We are honoured to introduce the jury members who will be judging the narrative films in competition at ttff/22: head of diversity and inclusion at the European Film Market (Berlinale), Themba Bhebhe; filmmaker Laura Amelia Guzmán; writer Ayanna Lloyd Banwo. They hail from Europe and the Caribbean and are industry leaders in their specific fields.

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 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.

Themba Bhebhe
After working for a decade in international film sales, Themba has been in charge of Diversity & Inclusion at the European Film Market (Berlinale) since the autumn of 2017. His work comprises curating a series of events on inclusion, equity and accessibility at the EFM’s Industry Sessions and liaising with community-based film organisations and advocacy groups whose policies also strive towards greater inclusivity in the film sector. Founded with Dok Leipzig’s Nadja Tennstedt, Themba also co-manages the EFM’s Doc and Fiction Toolbox Programmes for marginalised and Global South film producers as well as the EFM (Online) Market Badge Inclusion Initiative. Within the framework of this role, he also works in close collaboration with imagineNATIVE and a host of other Indigenous-led film organisations regarding, in particular, the Native Indigenous Cinema Stand and the Native Fellows Programme at the EFM. Themba is also one of the founding members of the Programmers of Colour Collective (POC2) that aims at working towards a more diverse and inclusive programming pool at international film festivals through research, awareness events, networking, profile raising, mentoring and shadowing. Alongside Chloë Walters-Wallace, Themba co-founded the Caribbean Film Academy, an initiative of Third Horizon that aims at introducing filmmakers from across the Caribbean region and its diaspora to burgeoning new resources in order to further their access to the film landscape. Themba is a mentor for Durban FilmMart’s Pitching and Financing Forum, where he has advised long-feature fiction projects from across the African continent.

Laura Amelia Guzmán
Laura Amelia Guzmán is a filmmaker from the Dominican Republic. She completed film studies at San Antonio de los Baños Film School in Cuba (EICTV) and Fine Arts at Altos de Chavón School of Design. Her work has been featured at festivals including Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), Venice Film Festival and Rotterdam International Film Festival. Living between Mexico and DR for the past ten years, Laura produces and directs documentaries and scripted features. Her first feature, ‘Cochochi’, won the Discovery award at TIFF in 2007 and marks the beginning of her collaboration with Israel Cárdenas as co-director. ‘Jean Gentil’ followed in (2010), ‘Carmita’ (2013), ‘Sand Dollars’ (2014), ‘Sambá’ (2017), ‘Noelí Overseas’ (2017) and ‘Holy Beasts’ (2019). She is currently in  postproduction of a new feature, ‘La Hembrita’ (2023). Laura is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Ayanna Lloyd Banwo
Ayanna Lloyd Banwo is a writer from Trinidad + Tobago currently living in London, United Kingdom. Her debut novel When We Were Birds is an Indie Next Pick and has been named one of the UK Observer’s Best Debuts of 2022. She is a graduate of the University of the West Indies and holds an MA in Creative Writing from the University of East Anglia, where she is now a Creative and Critical Writing PhD student. Her work has been published in Moko Magazine, Small Axe, PREE, Callaloo and Anomaly among others, and shortlisted for Small Axe Literary Competition and the Wasafiri New Writing Prize. She is currently at work on her second novel.

FILMCO is giving five young people an amazing opportunity! If you’re between the ages of 16 and 21 (inclusive), here’s your chance to apply to be a member of the ttff/22 Youth Jury and help select the winning film for the 2022 Youth Jury Award, which will be presented during the trinidad+tobago film festival in September.

Applications are open to young people who are interested in, and wish to develop, a critical appreciation of independent film. Applicants must be either TT citizens, residents, or based in Trinidad and Tobago for at least one year prior to application. Prospective jury members must apply by writing an essay of no more than 450 words, saying what their favourite movie is and why. Applicants must also provide their name, date of birth, name of school or occupation.

Applications should be sent to: hello@ttfilmfestival.com (subject line: Youth Jury Application). Successful applicants under the age of 18 years will be required to have written consent from a parent or guardian in order to participate in this programme.

The deadline for application submission is 02 September. 

Five selected jury members and one alternate will meet in-person during the ttff/22, under the guidance of experienced film critic BC Pires, to view a selection of films dealing with themes and issues affecting young people.

After viewing all the films in competition, the ttff/22 Youth Jury will choose the winning film and present the director of this film with a prize at the ttff/22 awards ceremony.

Trinidadian painter, Che Lovelace is the festival artist for the 17th edition of the trinidad+tobago film festival. Lovelace’s work passionately depicts the life and culture of Trinidad and Tobago and his artwork, ‘Head of a Girl’ will represent this year’s festival on our poster, printed guide, buttons and signage. Mikayla Almandoz interviewed Che to learn more about his work and how he thinks seeing ourselves is vital to building our society.

ttff: you’ve said before that your work “is generated from where you are. From the space which I inhabit, which is Trinidad – a physical place, a spiritual place, a mental place.” What have been some of the joys and challenges of channelling the spirit of Trinidad into your work?

Che Lovelace: I think to see a place you have to be curious. You can sometimes forget what a place means to you if you’re not aware or curious enough to discover it over and over again. Trinidad always seems to me so full of energy and possibilities with all kinds of nuances to respond to. So, when I encounter situations where these possibilities are being limited or not explored, it creates a situation in which one has to overcome the hindrances or the lack of this or that, by believing even more. The inhabitants of places like this, who are perceived as peripheral, and who are not without problems, have no choice but to embark on a journey of profound self belief. Overwhelmingly, Trinidad has been a place that has nourished my practice with a variety of themes and overlapping realities that I try to locate myself in through painting.

ttff: what was the inspiration behind your artwork, ‘Head of a Girl’, which is representing the festival this year?

CL: I am constantly fascinated and drawn to human beings, and of course as this is the place where I am and know, people here are always intriguing to me. I look at all the nuances of gestures and attitude of a person. Even at a glance so much is transmitted, so much is felt. With this painting, I wanted it to feel like you were just glancing at someone, but in that instant, the emotion, mood and quality of a gesture are immediately conveyed… just like a powerful glance happens in real life. Many of my figures seem to be in the process of revealing themselves, like three-quarter profiles or heads seen from the back and side. This invites some mystery, while the subject still retains their personhood and potential. Ultimately, maybe it asks the viewer to commit more to knowing this person.

ttff: are you thinking of a particular audience/ viewer when you make work?

CL: I think of the audience less and less as time goes by, but I must say that it’s rewarding when the paintings seem to be relatively well read, or engaged with, across a large spectrum of society. Some of my favourite readings or perspectives about my paintings come from ordinary folks, some of whom may think they don’t know much about art, but are able to respond to the work in their own way.

ttff: You’ve said that you sometimes choreograph dances and then translate them into your art. How did you first come to try this and how has it changed your work? 

CL: I had for quite some time been seeking ways to bring myself closer to the images and subjects that I was painting; to move away from the idea of the artist painting from a distance, with the landscape vast and unknown. I wanted more immediacy and an intimate understanding of the figures I was painting. I guess as a Caribbean painter I wondered what would bring me closer to the Caribbean subject in a way that was more penetrating. I continued to look more closely at the things we do here to express ourselves. Movement is one of those obvious things; dance, Carnival, masquerade etc. These were also things I was intimately connected to – means by which I expressed myself. So I started to utilise Caribbean culture’s own dramatic and theatrical tendencies as a tool to understand posture, movement, attitude and complexity where the human form was concerned. By acting out, performing, mirroring or inventing movements coming from various sources and inspirations I have been able to foster a deeper connection with the figures I am painting. I think this has been the most important aspect in my growth over the last decade. And of course, it’s still an unfolding process.

ttff: what are your thoughts on being ttff/22’s festival artist?

CL: Living on an island that is constantly working its way towards self-determination, I have always felt it useful and important to stay present within the creative arts scene here in Trinidad; as a supporter, participant, enthusiast etc. The place benefits from collaboration and engagement. So being the festival artist feels like a continuation of that journey.

ttff: how do you view ttff and its role within the region?

CL: There are many similarities between the ambitions of artists and creatives who are rooted here and something like a film festival. I see most creative endeavours, including film festivals, music festivals, various artistic practices etc. as nothing short of the participants building a civilization. Seeing ourselves and our place reflected in art, while being in dialogue with a wider world is central to that.

ttff: who/ what are your biggest creative influences?

CL: More and more I have found myself intrigued and inspired by artists who have practised their art in this region. Since the post World War II era, so much interesting, strong art has been made here. Much of it involved (deliberately or not) creating an aesthetic that was rooted in the Caribbean experience. Since that’s one of the main objectives in my work, these artists are most important to me. Increasingly, I also find that the most inventive and expressive costume designers here in Trinidad have played an important role in offering a different lens by which a painter can see the world. I am always trying to apply some of these experiences to help me shape and colour the themes that interest me in a fresh way.

ttff: what do you hope your work will say/ mean to others?

CL: I would hope my paintings come across as a meditative and heartfelt reflections of Caribbean existence; and I would want the fact of my art practice to suggest that the work the artist has a place in our maturing society. If this comes across I would feel like I’ve made a contribution.

You can learn more about Che’s evolving body of work by following his instagram.

We are thrilled to announce this year’s festival artist, Trinidad and Tobago painter, Che Lovelace. Lovelace’s work will be featured on the ttff/22 poster, our printed guide, buttons and festival signage. His vivid representations of the life, culture and landscape of Trinidad and Tobago demonstrate an intimate knowledge of – and passion for – our country which we share and celebrate every year during the trinidad+tobago film festival. In previous years, the festival has worked with visual artists Christopher Cozier, Eddie Bowen, Peter Doig, Sheena Rose, Mark King , Sabrina Charran and Di-Andre Caprice Davis.

Based in Port of Spain, Trinidad, Che Lovelace’s art is largely inspired by his experience of living and working in Trinidad and Tobago. His paintings are rendered in a vivid assortment of colours – acrylic and dry pigment – on combined board panels. They centre depictions of the dense, highly charged layers of the Trinidadian landscape which Lovelace sees as physical, social and spiritual. The subjects of his paintings emerge from and flow freely between the streets of Port of Spain, the rural natural vegetation, the human form, and the interior of his studio. His practice increasingly includes elements of performance which he absorbs into his painting process.

Lovelace’s work has been widely exhibited, including recent solo shows at Various Small Fires, Los Angeles, USA (2021); Various Small Fires, Seoul, Korea (2022) and Galerie Eric Hussenout, Paris, France. Recent group exhibitions include: “The Natural World part II” at Alexander Berggruen, New York, USA (2022); “Resting Point of Accommodation” at Almine Rech, Brussels, Belgium (2021); “Get Up, Stand Up Now” at Somerset House, London, UK (2019); and “Still-Life: An Ongoing Story” at Galerie Sebastien Bertrand, Geneva, Switzerland (2019).

Che Lovelace was born 1969 in San Fernando, Trinidad and grew up in the East Coast village of Matura. He attended Queen’s Royal College, Port of Spain and received his fine art training at l’Ecole Régionale des Beaux-Arts de la Martinique. He has been a principal collaborator on several arts, Carnival and entertainment projects including the Studiofilmclub and the recently established Friends For The Road J’Ouvert – a traditional Carnival project. Lovelace currently lectures at the University of the West Indies St Augustine, Department of Creative and Festival Arts.

You can learn more about Che and his work by following his beautiful instagram account @chelovelace and read our interview with him here!

Portrait of the artist taken by Brendan Delzin.

FILMCO is looking for a tech intern to join our team in the run-up to and during the trinidad+tobago film festival which runs 22-28 September. This is a great opportunity to learn about all the ins and outs of putting a film festival together while working in a vibrant, collaborative environment! All our interns and volunteers receive a ttff team t-shirt and a monthly stipend. The role will start 25 July and run through 30 September, and the selected candidate must be available five days a week.

Please send your CV and cover letter to hello@ttfilmfestival.com, and make sure to highlight any relevant experience. Application deadline: 22 July.

Note: This is not a remote working position.

Key Responsibilities:

• Assist the technical coordinator with preparing and organising film files in office
• Assist with audio-visual setup and support for events, panels, talks, presentations and workshops.

Competencies:

• Organised and able to follow instructions
• Comfortable working with different types of technology and a fast learner
• Proficient with PC and Mac operation
• Proficient with G-Suite including Google Docs, Google Sheets
• Basic proficiency with video editing software (desirable but not essential)
• Physical ability to support loading and unloading equipment
• Ability to support in setting up projector and sound equipment for a variety of events

Love in the 21st Century

Smartphone Filmmaking Competition 
Presented with the support of IDB

FILMCO in partnership with IDB announces our first smartphone short film competition for filmmakers aged between 15 and 25. We’re looking for stories about love in the 21st Century – familial, platonic or romantic. We encourage filmmakers to produce creative stories that posit ideas of peace and harmony; stories that connect us, regardless of gender, race, sexuality, class or disability. This is a chance for young and emerging filmmakers to tell your unique stories about what love in the 21st Century looks like to you. The top three films will be screened during ttff/22 with the winning filmmaker receiving a starter camera package sponsored by IDB. 

The deadline to submit your completed films is 30 August, 2022, at 11.59pm

Please visit our frequently asked questions page for further clarification!

Competition Guidelines

• The competition is open to young filmmakers between the ages of 15 and 25 years (inclusive)
  • All members of the filmmaking team must be 25 years of age or under
  • *Note: cast (actors) can be any age
• Films must be 3-5 minutes in length (including credits)
• Films should be scripted, narrative films in any genre (eg. comedy, drama, musical, action, etc). Note, films that are longer than 5 minutes will not be accepted
• All footage must be filmed using a smartphone. Multiple mobile phones can be used as well, but footage captured on professional and/or DSLR cameras must not be used in the film. 
  • Participants have the option of using additional production and post production equipment such as: external microphones, lighting, tripod, editing software, special effects etc

• All films must be new and made specifically for this competition; pre-existing films will not be accepted
• Filmmakers must reside in Trinidad and Tobago
• Films must explore love in the 21st century with a focus on positive expressions of love and relationships
• The 1st prize will be a Canon starter camera kit (includes a DSLR Camera, lens, and other equipment
• The top three films will be shown in MovieTowne during ttff/22
• The competition winner will be announced during the ttff/22 awards ceremony (27 September)
• The decision of the judges is final
• Music videos, promotional videos, trailers, commercials, Public Service Announcements will not be accepted 
• Submit your film by completing this google form (three line synopsis, director statement, one film still, one behind-the-scenes photo showing smartphone in use) and emailing an online screener of the film to hello@ttfilmfestival.com
• Filmmakers can submit a maximum of one film each
• Films must not be shared publicly before the prize-winning films are announced during the trinidad+tobago film festival (this includes youtube, facebook, instagram, tiktok, vimeo and snapchat)
• Films with explicitly violent, racist, sexist or homophobic content will be disqualified
• If you have any more questions feel free to email Mikayla at distribution@filmco.org, or call us at either 1.868.323.3228 or 1.868.227.8458
• The deadline to submit your completed films is 30 August, 2022, at 11.59pm

Love in the 21 Century Smartphone Filmmaking Competition is made possible through the support of the InterAmerican Development Bank.

Are you friendly, outgoing and organised? Do you like meeting new people? Can you speak French or Spanish? Then we might just have the job for you!

FILMCO is looking for a guest liaison to work with us in the lead-up to and during this year’s trinidad+tobago film festival. This will be a two-month, paid contract which will run from 02 August to 30 September, 2022. Please send us a letter of application and your resumé to info@filmco.org. The application deadline is 22 July, 2022.

OVERVIEW OF THE POSITION 

The Guest Liaison will help ensure smooth movement of our invited guests in order to maximise their engagement with events and scheduled activities during the Festival. You will assist with guest registrations, supervision of the industry delegates and special events, as well as programme schedules, maintain event databases and serve as a general liaison across the full range of guest activities. 

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Coordinate guest relations including; travel, accommodation, ground transportation and communication. 
• Develop and maintain itineraries that include all travel and accommodation, public appearances, media appointments and hospitality events for all guests. 
• On-the-ground assistance including facilitating screenings and hosting guests at events, including meeting delegates on arrival. 
• Administrative support to the industry coordinator and the venue managers. 
• Work harmoniously to ensure the highest level of service to all guests of the festival. 
• Assist the industry programme coordinator manage technical and logistical requirements for guests with regard to the industry events programme and other special appearances. 
• Devise taxi schedules. 

KEY SELECTION CRITERIA

Essential 

• Highly organised with the ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously in an environment with strict deadlines.
• Demonstrated experience in office administration.
• Exceptional customer service skills, coupled with a highly organised nature and good attention to detail. 
• A flexible attitude to working hours and a strong desire to get the job done. 
• Excellent oral and written communications skills. 
• The ability to take direction and show initiative. 

Desirable

• Previous experience as a guest relations coordinator. 
• Previous experience working in events in the arts or a cultural organisation. 
• An interest in film and the film industry.
• Fluent in French and/ or Spanish 

CORE COMPETENCIES 

• Team Focus: Is committed and skilled at working with and assisting others to achieve positive outcomes
• Flexible: Demonstrates a willingness to take on new challenges roles and responsibilities and adapt positively to changing working conditions and priorities
• Self Starting: Highly motivated to achieve, shows initiative and acts proactively to deliver excellent results without directive supervision
• Interpersonal: Skilled at building rapport, understanding others needs and developing effective working relationships

We’re delighted to announce our programming team for the 17th edition of the trinidad+tobago film festival, ttff/22. Once again, we made a public call for applications to become a film festival programmer in the hope of continuing to build the transparency of the festival’s operations, while considering the role of festival programmers in a more strategic way. This year, our team is composed of three Caribbean and two international programmers: Bruce Paddington (ttff founder), Danielle Dieffenthaller, BC Pires, Ivonne Cotorruelo and Jim Kolmar. By extending our programming team to people outside of the Caribbean, we have significantly widened the net both in terms of the films we can curate, and in terms of bringing greater international visibility to our Caribbean films and to ttff.

Ivonne Cotorruelo
Ivonne Cotorruelo is a Cuban Film Curator and Producer based in New York, who has been empowering storytellers for over a decade. She is a Features Programmer at Cleveland International Film Festival CIFF, Outfest, Atlanta Film Festival ATLFF, Trinidad and Tobago Film Festival TTFF and a Shorts Programmer for Aspen ShortFest. She has served as Juror for the Miami Film Festival, New Filmmakers LA, and Havana Film Festival NY.  A Berlinale Talent Campus alumnus, she is always seeking out stories for underrepresented voices. Working on a plan of strategic diversity, equity and inclusion.

Danielle Dieffenthaller
Danielle Dieffenthaller has over 20 years of experience in the television and film industry. She is committed to telling the Caribbean story through quality dramatic and documentary film and television productions. Dieffenthaller is the owner/producer/director of Dieffenthaller Style Films Ltd, which produced the popular programmes “Iere Vibe” and “The Reef”.  She was the main force behind the television production company Earth TV Ltd, and producer/director and co-writer of the acclaimed “Ecowatch” series and the long-running “Westwood Park” (100 episodes). Dieffenthaller’s resumé includes work with TTT, UK-production company Bandung Productions and the groundbreaking production house Banyan Productions, where she and one other crew member were the only local crew to capture the events of the 1990 attempted coup. Among her credits are dramatic, educational, environmental, political and business projects for local, regional and international audiences. She is a co-founder of FILMCO and the 2019 Arts and Letters Laureate of the Anthony N. Sabga Caribbean Awards for Excellence.

Jim Kolmar
Jim Kolmar is an independent programmer who curated films for South by Southwest Film Festival (SXSW) from 2009-2020, where he continues to consult on international and feature films. He is also currently programming for trinidad+tobago film festival, and was a founding committee member at Festival Internacional de Cine Tulum (FICTU). Jim was also a guest curator for Portland International Film
Festival 2021. Jim is a contributing writer for Ambulante Film Festival in Mexico, and has served on juries, panels and committees for organizations including Austin Film Society, BAFICI, Berlinale, Bogotá Audiovisual Market (BAM), CONNeXT, CPH:DOX, IDFA, IFFPanama, IN-EDIT Barcelona, San Sebastián, and Ventana Sur.

Dr Bruce Paddington
Bruce Paddington (PhD) is a filmmaker, lecturer, academic and film festival curator. He was a senior lecturer in film at the University of the West Indies, Trinidad and the co-founder of the Bachelor of Arts Film Programme. He is the founder of Banyan Productions, the New World Film Centre and the trinidad+tobago film festival and was the festival director from 2006–19. He is a consultant and programmer for ttff/20.

BC Pires
BC Pires was called to the bar of Trinidad and Tobago in 1984 and enrolled as a solicitor of the Supreme Court of England and Wales in 1989 but, since January 1988, has done nothing but write for a living. His satirical column, “Thank God It’s Friday”, published more or less every Friday of the last 32 years, began at the Express and, after a few years at the Guardian, has appeared in Newsday since 2017. He has tried to write sensibly about film from an informed lay perspective since 1988. He sat on the first jury of the trinidad+tobago film festival and wrote the Judges’ Report. He has also written about West Indies cricket for publications all over the world, notably, the UK Guardian and Observer newspapers. He has lived in Port of Spain, London, Georgetown and, since 2008, Barbados. He is married to Carla Castagne. Their adult children live in London, where they first went to school, but the remaining family of six dogs, a parrot and a frequently outraged but always loving cat remain firmly settled in the Bajan countryside. 

The trinidad+tobago film festival programming team is growing! 

We’re looking for an established, international programmer with experience in programming for medium-sized film festivals to join our ttff/22 programming committee! The selected applicant will be passionate about expanding the international cinema landscape to include the stories of under-represented and marginalised groups from the Global South, in particular, the Caribbean. The role will include bringing new titles for consideration to the attention of the programming committee and reviewing and selecting films submitted via Film Freeway.

To apply, please write a page (no more than 450 words) about a scene from a favourite movie explaining, in particular, why you think the scene works; also send your CV or professional bio (be sure to include a list of the festivals for which you currently programme). Email us at hello@ttfilmfestival.com by Monday 21 March with “Application for Programming Position” in the subject line.

ttff/22, 21-27 September 2022.
ttff/22 will include new shorts, and features, narrative films, documentaries and experimental films, which explore the Caribbean experience.

We’re back! FILMCO is delighted to present the second carnival edition of our popular online streaming series, #WatchAMovieOnUs! This year’s films take us back in times with the nostalgic Calypso at Dirty Jim’s, we look back at the emergence of the boy who would become the soca powerhouse, Machel Montano in Banyan’s Too Young to Soca; we chart the explosive rise of David Rudder with another Banyan production, Soca in She Samba; celebrate enduring carnival traditions with a series of shorts: ‘This is home: Carnival’ and we get a fly-on-the-wall view of the making of a Carnival band in The Insatiable Season. Finally, we remember Vanna Girod with the screening of Moko Jumbie.

From 23 – 27 February 2022, we will stream seven films for FREE, via https://ttfilmfestival.com. Films will be available to viewers WORLDWIDE for 24 hours each (midnight to midnight). 

#WatchAMovieOnUs carnival edition is brought to you by the National Gas Company of Trinidad and Tobago (NGC).

#nationalgascompany #attheforefrontofenergy #unstoppableenergy

full schedule