Five local feature length films to show at ttff

This was revealed at the launch held at the Hyatt Regency yesterday.

Nearly 120 feature-length, short and experimental narrative and documentary films from the Caribbean, its diaspora and contemporary world cinema will be screened including the five TT feature films, and over 34 short and experimental films, also made in TT.

Magella Moreau, Director of Public Relations, ttff said at the launch, “We continue to be excited by the quality of films made by local film-makers, many of you who are involved in the industry where you have to have passion to do this because it is not easy. The eternal search for funds etc it is very challenging, that you have to be either crazy or passionate to do it.” She then acknowledge and paid tribute to some of the film-makers who were present at the event.

Trudy de Verteuil, Director of Communications and Stakeholder Relations, Columbus Communications Trinidad Ltd (Flow), title sponsor said it was important to make memories and to see ourselves on the silver screen hence the reason for the heavy investment into the ttff.

She added that it was one of the major ways to bring our film-makers together and showcase their work in various communities.

Danielle Jones, Manager Corporate Communications, BP Trinidad & Tobago (bptt), another major sponsor of the event, said her company was thrilled to be part of the festival this year, and especially because one of the two films that bptt funded, Green Days by the River had been selected to be screened at the opening night gala on Tuesday September 19, at the National Academy for the Performing Arts (NAPA), Port-of-Spain.

A film adaptation of Michael Anthony’s classic 1967 novel of the same name, it brings to life childhood memories of the book, and a Trinidad otherwise long forgotten.

It is directed by Michael Mooleedhar and at the opening night screening, both he and producer Christian James will be present to introduce their film that features secondary-school student Sudai Tafari (Shell), Anand Lawkaran (Mr Gidharrie), and veterans Che Rodriguez (Pa), and Dara Healy (Ma Lammy). The other bptt sponsored film, To Be A Renegade, a short documentary, is about bptt Renegades Steel Orchestra of the past, present and the future.