Movies: Stillborn, local monopoly exhibitor aborts Parker's "Birth"

I spent over ten years as a film reviewer for various media; I also spent 3 1/2 years on the Jamaican equivalent of the Ratings Board, assigning ratings to films to be shown by the monopoly exhibitor, the Palace Amusement Company, whose existence dates back to 1921.

Altogether, that's a lot of hours spent in dark rooms, watching movies and making judgements about them. Add to that at least two films a week viewed from about the age of say, 8 or 9 years old, and cumulatively, I have some kind of platform for determining the worthiness of films.

Given that depth of interest and close association, I naturally follow the release schedules of the local monopoly exhibitor very closely. I'd been tracking Nate Parker's "Birth of a Nation" ever since that big deal at the Sundance Film fest, and, when I saw a poster of the film in the "Coming Soon" standee outside the company's Sovereign Cineplex (in reality, 2 adjoining rooms holding about 100 viewers each), I was in a state of high anticipation.

But with the passage of several weeks and no move from "Coming Soon" to "Now Showing" I began to have some concerns. These were heightened when the poster, which had been there for at least three solid weeks, was summarily removed, replaced by, among others, Tyler Perry's latest Madea misadventure.

I have nothing against Tyler Perry - his story is well documented and he deserves his success, even in so formulaic a vehicle as Madea.

My issue, is the the monopoly exhibitor (are you getting the pattern here?) after advertising a particular film to be screened for local audiences, has summarily yanked said film - with no explanation whatsoever - this despite several phone calls placed by myself, and a direct visit to the Cineplex - where a woman at the box office, after waffling for a few minutes on the question, finally blurted out "I don't believe there a lot of people who want to see a movie like that."

Like what?

Well, for starters, "The Birth of A Nation" (whose title boldly references D W Griffiths' blatantly racist "masterpiece" of 1915) is based on the pivotal 1831 slave revolt led by American Nat Turner. That revolt left over people dead and helped pave the way for the eventual legal end of slavery in the US some 30 years later, amid the U.S. Civil War.

It parallels a similar revolt, the Christmas Day uprising, led in St James by Samuel "Daddy" Sharpe, a Baptist minister (like Turner), whose memory is immortalized in the main square in Jamaica's second city of Montego Bay. Like Turner's revolt, Sharpe's Christmas rebellion helped pave the way for the eventual end of slavery in Jamaica and Britain's colonies throughout the Caribbean - first in 1834, with the institution of the Apprenticeship system, and the eventual dissolution in 1838.

Parker's film then, is important, not so much as an historical document, but as a symbolic document of resistance to oppression on the part of Africans and  African-descended people in the New World. It's cinematic release in North America has been dogged by the controversy of a 1999 rape trial involving Parker and his roommate, Jean Celestion. Parker was initially acquitted, his friend convicted, and then, on a second trial, the case thrown out, with the accuser deciding not to appear as a witness.

However, I seriously doubt that the spectre of writer-director-star as an accused rapist is what has given the monopoly exhibitor in Jamaica cold feet. Its more likely that Parker's teeth-baring battle cry and bloodstained shirt have halted their plans. Not because such content is too graphic for local viewers (horror movies with far more blood and gore frequently make it to the local box office). I suspect the Grahams, the principals of Palace Amusement are loathe to show a movie depicting a slave uprising, especially one as pivotal as Turner's, and especially one told by a black writer and from a distinctly black perspective.

If the above charge is unfounded, then I urge the directors at Palace to furnish us with a fulsome explanation for the withdrawal of the film form their slate. Truthfully though, I won't be holding my breath for that. The Grahams have not been the most forthcoming owners in the past, and there's no reason to expect a change in their modus  right now.

So, I'll content myself with seeing Parker's piece outside of the cinema (this is part of the reason why bootlegging will never die) and hope that somehow, Jamaicans will develop a taste for demanding more from the monopoly exhibitor, not in welcoming more indigenous content (like the new Lennie Little-White production that just opened), but more those films which might make the vestiges of the planter class a little uncomfortable.

Fond hopes, but then, I'm the eternal optimist.

Film: "Shooting" Kingston, filmakers talk at the NG

On Thursday, October 27, 2016, starting at 2:00 pm, the National Gallery of Jamaica will be hosting a panel discussion entitled Kingston: Filming the City. This event aims to explore the the work of filmmakers in depicting and interpreting Kingston life and its environs. Kingston: Filming the City is part of the educational programming associated with the NGJ's current feature exhibition Kingston, Part 1: The City and Art, which opened on July 31 and will now close on November 5. The exhibition utilizes paintings, sculpture, ceramics, film and photography to explore the dynamic between Kingston’s growth as a major commercial as well as cultural centre and the development of Jamaican visual art practice and infrastructure.

The focus on film for the panel discussion was inspired by the inclusion of two motion-picture works in the exhibition: Chaotic Beauty (2016), a video by emerging Jamaican digital artist Di-Andre Caprice Davis, and The Harder They Come (1972), the iconic Jamaican film directed by Perry Henzell and written by himself and Trevor Rhone. Both of these productions have featured Kingston not just as a backdrop to story-telling, but as a key location element that informs narrative progression and character development. Some have argued that The Harder They Come is also a portrait of Kingston and a time-capsule representation of urban life in Jamaica in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Kingston has featured in several other memorable, locally produced and international films, including the first James Bond film Dr No (1962), Rockers (1978), Dancehall Queen (1997), Third World Cop (1999), Better Mus’ Come (2010) and Kingston Paradise (2013). Kingston also serves as the locale and backdrop to numerous Jamaican and other music videos, such as Proteje’s Kingston Be Wise (2013).

The discussion on October 27 will be moderated by lecturer of Audio-Visual History at the University of the West Indies (Mona), Dr. Julian Cresser, along with the following panellists:

• Franklyn "Chappy" St. Juste, veteran cinematographer who has been credited in films such as The Harder They Come (1972), Children of Babylon (1980) and Coolie Pink and Green (2009). St. Juste has also contributed valuable years of service to the Jamaica Information Service (JIS), Creative Production and Training Centre (CPTC) and the Caribbean Institute of Media and Communication (CARIMAC).
• Natalie Thompson, film producer and managing director of Cinecom. Some of Thompson’s acclaimed productions have included Third World Cop (1999), Knight and Day (2010) and the Marley documentary (2012).
• Nile Saulter, cinematographer and film director as well as founding member of New Caribbean Cinema. Some of his notable productions include Coast (2011), Pillowman (2013) and Everblessed (2016), a collaboration between himself and Canadian journalist Jeremy Relph.
• Randall Richards, emerging photographer, videographer and one of the founders of ARRC Creative Media Ltd. Richards’ recent productions have included the music video for music single by Reggae artiste Protogé, Kingston Be Wise (2013).

Also as an accompanying mini-campaign to the Kingston: Filming The City panel discussion, persons are being invited to create 10 to 20 second videos about Kingston and post them to the NGJ Education Department Facebook page, using the hashtag #ngjkingstonfilm. The final day for posting will be on November 4, 2016. All posts will be reviewed by the National Gallery of Jamaica before appearing on the page’s timeline.

The panel discussion is free and open to the public. Persons in attendance will also have an opportunity to view the Kingston, Part 1: The City and Art exhibition

Film: The Maker of "A Dry White Season" Returns

The MIPCOM 2016 Women in Global Entertainment Power Lunch once again features some of the industry’s heavy-hitters discussing the role of women, both on and off-screen, Indian Television reports.

The fifth edition of MIPCOM’s annual thought leadership and networking event for the most influential women shaping the future of TV and entertainment is run in partnership with A+E Networks and Lifetime, along with The Hollywood Reporter.

The global entertainment content market, MIPCOM takes place in Cannes, France, from 17-20 October. The Women in Global Entertainment Power Lunch is scheduled for Monday 17 October, at the Hotel Majestic.

The event will be introduced by A+E Networks chief marketing officer Amanda Hill, who will take a deep dive into the female experience, uncovering and highlighting the important issues facing women today via a recent Lifetime study. In addition, Hill will discuss Lifetime’s launch of a new multiplatform initiative called The Fempire, which targets fourth-wave feminists. Its mission is to create content for women, by women, about women, and to engage with them 24/7.

This will be followed by a presentation from Emmy® Award-nominated Constance Zimmer and fellow actress Shiri Appleby, who both star in Lifetime’s “UnREAL”. They will talk about their respective roles in the series, and how it ties into Lifetime’s ethos and what female empowerment means today.

The Women in Global Entertainment programme continues with an inspirational conversation between two leading figures of the film and TV industries, Betsy Beers, Partner at Shondaland, and pioneering French Director, Screenwriter, and Producer Euzhan Palcy.

A multi-award-winning producer, Beers is Executive Producer of ABC Studios’ hit series “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Scandal,” “How to Get Away With Murder,” and “The Catch,” along with the upcoming new Untitled Shondaland Project (formerly known as "Still Star-Crossed"). In 2008, Beers partnered with Shonda Rhimes and her company Shondaland to develop and produce additional feature film and television projects. Prior to her exclusive foray into television, Beers served as President of the Mark Gordon Company, President of director Mike Newell’s Dogstar Films, and developed and produced such films as “200 Cigarettes,” “High Fidelity,” and “Pushing Tin” among many others. In 2014, Beers and Rhimes were honoured by the Directors Guild of America with the coveted Diversity Award for their commitment to diversity hiring and their long record of providing opportunities to women and minorities. (Rhimes is also being honoured as MIPCOM 2016 Personality of the Year.)

Euzhan Palcy(above left), is an award-winning filmmaker, and the first black female director produced by a major Hollywood studio, through her apartheid-themed feature movie, “A Dry White Season” (MGM, 1989). She is also the first black person ever to win a Cesar, the French Film Academy Awards, and the only woman ever to have directed Marlon Brando. Through films such as “Sugar Cane Alley,” “Ruby Bridges” and “The Killing Yard,” her work explores themes of race, gender, and social justice from a decidedly feminist and humanist perspective. In 2016, Palcy received the Honorary Award of the first Positive Cinema Week of Cannes, and The Wrap included her on its list of 17 Most Influential Women Who Revolutionised Hollywood. Palcy will unveil exclusive images in Cannes from an interview she did with the late South African President in a segment entitled “Nelson Mandela and the Role of Women,” an extract from a 25-minute filmed interview.

“For the fifth edition of MIPCOM’s Women in Global Entertainment Power Lunch, we are delighted to welcome a line-up of women who are behind some of the most creative and challenging content in contemporary television. The summit is thus continuing its mission as a key event for those women who are shaping the future of TV and entertainment,” said Reed MIDEM’s Television Division director Laurine Garaude

Film: Back As Bond

 1 year, and a reported US$150m later, Daniel Craig appears to have found some new love for 007

-GQ.com

During his press tour for Spectre, Daniel Craig went on something of a rampage against his role of James Bond, labeling the character a misogynist and declaring he’d much rather “slash [his] wrists” than ever again don the perfectly tailored tuxedo of 007.

That seems to have changed a year later, though, in the wake of Craig reportedly being offered a cool $150 million for two more 007 films. In a recent interview, Craig hinted at returning, saying he would “miss the role terribly” if he had seen the last of the franchise. What a difference a year makes.

This will come as a blow to everyone who’s jumped the gun and created fan petitions and fantasy-cast their ideal next Bond already. Top candidates include Idris Elba, who’s had to field questions about these rumors for years now, poor guy.

 Whatever the future of the series, we know Skyfall and Spectre director Sam Mendes won’t be returning. Hopefully the next director, whoever they may be, will have the vision and courage to include at least three distinct sex scenes and some shots of cars speeding up winding mountain roads.

Film and Music: Scoring "Cage"

When Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad first signed on to score Netflix’s Luke Cage, they didn’t consider how the show would consume their day-to-day lives. The two are legendary — Muhammad was a founding member of A Tribe Called Quest, and the prolific Younge has an output that defies categorization.
They quickly realized all future plans needed to be shelved. It wasn’t solely that the score was overly consuming — though Younge concedes, “We had to give up our lives as artists to dedicate ourselves wholly to this score” — but more that Younge and Muhammad realized they had a chance to create a score that could define the TV series.
“We raised the bar and created something that is timeless,” professes Muhammad. Over coffee at the Cut restaurant in the recently opened Four Seasons Downtown in New York City, Vulture spoke with the two musicians about creating the score, the lack of opportunities for black composers, and setting a tone that bridges a many musical genres.
You both had worked together before Luke Cage, right?Ali Shaheed Muhammad: Since about 2013, when he was working on the Souls of Mischief record, and he asked me to be a part of it. That formed our friendship and production partnership, but we had never spoken about scoring together, so when [showrunner] Cheo [Hodari Coker] reached out to us individually, it was easy to fall into.
For something like this, are you both in the same room working together? Are you emailing? And then how do you get the orchestra involved?Adrian Younge: There are 13 episodes, and on each of the episodes, we have a spotting session, where we meet with the directors and the music supervisors, and we all watch the episode. Then we write notes and we leave. Ali takes these amount of cues, I take these amount of cues, we do a certain amount of cues together, and when we are done, we submit it for approval to everybody, and assuming there are no changes — there are never much changes at all — we give it Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, who is our conductor-orchestrator, and he orchestrates it for a 30-piece orchestra that we record in Raphael Saadiq’s studio. Then we record that and mix it.
There is a sense that you both realized this score would be studied by future musicians, and the idea that you had to go above and beyond expectations. Am I right in that? And did that sense come while scoring or after the fact?AY: It was in the present. As freelance artists, you do what the hell you want to. When you are a composer for a multi-billion-dollar company like Marvel, you are an employee and you have responsibilities. When we accepted these jobs, I just thought it’d be a couple of months. We realized this is a big deal for many reasons, at that point.
One reason, we enjoyed it, and we wanted to do a good job for Cheo, who has our back. Secondly, it is something that is great for our careers. As composers, it brings us to another side where cats have done hip-hop, R&B, and now we’re getting into a big television series with a film perspective on composition, not just a regular television.
And lastly, we needed to execute because it was something that was bigger than us. We are two black composers, and black composers don’t really get the opportunities to support things of this magnitude. It is a cyclical process. If you look back to Duke Ellington, to Quincy Jones, to Isaac Hayes, these opportunities are seldom, and when black composers have been awarded these opportunities, it is something where you must make a statement. The statement we sought to make is that people of our culture should aspire to do more than just sampling or producing for someone else. Don’t just stop there. You can score film, you can have an orchestra, you can go as far as you want to.
When I say our culture, I am talking about urban culture. And that includes people that are in hip-hop. You don’t see hip-hop producers composing. We can count on one hand how many we know. It is unfortunate. But it is something that ties into the fact that you don’t see many black composers having these opportunities. We knew we wanted to set a bar, and we wanted to make something pivotal, unique, and novel for people to watch and feel.
The second episode is where the viewer really feels the impact of the score. It starts and ends the episode. Was that a pivotal episode for the both of you?ASM: The funny thing about that is that the second episode was the first episode we scored. That was the one where we knew — everything has to go into this moment.
AY: And when we did that episode, it helped convince Marvel and Netflix that these guys should have an extra budget now to have an orchestra. They love what we were doing so much. Dawn Soler at ABC pushed hard for us to get an orchestra. That song that starts and ends episode two is the song where they were like, “This is it. This is the sound of the show.” They always believed in us, but what we said to them is you don’t have to have any needle drops here, you don’t have to license as much music, let us create more score. Let us create more source material for you guys so that the music all comes together to create a world of Luke Cage. Instead of songs just being pulled from everywhere. That helped us have this orchestra for 13 episodes, which is very expensive.

Film: FLOW Keeps the show going for TT Film Fest

TELECOMS provider Flow has committed to sponsoring the Trinidad and Tobago Film Festival (ttff) for the next three years until 2019.

Cindy-Ann Gatt, director of marketing for Flow, made the announcement at the launch of the Film Festival which took place at the Hyatt Regency recently. Flow is the presenting sponsor for the ttff which runs for one week this year, at MovieTowne and other locations from today to September 27.

This is the 11th year of the ttff and Flow has been involved since 2008 as the top sponsor, providing the necessary funding for the operational costs of the festival. Flow also sponsors the People's Choice Awards which cover Best Feature Film – Narrative, Best Feature Film – Documentary and Best Short Film.

Over the years, Flow's partnership with the Trinidad and Tobago Film Festival has seen movies from the Film Festival air on HBO and Flow also airs local movies on Flow's Video on Demand option, with 100 per cent of the proceeds going to the creators of the film.

This year Flow, the leading telecoms provider, will be hosting a workshop for participating filmmakers explaining how they can use and go about accessing Video on Demand to show their work, whether it's a full-length feature or a film short.

At the launch Cindy-Ann Gatt explained, “It's about supporting excellence in Caribbean Arts and Caribbean content. At Flow we see the Film Festival as a tool that ensures that we have a place at the table concerning film. The fact is we in the Caribbean and specifically Trinidad and Tobago cannot wait for others to tell our stories. It doesn't work like that. We have to empower ourselves to insert our narrative into the film industry.

“The ttff is one way to ensure that our films have a place to go.”

The theme of this year's ttff is Good to Go and tickets are available all venues prior to the screening of the film. It is also a reflection of the company's investment in the development of local and Caribbean content, said Gatt.

Venice becomes "La-La Land"

Damien Chazelle, director of Whiplash, is set to make his return to the big screen with his new feature, La La Land. The film is scheduled to open the 73rd Venice Film Festival in Italy, where it will have its world premiere on August 31. The Venetian screening will also mark the film’s world premiere.

La La Land is a musical romance set in Los Angeles. It tells the love story between Mia (Emma Stone), an aspiring actress, and Sebastian (Ryan Gosling), a dedicated jazz musician who scrapes by playing piano gigs in dingy bars.

Chazelle’s new film re-unites him with Whiplash composer Justin Hurwitz, who co-wrote the score of songs in La La Land along with the Tony-nominated team of Benj Pasek and Justin Paul.

La La Land’s U.S. theatrical release is set for December 2.

Media Biz: post-Brexit pound KOs Starz-Lionsgate merger

The widely expected merger between Lionsgate and Starz has been derailed because of the Brexit currency chaos, The Post has learned.

One of the banks being lined up to provide the financing was forced to withdraw from the deal after the British pound fell about 10 percent versus the dollar over two days, one source told The Post.

“It fell apart over the weekend,” the source said. “Brexit hurt the financing. It’s dead.”

The person cautioned that the deal could be resuscitated if economic conditions improve.

Rumors of a likely deal between the Hollywood studio and the premium pay-TV channel gained steam in the last couple of weeks — pushing shares of both companies higher.

Shares of Lionsgate, the studio behind “Hunger Games” and “Divergent,” rose 5.8 percent on June 23, to $21.72, as whispers of an impending deal raced from Tinseltown to Wall Street.

Film: Curtains set to go Up on 2016 GATTFEST

The 4^d Annual GATFFEST reaches a crescendo this week with the Premiere of Film on Trench Town at the Opening Night, scheduled for June 23 at the Assembly Hall on the mOna Campus of the UWI.

 

The highly anticipated four day festivities, which culminate at a grand award ceremony on June 26, brings the curtains down to what has been one of the most exciting showcase of GATFFEST till date.

 

Not only did the interest spiked in this path breaking community initiative locally and regionally, the number of international entries to the Caribbean’s most happening community film festival reached record numbers.

 

“We are proud of GATFFEST’s achievements,” said Professor Ian Boxill, Professor of Management Studies and Director, Centre for Tourism and Policy Research. “It is through perseverance, hard work and most importantly a dedicated and focused team, which has made us grow strength to strength every year.”

 

The series of events include an invitation only Opening Gala and Film Premiere, which is a Red Carpet Arrival and Reception and premiere of documentary on Trench Town.

 

The festivities move to Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts on Friday, June 24, where two workshops, which will be anchored by United States film maker Judy Chaikin, and Colombian film maker Jhon Narvaez Escudero – who will delve under the theme “Telling your story workshop”. These workshops are free of cost. On Friday evening, EMC will host a selection of local and international films – there is nominal admission cost of $800.

 

On Saturday, the spotlight shines in Kingston and the second city of Montego Bay. At Courtleigh Auditorium, in Kingston there will an engaging panel discussion will look into Movie Techniques and The Filmmaker’s Trials and Tribulations. UWI Western Jamaica Campus comes alive with Jhon Narvaez Escudero giving Tips for the Independent Filmmaker.

 

Both events are followed by film nights, at Courtleigh Auditorium in Kingston and Wexford Hotel in Montego Bay.

 

Sunday, June 26 is the grand finale, wherein a gala Awards Ceremony will be organised, which will recognise and reward the works of the top films.

 

“We are not merely a film festival,” Prof. Boxill said. “GATTFEST is fast becoming the catalyst and the medium for story tellers converging in Jamaica, exchanging thoughts and ideas and critically advancing the filmmaking techniques at par with the best in the world.”

Arts: [Afflicted] Yard style, in tribute to Peter Dean Rickards

The T&T Film Festival's New Media exhibit on the works of the late Peter Dean Rickards drew a large crowd of appreciative viewers not only from T&T but the Caribbean, especially his native Jamaica.

The pictures shown were beautifully simple, almost stark, evoking a range of emotions from laughter and nostalgia to disgust and sadness.

Seven short films were shown which showed different aspects of Jamaica. 'Ambush' showed a young black girl, Mariah, dancing quietly to music. 'I had that dream again' was very surreal, with a man smoking a cigar suddenly being confronted by a woman dancing on the roof of a house. 'Solaris', showing a woman lounging on a beach alone, contrasted drastically with the manic energy of Stone, with singer Terri Lyn. 'Kingston 1996' and 'Proverbs 24:10' looked at different aspects of dancehall culture, while the final film 'Friday July 13, 2012 – Ninjaman at Exodus' showed a snippet of Rickards' work with the Jamaican DJ.

During the slideshow of Rickards' work, one of his closest friends and one of the managers of his artistic estate, Ross Shiel, gave a moving tribute to the photographer, filmmaker and storyteller.

“His work was a rare, sharply focused eye-view into Jamaica’s culture and daily life. He could be dark or he could find optimism in the gloom, could make you laugh or could make you cry, or all at the same time. We think a lot of it came from being born in Jamaica but raised since his teens as an immigrant in Canada. It gave him a different perspective on the nuances, the weirdnesses of different cultures, especially his own; and together with his innate fascination perhaps made it so much easier for him to see what the rest of us wouldn’t or maybe, couldn’t.”

Sheil said Rickards was apprehensive when he was first invited to T&T four years ago, because of the perceived antagonism which exists between the two countries but Sheil said “Rickards really enjoyed the experience and his eyes were opened by the size of the creative community in Trinidad and the appreciation for his work and other people's work as well.”

“I worked with him since 2004, and in many ways he showed me a different side of Jamaica from what I saw as a journalist. He found things in the culture that other people wouldn't see and gave it dignity and a sophistication. Maybe in Jamaica we self-stereotype ourselves too much, we tend to go after the same hype as everyone else and I think his work struck a nerve overseas as well because people always suspected or wanted to see a more diverse representation of Jamaica and he was someone who could capture that.”

“He could write really well, he was a photographer, a videographer and even had a project webcasting sound systems from a basement called Kingston Signals, which was pretty amazing in the days of dial-up internet. He was someone who just really enjoyed taking daily life and making stories and narratives out of it, in whatever the medium. I know there are many people, including younger artists who are coming up now, and it's remarkable and interesting how many say they were influenced by him in some way. That shows we do have room for diversity and real representations that don't have to be sugarcoated, or deny how our society really is. He said basically we have extremes in Jamaica, extreme ugliness and extreme beauty and extreme good and bad and he captured all of that, sometimes at the same time. He had a pretty wicked sense of humour as an artist and could be cutting and controversial at times. I think that him going was a loss to Jamaica and the country was a bit more boring as a result, because there wasn't this representation.”

Sheil said this is his first time coming to the T&T Film Festival and he was amazed by “the level of organization that's gone into it, the amount of Caribbean films they've sourced, not just from the English-speaking Caribbean, it's quite remarkable. It says something that here's a Jamaican filmmaker who didn't get invited by the Jamaican Film Festival but they're showing his work at the T&T Film Festival. There are still some projects of his that we, the managers of his estate, have to finish, so this event is very encouraging as we do that work. There's a book project he had that was basically laid out and completed, there was an unfinished documentary project with Ninjaman, and we want to restart FIRST Magazine.”

“It's cool that this is going on and it's appreciation of work from other Caribbean islands which is what it should all be about, we're not really that big to draw those lines for something like this. I think it's a really awesome achievement by the organizers.”

The works of Peter Dean Rickards can be found at www.afflictedyard.com andwww.peterdeanrickards.com

Film: Once again, its GATTFEST

ATFFEST Film Festival 2016 call for entries

 

Join one of Caribbean’s most exciting and fastest growing community film festival

Deadline for submission - April 29, 2016

School Competition introduced to harness young talent

 

Kingston, Jamaica: Filmmakers from across Caribbean are being invited to submit their entries of short films, and be a part of one of the Caribbean’s fastest growing community film festival – GATFFEST, held under the auspices of the UWI Community Film Project (UWICFP).

 

GATFFEST, organised annually, is a catalyst for social commentary, expression and community participation. Now in its fourth year, continues its quest to be a platform for showcasing local, Jamaican and Caribbean filmmakers, and to harness their talents and works. The grand finale will be in June, when the winners will be announced at a glittering awards ceremony.

 

“GATFFEST is ever evolving,” said Professor Ian Boxill, Professor of Management Studies and Director, Centre for Tourism and Policy Research. “This year we have expanded the scope and introduced a School Competition, to encourage and showcase talent of upcoming independent film makers.”

 

The film festival has expanded its footprints across the shores, the entries are not restricted to a region, and GATFFEST welcomes international entries. Last year 36 international and regional films were screened, and films were received from every continent except Africa.

 

For the first time, this year’s festival is targeting high schools students with GATFFEST School Competition. “We have seen where these students have the capability and creativity to create entertaining and thought provoking short films,” Savannah Peridot, Business Development Manager, UWICFP said.

 

“We are targeting 25 High Schools in Kingston and Montego Bay,” Peridot informed. “We will choose 10 of the best film submissions, which will be shown at the film festival.”

 

Professor Boxill, who is the head of the GATTFEST Film Festival, reaffirmed the commitment to make a positive impact on the communities, nurture, develop and encourage young and upcoming talent.

 

“This is a platform for Caribbean’s budding and emerging filmmakers,” he said. “The objective is not only for them to get excellent visibility, but make meaning contribution to the communities through the medium,” Professor Boxill said.

 

GATFFEST is an excellent opportunity for filmmakers across the board to harness their talent, get a chance to interact with the best of Caribbean creative minds, tell their stories and be recognised for their talent and creativity.

 

 

The deadline for submission of entries is April 29, 2016.

Film: with Belafonte Project, The Biopic Train Keeps Rolling

Actor Jesse Williams — known for his work on ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy” — will produce and star in a film about the Civil Rights era actor, singer and activist Harry Belafonte,Rick Riley reports for The Atlanta Black Star.

Williams made the announcement about the project yesterday via Twitter and onDenzealot, the podcast hosted by comedians W. Kamau Bell and Kevin Avery:

“I care more about activism and social justice and law than I do about acting. I have an awesome job that I love, but there’s this magnetic force that is constantly pulling me toward activism. I just have to do it,” Williams said in the most recent podcast.

The actor has become an outspoken activist on various social injustices around the country. His tweets have circulated on to various media outlets, and he was also part of the #JusticeForFlint fundraiser for victims of the Flint, Michigan water crisis, reportsAtlanta Blackstar.

Williams has become a popular celebrity activist, ranking highly among others such as directors Ava DuVernay and Ryan Coogler, singer John Legend and actress Amandla Stenberg.

Belafonte has had a multi-decade career that included singing, dancing and acting but was highlighted by his marches alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Even today, the legend has spoken truth to power and taken part in protests around the country.

Uptown Magazine reports that Williams will also be working on two documentaries. One of them will focus on the school-to-prison pipeline. The second will explore the Black Lives Matter movement’s origins and cultural impact. Both will air on BET.

Movies: In "Spectre" Bond and Company Evolve, in intriguing Ways

Unless you're on a high wire across the Grand Canyon, a misstep need not be a disaster. Considering the flood of negative and even "iffy" press that greeted the newest Bond film, "Spectre" one might have thought the franchise was going down in flames, like mythical Icarus.

No such thing.

Under the capable and stylish hand of Sam Mendes, 'Spectre" shows the franchise as flourishing if not always firing on full cylinders, and still great to watch.

This time, the new M (Ralph Fiennes, really getting into it) finds himself battling a cocky new colleague Max Denbigh (Andrew Scott) who wishes to abolish the 00-programme in favour of a vast new multi-national computer-snooper programme. The code name of this awful new stuffed shirt is C – and Bond does not scruple to make crude innuendo on that score.

Also "getting into it" is Ben Whishaw, whose Q is miles removed from the mere gadget-handing human prop of past Bond films into a kind of film model for Edward Snowden. His repartee with Bond and his won quick asides almost make the film on their own. 

James Bond is cutting loose from duplicitous, bureaucratic authority - in the time-honoured fashion – and plans to track down a certain sinister Austrian kingpin at the heart of something called Spectre, played with gusto by Christoph Waltz. This is the evil organisation whose tentacular reach and extensive personnel may in fact have accounted for all Bond’s woes in Craig’s previous three movies.

Craig as Bond is as unrelenting as ever, both physically and mentally,  dismissing his superiors and taking advantage of his peers, as well as anyone else that can assist him, to make sure that he can get to his man and save the world. Is he getting the former to preserve his ego? Or saving the latter, because it’s the right thing to do? It’s murky, which makes Spectre that extra bit intriguing. 

He does all this while still teasing an emotional depth and fatigue that makes his incarnation glisten with a relatability that sets him apart from previous versions. It’s almost as if John Wayne and Don Draper have merged together, put on a suave suit, and decided to save the world.

If, as is heavily rumoured, he gives up the tux and martinis (and Aston Martin) after this go-round, he can be forgiven, and should still be praised for having modernized the franchise and given the icon a much-needed edge.

While not as satisfying allround as its predecessor, "SkyFall", this latest Bond shows that the character still has all his trademark elements intact - ladies' man, killer, survivor, wit and human being. Here's hoping Daniel Craig will stick around for at least one more.

Movie Review: "Hateful 8" is the Full Stew from Quentin Tarantino

With a fierce blizzard nipping at their heels, and a fulsome bounty awaiting them in the next town, bounty hunter John Ruth (Kurt Russell, in a definite return to form) and stagecoach drive OB (James Perks) whip through the Wyoming country, Ruth cahined to convicted murderess Daisy Domergue (Jennifer Jason Leigh, more on her later).

The chance to encounter a Black Union officer (Samuel L Jackson), himself now occupied as a bounty hunter but favouring his paycheques on the "Dead" variant of the old "Wanted: Dead or Alive" rubric, and a die-hard Confederate (Walton Goggins ) also claiming to be th new sheriff of the town where Daisy is to be presented for justice.

They agree to a pit stop at Minnie’s Haberdashery, a local watering hole, known to both bounty hunters,  where Ruth, known as "The Hangman"  intends to wait-out the storm. However, Minnie is nowhere to be found; instead, the Haberdashery is inhabited by four polite strangers: Oswaldo Mobray (Tim Roth), Bob “The Mexican” (Demián Bichir), Joe Gage (Michael Madsen), and Confederate General Sanford Smithers (Bruce Dern). 

Suspicious of his acquaintances, both new and old alike, The Hangman digs in and prepares for a two-day stay surrounded by dangerous men with unknown intentions.
The inventive, swaggering dialogue is what drives it onward: quintessentially American. 

Instant mistrust, rampant racism (reinforced with a barrage of N-words) and conflicting loyalties — mostly to one's self — play out amid delicious tension as cabin fever grips the group.

Juggling this many players is a mighty task. Tarantino's winding script establishes their roles in fits and starts, never putting too much pressure on any one scene or piece of dialogue. Jackson and Jason Leigh dominate every frame they're in, but everyone gets a chance to shine.

But it is Leigh, not seen in a mainstream production of this magnitude for some time, who shines brightest. Her Daisy, by turns feral, sardonic and sweet (listen to her sing and play guitar), has to rank as one of the THE performances of the year, regardless of who is considering such things.

The Hateful Eight is a quality production full of unforgettable performances, cheeky banter, and a gripping storyline packed full of fun twists and shrewd drama – limited only by violence and profanity that won’t be of taste for easily offended filmgoers. 

Film Biz: After the inaugural JA Film Fest, will it be "Lights, Camera....Industry?"

Having been briefly denied access to the Opening and voluntarily skipped the Closing ceremony, we managed to skip much of the glitzier aspects of the inaugural Jamaica Film Festival, put on by JAMPRO through its Jamaica Film Commission, and with help from the CHASE Fund, FOX Audience Strategy and other corporate and institutional partners.

we also screened relatively few films - four if an exact figure be demanded: the quirky yet ultimately sad and ironic "Country" (A peek into the present hardscrabble existence of the star of the 80s novelty Countryman), the compelling "Mas Man" (a peek, not into the life, but into the brilliant design philosophy of the irascible Peter Minshall), the dazzling yet lightweight romance "Destiny" and the unassuming yet ultimately heroic drama "Kingston Paradise" (more on these in a separate post).

So then, where was the "gold" in attending this high-powered gathering? In the seminars/panel discussions, There, the likes of  Paula Madison, writer-producer-channel owner (The AFRICA Channel), Basil Wallace (of "Marked for Death" Steven Seagal notoriety, but so much more), Tonya Williams (Young and the Restless alum and founder of her own filmfest, the Reel World Film Festival), Arthur Wylie (lanky, cool, soft-spoken but brilliant money manager turned film producer), Bernard Thomas (33 years with ESPN...nuff said), Marlon Paul (Betcha never knew that Timbaland's wedding videographer was a Caribbean man) and many others unfurled skeins of valuable (indeed invaluable) info.

Madison, who took NBC news from worst to first, was a co-owner of the WNBA's LA Sparks (before selling....to Magic Johnson) and had the temerity to take star producer Brian Grazer's regular limo driver, told how an upbringing by Jamaican parents in Harlem (including a Chinese mother, more on that) helped her and her brothers formulate and activate a philosophy on collective wealth, which, of course, she is still living.

Wylie, who overcame a Malcom x-style discouragement that he was "just a little too dark" to succeed in finance to build a firm that managed just over three-quarters of a billion dollars by the time  he sold it, told of his serendipitous association with Black writer Omar Tyree ("Fly Girl") and the attendant foray into the film business, on the heels of a major deal with Lionsgate. He also spoke of his Arthur Wylie Foundation, the upcoming Crazy and Fearless Golf tournament in Mobay (named after his inspirational book, Only the Crazy and Fearless win BIG!) and the in-development "White Witch" movie project, in which he is involved with Rollins family scion Michael Rollins and J Reddick, of the Final Destination horror/sci-fi franchise.

Tobago-born, Canada-based camera nut Paul spoke of travelling the world as a news cinematogpher/producer/cameraman and of the fateful call to go to Aruba from the Timbaland camp, a call which he initially rejected several times as a prank. There, he would distinguish himself by disregarding the objections of a co-ordinator and stashing a light bank in nearby bushes so as to compensate for the bride's proverbial late arrival, which would otherwise have thrown the wedding party beyond sundown and into darkness.

One of the points reinforced by the panelists, to the chagrin of some attendees, was that commercially, Los Angeles/Hollywood was still the global epicenter of the film business, even if volumes in Nigeria and India had overtaken those in the US. Therefore, posited Williams and others (including former pro baseballer turned "Being Mary Jane" star Stephen Bishop) to be truly successful on a global scale in film would require, at some point, a move to La-la Land, and further, for aspiring actors, it was imperative. This assertion prompted a minor storm of debate which was thankfully, soon quieted.

Overall, the main takeaway is that film is a collaborative, demanding business (that will "eat you up" in Wallace's words) but one with massive potential, particularly for the acknowledged talent pool present in Jamaica. the question still to be answered is can the required mobilization of people and funds take place in a post-IMF Jamaica to allow us to make the kind of dent, beyond high-placed individuals overseas, that the country needs and that our heritage deserves?

Stay tuned....


localjoe.myorganogold.com

Lights, Camera....JAMPRO

David Arquette

L-R, co-hosts singer/actress Cherine, Debbie Bissoon and JAMPRO chairman Milton Samuda

LeVaugn Flynn of sponsors Red Stripe

Even as film industry types air various gripes (many still valid) with officialdom's handling of film works on the rock, that didn't stop many of them from crowding into JAMPRO's main presentation room to hear (and see) the launch of the Jamaica Film festival, set for July 7-15 at various venues.

The hosts waged a near fruitless battle against absolutely horrible sound, and the online links were also troubled by glitches, but the information  - and the gravity of JAMPRO's intent - eventually came through. Actor David Arquette (everything from the "Scream" franchise to the new "Entourage" movie) was on hand to lend a bit of star power to the proceedings

In addition to screenings, there will be seminars, awards and panels on a host of film topics, most anticipated being "Funding the Film Project" and Digicel will put its weight behind a "film on a smartphone" contest specially for the event.

for more info visit www.filmjamaica.com


www.localjoe.organogold.com

Jazz Film: "Stock's" Photos on Show

Sunday, MARCH 29
NEWBURGH, New York

On Sunday, MARCH 29th, the Downing Film Center (19 Front Street, Newburgh, NY 12550) will host “Beyond Iconic: Photographer Dennis Stock” at 1:00 pm. The screening will be followed by a live Q&A with filmmaker Hanna Sawka, after which all attendees are invited to the Wherehouse (119 Liberty Street, Newburgh, NY 12550) nearby for an after-party from 3:00 'til 5:00 pm with a live performance by the film’s composers and musicians, Teri Roiger & John Menegon, as well as Mark Dziuba on guitar & Dave Berger on drums!

This locally made film is the only full-length documentary about Dennis Stock, who is now the subject of Anton Corbijn – directed biopic called “LIFE” starring Robert Pattinson as Dennis Stock that will be released this year. The filmmakers of “LIFE” have thanked “Beyond Iconic’s” director Hanna Sawka in their credits for the role her film played in researching the personality of Dennis Stock.

About the film:
A master class on life, a portrait of a life fully realized: Beyond Iconic introduces Mr. Stock in his own words and through hundreds of his famous photographs, which include images from the Golden Age of Hollywood and Jazz, hippies, the American social landscape, architecture, landscapes and nature. This film is a look at Stock’s brilliant and famous photography, his colorful and adventurous life, and his brassy personality.

"Renowned for his classic portraits of Hollywood stars and jazz musicians, Magnum photographer Dennis Stock held strong opinions on what makes a lasting image. Documenting Stock before his death in 2010, Beyond Iconic takes us through his career and reveals how he captured such iconic pictures as James Dean walking through Times Square in the rain. We get privileged access into Stock’s photography workshop as he shares a lifetime of wisdom." Thom Powers, for the DOC NYC film festival at New York’s IFC Center, November 2011