The Trinidad and Tobago Film Festival is back in full swing as of September 21st. The list of films look enticing this year and if I could I would attend all the screenings. Unfortunately, as a college student I need to pick my battles wisely. Therefore, I scanned through the program for all the free screenings. As luck would have it, all the screenings on UWI campus are free. And they say there is no God.
Being the good citizen that I am, it is only right for me to pass on this valuable bit of information. The most intriguing film so far is Christopher Browne’s Ghett’a Life. It has already been credited as the winner of the Hartley-Merril International Screenwriting Competition from Cannes Film Festival in 2006. It also received a standing ovation for its Toronto debut. If there is any film to see during the festival, it is this one. Ghett’a Life will be showing at 12 Carmody Street on Friday, September 23 at 6:30pm.
There is an added bonus for the UWI Film Festival and Ghett’a Life fans. There will be a writing and directing workshop featuring Chris Browne on Saturday September 24 from 9am -3pm. Although, the workshop costs $200, there is no doubt in my mind that it is worth it.
Another Jamaican film that is a must-see is Miquel Galofre’s Hit Me With Music. For those of you who don’t follow the festival, Galofre is a Spanish director who is responsible for Why do Jamaicans Run So Fast? This time, Galofre takes a look at dancehall culture exploring the romantic nature of the culture as well as its heartbreaking qualities. With absolutely stunning cinematography, I think that this is a definite must-see. Hit Me With Music will be showing at the Institute for Critical Thinking on Friday September 23 at 4:30pm.
It definitely would not be the UWI Film Festival if there were no films from our UWI students. On September 24 at 6pm on Carmody Street, the documentaries produced by UWI’s finest will be premiering. These include the hilarious mocumentary by Nadissa Haynes Pashan of the Froot, Losing My Religion by Lynnessa Parkes, the thought provoking Social Injustice by Kivonne Ramsewak and Zahra Gibbons and Marian Bradshaw’s La Parranda , which explores the dying tradition of parang music in Trinidad and Tobago.
For those who can stand the heartbreak, Fire in Babylon is a celebration of the West Indian cricket in its glory days. The documentary shows the greatest team on earth throughout all their trials and tribulations. Fire in Babylon will be showing on Friday September 30 at the Institute for Critical Thinking at 6pm.
The final day of the UWI Film Festival is Saturday October 1 at the Centre of Language Learning. It features feature films from throughout the region. From Boleto en Paraiso from Cuba, Sonny Boy from Surinam, Aliker from Martinique as well as films from India, Kavi and Vanaja, this is the most multicultural day of the festival. So I guess I’ll see you there because let’s face it, with the State of Emergency you probably have nothing better to do. J
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