CaribbeanTales Film Festival celebrates fourth anniversary

The Festival's Guest Of Honor Mme. Euzhan Palcy

Reelworld Festival's CEO Tonya Lee Williams, who received the 2009 Community Service Award, with CaribbeanTales Founder and Director Frances-Anne Solomon

It's been another successful outing for the CaribbeanTales Film Festival – now in its fourth year. Four packed days celebrated the burgeoning Caribbean film industry, courtesy CaribbeanTales, the Canada-based multimedia company founded by award-winning Trinidadian filmmaker, producer and Festival curator Frances-Anne Solomon.

CaribbeanTales is an organisation which creates, markets and distributes educational films, videos, radio programmes, audio books, theatre plays, websites and events to showcase the rich heritage of Caribbean diaspora. Solomon's aim when starting the company was and remains fostering intercultural understanding through film, as a tool to working toward an inclusive Canadian society.

The 2009 CaribbeanTales Film Festival showcased some 65 Caribbean films, and was produced in association with the University of Toronto (UT), with sponsorship from the Consulate Generals for Barbados, France, Trinidad & Tobago; the Trinidad & Tobago Film Company; and the Canada Council for the Arts. This year's theme was "Caribbean Film – a Tool for Education & Social Change".

In addition to film screenings, the Festival hosted a CaribbeanTales Industry Development Programme (CTIDP), focused on providing training workshops, roundtable sessions, and panel discussions on film practice, animation, business development and marketing to support producers to break into the Canadian industry.

The Festival's special guests included director Melissa Gomez (Antigua/UK); producer Magali Damas (New York/Haiti); filmmaker and photographer Ricardo Scipio (Vancouver, Canada); Penelope Hynam and Ian Smith from the Barbados Film & Video Association; Annette Nias from the National Cultural Foundation in Barbados; international programmer June Givanni (UK); author Elizabeth Nunez (US/Trinidad); Emiel Maartens from the University of Amsterdam; and Gladstone Yearwood, Director of the Errol Barrow Center for Creative Imagination, UWI Barbados.

Solomon's home country of Trinidad & Tobago was well represented, with a contingent comprised of Lisa Wickham, CEO of Imagine International; Christopher Laird, CEO of Gayelle The Channel; Camille Selvon-Abrahams, Founder/Director of Anime Caribe Animation & New Media Festival; Jean Antoine of the University of the West Indies; multi-media artist Elspeth Duncan; US-based Producer Horace Wilson; and emerging filmmakers Dara Healey and Andre Johnson.

There was also a who's-who of Canadian-Caribbean filmmakers, including ReelWorld Film Festival President and actor Tonya Lee Williams; multi-award winning video artist and lecturer Richard Fung; filmmaker and academic Michelle Mohabeer; producer/director Nicole Brooks; TV executive Karen King; National Film Board producer Lea Marin; "Soul" creator Andy Marshall; director Powys Dewhurst; and Vancouver-based producer Glace Lawrence.

The festival's high point came at the Saturday evening Tribute Awards Ceremony, honouring trailblazers in the Caribbean film industry. The Award of Honour went to Euzhan Palcy, the first woman of African descent to ever direct a Hollywood Studio movie (A Dry White Season with Marlon Brando and Donald Sutherland in 1989). Her first film, 1983's Black Shack Alley, remains a seminal Caribbean cinematic achievement.

Palcy, who came from France to receive the Award, spoke of the importance of this Festival: "It is most important to me that we as Caribbean people be able to express love and appreciation for each other, not just in our films, but in relation to each other. For that, I treasure this award above others."

Christopher Laird, co-founder and CEO of Gayelle The Channel in Trinidad received this year's Lifetime Achievement Award for his pioneering use of television as a tool for community and social engagement. Earlier in the festival, rapt audiences were also treated to the World Premiere of Laird's new film Drummit2Summit, which documents a tense stand-off between police and local activists during the Summit of the Americas in Port of Spain in April 2009.

Along with Laird, tribute was paid to several extraordinary Caribbean talents including Camille Selvon-Abrahams, who received the 2009 Innovation Award for her groundbreaking and visionary work in establishing the Caribbean's first animation studio and film festival, Anime Caribe, that trains, produces and exhibits work by a new generation of Caribbean-centered animators.

Jamaican film and theatre icon Leonie Forbes presented the Festival's first Leonie Forbes Award to Canadian-Jamaican rising star Michael Miller for his work as an actor and youth worker with youth-at-risk in public housing communities in Toronto.

Actor and producer Tonya Lee Williams received this year's Award for Community Service in recognition for her tireless generosity in establishing and maintaining the Reel World Film Festival and Foundation, whose vision is to showcase Canada's diversity in film. The festival is now 10 years old.

Barbadian-Canadian actor, director, and producer Alison Sealey Smith received the 2009 Award for Excellence, presented to her by the Consul General for Barbados in Toronto, Leroy McClean. Sealey-Smith's many accomplishments include Founding Artistic Director of the Obsidian Theatre, Canada's prolific and Dora Award-winning black theatre company.

Mme. Euzhan Palcy with Trinidadian Animator and CEO of Anime Caribe Camille Selvon Abrahams, recipient of the Innovation AwardBarbados' Consul General in Toronto, Leroy McClean presenting the Award of Excellence to Barbadian-Canadian Actor/Director/Producer Alison Sealey-Smith

Canadian-Trinidadian filmmaker Richard Fung listens to Gayelle The Channel's CEO Christopher Laird, recipient of this year's Lifetime Achievement Award

Jamaican film and theatre icon Leonie Forbes, who presented this year's Leonie Forbes Award to actor Michael Miller - with author Elizabeth Nunez, a guest of the Festival

Sea Sports and Sea Fiesta at Black Rock

Heritage Festival in Black Rock starts at 5 am with a "Wake Up Call". The villagers choose to re-enact the rituals and habits of the fisherfolk, drawn from African Orisa practice, for their Heritage show and the day starts with the pouring of libations at the crossroads, which includes the throwing of rum, milk, corn and rice at the "four roads junction." A street procession follows, led by a steelband, drummers, tamboo bamboo and fisherwomen. The "street queens" and their followers are next and then villagers and visitors join in the fun.

The procession ends on the beach at Courland Heritage Park, where breakfast of bake and saltfish or fried fish is served with hot cocoa or chocolate tea. Activities like seine-pulling take place (and those who help sometimes get to share in the catch!), boat races, the christening of a boat, and other watersports, followed by a concert or play in the evening.

I joined in the activities for the first half of the day and of course, I have pictures to share.

1. The Honourable Orville London, Chief Secretary of the Tobago House of Assembly and Mrs. London, chatting with visitors.
2. Secretary for Department of Education, Youth Affairs and Sports, Claudia Groome-Duke, joining in the street procession. (She's also the area representative)
3. Senator Annette Alfred, enjoying the ambience
4. Seine-pulling (featuring me in the purple top and jeans. I have a new found respect for fisherfolk after that for sure!)
5. Pouring rum on the conch shell
6. Visitors and villagers having breakfast on the beach
Other pictures - just snapshots of the scenery.

Tobago Heritage Festival - Belle Garden Village

Every year, Belle Garden's presentation is based on the Bele Dance Feast or Festival. This year's production is the last part of a trilogy (seems to be a common thing in play writing for Heritage productions these past few years) about the owner of Belle Garden Estate and his family.

In the story this year, the estate owner, Papa Bower dies and leaves specific instructions about how his legacy should be distributed. The story is set in the first half of the 20th century and the stage design, though simple, is designed to represent a lush plantation setting. The life of the deceased is remembered and celebrated not in the usual form of Bongo (Games and Dance and Feasting), but with a Bele Festival, as was Papa Bower's last wish.

If you haven't already... check out the July/August issue of Caribbean Beat!

The new issue of Caribbean Beat takes you on a cultural tour of the region, from Jamaica to Trinidad, with stops popular destinations that produce the best music, fashion, chocolate, cuisine and more.

Its nutmeg trees are well known, but Grenada comes in more than one flavour. As well as spice, it produces chocolate—award-winning artisan-made organic chocolate. Lisa Allen-Agostini tours the Belmont Estate, where some of the world’s finest cocoa is grown and processed in the good old-fashioned way.

Beat goes around the world with the Skatalites, the iconic Jamaican band that invented the music that led to reggae and dancehall. Almost 50 years since ska first hit the airwaves, the music and its makers are still going strong.

British TV chef Gary Rhodes has owned a restaurant in Grenada for years, yet he’s only just discovered the diversity of regional cuisine. He’s making up for lost time now, touring the Caribbean for his latest television series. Franka Philip joined him on his journey of discovery.

Marguerite Gordon knows the right way to do things—but she’s always done things her own way. She teaches personal development, and tells the story of her own, which began in Jamaica, the day she said no to James Bond.

Machel Montano is a man with a mission. He believes soca is the music of the southern Caribbean, and he is its prophet. As he sets out to take that message to the world, Caribbean Beat follows him in this new musical direction.

Designer Robert Young’s clothes are famous for their trademark appliqués, but they’re more than just pretty pictures. Through them Young spreads the word about the environment, or HIV, or Cuba. Not just a designer, he’s also an activist. Beat listens to the word from this man of The Cloth.

Caribbean Beat is published six times a year. Other titles produced by MEP are ENERGY Caribbean, the ENERGY Caribbean Yearbook, Discover Trinidad and Tobago, and the Caribbean Review of Books (CRB).

Tobago Heritage Festival - It Takes A Village To Raise A Child

This year marks the second year that the area of Crown Point, Canaan and Bon Accord has taken part in the Tobago Heritage Festival, after many many years of absence. The play this year represents a continuation of last year's story and part two of a trilogy written by the Village Council.

Under the direction of one of Tobago's cultural icons and noted dancer/choreographer (known for his creation of Tobago's Congo Bele Dance), Henry James, the production has seen many changes and challenges to make it ready for stage this evening.

This part of Tobago is one of the fastest growing communities on the island and in keeping with the concerns of the village elders, the play reflects the need to successfully take on the challenge of creating a cohesive community in light of it's increasing size and diversity. The story centers around a family raising a child with the support of not just immediate relatives, but teachers, neighbours, and the village pastor, each having a role and responsibility in helping to form the child's character spiritually, morally, socially and educationally. Last year's production focused on the parents and the birth of the child, while this year, the child begins his primary then secondary education. I have been able to see some of the rehearsals for this play and the script contains many of the island's proverbs, tales and superstitions that kept children "on the straight and narrow" (including yours truly), and it is both interesting and funny (it even touches on the social issue of "horning" and questionable paternity).

This area's presentation is two-fold: sporting activities and competition in the morning and the theatre production in the evening. Below are a few snap shots of the cast and crew at rehearsals at the community centre.

"One One Cocoa Full Basket"

For those of your planning on spending time in the sister isle of Tobago during the July and August, plan to make The Tobago Heritage Festival one of your 'must see' events. The festival is in its 22nd year, and as usual, the village productions use various aspects of the main theme of the festival in their individual presentations.

The two week long festival started with the opening night theatre production on Friday 13th July at the Dwight Yorke Stadium Car Park (Tobagonians are still waiting for anything even remotely resembling a Queen's Hall or professional theatre space) and continues with the presentations of thirteen villages this year.

This year's opening night production was a collage of Tobago cultural traditions in song, dance, food, proverbs and superstition, but one that lacked proper structure in terms of the script writing and stage direction, so visitors and locals alike were sometimes lost and confused as the story evolved, and there seemed to be no proper link with the theme nor the title of the show ("Full Ah To De Brim"). The ambiance created, however, was beautiful: there were baskets overflowing with cocoa, water fountains and miniature models of water wheels used on plantations.

The Moriah Ole Time Wedding is one of the most popular events during the festival, but this year's attendance seemed one-third that of last year. Perhaps because it was too early on the programme, or because many have been complaining of the inadequate facilities and poor public relations - and this has finally begun to have an effect on the numbers. (The wedding and reception are free, while the stage production costs $20 for adults, so I'm thinking it's not likely that economic downturn would have such a drastic effect on numbers).

I'm hoping the other presentations have much more to offer in terms of quality scripts and better event management, but really it seems as though more work needs to be done to have persons properly trained, so that the festival can continue to add value not only in economic terms, but also in terms of capacity building and social development within individual villages.

The Tobago Festival Committee has a website at which you can get further information about this year's Heritage Festival, including the calendar of events:
http://www.tobagoheritagefestival.com/