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.

Music: Bay-C Stands Tall Astride the [Berlin] Wall

Recording artiste BayC recently returned from his first successful European tour since departing from the legendary group, TOK.  Embarking on his journey to greatness in his solo career, BayC has released his “Eye for an Eye” video filmed on Germany’s historic Berlin Wall.  In “Eye for an Eye,” BayC reintroduces himself to his fans as a multifaceted talent embracing the skills he learned as a dancehall artiste while showcasing his first reggae recording.   

The ‘Eye for an Eye’ video fresh off the highly anticipated ‘Better Must Come’ EP, is a lyrical and visual tour through world history as BayC traverses Germany filming on the historic Berlin Wall and the Holocaust Memorial.

“I had one foot in a piece of history, and my next foot standing in the future. ‘Eye for an Eye’ is a reminder not to allow history to repeat itself and to create a space where love dominates hate.”BayC detailed

  

The artiste also described working with Israeli director Benjamin Lidsky on the ‘Eye For An Eye,’ video project in Germany as “A nice vibe. I respect his work. He flew in from Israel to shoot it. His ancestors experienced a part of the history upon which we stood.  The lens is built to tell the truth, I couldn’t have told the story with anyone but him.  Much respect.”

Music bio: Amnesia, the Musical name You Won't Forget

31-year old Kevin Williams, whom you will come to better know as Amnesia, is an entertainer at heart and loves to joke around and make people happy.

Kingston-born and raised, Kevin started singing - where else? - in the church; the Seventh Day Adventist Church choir to be specific and has been beloved from an early age for his vocal range and natural energy.   Jamaica.

Whilst pursuing his music career he also became involved in street dancing and has developed his other talent as a Magician.

He has worked as a Magician and Musician on shows and in Hotels all over the Island.  Staying for six months at a time during the tourist season in Negril from 2011 to 2015.  During this period he had regular work as a singer at venues such as Bourbon Beach, The Boat Bar, Drifters Bar and Roots Bamboo.  He often also worked in the surrounding towns as well as Montego Bay and is as well known on the West Coast as he is in his home City of Kingston.

In 2008 Kevin entered Rising Star as the lead singer as part of a trio called R3.  They reached the top ten.  Following Rising Star R3 disbanded and Kevin again pursued his solo career.

Keep Shining is his first single released in March 2016 under his new name of Amnesia.

Never forget. Amnesia is the voice of note in Jamaican popular music

Biz/Brands: Amazon takes aim at Netflix

-from the New York Post

Shares of Jeff Bezos’ Amazon popped 1.5 percent in early Monday trading, hours after the e-commerce giant announced it was taking direct aim at Netflix by offering a standalone, pay-by-the-month video streaming service.

Called Prime Video, the service costs $8.99 a month — or $1 less than Netflix will cost after a May price increase.

Netflix shares slumped 2 percent, to $109.30, in Monday morning trading.

Prime Video is the first time Amazon offered a video streaming-only service. Before, it was included in the $99-a-year Prime service, which also included free two-day shipping and a music-streaming service.

Wall Street analysts see the move as a big problem for Netflix, which reports its latest quarterly earnings after the bell on Monday.

RBC’s Mark Mahaney told investors in a note Monday that only Amazon would have access to 4K Ultra content at a price less than $10 per month.

Netflix offers Ultra HD content for $11.99, he said.

Another difference, according to Mahaney, is that Amazon lets users download content for offline viewing at a later date.

“We view this move by Amazon as a significant negative development for Netflix,” he added. “There will be extra pressure on Netflix to execute well on its pending price increase.”

However, Mahaney says Netflix has been a tough competitor for all other contenders in the streaming space and notes its huge domestic subscriber numbers, which stand at 45 million. Amazon Prime has an estimated 54 million members, according to analysts, but not all of them are watching video content.

Amazon’s service has been gaining momentum, too. The company spent millions acquiring content at the Sundance Film Festival and the Cannes Film Festival lineup next month — including five movies that Amazon has rights to stream.

The Amazon-backed Woody Allen movie “Cafe Society” will open the festival, representing the first time non-theatrical movies have opened the event.

Amazon shares hit $635.86 in active trading.

A Reggae Rockin' Jazzy Christmas

Journeyman reggae artiste blazed into the Alibi lounge in the Gore Centre on Wednesday, bringing his band, new single "Riverton" ( a reference to the infamous city dump)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNQRufx2hd8

The night's entertainment also featured "young vets" Chase, Danielle and Racquel, all backed by in-house Wednesday night band, Pon Fyah.

Music: With "Live A Blast" Courtney John breaks through the stratosphere

"The future's in the past"

That lyrical paradox, almost whispered over a
single keyboard note struck repeatedly sets up what must surely be one of the most intriguing and impactful records yet from Courtney John.

While the record continues in the vein of the "rootstronic" sub-genre that the artiste and his creative cohorts premiered a while back, "Blast" with its rapid-fire intercut between soaring anthemic-type chords and more restrained yet intense passages holds the progressive listener enthralled from the first note and perfectly fits the message of rising above the seemingly tight enclosure of circumstances, something with which the singer is all too fiamiliar.

"When I wrote the lyrics I was thinking of a country kid going to town in search of opportunities. I wanted to talk about what the world can be like when someone has to start from scratch build a career, but after writing the song  I realized I was talking about my own life and my own experiences." 

I wanted to keep the production minimal so  the story would get across and because it's rootstronic I wanted to merge different musical elements.  So I got Gee Master who is a keyboard player from Paris to give us the tronic elements and Flabba Holt, Kirk Bennett and [co-producer]The Wizard from Jamaica to give us the roots element.

Speaking to the video, which combines the frenetic pace of a classic "chase"  with more expansive shots (including a great wide shot of the port of Kingston), he says  

"I knew I wanted something very different for the video.  I am a big fan of the downtown Kingston architecture and wanted to do something that would showcase that.  The idea came to mind of a kid being chased in downtown Kingston.  I  bounced the idea with Joel Burke with own I co directed the video with and before you know it we were shot the video one Sunday afternoon in downtown Kingston."

localjoe.myorganogold.com

Auto: Phoenix on Wheels

The latest version of Euro-tuner Hamann's Spyridon G65 was unveiled at the Geneva Auto Show, and its quite an eye-catcher. It takes the already high-end Mercedes G-Class and pushes the  styling envelope, with jet-black body and vivid gold trimmings on exterior and interior. Not simply a looker, the Spyridon has a mighty sound, as the accompanying video will attest