Workshop: working with a composer

Filmmaking truly is a team sport! The process requires the combined efforts of both creative and technical people if it’s to work. One of the key creative inputs is the music, which means that most directors and producers will work with a composer in the process of making their films. The right music can elevate a story and capture the audience’s attention by evoking deep-seated emotions. 

In this 90-minute workshop, music composer Navid Lancaster will guide participants through the process of composing a film score and the relationship between composer and director. He will delve into the importance of serving the story and the director’s vision to translate the intended meaning into music.

logistics

date: Saturday 24 September, 2022
time: 12.30pm–2.00pm 
location: NALIS (Seminar Room 2)
rsvp: pre-registration required. Sign up here!
tickets: TT$150. Tickets are available here.
facilitator: Navíd Lancaster

about Navíd Lancaster

Navíd Lancaster is a musician, film composer, sound designer and the owner of LANCAST, an independent company that composes the emotions for multiple award-winning films, video games, mobile apps and animation. He is also the music composer and sound designer for the ongoing Knight Series and other content created by multiple award-winning Stack designer, Anthony Phills. He, Anthony Phills and a team, created the Immersive Learning, Augmented Reality (AR) app, “Unbreakable: Documenting Black History in Augmented Reality” that won the Silver Medal at the 2020 International Design Awards and won the bronze medal at the inaugural 2022 Anthem Awards.

Workshop: movie-making 101: drone videography

In recent years, drone filming has moved from trend to a required skill used in everyday cinematography. With so many technological innovations, aerial video footage is now accessible at a fraction of the cost – we no longer need to rent a helicopter to shoot the world from above! Skilfully piloted drones can capture stunning images from a bird’s eye perspective, while saving time and money. 

In this 90-minute workshop, participants will be introduced to the wonders of drone cinematography through both theoretical and practical learning. Key topics to be explored include choosing the right drone for your project, techniques to enhance your viewer’s visual experience, and how to become a certified drone operator.

Logistics

date: Sunday 25 September, 2022
time: 2.30pm–4.00pm 
location: TBC
rsvp: pre-registration required. Sign up here!
tickets: TT$150. Tickets are available here.
facilitator: Michaelangelo Masangkay
Presented with the support of Shell

Advance tickets are available at ttfilmfestival.com and can also be purchased via bank transfer or in person (cash, credit card or linx) at our FILMCO office, located at 22 Jerningham Ave. 

FILMCO members, filmmakers with a film in the Festival and students with a valid photo ID, can receive a 50% discount on workshops and masterclasses! Please email Nyola at festival@filmco.org for information on payment options and to receive your discount code.

about Michaelangelo Masangkay

Michaelangelo Masangkay is a respected filmmaker, producer, director (at the Toronto Film School), and gifted drone pilot, with 15 years in the independent film industry. His vast industry knowledge and extensive global network enables him to seize opportunities for clients across Canada, the US and beyond.

Workshop: strategies for succeeding on the festival circuit

FILMCO is pleased to announce a call for applications for the 2022 Strategies for Succeeding on the Festival Circuit Workshop. We will be selecting six filmmakers to take part in a one on one session during the trinidad+tobago film festival. Filmmakers with an interest in joining the festival circuit are invited to apply here!

In recent years, film festivals have become the first go-to exhibition stop for independent filmmakers, many of whom would struggle to find distribution and audiences otherwise. But, with so many film festivals all over the world, and with clear hierarchies in the festival circuit, choosing which ones you should send your film to, and in what order, needs to be considered as part of an overarching strategy that can guide your decision-making as you seek to release your film. Under the guidance of industry professionals – European Film Market head of diversity and inclusion, Themba Bhebhe; film industry publicist, Marcin J. Sobczak; festival programmer, Jim Kolmar; and filmmaker, Michaelangelo Masangkay , you will receive individual advice on how you should approach getting  your work onto the festival circuit.

Once chosen your project will be assigned to one or more film festival experts with whom you’ll have the opportunity to sit with one on one and strategise plans for the festival release of your film during the scheduled workshop on Friday 23 September, 2022 @ 10:30 am – 12:00 pm at NALIS (Seminar Room 2).

Application prerequisites

  • All genres will be accepted
  • Film must be set in the Caribbean
  • Applicants must have a financed film in production or post-production. The application deadline is 12 pm AST, September 19 2022.
  • You must be able to attend the workshop in person on Friday 23 September, 2022 @ 10:30am – 12:00pm

logistics

date: Friday 23 September, 2022
time: 10.30am–12.00pm
location: NALIS (Seminar Room 2)
application: please apply here
tickets: TT$150. Tickets are available here.
facilitators: Themba Bhebhe, Jim Kolmar, Michaelangelo Masangkay + Marcin J. Sobczak

Advance tickets are available at ttfilmfestival.com and can also be purchased via bank transfer or in person (cash, credit card or linx) at our FILMCO office, located at 22 Jerningham Ave. 

FILMCO members, filmmakers with a film in the Festival and students with a valid photo ID, can receive a 50% discount on workshops and masterclasses! Please email Nyola at festival@filmco.org for information on payment options and to receive your discount code.

about 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, through workshops, community-building, seminars and industry meetings, 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. Also born from his connection with DFM, alongside Mitchell Harper and Tiny Mungwe, Themba is the co-founder of Engage, a series of curated think tank conversations and panels on the pertinent, challenging and multi-faceted questions facing the African film industry.

about 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 organisations including Austin Film Society, BAFICI, Berlinale, Bogotá Audiovisual Market (BAM), CONNeXT, CPH:DOX, IDFA, IFFPanama, IN-EDIT Barcelona, San Sebastián, and Ventana Sur.

about Michaelangelo Masangkay

Michaelangelo Masangkay is a respected filmmaker, producer, director (at the Toronto Film School), and gifted drone pilot, with 15 years in the independent film industry. His vast industry knowledge and extensive global network enables him to seize opportunities for clients across Canada, the US and beyond.

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’.

ttff/20 industry programme

trinidad+tobago film festival is proud to announce the industry programme for this year’s edition! From the Caribbean to Latin America, Europe to North America, our masterclass and workshop facilitators, presenters and panelists are a diverse, international and award-winning group of filmmakers.

Online industry events and training will be offered as panels and presentations, which will be free and live-streamed via the ttff Facebook page; or workshops, which will be ticketed and take place via Zoom. For Zoom workshops, tickets must be paid for in full and in advance, and Zoom links will be sent in advance of workshop commencement. All workshop tickets are available at ttfilmfestival.com (see event-specific ticket links below). They can also be purchased via bank transfer or in person at our office at 22 Jerningham Ave.

Please register for our industry events here, and one of the ttff team will be in touch to arrange payment and/ or send Zoom links as necessary.

Please email Catherine at admin@filmco.org for information on payment options and discount codes. FILMCO members, filmmakers with a film in this year’s festival and students with valid photo IDs can receive a discount on all workshops.

*If you sign up for three or more ‘paid-for’  industry events at once, you will be entitled to a total discount of 30% off the ticket price.

ttff’s online industry events are made possible thanks to the support of Shell Trinidad and Tobago Ltd.


Masterclass

The Art of Creative Producing

with Lee Thomas

07–11 September, 2.30pm–4.00pm
Tickets: $1,000 TTD / $150 USD
Online via Zoom

In a world where all the gatekeepers seem to want to say “No,” it’s sometimes difficult to survive as a producer and get your projects out into the world. This intensive five-part masterclass on the art of creatively and sustainably producing your film will be facilitated by acclaimed UK film and television producer, Lee Thomas.

Click here for more information.

This workshop is no longer available. Thank you for your interest.


Workshops

Build Your Film’s Website with the Magic of WordPress

with Shaun Rambaran

10 September, 12.30pm–2.30pm and 3.30pm–5.30pm
Tickets: $240 TTD / $35 USD
Online via Zoom

Websites have become an essential tool in a film’s promotional kit, but they can often cost a fortune to produce. Join web developer Shaun Rambaran as he gives this essential wide-ranging lesson in preparing and running your own website using WordPress.

This workshop is no longer available. Thank you for your interest.

Cost-Effective Lighting for Film

with Robert Macfarlane

10–11 September, 9.30am–12.30pm
Tickets: $360 TTD / $56 USD
Online via Zoom

Lighting is fundamental to film: it creates mood and atmosphere, and adds to a sense of meaning. In this two-day online workshop led by narrative film director Robert Macfarlane, participants will learn how to cost-effectively achieve professional lighting systems for their projects.

Click here for more information.

This workshop is no longer available. Thank you for your interest.

Edit Your Trailer like a Pro!

with Ryan C. Khan

11 September, 9.30am–12.30pm and 2.30pm–5.30pm
Tickets: $360 TTD / $56 USD

In this all-day workshop, facilitator Ryan C. Khan will explore the key elements of a good trailer – what aspects of the story to leave in and leave out; graphics; the right music; and essential information to include in all trailers.

Click here for more information.

This workshop is no longer available. Thank you for your interest.

Breaking it Down:
The Role of the DP

with Gabrielle Blackwood

14 September, 10.00am–1.00pm
Tickets: $180 TTD / $28 USD
Online via Zoom

Understanding the role of the film’s director of photography, and the various departments the dp works with, is invaluable before beginning a project. This foundational three-hour workshop, led by Jamaican director and dp Gabrielle Blackwood, will discuss the role and process of the director of photography, both on and off set.

Click here for more information.

This workshop is no longer available. Thank you for your interest.


Presentations

Social Media Marketing for Filmmakers

with Neala Bhagwansingh

10 September, 12.00pm–1.30pm
Online via Facebook Live @ttfilmfestival

Love it or hate it, social media has become a valuable tool for independent filmmakers. In this ttff/20 presentation, practitioner Neala Bhagwansingh will share invaluable tools and tips for harnessing the power of Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to drive interest and investment in you and your film projects.

This presentation is no longer available. Thank you for your interest.

Navigating Contracts and Clearances

with Dionne Mcnicol-Stephenson and Cindy F. Daniel

10 september, 9.30am–11.30am
Online via Facebook Live @ttfilmfestival

If the words ‘contract’ and ‘clearance’ keep you staring at the ceiling at night, you’re not alone. This enlightening two-hour session led by facilitators Dionne McNicol-Stephenson and Cindy F. Daniel will guide listeners through the main types of film contracts including the often-misunderstood collection of music clearances and rights.

This presentation is no longer available. Thank you for your interest.

Getting Ready for Distribution

with Patricia Martin

11 September, 9.30am–11.30am
Online via Facebook Live @ttfilmfestival

Sales agents, distributors and digital outlets expect more than just an HD master to release a film. ttff/20 is pleased to present this integral talk on distribution facilitated by Patricia Martin of Habanero Film Sales in Brazil, in which Martin will explain why filmmakers must start budgeting and preparing their team for distribution long before heading out to film.

This presentation is no longer available. Thank you for your interest.


ttff Talk with Orlando von Einsiedel

ttff talk with Academy Award-winning filmmaker, Orlando von Einsiedel
12 September, 10.30am–11.30am
Online via Facebook Live @ttfilmfestival

In this, our first ever ttff talk, we’ll be sitting down for a wide-ranging discussion with Academy Award-winning documentary director, Orlando von Einsiedel, on documentary filmmaking, curiosity and finding compelling stories in some of the world’s most dangerous places.

This presentation is no longer available. Thank you for your interest.


Every year, the ttff presents filmmakers’ panels, which provide an opportunity for local, regional and international filmmakers to come together to discuss the shared experience of making films within an independent industry context.

Filmmaker Panels

Narrative Filmmakers Panel

with Shola Amoo (‘The Last Tree’), Akkel ‘Lee’ Charles (‘Get Free’), Isabella Issa (‘Yellow Girl and Me’), Calyx Passailaigue (‘Zeen?’), and Héctor M. Valdez (‘Malpaso’)
9 September, 11.00am–12.30pm
Online via Facebook Live @ttfilmfestival

Documentary Filmmakers Panel

with Henrique Amud (‘Stunned, I Remain Alert’), Gabrielle Blackwood (‘Unbroken’), Sam Lockyer (‘501 Not Out’), Shari Petti (‘Jump!’), and Michèle Stephenson (‘Stateless’)
12 September, 1.00pm–2.30pm
Online via Facebook Live @ttfilmfestival