Film festival fever; top 5 film festivals in the Caribbean

BY SIMONE J. SMITH

In the last 20 years, the Caribbean Diaspora has become actively engaged in the world of filmmaking, writing and directing, and for good reason. There has been a rise in social issues that affects Caribbean’s both at home and abroad, and filmmaking has become a great way to engage the community in discussions on topics including climate change, racial and sexual prejudices, and other social injustices. In film, these topics can be discussed without the commercial pressures of the standard mainstream, and they are a great way to unite a community.

With Toronto being in film festival fever, I thought it might be a great time to highlight film festivals that occur across the Caribbean; for my filmmakers out there, this might be a great opportunity to share your stories on a larger scale, and to obtain feedback from outside the North American context. Let’s look at Toronto Caribbean Newspapers Top 5 Caribbean Film Festivals.

Caraçao International Film Festival Rotterdam

Our first film festival takes us to the lovely island of Caraçao, where from April 10^th – April 14^th, the International Film Festival Rotterdam hosts filmmakers from all over the world. This year the festival received independent and innovative films, documentaries and short films; they even added in a photography competition. The goal is to inspire young filmmakers, and to expand the number of high-quality films shown on the island. For more information visit http://www.curacaoiffr.com/

GATFEST Film Festival

Formerly known as the Greater August Town Film Festival, and now rebranded as the UWI Community Film Project, GATFEST has created an outlet for graduates of the UWI Community Film Project to showcase their films that produced during their training course. This 8-day festival was held from June 21^st, 2019 – June 30^th, 2019, and now receives numerous international and local submissions every year, as well as providing an opportunity for new and emerging filmmakers to tell their stories through a mix of short films and documentaries. The festival has diversified now including workshops, community film nights, panel discussion, and special events. For more information you can visit http://www.gatffest.com/

Animae Caribe & Trinidad and Tobago Film Festival

In a two-week span, the islands of Trinidad and Tobago are witness to not one, but two great film festivals. Let’s look at what you missed, but you won’t miss next year:

Animae Caribe

From August 12^th – August 14^th, Trinidad and Tobago hosts the Caribbean’s biggest and most prestigious animation festivals that attracts animators from studios such as: Dreamworks, Aardman, Pixar, Cartoon Network, and Nickelodeon. The Animation and Digital Media Festival provides a platform for the development of aspiring animators, and hosts workshops for potential, novice and professional animators. The popularity of Animae Caribe has made it a springboard for similar festivals in Barbados, Jamaica, and Suriname. If you’re interested in becoming part of the Animae world, visit them at http://www.animaecaribe.com/.

Trinidad & Tobago Film Festival

Following Animae Caribe is the Trinidad & Tobago Film Festival, which ran from August 17^th, 2019 – August 23^rd, 2019. The festival assists in facilitating the growth of Caribbean cinema by offering fantastic networking opportunities, as well as year-round screenings. I was able to find some of the winners this year and they include:

• Spirit of the Caribbean: Charlie’s Records, directed by Tina Charles
  Best Feature: Grace and Saleem, directed by Jian Hennings
  Best Short: Sampson’s Heart, directed by Juliette McCawley

If you are interested in joining this magnificent event next year, you can visit them at https://ttfilmfestival.com/ for more details.

Belize International Film Festival

This year is the 14^th installation of the Belize International Film Festival, which is being held from November 6^th, 2019 – November 10^th, 2019. This culture-centric festival focuses on Central American and Caribbean films, and offers a diverse line-up of feature films, short films, documentaries, short documentaries, and 15 Belizean music videos featuring well-know artists. Recognized internationally, this festival aims their focus on issues affecting Belize and other Caribbean islands. Definitely a must check out for 2019; visit them at https://www.belizefilmfestival.com/

Dominican Republic Film Festival

From November 12^th, 2019 – November 20^th, 2019 the Dominican Republic Film Festival highlights films that connect with Dominican youth and help to expand their appreciation of film. The festival assists in promoting the Dominican Republic within the international film industry, as a desirable and viable alternative, and it does a great job of increasing visibility of the Dominican Republic among the international press. Follow your imagination by visiting http://festivaldecineglobal.org/2013-en/.

It is wonderful to see the creativity that continues to come out of the Caribbean, and we in the diaspora must continue to support their efforts.