and the Arts; our supporting sponsors: the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and Trinidad and Tobago Film Company Limited (FilmTT).
We also acknowledge the contributions of our programming partners: the National Library and Information System Authority (NALIS), the Embassy of the United States, Port of Spain, the Embassy of the Dominican Republic, Festival International du Film Documentaire Amazonie-Caraibes (FIFAC) and FILMCO; our event partners: the Dalai Llama, Calabash Garden, the Naughty Grape, MovieTowne and C15 Studios Limited; our media and promotion partners: TTT Limited and Scrip-J.
featured image: production still from ‘Cette maison’
If we agree that films can affect the way that we perceive ourselves, then can they also effect change? In this session, panellists who work in social-justice and -issue filmmaking discuss how seeing ourselves onscreen (whether big or small) might have a positive impact on our society’s development.
date: Sunday 25 September, 2022
time: 4.30pm–5.45pm
location: NALIS (AV Room)
rsvp: pre-registration required. Sign up here!
tickets: free of charge
moderator: Franka Phillip
We are pleased to announce the short and feature length documentary films in competition at ttff/22. Films in juried competitions are rigorously discussed and dissected before being selected by the programming team, and must be unanimously agreed by the five programmers. They are then watched, scored and debated by the relevant jury, with the winning films ultimately being those which receive the highest aggregate scores. All the winners will be announced at the ttff/22 awards, 27 September, with cash prizes and trophies furnished by our sponsors.
For film synopses, screening details and director bios, please click the links (indicated as blue underlines) below.
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE FILM
BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILM
Featured images: production stills from Studio 17: the lost reggae tapes and King David .