At ttff/22 we’re celebrating 60 years of Trinidad and Tobago independence with our love t+t programmewhich 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:
Presentation: planning an impact campaign for your film
Does your film address a social issue? Want to optimise your reach? You may want to consider planning an impact campaign. Put a plan in action to achieve your impact goals, engage your audience and obtain measurable results; mobilise and build a coalition to raise awareness. Films can significantly influence cultural and societal change and with the right strategy, you will be able to impact audiences far and wide.
Join us for an insightful presentation on planning your impact campaign. Learn from award-winning producer and co-founder of Firelight Media, Marcia Smith, as she shares her knowledge on the advantages of implementing a strong campaign for your film; how we can create change using the power of storytelling; and how to make the most of your partnerships.
logistics
date: Thursday 22 September, 2022 time: 12.30pm–2.00pm location: NALIS (Seminar Room 1) rsvp: pre-registration required. Sign up here! tickets: free of charge facilitator: Marcia Smith
Presented with the support of the US Embassy, Port of Spain
about Marcia Smith
Marcia Smith is president and co-founder of Firelight Media, which produces documentary films, provides artistic and financial support to emerging filmmakers of colour, and builds impact campaigns to connect documentaries to audiences and social justice advocates. Under her leadership, Firelight Media was honoured with a MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions. Firelight Media’s flagship Documentary Lab programme has supported more than 80 emerging filmmakers over the past decade, who have premiered at festivals such as Sundance, and gone on to earn numerous festival, Peabody and Emmy awards.
presentation: crowdfunding and direct-to-audience strategies
In the age of social media, fundraising has taken on a new look. We know filmmaking can be an expensive venture, and seeking the right investors can take one away from the creative side of production. With mounting expenses, seeking sufficient funds is definitely a hassle. Crowdfunding is an option to explore.
A publicist, Marcin J. Sobczak has successfully raised impressive amounts of money using crowdfunding and will share his knowledge on how to get the best out of it. He will provide insight on the types of crowdfunding; the available platforms; how it can create an engaged community; the importance of communication; how it can speed up the development process; and how crowdfunding is tied to distribution.
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date: Friday 23 September, 2022 time: 12.30pm–2.00pm location: NALIS (Seminar Room 1) rsvp: pre-registration required. Sign up here! tickets: free of charge facilitator: Marcin J. Sobczak
about Marcin J. Sobczak
Marcin J. Sobczak, owner of This Way Publicity, has worked in the film industry for over 13 years, supporting sales and production and every step of film development, working on more than 50 films, running international campaigns, and recently handling international Academy Awards campaigns. Some of the titles he has worked on include ‘Coda’, ‘Summer of soul’, ‘Cargo’ (by Kareem Mortimer), and ‘The enforcer’.
Presentation: tt production rebate
There are many reasons productions choose to shoot their films in Trinidad and Tobago, but one of the most beneficial elements of filming here is the Production Expenditure Rebate Programme, offered by the government of Trinidad and Tobago, and administered by FilmTT. This programme can save producers money by offering significant “cash back” percentages to both local and international producers. In this 90-minute session, FilmTT General Manager Leslie Ann Wills-Caton, will explain the different rebate programme tiers; which types of productions qualify; which production expenses qualify; how to calculate rebates; how to apply for the rebate and everything in between.
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date: Friday 23 September, 2022 time: 10.30am–12.00pm location: NALIS (AV Room) rsvp: pre-registration required. Sign up here! tickets: free of charge facilitator: Leslie Ann Wills-Caton
Presented with the support of FilmTT
about Leslie Ann Wills-Caton
Leslie Ann Wills-Caton is the film commissioner of Trinidad and Tobago and the general manager of the Trinidad and Tobago Film Company (FilmTT). She is responsible for all aspects of film sector development, promoting Trinidad and Tobago as a film location and providing Film Commission services to local and incoming productions. In her role she also acts as a liaison for the T&T industry and the community at large, advocating for better understanding of the industry and benefits of local participation. Handling production requests and referrals, working with vendors and production crews, facilitating incentive grants and actively focusing on capacity development initiatives to build on the strengths of production houses, location managers, scouts, producers, and various industry professionals is all part of the role.
Panel: route to audience
Ultimately, if you’re building a career as a filmmaker, you’re going to need to find a way to reach an audience for your work. Audiences could be connected via sales agents and distributors to film festivals, television, online or cable broadcasts, theatrical exhibitions, etc.
In this 90-minute discussion, panellists involved in the distribution pipeline (including Jim Kolmar, programmer for SXSW; Ingrid Jahra, CEO of CinemaOne Ltd; Diane Robertson, head of programming at TTT; Gian Franco, CEO of Pavilion Studios and Marcia Smith, President of Firelight Media) will discuss the various ways in which filmmakers can forge their own routes to audiences.
logistics
date: Thursday 22 September, 2022 time: 2.30pm–4.00pm location: NALIS (AV Room) rsvp: pre-registration required. Sign up here! tickets: free of charge moderator: Mariel Brown
ttff/22 retrospective honours banyan
Presented with the support of The National Gas Company of Trinidad and Tobago (NGC), this year’s retrospective seeks to recognise and celebrate the pioneering work of Banyan Productions and its founders as germane to the development of our local film and television industry. The retrospective programme will include several events which will take place at NALIS on Hart and Abercromby Streets in Port of Spain. Events include screenings of some of their most important television work; a ttff talk with Dr Bruce Paddington and Christopher Laird; and an exhibition of photos, memorabilia and more at the Rotunda in NALIS.
Imagine the 1970s. Trinidad and Tobago, after the Black Power movement – which some say was not about “black” power but about an awakening of the working class or underclass, to give visibility to the invisible. Change happens slowly but there are shifts. There’s a new Trinidadian returning from away. Not just doctors and lawyers, they are returning to teach, and to teach through other media: literature, publishing, audio-visual and film, theatre and mas, the arts. Enter Suzanne and Hugh Robertson, Tony Hall, Christopher Laird, Peter Minshall, Trini wives with their husbands, Trini husbands with their wives.
Pat Ganase, “The Banyan”
(You can read Pat’s full piece on Banyan in the ttff/22 printed guide.)
announcing the ttff/22 student films jury
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’.
ttff/22 in competition: best t+t film
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.
Keenly anticipated by filmmakers and film enthusiasts, this year’s trinidad+tobago film festival is set to captivate audiences with its powerful stories, and striking visuals. Film programmers have already hinted that the diverse slate of talent from the Caribbean and beyond is sure to resonate with local audiences and it is therefore fitting that the opening night film, ‘Chee$e’ [16+] is directed by Trinidadian filmmaker, Damian Marcano.
Marcano is excited to have the Caribbean premier of his film at ttff/22 and shares, “I couldn’t have predicted that ‘Chee$e’ would have had the type of reception that it has had thus far – and now I can’t wait to take it in at home. I hope people can take away that they should just be themselves because that is what we did when we made the film… we stayed true to who we are. ‘Chee$e’ is a vibe; let’s keep the vibes going.”
Seven years in the making, ‘Chee$e’ [16+] tells the story of Skimma (Akil Williams), a young man who has to come up with a plan when he gets a girl pregnant. Set in a town referred to as “Behind God’s Back” presumably in Trinidad and Tobago, Skimma is desperate to escape his situation. With dreams that are larger than island life, he takes the lessons learned from working with the local cheesemaker to his new enterprise – baking weed into blocks of cheese and selling it. ‘Chee$e’ takes us on a ride with Skimma as he schemes to achieve wealth, becoming the island’s most prolific supplier as demand for his product grows. We experience all the highs, lows and increasing risk of danger right along with him.
A twisted rags-to-riches tale, the authentic portrayal of island life and one man’s struggle to create his own niche, ‘Chee$e’ is the first instalment of a planned trilogy and its remarkable performances, score and visuals do not disappoint.
Described as “a model of what independent filmmaking should be” by Richard Brody, The New Yorker, the film has been praised for its “exuberance and scrutiny, craft and sincerity, hands-on artistry and incisive observation.”
Interestingly, Marcano also served as the film’s cinematographer, screenwriter, and composer – his unique way of seeing is apparent throughout. No doubt enriched by his background, Marcano’s career began shooting shorts in the region: ‘The little boy and the ball’, ‘Giants’, and ‘Heart of a monster’. His feature, award-winning film, ‘God loves the fighter’ racked up numerous prizes worldwide, setting him on a path to direct Hollywood titles, including HBO’s ‘Winning Time: The Rise of The Lakers Dynasty’, and FX’s ‘Snowfall’.
The Opening Night screening takes place at IMAX on 21 September with a pre-screening cocktail reception at IMAX. The afterparty will be held at the Dalai Llama (Lower Commons, One Woodbrook Place). Tickets cost $200 and there are discounts for FILMCO members. Tickets will be available online at https://ttfilmfestival.com/product/opening-night-gala-ticket-cheee and from the festival office from 23 August.
ttff/22 in competition: student films
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.
