Detailed Schedule

CaribbeanTales Film Festival's Full Schedule is online now!

FRIDAY JULY 13
NFB Mediatheque
150 John Street

10AM-12AM
Trinidadian-Canadian Documentary-Makers
Screening/Q&A
Older Stronger Wiser- C. Prieto (CAN),
A unique history of Canada’s Black people through the eyes of four Black women.

Journey to Justice – R. McTair (CAN),
Canada’s civil rights movement and the brave Black Canadians who led the fight for equality.

Journey of Lesra Martin – S. Jacob (CAN),
Inspiring story about a young boy’s heroic defense of Rubin "Hurricane" Carter.

12:00PM – 1.30PM
Workshop: Sitcoms & Series

Westwood Park-D. Diefenthaller, (T&T),
The popular and groundbreaking tongue-in-cheek Caribbean soap opera.

Lord Have Mercy – F. Solomon (CAN),
A wildly irreverent take on Black church life, set in Toronto’s Caribbean community.

Who The Cap Fits – C. Laird (T&T),
A 13-episode soap drama that was the first of its kind in Anglophone Caribbean.

1.30PM – 2.30PM
Workshop: Caribbean Animation

The Animae Caraibe Film Festival
Feat. Camille Selvon Abrahams, presenting a selection of the best animation films from the Animae Caribe: Caribbean Animation, Film and New-Media Festival in Trinidad.

3PM-4.30PM - (In the Overflow)
Workshop: The New Media

Interview w. Georgia Popplewell
on Caribbean Free Radio & Global Voices, featuring innovative new trends in Caribbean media.

4PM – 5PM
Workshop: Music Videos from T&T
Screening /Informal Discussion

5PM – 6PM
Meet & Greet – in the Overflow
Carla Foderingham, Horace Ove, Bruce Paddington, Georgia Popplewell, Camille Selvon Abrahams

6PM – 6.30PM
Opening Night Presentation

Honouring Horace Ove

Current Production Opportunities in Trinidad and Tobago:
Carla Foderingham (CEO, T&T Film Co.)

History of Trinidad and Tobago Film:
Bruce Paddington presents an entertaining overview of the rich history of filmmaking in T&T and the Trinidadian Diaspora.

Dream to Change the World – Horace Ove (UK)
A profile of British-Trinidadian activist John La Rose, founder of New Beacon Books & the Caribbean Artists' Movement.

9:15PM – 10PM

Uncomfortable – R. Fung (CAN)
The work and ideas of artist Christopher Cozier in the context of post-independence Trinidad’s oil-rich economy, complicated ethnic politics, and vibrant cultural forms.


SATURDAY JULY 14
NFB Mediatheque
150 John Street

10AM-11.30AM
Screening/Q&A
The English Lesson- S. Mootoo (CAN)
A “native West Indian” gives “an English lesson” in his kitchen.

Barrel Children – C. Weir (US)
An intimate look at a Trinidadian family separated because of migration.

Mennonites of Belize – B. Paddington (T&T)
The complex and fascinating world of an exclusive white Mennonite community in Belize.

12.00AM – 1.30PM
Her Sweetness Lingers –S. Mootoo (CAN)
Poetry and lyrical imagery combine to explore the fatal possibilities that begin with a caress.

The Doctor’s Daughter (or The Secret & The Lie) - J. Fung (CAN)
An exploration of the volatile and compelling nature of relationships.

1.30 – 2.45PM
Screening/Q&A
Short- Elspeth Duncan (T&T)

Concert in the Rainforest - Laird/Gilkes (T&T)
Pianist Rudy Luck holds a concert in the rainforest for the Waiwai Amerindians.

JAB! Blue Devils of Paramin – A. Verteuil (T&T)
Every Carnival, Kootoo a hillside farmer, becomes the “Blue Devil of Paramin.”

3.00PM – 4.30PM
Screening/Q&A
Black Men & Me – M. Clarke (CAN)
A Trinidadian dyke explores her complex relationships with Black men.

Paradise Lost – Inge Blackman (UK)
Trinidad’s uneasy relationship with queer folk. mixing tolerance and censure, religion and ritual.

What My Mother Told Me – F.A.Solomon (CAN)
A young British woman goes to Trinidad to bury her father, and meets her mother for the first time. Her mother tells her stories, revealing a troubled & violent past.

5PM – 6PM
Meet & Greet
Christopher Laird, Yao Ramesar, Janine Fung, Shani Mootoo, Michele Clarke,

6PM – 8.00PM
Spotlight: Gayelle the Channel
Screening/Q&A

A Day In The Life of De Gayelle - C.Laird (T&T)
An insider’s look at the dynamic young Trinidad-based TV Station.

In Conversation with...
Christopher Laird, CEO/Founder of Gayelle

8.15 – 10PM
Filmmaker Profile: Yao Ramesar
Screening/Q&A
Sista God – Yao Ramesar
The coming of a black female messiah in a future time called “Apocalypso,” a global holocaust only she survives.


SUNDAY JULY 15
Workman Theatre
1001 Queen Street W.

10AM – 11AM - SHORTS SERIES
Ritche – Sharon Lewis (CAN)
George & The Bicycle Pump - A.Lovelace (T&T)
Animae Caraibe – (Repeat) (T&T)
Leftovers - J. Fung (CAN)
Cold Dead Hands -Kaz Ove (UK)

11PM-12PM
Music Video – W. Lovelace (T&T)
A Day In The Life of De Gayelle (Repeat) – C.Laird (T&T)
An insider’s look at the dynamic young Trinidad-based TV Station.

12PM – 2PM
Spotlight: Horace Ove

Pressure – Horace Ove (UK).
The story of Tony, torn between the churchy conformity of his Trinidadian parents and his brother’s Black Power militancy. An unflinching at look 1970s Britain from a Black POV.

2.00PM-3.15PM
In Conversation with…
Horace Ove

3:30PM – 5PM
Up Close & Personal with…
Julien “Lil X” Lutz, the acclaimed Hollywood music video director opens up to fans during an in-depth, hour-long interview with radio personality Rudy Blair of 680 News.

5:30PM – 7:30PM
Closing Night Presentation:
Special Community Screening / Q&A

Launch of TALK IT OUT:
CaribbeanTales' Canada-wide Anti-violence Program for Youth.

A Winter Tale – Frances-Anne Solomon (CAN)
In Toronto’s Parkdale community, a Black Men’s support group meets at the local Caribbean Take-away, in the wake of a young child’s shooting death.

Julien "Lil X" Lutz - Up Close & Personal w/ Acclaimed Music Video Director

Hollywood’s hottest music video director, Julien “Little X” Lutz will be in Toronto this month, for a celebration of his renowned career at the 2nd Annual CaribbeanTales Film Festival.

Get to Know the Man behind the Music in a Special In-Depth Interview and Audience Q&A on Sunday July 15, at 3.30pm at the Workman Theatre, 1001 Queen St West.

One of the biggest Trinidadian talents to hit North America, Little X will get up close with fans during an in-depth hour-long interview hosted by 680 news presenter Rudy Blair, followed by a special audience Q&A.

Critically acclaimed for his cinematic style and vivid imagination, Little X has directed hundreds of music videos and commercials, and has worked with a host of A-list Hollywood celebrities including Usher, Chris Rock, Alicia Keys, Sean Paul, Nelly Furtado, LL Cool J, and P. Diddy.

Born and raised in Toronto, of Trinidadian parentage, Little X has always had a passion for art and music. At the age of 18 Little X began working for famed music video director Hype Williams, and quickly became his protégé. More than 10 years later, Little X is one of the most sought-after video directors in the entertainment industry.

He has won a slew of awards for his work, including the Soul Train Awards’ Best R&B/Soul or Rap Music Video award for Usher’s Caught Up.

The CaribbeanTales Film Festival will showcase Little X’s work during a weekend of films and music videos highlighting artists both local and international, who call Trinidad “home” - among them British film pioneer Horace Ove, innovative TV station Gayelle The Channel's Founder & CEO Christopher Laird, and acclaimed video artist Richard Fung, to name but a few.

The festival will also host a Special community screening of Frances-Anne Solomon’s award-winning feature film A Winter Tale, to launch TALK IT OUT, a Canada-wide anti-violence program for youth.

Peruse our SCHEDULE AT A GLANCE @ http://ledaserenesnewz1.blogspot.com/2007/06/schedule-at-glance.html

CARIBBEANTALES FILM FESTIVAL UPDATE!

UPDATE! A host of Trinidadian celebrities and filmmakers will be descending on Toronto to attend the CaribbeanTales 2nd Annual Film Festival - among them celebrated British film pioneer Horace Ove, recently awarded a CBE for his contributions to film in the UK; acclaimed Hollywood music video director Julien "Lil X" Lutz, whose cinematic style has made him the director of choice of many A-list Hollywood artists; and Gayelle The Channel's Founder & CEO Christopher Laird whose prolific and innovative TV station, launched just 3 years ago, boasts 100% local content, and a viewership exceeding 1 million viewers internationally.

Read all about our Invited Guests here!

The Festival's line-up also includes films by film innovator Yao Ramesar, award-winning video artist Richard Fung, producer extraordinaire Claire Prieto, Frances-Anne Solomon, Janine Fung, Kaz Ove, Inge Blackman, Sharon Lewis, Michele Clarke, Roger McTair, Selwyn Jacobs, Shani Mootoo, Elspeth Duncan, Asha Lovelace, Camille Selvon Abrahams, Danielle Dieffenthaller, and many more.

Peruse our SCHEDULE AT A GLANCE here.

Click HERE for more information about the Festival
Or visit us at CaribbeanTales.ca

The CaribbeanTales Annual Film Festival, Canada's one and only forum showcasing the best of Caribbean cinema, at home and abroad, classical and creole, digital and celluloid, this year puts the spotlight on the burgeoning film & TV industry of Trinidad & Tobago.

July 13 to 15, 2007 at the NFB Mediatheque and Workman Theatre.

The CaribbeanTales 2nd Annual Film Festival is generously sponsored by: the Trinidad & Tobago Film Company, Eye Weekly, Titan Tours, NFB Mediatheque, The Canadian Immigrant, The Multicultural History Society of Ontario, FLOW 93.5 FM, CKLN 88.1 FM, CIUT 89.5 FM, CHRY 105.5 FM, CaribWorldNews.com, @Wallace Studios, MyMediaBiz.com, Steam Whistle Brewing, Harlem Restaurant, Irie Food Joint, Island Foods, Planet Crystal Sports Bar and Restaurant, S.M. Jaleel & Co. Ltd., and Tropical Treets.

OUR SCHEDULE AT A GLANCE

CLICK The IMAGE TO VIEW OUR "SCHEDULE AT A GLANCE"

CLICK HERE FOR DETAILED SCHEDULE

Horace Ove and Lil X – just two of several Trinidadian icons taking part in this summer’s CaribbeanTales Film Festival

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Toronto – June 28, 2007

A host of Trinidadian celebrities and filmmakers will be in Toronto this summer to participate in the 2nd Annual CaribbeanTales Film Festival. The celebration of Caribbean film and television will feature legendary filmmaker Horace Ove, music video guru ‘Lil X” and Gayelle the Channel’s Chris Laird – just to name a few. This year’s focus is on the vibrant film, television and video productions of Trinidad and Tobago and runs from July 13 to 15, 2007 at the NFB Mediatheque and Workman Theatre.

CaribbeanTales will honour the illustrious career of legendary British-Trinidadian film director Horace Ove at the festival’s opening night presentation, with a screening of Ove’s thought-provoking feature documentary Dream to Change the World, about activist and writer John La Rose. In addition, on Sunday July 15th, there will be a special screening of his classic 1975 feature Pressure, which was banned by its own funders, the British Film Institute, because it voiced the growing frustrations of Britain’s disenfranchised Black communities at the time. Now, 30 years later, ”Britain’s first Black feature film” continues to resonate with audiences worldwide, and has a particular relevance here in Toronto, where youth violence is an ongoing concern. The screening will be followed by an intimate Q&A with the multi award-winning filmmaker, who recently received a CBE, (Commander of the British Empire - one of Britain’s highest honours), for his contribution to film in the UK.

The Festival’s Spotlight will be turned on the “phenomenon” of Trinidad’s dynamic local TV station Gayelle The Channel, and its founder & CEO Christopher Laird, who was named by leading Toronto video artist and critic Richard Fung, as "one of the most important filmmakers working in the Anglophone Caribbean." The fast-growing young station features 100% local content, and reaches a broad audience of over a million viewers internationally through conventional broadcasting, cable TV, and live Internet streaming. On Saturday 14th July the Festival will feature a screening of Laird’s brand new film A Day in the Life of De Gayelle, followed by an up close and personal Q&A session with the Channel’s prolific founder.

Critically acclaimed for his cinematic style and vivid imagination, Julien "Lil X" Lutz will be featured in a showcase of short films and music videos, on Sunday 15th July. Lutz has directed over 100 music videos and commercials, and worked with a host of A-list celebrities.

The festival also welcomes film artist Robert Yao Ramesar, whose 2006 feature Sista God opened at the Toronto International Film Festival last year, and will screen again at the CaribbeanTales Film Festival on July 14th.

Other filmmakers featured in the program include celebrated video artist Richard Fung, respected producer Claire Prieto, Janine Fung, Georgia Popplewell, Sharon Lewis, Michele Clarke, Roger McTair, Selwyn Jacobs, Shani Mootoo, Elspeth Duncan, Camille Selvon Abrahams, Danielle Dieffenthaller, and many more.


The 2nd Annual CaribbeanTales Film Festival is under the patronage of the Consulate General of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and the Trinidad & Tobago Film Company, in association with the National Film Board of Canada (NFB), and the Multicultural History Society of Ontario.

The program of films will be co-curated by Bruce Paddington, Programmer of the Trinidad & Tobago Film Festival, one of the region’s most important showcases for new Caribbean cinema, and Frances-Anne Solomon, Artistic Director of CaribbeanTales.

The festival will also host the Launch of “TALK IT OUT” a new CaribbeanTales initiative that will use Frances-Anne Solomon’s award-winning feature film A Winter Tale to promote discussion and anti-violence strategies among youth across Canada.

CaribbeanTales, a non-profit organization founded by filmmaker Frances-Anne Solomon, is Canada's premier multimedia company producing educational films, videos, radio programs, audio books, theatre plays, web sites and events that showcase the rich heritage of Caribbean storytelling, traditional and contemporary, digital and analogue, at home and across the Diaspora.

The CaribbeanTales 2nd Annual Film Festival is generously sponsored by: Eye Weekly, Titan Tours, the Trinidad & Tobago Film Company, NFB Mediatheque, The Canadian Immigrant, FLOW 93.5 FM, CKLN 88.1 FM, CIUT 89.5 FM, CHRY 105.5 FM, CaribWorldNews.com, @Wallace Studios, MyMediaBiz.com, Steam Whistle Brewing, Harlem Restaurant, Irie Food Joint, Island Foods, Planet Crystal Sports Bar and Restaurant, S.M. Jaleel & Co. Ltd., and Tropical Treets.

Available for interviews:
Frances-Anne Solomon, Artistic Director

Ticket Information:
Tickets $5 per screening
Festival passes $30
For more information, please visit:
www.CaribbeanTales.ca


For media inquires, please contact:
Pennant Media Group
Kevin Pennant
kp@pennantmediagroup.com
T 416.596.2978

CaribbeanTales Film Festival puts the spotlight on Trinidad.

We all know Trinidad & Tobago has given us: the world's best Soca singers, Carnival bandleaders, novellists, poets, pan players and cricketers. It's also called "HOME" by some of the most recognised film makers working internationally today.

The CaribbeanTales Annual Film Festival, Canada's one and only forum showcasing the best of Caribbean cinema, at home and abroad, classical and creole, digital and celluloid, this year puts the spotlight on the burgeoning film & TV industry of Trinidad & Tobago.

July 13 to 15, 2007 at the NFB Mediatheque and Workman Theatre.

Read the full Press Release here.

Or visit us at www.CaribbeanTales.ca

The CaribbeanTales 2nd Annual Film Festival is generously sponsored by: Eye Weekly, Titan Tours, the Trinidad & Tobago Film Company, NFB Mediatheque, The Canadian Immigrant, FLOW 93.5 FM, CKLN 88.1 FM, CIUT 89.5 FM, CHRY 105.5 FM, @Wallace Studios, MyMediaBiz.com, Steam Whistle Brewing, Harlem Restaurant, Irie Food Joint, Island Foods, Planet Crystal Sports Bar and Restaurant, and S.M. Jaleel & Co. Ltd.

CaribbeanTales returns with its second annual film festival, and puts the spotlight on Trinidad & Tobago

Toronto – June 23, 2007

The CaribbeanTales Film Festival is set to hit Toronto again this summer! Created by Frances-Anne Solomon, the festival showcases the best films to emerge from the Caribbean region and this year's focus is on the vibrant film and television productions of Trinidad & Tobago.The festival will run from July 13 to 15, 2007 at the NFB’s Mediatheque.

The 2nd Annual CaribbeanTales Film Festival is under the patronage of the Consulate General of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, and the Trinidad & Tobago Film Company, in association with the National Film Board of Canada (NFB).

This year’s lineup will highlight some of the biggest Trinidadian talents to hit North America, like Julien "Lil X" Lutz, whose cinematic style and vivid imagination, have made him the director of choice for a host of celebrities including P. Diddy, Usher, Sean Paul, Justin Timberlake, Alicia Keys, and others.

The festival will honour legendary British-Trinidadian director Horace Ove, now CBE (Commander of the British Empire - recently awarded, for his contributions to filmmaking in the UK). His groundbreaking 1975 film Pressure was banned by its own funders, the British Film Institute, because it documented the growing frustrations of Britain's black communities at the time.

Our Spotlight will be turned on the phenomenon of local TV station Gayelle the Channel, and its prolific CEO, Christopher Laird. The fast-growing upstart station features 100% local content, and reaches over a million viewers internationally through conventional broadcasting, cable TV, and live Internet streaming.

The festival will also celebrate filmmakers from across the diaspora including film innovator Yao Ramesar, award-winning video artist Richard Fung, producer extraordinaire Claire Prieto, Frances-Anne Solomon, Jeanine Fung, Sharon Lewis, Michele Clarke, Roger McTair, Selwyn Jacobs, Shani Mootoo, Elspeth Duncan, Asha Lovelace, Camille Selvon Abrahams, Danielle Dieffenthaller, and many more.

The program is co-curated by Frances-Anne Solomon, filmmaker/producer and Artistic Director of CaribbeanTales, and Bruce Paddington, Programmer of the Trinidad & Tobago Film Festival, one of the regions most important showcases for contemporary Caribbean cinema.

With a growing international awareness of the Caribbean's burgeoning media industry, the festival aims to entertain and educate through a series of industry panels, filmmakers' discussions, and up-close-and-personal one-on-one interviews with local and visiting filmmkers.

About CaribbeanTales:
CaribbeanTales, a non-profit organization, founded by award-winning filmmaker & producer Frances-Anne Solomon, is Canada's premier multimedia company, producing educational films, videos, radio programs, audio books, theatre plays, web sites and events that showcase the rich heritage of Caribbean storytelling, traditional and contemporary, at home and across the diaspora.

The CaribbeanTales 2nd Annual Film Festival is generously sponsored by: Eye Weekly, Titan Tours, the Trinidad & Tobago Film Company, NFB Mediatheque, The Canadian Immigrant, FLOW 93.5 FM, CKLN 88.1 FM, CIUT 89.5 FM, CHRY 105.5 FM, @Wallace Studios, MyMediaBiz.com, Steam Whistle Brewing, Harlem Restaurant, Irie Food Joint, Island Foods, Planet Crystal Sports Bar and Restaurant, and S.M. Jaleel & Co. Ltd.

Ticket Information:

Tickets $5 per screening
Festival passes $30

For more information, please visit:
www.CaribbeanTales.ca

For media enquiries, please contact:
Pennant Media Group
Kevin Pennant
kp@pennantmediagroup.com
T 416.596.2978

(Photos: Legendary filmmaker Horace Ove, celebrated music video director Julien "Lil X" Lutz, and prolific Trinidad-based television station Gayelle The Channel)