Join us for a Networking session at the Savannah Hotel

Best of CaribbeanTales Film Festival, Symposium, Marketplace, Workshops.

Please join us for a networking session hosted by the Commonwealth Foundation, today Thursday 25th February 2010, from 11am - 1pm, at the Savannah Hotel, Barbados.

Best of CaribbeanTales Gets Underway Today

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, Tues. Feb. 23, 2010: The Best of CaribbeanTales Film Festival gets underway in Barbados today with a gala launch hosted by The Canadian High Commission.

The event is set for this evening, Tuesday, February 23rd from 6 p.m. AST at the Frank Collymore Hall and will feature special presentations by writer George Lamming, as well as screenings of several films.
They include `Trapped In An Elevator` by Barbados` own Rommel Hall, `The Power of the Vagina` by T&T filmmaker Jimmel Daniel and Canadian/Trinidadian filmmaker Frances-Anne Solomon`s audience favourite `A Winter Tale.`

Tomorrow, Wednesday, February 24th, there will be a 1-day Symposium on Global Distribution, hosted by One Caribbean Media and featuring contributions by leading international players in the distribution field including representatives from Time Warner, the South African Broadcasting Corporation and Rogers Television.

The festival will continue throughout the week with events taking place at the Savannah Hotel and screenings at Olympus Theatres, Sheraton Mall, ending on March 2nd, 2010.

The CaribbeanTales Film Festival is founded by accomplished Toronto-based Trinidadian filmmaker Frances-Anne Solomon, whose most recent award-winning feature film A Winter Tale has won international acclaim, and who has been a visiting lecturer at UWI over the past year.

The Best of CaribbeanTales Film Festival 2010 has partnered with many local and regional organizations including; The Tourism Development Corporation, Invest Barbados, One Caribbean Media, The Nation Newspapers, Starcom, the Shridath Ramphal Center at UWI, the National Cultural Foundation, The Commonwealth Foundation, Unido, Carib Export, the Caribbean Channel, the Barbados Film and Video Association, the Caribbean Film and Media Academy, the Bajan Reporter, Merville Lynch Productions, Alison Saunders and Rivelino Simmons among others.

…

George Lamming will give Keynote Adress at The Best of CaribbeanTales Gala Launch at Frank Collymore Hall.

The Best of CaribbeanTales Film Festival is set to launch in Barbados next week, screening some of the best Caribbean films made in recent years, alongside a symposium on Global Distribution, a Caribbean Film Market, workshops, master classes, and youth screenings.

The Festival kicks off with a Gala Launch hosted by The Canadian High Commission, on Tuesday, February 23rd 2010, at 6pm, at Frank Collymore Hall. The Launch will feature a special Key-note Adress by writer George Lamming, perhaps the most famous writer to emerge from the island of Barbados. There will also be screenings of some very entertaining films including "Trapped In An Elevator" by Bajan filmmaker Rommel Hall, "The Power of the Vagina" by T&T filmmaker Jimmel Daniel, and Canadian/Trinidadian filmmaker Frances-Anne Solomon's audience favourite "A Winter Tale". The festival will continue throughout the week with events taking place at the Savanna Hotel and screenings at Olympus Theatres, Sheraton Mall, ending on March 2nd, 2010.

On Wednesday, 24th February, there will be a 1-day Symposium on Global Distribution, hosted by One Caribbean Media, featuring contributions by leading international players in the distribution field, including representatives from Time Warner, the South African Broadcasting Corporation and Rogers Television.

Another great opportunity for local and regional filmmakers, and film buffs will be the first ever Caribbean Film Marketplace. Modeled on the Rotterdam Cinemart, selected independent producers will have an opportunity to pitch their projects to buyers, and have one-on-one meetings with industry stakeholders, including broadcasters, government representatives, cinema owners, educational institutions, music industry entrepreneurs, screenwriters and book publishers.

The Festival will host a number of workshops including a directing master class with acclaimed African American filmmaker Julie Dash, whose stunning 1991 feature film Daughters of the Dust made her the first woman of African descent to have a movie on general release in the United States. Ms Dash's visit to Barbados is sponsored by the US Embassy Bridgetown in recognition of the strong links between the African American communities in America and those of the Caribbean. The festival will also screen Ms Dash's beautiful and important 2003 film The Rosa Parks Story and Ms. Dash will participate in a Question and Answer period after the screening.

Other workshops during the festival include: A master class with Cinematographer Franklyn "Chappie" St Juste, (The Harder They Come), a workshop on special effects with Makeup Artist Adzil Stewart hosted by the National Cultural Foundation, a "Dialogue between Broadcasters and Independent Producers" hosted by The Caribbean Channel, and From Page To Screen :a workshop presentation of "Tide Running" a new screenplay by talented British/Guyanese writer Oonya Kempadoo.

Throughout the festival, films being featured turn a spotlight on Caribbean filmmaking and the burgeoning community of filmmakers around the world who are now producing entertaining and thought provoking films about the region and its Diaspora, including North America, Europe, Africa, India and Canada. Films to be screened include Africa Unite by Stephanie Black, and Calypso Dreams by Geoffrey Dunn; Carmen and Geoffrey by Nick Doob and Tribes by Jamaica’s talented music video director Ras Kassa.

Other celebrated films are Maria Govan’s stunning critically acclaimed Bahamian feature Rain; Nurse.Fighter.Boy by Jamaican/Canadian Charles Officer, award-winning documentary feature The Solitary Alchemist by T&T's Mariel Brown, Coolie Pink and Green, an experimental short exploring Bollywood images in a Caribbean context by Pat Mohammed, award-winning shorts by Yao Ramesar, and Lisa Wickham and many more!

The Best of CaribbeanTales Film Festival is founded by accomplished Toronto-based Trinidadian filmmaker Frances-Anne Solomon, whose most recent award-winning feature film A Winter Tale has won international acclaim, and who has been a visiting lecturer at UWI over the past year. This year the festival welcomes three new Associate Directors, including Jamaican filmmaker Mary Wells, Trinidad-based Producer/Director/TV Personality Lisa Wickham; and Mitzi Allen, CEO and Co-owner of HAMA TV in Antigua.

The Best of CaribbeanTales Film Festival is incredibly proud to partner with many local and regional organisations including The Tourism Development Corporation,The Barbados Hotel and Tourism Authority, Frank Collymore Hall, Invest Barbados, One Caribbean Media, The Nation Newspapers, Starcom, the Shridath Ramphal Center at UWI, the National Cultural Foundation, The Commonwealth Foundation, Unido, Carib Export, the Caribbean Channel, the Barbados Film and Video Association, the Caribbean Film and Media Academy, the Bajan Reporter, Merville Lynch Productions, Alison Saunders and Rivelino Simmons, and many more.

Photo: Acclaimed Barbadian writer, George Lamming, will deliver the Key-Note adress at the Launch of the Best of CaribbeanTales on Tuesday 23rd February 2010, at Frank Collymore Hall.

CARIBBEANTALES YOUTH SCREENING SERIES TARGETS HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

CaribbeanTales Youth Film Screening Series starts Monday at the Olympus Theatres in Barbados.

Bridgetown - February 12, 2010

Starting Monday February 15th, THE BEST OF CARIBBEANTALES FILM FESTIVAL opening in Barbados later this month, will offer high school students a sneak preview of some wonderful Caribbean films. The special Youth Film Screenings will take place at 9.30am weekdays at the Olympus Theatres, Sheraton Center. For the full Youth Film Series program, and for details of the films and filmmakers, please visit the festival's website here.

All the films being featured turn a spotlight on Caribbean filmmaking, and the burgeoning community of filmmakers around the world who are now producing entertaining and thought provoking films about the region and its Diaspora, in North America, Europe and Canada.

"It is very important that young people here in Barbados and around the region, see films that show positive and realistic images of Black and Caribbean people - images that they can both identify with and feel pride in," said CaribbeanTales Festival Director Frances-Anne Solomon. “This extraordinary collection of films counteracts prevailing stereotypes of Black and Caribbean people as gun-toting drug dealers and primitive "natives", by presenting three-dimensional and complex characters, in stories and situations that will be familiar to most Bajans.".

Solomon also stressed that beyond the "edutainment" value of the Youth Film Series, the films offers students an insight into the business of film. "Young people should leave the screenings knowing that wherever they come from, filmmaking is a career path that is open to them," says Solomon.

Films to be shown during The Youth Screening Series are A Winter Tale (Feb 15th) , Africa Unite and Calypso Dreams (Feb 16th); Carmen and Geoffrey, and: Nurse.Fighter.Boy, (Feb 17th): and Rain and Tribes (Feb 18th) . The Rosa Parks Story by acclaimed African American filmmaker Julie Dash will have its Youth Film Screening on Feb 23rd, and Ms Dash, who is coming to Barbados from Los Angeles for the Festival, will participate in a Question and Answer session with students afterwards.

The Best of CaribbeanTales Film Festival will open to the General Public on February 23rd with a Gala Reception and screening at Frank Collymore Hall, and will continue for a week with many exciting and useful activities including a Symposium on Global Distribution (hosted by One Caribbean Media), the first ever Caribbean Film Marketplace (hosted by the Shridath Ramphal Center, UWI) , and many exciting Workshops and Masterclasses, as well as film screenings every night at the Olympus VIP cinema.

The Best of CaribbeanTales Film Festival - Symposium, Marketplace, Workshops, & Youth Screenings is produced by CaribbeanTales in association with One Caribbean Media, The Shridath Ramphal Center at UWI, Olympus Theatres, the Barbados Film and Video Association, the Caribbean Film and Media Academy, the Nation Newspaper, UltimaxTV, the Caribbean Channel, Merville Lynch Productions, the U.S. Embassy, The Canadian High Commission, Hall-Ewood Productions, The Travel House, VisualArtTT, The Bajan Reporter, The Savannah Hotel, Steinhill Studios, Starcom Network, Rivelino Simmons, The Commonwealth Foundation, Carib Export, UNIDO, Tourism Development Company, Gayelle The Channel, Invest Barbados, the National Cultural Foundation, and the Barbados Hotel and Tourism Association.

Best of CaribbeanTales 2010 - Workshops in Barbados

The Best of CaribbeanTales Film Festival 2010 is full of exciting events!

In addition to film screenings, educational screenings for secondary schools, and talkback sessions with celebrated invited filmmakers, the Festival will host a series of conferences, networking events, workshops, Masterclasses, which turn a sharp focus onto the latest film and television trends from the Caribbean region and its Diaspora.

The festival runs from February 22 - Marcha 2, 2010 at the Olympus Theatres and Savanna Hotel, in Barbados.

See our website for more info about the workshops. Please check back regularly for updates.

Cost for all workshops unless specified is $30BDN/ $15US. Lunch is available for an additional cost.

Wednesday February 24th 2010

* 9-5pm: Symposium on Global Distribution hosted by One Caribbean Media (OCM) $100US **inquire for special discounts

Thursday February 25th 2010

* 11:00 – 12:45: **NEW** Networking lunch event sponsored by the Commonwealth Foundation. Pre-registration required.

* 1-5pm: **UPDATED**Film Marketplace hosted by the Shridath Ramphal Center, UWI.

Friday 26th February 2010

* 9-11.30am : Dialogue between Independent Producers and Broadcasters, hosted by The Caribbean Channel (CMC)
* 1pm – 5pm:**UPDATED**Music Video Workshop with Lisa Wickham, hosted by the Caribbean Film and Media Association.

Saturday 27th February 2010

* 9am – 5pm: Directing Master Class with Julie Dash hosted by the Caribbean Film and Media Academy and the US Embassy. “Free”

Sunday 28th February 2010

* 10am – 2pm: Franklyn “Chappie” St Juste – Cinematography Master Class
* 2.30pm – 3.30pm : Hush/Hush 2 – A Success Story with Marcia Weekes “A business model for local films”, hosted by the Barbados Film and Video Association.
* 4pm – 5pm

Monday March 1st 2010

* time tbc:**NEW**Special Effects/Makeup Workshop- hosted by the National Cultural Foundation of Barbados.

Tuesday 2nd March, 2010

* 6:30pm – 9pm:**NEW**From Page to Screen – Reading of Oonya Kempadoo’s film adaptation of her novel “Tide Running”, and Talk-Back.

Invitation to attend the Best of CaribbeanTales Gala Launch

Dear Friends,

(Click on image to enlarge)

Please join us to celebrate the Gala Launch of The Best of CaribbeanTales Film Festival

Date: Tuesday February 23rd at 6pm at Frank Collymore Hall, Bridgetown, Barbados.

___________________________
The Best of CaribbeanTales festival will feature:

A Symposium on Global Distribution co-hosted with One Caribbean Media,

The first ever Caribbean Film Marketplace co-hosted with the Shridath Ramphal Center UWI, Cave Hill,

Workshops and Master Classes co-hosted with The Caribbean Film and Media Academy, the Caribbean Channel, The Barbados Film and Video Association and the National Cultural Foundation,

Film screenings nightly at the Olympus VIP Theaters,

Special screenings for secondary school students

For more info please check out the festival website here.

Look forward very much to seeing you!

Frances-Anne Solomon
Artistic Director, Founder
_______________
The Best of CaribbeanTales Film Festival will feature an impressive selection of the best Caribbean films from around the world.

WHEN: February 24th - March 2nd 2010 @ 7:30 p.m. and 9:30PM Daily
at Olympus Theatres, Sheraton Mall

SEE OUR SELECTION OF FILMS below

Features
Africa Unite by Stephanie Black
Calypso Dreams by Geoffrey Dunn
Carmen and Geoffrey by Linda Atkinson and Nick Doob
Nurse.Fighter.Boy. by Charles Officer
Rain by Maria Govan
The Solitary Alchemist by Mariel Brown
The Rosa Park Story by Julie Dash
Tribes by Ras Kassa
A Winter Tale by Frances-Anne Solomon

Shorts
Awake, Mami Wata and Celebration by Yao Ramesar
The Wondrous Journey of Delroy Kincaid by Powys Dewhurst
Dont Stop by Lisa Wickham and Sheldon Felix
Drummit2Summit by Christopher Laird
Invisible by Elspeth Duncan
My First day at School Wearing a Hijab by Mary Wells
Share and Share Alike by Melissa Gomez
The Power of the Vagina by Jimmel Daniel
Trapped in an Elevator by Rommel Hall
Directions by Renee Pollonais
Gathering the Scattered Cousins by Akin Omotoso

The Best of CaribbeanTales Film Festival - Symposium, Marketplace, Workshops, & School Screenings is produced by CaribbeanTales in association with One Caribbean Media, The Shridath Ramphal Center at UWI, Olympus Theatres, the Barbados Film and Video Association, the Caribbean Film and Media Academy, the Nation Newspaper, UltimaxTV, the Caribbean Channel, Merville Lynch Productions, the U.S. Embassy, The Canadian High Commission, Hall-Ewood Productions, The Travel House, VisualArtTT, The Savanna Hotel, Steinhill Studios, Tourism Development Company, Gayelle The Channel, Invest Barbados, the National Cultural Foundation, and the Barbados Hotel and Tourism Association.