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About Us :
Director's Letter Dr. Bruce Paddington |
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I can think of no medium as important as film or
one that has made such an impact on the viewing
public. The Caribbean still remains a loyal
cinema going public with growth of multiplexes
replacing the old dream palaces although many
watch films on DVD, some from the Internet and,
of course, television. But what are they
watching? Apart from some music videos and the
occasional Cuban film on Gayelle the Channel,
there is very little material from the
Caribbean. The Trinidad and Tobago Film Festival
is but one small step in trying to address this
problem.
This is the second year of the Festival,
although the Kairi Film Festival in 2002 had
similar aims and objectives. Once again the main
sponsor is the Trinidad and Tobago Film Company
and I wish to acknowledge the support and
encouragement of the Chairman of the Film
Company, Ralph Maraj, the members of the board
and the CEO Carla Foderingham and her staff. The
organization of an annual Film Festival is an
integral part of the Film Company’s strategic
plan to develop a vibrant local film industry
and we are privileged to play our part in this
venture.
There are many ways in which the Trinidad and
Tobago Film Festival can make its contribution.
It will provide an occasion to screen a
selection of the best films from the English,
Dutch, Spanish and French Caribbean thus
enabling audiences to explore and enjoy the rich
cultural heritage of the region. In the age of
globalization, with the emergence of the
Caribbean Single Market Economy, it can help to
build and bring the Caribbean closer together
especially when one see so many films with
common themes and images. It can also help to
build an audience that can appreciate Caribbean
films rather than the usual Hollywood and
Bollywood offerings. The high production values
of many of these films can provide valuable
lessons to local filmmakers and stimulate them
to improve their skills. It can also provoke the
filmmakers to emulate their colleagues in the
region, especially countries like Haiti and Cuba
that continue to produce quality productions
despite their economic problems. The filmmakers
must surely ask themselves the question “If they
can produce such films then why not us?”
The 2007 Trinidad and Tobago Film Festival will
be showing feature films, documentaries, shorts
and animation from a number of countries
including Jamaica, Barbados, Haiti, Cuba,
Venezuela, Guyana, Trinidad and
Tobago and the Caribbean Diaspora in Europe and
North America. It will also be hosting workshops
and seminars with visiting filmmakers and for
the first time will be taking the Festival to
different parts of the country including Tobago,
San Fernando and St Augustine, as it fulfills
its mission to help develop the local and
regional film industry.
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