In celebration of First People’s Day (on 13 October), the trinidad+tobago film festival  will host Indigenous Voices – an afternoon of films presenting a diverse spectrum of indigenous storytelling and powerful narratives on the disappearing indigenous cultures of T+T and the Americas. The event will be held on Saturday 14 October from 12.00pm – 5.00pm, at the Arima Town Hall, in association with the Santa Rosa First Peoples Community, and with sponsorship from the Ministry of Community Development Culture and the Arts. Admission is free.

According to Melvina Hazard, director of Community Development at the trinidad+tobago film festival – “We are thrilled to be participating in the national celebration of the First Peoples of TT, with support from the Ministry of community Development, Culture and the Arts, and to be using the power of film to encourage national discourse on issues of national and regional importance. We hope that Indigenous Voices will continue over the years  as we officially commemorate this long awaited celebration.”

THE SCHEDULE OF FILMS:

12.00pm : GONE WITH THE  RIVER/ Drama/Venezuela / rated GA / 104 mins/ Director: Mario Crespo / Spanish and Warao, with English subtitles                                                                             

Dauna is a member of the Warao tribe of the Orinoco River delta. Her thirst for education is encouraged by her family and the local priest. As Dauna grows, her desire to experience life beyond the river grows too, but Tarcisio, her childhood sweetheart, is tied to the traditional ways of the community and Dauna fears her ambitions and dreams maybe thwarted, as she struggles to carve out a modern identity as an inhabitant of two cultures —Warao and Catholic.

2.00pm: THE AMERINDIANS/Documentary  / Trinidad and Tobago / rated GA / 40 mins/Director:Tracy Assing/ English/Q+A

Until now, Amerindian descendants in T+T  have depended on the stories of grandparents and great-grandparents for their history. With the indigenous story of dignity and survival written out of the history books, director Tracy Assing, who was raised a member of the Santa Rosa Carib Community, explores her indigenous lineage, while pondering an uncertain future.  The screening will be followed by a Q+A with the director.

3.00pm: EL ABRAZO DEL SERPIENTE (EMBRACE OF THE SERPENT) /Director: Ciro Guerra/Narrative Feature / Colombia / rated 14+ / 125 mins/Spanish, Portuguese,  German, Catalan, Latin, with English subtitles

Karamakate, an Amazonian shaman and the last survivor of his people, searches for the rare and sacred psychedelic yakruna plant to save the life of a western explorer he reluctantly befriends. In the span of 40 years he takes two parallel odysseys through the Amazon, in this blistering and poetic epic that examines the ravages of colonialism in South America. Embrace of the Serpent won the Art Cinema Award at the Cannes Film Festival and was nominated for the Best Foreign Language Film at the Academy Awards, in 2015.

The trinidad+tobago film festival (ttff) celebrates films from and about the Caribbean and its diaspora, as well as from world cinema, through an annual festival and year-round screenings. In addition, the ttff seeks to facilitate the growth of Caribbean cinema by offering a wide-ranging industry programme and networking opportunities. The ttff is presented by Flow; given leading sponsorship by BPTT and the Ministry of Community Development, Culture and the Arts; supporting sponsorship by the Inter-American Development Bank and UN Women; and contributing sponsorship from RBC Royal Bank.

Visit theSanta Rosa First Peoples Community website for the full calendar of events celebrating First Peoples’ Day.

Tobago’s senior school teachers have been lauded for allowing their students to experience the recent 12th annual trinidad + tobago film festival in person.

Bishop’s High School, always a major supporter of the festival, along with Roxborough, Speyside and Pentecostal Light and Life High Schools packed out the theatre at MovieTowne, Lowlands, to see The Tempest.

Signal Hill Senior Comprehensive also filled the theatre as Garnet Lawrence took 156 students with teachers to see Centerstitch, directed by Celoi Carr, a student. Filmed at the school, it told of a young boy obsessed with his shoes. The film explored the link between fashion, media and school behaviour and looked at some of the issues plaguing the local school system—bullying, unprotected sex, drug use and gambling.

The Trinidad and Tobago Film Festival (ttff) held its formal opening night gala at the National Academy for the Performing Arts (NAPA) on September 19.

After the cocktail reception, guests were ushered into the Aldwyn Roberts, Lord Kitchener Auditorium, for the world premier of the film, Green Days by the River, based on the book written by Michael Anthony in 1952. Anthony who made a cameo appearance in the film interacted with guests at the event.

The entire cast along with director Michael Mooleedhar and producer Christian James also strutted on the red carpet.

Green Days won the best TT feature and people’s choice for best feature film narrative at the ttff awards on Tuesday. The film opened to the public on Tuesday.

Cast members, production staff and well wishers gathered at the Central Bank Auditorium to celebrate the very best of the Trinidad & Tobago Film Festival 2017, at its awards ceremony on Tuesday evening. After a hectic week of film screenings, talks and panel discussions, folks involved in the film industry got a chance to talk about, cheer on and congratulate the winner and runners-up.

Columbus Communications (Flow) was the festival’s presenting sponsor and its director of marketing Cindy Ann Gatt, said in her short address that the company being proud to see that cinemas were fully booked during the various screenings in Trinidad and in Tobago for the first time.

Filmmaker Michael Mooleedhar proudly walked away with two awards for his Green Days by the River, winning in the Best T&T Feature Film and People’s Choice Best Narrative Feature Film categories.

T&T films dominated the People’s Choice Awards at the T&T Film Festival Awards ceremony on Tuesday —with the film-viewing audience giving a resounding nod to Oliver Milne’s Salty Dog as the People’s Choice Best Short Film; Shari Petti’s Sorf Hair as People’s Choice Best Documentary and Michael Mooleedhar’s Green Days by the River as People’s Choice Best Narrative Feature. Each received a $5,000 cash prize sponsored by Flow.

It was a great night for Green Days by the River as it also picked up the Jury Award for Best TT Feature Film, with a cash prize of $10,000 sponsored by the Ministry of Community Development, Culture and the Arts, a release said.

Another local film getting the Jury’s nod was Maya Cozier’s Short Drop—for Best T&T Short, with a cash prize of $5,000 sponsored by the Ministry of Community Development, Culture and the Arts. Scattered by Georgia Popplewell and Karen Martinez won Best T&T Film in Development with a cash prize of $10,000. This BPTT-sponsored Award seeks to support the completion of a local feature film currently in pre-production, which is to be made in this country by a T&T resident or national.

Trinidad and Tobago films dominated the People’s Choice Awards at the trinidad+tobago film festival Awards Ceremony on Tuesday, September 26  with the film-viewing audience giving a resounding nod to Oliver Milne’s Salty Dog as the People’s Choice Best Short Film; Shari Petti’s Sorf Hair as People’s Choice Best Documentary and Michael Mooleedhar’s Green Days by the River as People’s Choice Best Narrative Feature.

Each received a TT$5,000 cash prize sponsored by Flow.

It was a great night for Green Days by the River as it also picked up the Jury Award for Best TT Feature Film, with a cash prize of TT$10,000 sponsored by the Ministry of Community Development, Culture, and the Arts.

The drama Green Days by the River was the big winner on Tuesday night at the Trinidad and Tobago Film Festival (ttff) bringing home both best TT feature and people’s choice for best feature film narrative.

The wins were announced at the ttff awards ceremony held at the Central Bank Auditorium, Port of Spain. The film, based on the novel by local writer and historian Michael Anthony, was directed by Michael Mooledhar and produced by Christian James. The coming of age story is set in Mayaro 1952 and is about a teenager named Shellie (Sudai Tafari) who is befriended by a plantation owner named Mr Gidharee (Anand Lawkaran) and falls for his beautiful daughter Rosalie (Nadia Nisha Kandhai).

Trinidad and Tobago Film Festival Highlights.

The ttff awards prizes in three categories: jury prizes, people’s choice awards and special awards. The awards ceremony took place on Tuesday 26 September, 2017 at the Central Bank Auditorium in Port of Spain.

JURY PRIZES

BEST  FEATURE FILM–NARRATIVE
TT$10,000 / Sponsored by FLOW
In competition:

• Cargo – Kareem Mortimer, The Bahamas
• El Techo (On the Roof) – Patricia Ramos, Cuba WINNER
• Santa and Andres – Carlos Lechuga, Cuba
• Ultimos Días En La Habana (Last Days In Havana) – Fernando Pérez, Cuba

BEST  FEATURE FILM–DOCUMENTARY                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          TT$10,000 / Sponsored by FLOW
In competition:

• Jeffrey – Yanillys Perez, Dominican Republic WINNER
• Kingston Crossroads – Oliver Becker + Jonas Schaul, Jamaica + Germany

BEST  SHORT FILM
TT$5,000 / Sponsored by FLOW
In competition:

• Con Sana Alegria (With Wholesome Joy) – Claudia Muñoz, Cuba
• Tourments d’amour – Caroline Jules, Guadeloupe/France
• Chocolate – Fernando Peña, Dominican Republic
• Paddlin’ Spirit: A Portrait of the Artist Laura Facey – Amanda Sans, Jamaica
• Féfé Limbe – Julien Silloray, Guadeloupe WINNER

BEST TRINIDAD & TOBAGO FEATURE FILM
TT$10,00 / Sponsored by the Ministry of Community Development, Culture and the Arts                                                                                                                                                                          In competition:

• Moko Jumbie – Vashti Anderson
• Green Days by the River – Michael Mooleedhar WINNER

BEST T+T SHORT FILM
TT$5,000 / Sponsored by the Ministry of Community Development, Culture and the Arts            
In competition:

• Short Drop – Maya Cozier WINNER
• Salty Dog – Oliver Milne
• Visibly Me – Nicola Cross
• Temple in the Sea – Kevin Bhall

BEST FILM AS DECIDED BY A YOUTH JURY
TT$5,000 / Sponsored by RBC Royal Bank (Trinidad and Tobago)
In competition:

• Green Days by the River – Michael Mooleedhar, Trinidad+Tobago
• Moko Jumbie – Vashti Anderson, Trinidad+Tobago
• Reinbou – David Maler + Andrés Cubelo, Dominican Republic
• The Violin Teacher  – Sérgio Machado, Brazil
• El Techo – Patricia Ramos, Cuba WINNER
• Keyla – Viviana Gómez Echeverry, Colombia

SPECIAL  AWARDS

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS PRIZE
TT$5,000
In competition:

• Cargo – Kareem Mortimer, The Bahamas WINNER
• Between 2 Shores: From Santo Domingo To Pointe-à-Pitre – Mariette Monpierre, Guadeloupe
• Jeffrey – Yanillys Perez, Dominican Republic

BEST EXPERIMENTAL FILM PRIZE
TT$5,000/Sponsored by ttff
In competition:

• Chaotic Beauty – Di-Andre Caprice Davis, Jamaica WINNER
• Cathedral – Juliette McCawley, Trinidad+Tobago
• Reforget – Volney Smith, Barbados
• Xerox Island – Alex Kelly, Trinidad+Tobago
• A Dress to the Nation – Richard Rawlins, Trinidad+Tobago
• Uncertainty and Failure – Luis Vasquez La Roche/Joanne Helfer, Venezuela/Scotland

BEST T+T FILM IN DEVELOPMENT:  SCATTERED- KAREN MARTINEZ + GEORGIA POPPLEWEL
TT$10,000 each / Sponsored by BP Trinidad and Tobago                                                                                                                                                                                                         

FUTURE CRITICS PRIZE
TT$5,000 / Sponsored by RBC Royal Bank (Trinidad and Tobago): WINNER KIRK BHAJAN

PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARDS

TT$5,000 each / Sponsored by Flow

BEST FEATURE FILM- NARRATIVE:   GREEN DAYS BY THE RIVER, Michael Mooleedhar,

BEST FEATURE FILM- DOCUMENTARY: SORF HAIR, Shari Petti

BEST SHORT FILM: SALTY DOG, Oliver Milne

ttff/17 rbc future critics

The Danish philosopher, Kierkegaard once said, “Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forwards”. Such a statement is perfectly expressed in the 60 minute film, Back to Freeport, where a man must confront his past in order to move ahead in his life. The plot of the film follows Jamal (played magnificently by Kyle Daniel Hernandez) as he leaves his life in Port of Spain and returns to his childhood home in Freeport.

The first two thirds of Back to Freeport could be considered as one of the most unique survival movies you’ll ever see. There are large stretches of no dialogue as Jamal attempts to make the abandoned house habitable once more. He returns to Freeport as if it were a deserted island, far from the hustle and bustle of city life. He meets a house that has long been dead. Overgrown grass has to be cut. Weather worn walls cry out for a fresh coat of paint. The furniture is broken. The cupboard is bare. At night, candles must be lit as there is no electricity. Jamal’s main goal is to kick start a rusted portable generator much like it was Robinson Crusoe’s goal to start a fire.

We learn a little about Jamal’s neighbours. There’s Narissa (Anna Marie-John), who becomes a source of comfort to Jamal. The major bump in the road to a potential romance is that she’s married. Both actors have amazing chemistry together. You could feel their friendship blossom and the genuine adoration each had for the other. Then there’s the self proclaimed “entrepreneur, developer and community leader”, Rupert Ramlal (played devilishly by Anand Lalkaran). Ramlal serves as a trickster, attempting to snake his way into buying the old house from Jamal.

Back to Freeport is firmly rooted in Naipaulesque sardonic humour. In fact, the book A House for Mr Biswas is prominently featured throughout the film and serves to expound on the themes of self identity, belonging and isolation that Jamal wrestles with. As the film progresses Jamal is plagued by frighteningly real memories of his past as he teeters along the line of sanity.

During the screening for Back to Freeport audience members actively cheered and laughed. When the film reached its sombre ending, there was a hushed silence that filled the theatre. The directing duo of Jian Hennings and Kyle Sahadeo hit their mark in delivering a truly original piece of Trinidadian cinema that will most certainly resonate with audiences nationwide. So get your ticket and take a trip Back to Freeport.