Dr Keith Nurse will Speak at Distribution Forum this Weekend.

WHO:

Dr Keith Nurse, Director of the Shridath Ramphal Centre, University of the West Indies, and Chair of CaribbeanTales Worldwide; Frances-Anne Solomon, CEO, CaribbeanTales Worldwide Distribution (CTWD).

WHAT:

'How To Make Money Off Films" - # 2 in a Series of Regional Workshops Covering Principles of Film and Television Distribution in the Caribbean.

WHEN:

Saturday December 17th, 2011 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

WHERE:

The Shridath Ramphal Centre, University of the West Indies, Cave Hill, University Hill, St Michael, Barbados.

WHY

Dr Keith Nurse, leading creative industries specialist, will headline a workshop on principles of film distribution this weekend, at the Shridath Ramphal Centre Cave Hill, UWI, Cave Hill, in Barbados. Dr Nurse, who is the Director of the SRC, is also the founding Chair of CaribbeanTales Worldwide Distribution, the Region's foremost film distribution entity. The workshop, the second in a series of planned regional collaborative “think-tanks”, comes as regional filmed content continues to expand and come to voice in the international marketplace. In the past months several Caribbean-themed films have found internatioanal recognition including “Fire In Babylon’, an inspirational ode to the glory days of Windies cricket; Laetitia Tonos’ "La Hija Natural", the Dominican Republic's selection for US Academy Award nomination, and Storme Saulter's "Better Mus Come" that has enjoyed a string of recent festival awards including Audience Award at the Bahamas International Film Festival.

What do Caribbean producers need to know in order to make a living off their work and enjoy international recognition? These are some of the questions adressed by the workshop, which will explore key principles of Marketing and Distribution of Caribbean-themed content.

The session marks the solidification of two important long-time partnerships for CTWD -- with UWI’s Shridath Ramphal Center, and with the Barbados Film and Video Assiciation -- that envisions distinctive Bajan film and television content coming into its own and delivering compelling original programs to the regional mix.

Frances-Anne Solomon, CEO of CTWD said: “We are delighted to build on and strengthen our strong relationships with these two extremely influential local organizations, that will see national content shortly begin to bear fruit.”

David Green, newly elected President of the Barbados Film and Video Association said."The CTWD-led workshop is timely because programs Rommel Hall's sitcom “Keeping Up With The Joneses” and other film and television programs by local filmmakers are finding audiences and must also find ways to become sustainable.”

Dr. Keith Nurse summed it up: “CaribbeanTales continues to deliver an essential service to regional producers by providing market driven perspectives on how to monetise content.”  

ENDS

To register for this workshop, pls email info@caribbeantales-worldwide.com. Cost of the workshop is $25 USD or $50 Barbados.

Distribution Workshop #2 : Barbados

Date: Dec. 17th
Time: 1pm - 5pm
Venue: Shridath Ramphal Center, University Hill, UWI, Barbados.

The second in a series of planned regional workshops on Film Distribution and Marketing will take place on Saturday the 17th December, 1-5 pm at the Shridath Ramphal Center, UWI, Cave Hill.

Hosted by CaribbeanTales Worldwide Distribution and led by international fllmmaker and CEO of CTWD Frances-Anne Solomon, this participatory workshop -- entitled "How to make money off films" -- will be intorduced by Creative Industries Expert Dr Keith Nurse, and is co-presented with the Barbados Film and Video Association and the Shridath Ramphal Center at UWI.

The event will focus on principles of marketing and distribution of audio visual content with a focus on Caribbean film and television, and is targetted at filmmakers and industry stakeholders, and is also open to members of the private sector, broadcast industry, and wider media who are interested in broadening their understanding of the opportunities and challenges of distributing filmed Caribbean content in the Digital Age.

The cost of the workshop is $50 Bdos or $25 US. Enrollment is limited to 30 persons so please register early for this unique event. To reserve a place, or for more information pls email info@caribbeantales-worldwide.com.

 

SOLOMON: Filmmakers Must Be Mindful of Markets

by Gillian Moore | Reprinted from the Trinidad Guardian  | Saturday December 3rd 2011.

So, you’re a filmmaker. You’ve purchased the latest digital movie camera and you’ve made your very first film. Now what? According to Toronto-based filmmaker Frances-Anne Solomon, many Caribbean movie makers find themselves in just this position, with a product in hand and nowhere to sell it. “With the affordability of the technology,  she said in an interview, film production took off a few years ago here. Everybody can make a film now.” But many movie makers don’t even consider the business end before setting out to make films. “A lot of filmmakers don’t understand how distribution works, internationally,” she said.
 
They seek funding and make movies without asking basic questions like, “How is it going to make money? Who is my market? Is it viable? How much can it make, and therefore how much can it be made for?” Without critical thought about business models, markets and distribution, many films are doomed to languish unseen, or worse, unsalable. Solomon, who is the founder and CEO of Caribbean Tales Worldwide Distribution, was in Trinidad to deliver a workshop on how to promote and distribute films on the international stage. She has joined forces with Animae Caribe (currently celebrating its tenth year) and the Trinidad and Tobago Film Company, for the first in a series of regional workshops on International Film Distribution.
 
Entitled Taking Caribbean Films to the World, the session took place on November 19, from 1-5 pm at Trinidad and Tobago Film Company, Bretton Hall, Victoria Avenue, Port-of-Spain.
 
It began with an Opening Adress by Trinidad and Tobago Film Company Chairman Dr Christopher Laird. who along with Animae Caribe CEO Camille Abrahams, co-presented the session. Aimed at film and television producers, film industry stakeholders and film and animation students, it covered principles of marketing and distribution of Caribbean content, and ways to work with international distributors. “When I started as a filmmaker over 30 years ago,” Solomon said, “I found no market. It was necessary to create a vehicle to sell my films. That’s why we started CTWD."
 
Solomon is the driving force behind Caribbean Tales, an annual film festival based in Toronto, Canada, which features Caribbean and Caribbean diaspora movies. The festival has taken off, expanded now to New York and Barbados, where she has her Caribbean base. The T&T native is now looking to forge links with the local industry, lending her expertise to developing the burgeoning sector.
 
Need for local markets
One major impediment for local filmmakers, Solomon says, is the absence of a local market. “There is no market domestically. Television stations do not support local content in any way. And this is really critical.
 
“Broadcasters still think filmmakers are supposed to pay them.” She contrasted the local situation with what obtains in other places, where “they have found ways to make it profitable.”
 
In Latin America, “they produce hundreds of telenovelas” every year, for television. In Canada, “filmmakers partner with government and businesses to create sustainable markets” that are mutually beneficial. In the US, it’s fuelled by advertisements.” She said without a domestic market, local films lack a test audience. We lose the opportunity to build industry skills through the cycle of creation, production, marketing and screening. And without a local market, it’s that much harder

 

There are still spaces available...

MEDIA ADVISORY : INTERNATIONAL FILM DISTRIBUTION WORKSHOP SET FOR TRINIDAD.

WHO:

Frances-Anne Solomon, CEO, CaribbeanTales Worldwide Distribution (CTWD). 

 

WHAT:

CTWD International Distribution Workshop, presented by CaribbeanTales Worldwide Distribution in partnership with Animae Caribe and the Trinidad and Tobago Film Company.

WHEN:

Saturday November 19th,  2011 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

 

WHERE:

The Trinidad and Tobago Film Company, Victoria Avenue, Port of Spain, Trinidad. (868) 701-4722

 

WHY

The first in a series of regional workshops on International Film Distribution takes place this  Saturday, November 19, 2011 from 1-5 pm at the Trinidad and Tobago Film Company, Victoria Avenue, Port of Spain, Trinidad.

 

Entitled “Taking Caribbean Films to the World” and presented by CaribbeanTales Worldwide Distribution -- the Region’s premier film distribution company, the event is aimed at film and television producers, film industry stakeholders and film and animation students.

 

It marks the Official Launch of an important new partnership between CTWD, the Animae Caribe Film and New Media Festival, and the Trinidad and Tobago Film Company, that envisions Trinidad and Tobago films holding an increased platform and building a stronger profile on the world stage.

 

Frances-Anne Solomon, CEO of CTWD said: “We are delighted to be working with these two extremely important local organizations in a sustainable partnership that will bridge the gap between local production and the international market and take the local industry to the next stage.”

 

Carla Foderingham, CEO of the TTFC, said."The CTWD-led workshop is timely as the commercialization of local content is the next natural area of focus for local filmmakers and by extension the TTFC."

 

The workshop will cover principles of marketing and distribution of Caribbean content, and ways to work with international distributors. Solomon added “We know these are areas where local producers can benefit from a deeper and better understanding of skilled practice.”

 

Animae Caribe’s CEO and Founder Camille Selvon Abrahams summed it up: “Our partnership with CTWD is necessary and integral to the development of our industry going forward, as it connects us to the Bigger Picture.”

 

The cost of the workshop is $175TT, with a special discounted rate for students of $50.

 

ENDS

For more information about the CTWD International Film Distribution Workshop on November 19, 2011, pls call 701 4722 or RSVP email info@caribbeantales-worldwide.com.

International Film Distribution Workshop scheduled for Trinidad.

CaribbeanTales Worldwide Distribution joins forces with Animae Caribe and the Trinidad and Tobago Film Company  to promote and distribute T&T Films on the world stage.

November 11th 2011. For immediate Release

The first in a series of regional workshops on International Film Distribution will take place next week Saturday, November 19, 2011 from 1-5 pm at the University of Trinidad and Tobago, National Academy of Performing Arts, Keate Street, Port of Spain, Trinidad.

Entitled “Taking Caribbean Films to the World” and presented by CaribbeanTales Worldwide Distribution -- the Region’s premier film distribution company, the event is aimed at film and television producers, film industry stakeholders and film and animation students.

It marks the Official Launch of an important new partnership between CTWD, the Animae Caribe Film and New Media Festival, and the Trinidad and Tobago Film Company, that envisions Trinidad and Tobago films holding an increased platform and building a stronger profile on the world stage.

Frances-Anne Solomon, CEO of CTWD said: “We are delighted to be working with these two extremely important local organizations in a sustainable partnership that will bridge the gap between local production and the international market and take the local industry to the next stage.”

Carla Foderingham, CEO of the TTFC, said."The CTWD-led workshop is timely as the commercialization of local content is the next natural area of focus for local filmmakers and by extension the TTFC." 

The workshop will cover principles of marketing and distribution of Caribbean content, and ways to work with international distributors. Solomon added “We know these are areas where local producers can benefit from a deeper and better understanding of skilled practice.”

Last week the TTFC was pleased to increase its sponsorship support of the 2011 Animae Caribe Animation Festival to facilitate a two-day CTWD-led intensive mini – incubator called “The Pitching Game”.  Some thirty (30) T&T filmmakers were trained in areas including marketing and distribution at the participatory session that was tutored by Solomon, and adjudicated by a panel of international experts. The first prize -- a scholarship to attend the well-respected ten-day CaribbeanTales Toronto Film Showcase and Incubator Program (2012) that runs alongside the Toronto International Film Festival, was won by 20-year old Claire Hamel-Smith of Lab206 Studio.  

“We worked really hard on our pitch and I am very excited that it paid off. I can’t wait to go to Toronto to tell the world about Lab206 and all the work we are doing here in Trinidad.” enthused the young animator.

Animae Caribe’s CEO and Founder Camille Selvon Abrahams summed it up: “Our partnership with CTWD is necessary and integral to the development of our industry going forward, as it is exposing producers to the bigger picture.”

The cost of the workshop is $175TT, with a special discounted rate for students of $50.

Those interested in attending the CTWD International Film Distribution Workshop on November 19, 2011, should call 701 4722 or RSVP to email info@caribbeantales-worldwide.com.

Camille Selvon Abrahams (Anime Caribe) and Frances-Anne Solomon (CTWD) congratulate "The Pitching Game" winner 20-year old Claire Hamel-Smith.

ABOUT CARIBBEANTALES WORLDWIDE DISTRIBUTION: CaribbeanTales Worldwide Distribution (CTWD) is the first full-service film sales, and distribution company in the English-speaking Caribbean, and aims to become the reference point for producers and buyers of Caribbean filmed content. Founded by award-winning filmmaker Frances-Anne Solomon its principals include creative industries expert Dr. Keith Nurse; economist and businessman Dr. Terrence Farrell; media personality and producer Lisa Wickham; and filmmaker and writer Mary Wells. CTWD, a member of the Bim Ventures, family of entrepreneurs, hosts annual film festivals in Toronto, Barbados, and New York, through the CaribbeanTales Film Festival Group, has produced training workshops for filmmakers, and now has scores of films in its catalogue. http://caribbeantales-worldwide.com

ABOUT ANIMAE CARIBE: Animae Caribe, the Caribbean's leading animation and new media festival, recently celebrated its tenth year of ground breaking activity since introducing Caribbean-themed animation to the Region. Founded in 2001, by Camille Selvon Abrahams, and based in T&T, the festival is a creative space where animation, storytelling, technology, and discussion meet; and it has become a dynamic forum for regional youth participation and interactivity. http://animaecaribe.com

ABOUT THE TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO FILM COMPANY: The Trinidad and Tobago Film Company (TTFC) was established to facilitate the development of the film industry in T&T. It provides logistical support, and acts as a liaison between industry partners, community, production houses and Government agencies. The company administers a tax rebate program to support the development of local content, and has provided funding and support to hundreds of filmmakers since opening its doors in 2006. http://trinidadandtobagofilm.com

Geraldine Connor - Obituary

I was priveleged to work with Gerry Connor in the early 90's in London - she composed and did the musical direction for a number of radio plays that I directed. Always up for a challenge, always ready to deliver in spades. She was a prolific and talented artist, teacher, and friend, whose spirit was irresistible, generous, and infectious. So long, Gerry - I'm sorry I didn't get to see you again. FAS.

Energetic theatre director, musician and academic best known for Carnival Messiah

by Margaret Busby | guardian.co.uk, | Monday 31 October 2011

Geraldine Connor, who has died aged 59 following a heart attack, latterly described herself as a creator of theatre, artistic director and heritage consultant. However, it requires a far longer list – including musician, composer, ethnomusicologist, performer, writer, singer, academic, broadcaster and cultural ambassador – to do justice to someone fittingly termed (by the Yorkshire Post) "a tropical storm of energy". Her most spectacular endeavour, Carnival Messiah, which she wrote, composed for and directed, married the European classical tradition of oratorio with masquerade and musical inspiration from the African diaspora in an iconoclastic way that typified all that she did.

A radical reinvention of Handel's Messiah, with a 100-plus cast, the show was first produced at West Yorkshire Playhouse in 1999, and was later staged in Trinidad and Tobago. It has been experienced by about 75,000 people. In 2007, upon the bicentenary of the abolition of the Slave Trade Act, Geraldine staged it in partnership with David Lascelles (now the eighth Earl of Harewood) in the grounds of Harewood House, which was built with funds acquired through slave trading. With brave ambitions, she had been developing a commercial arena production that she hoped would begin touring large-scale venues across the world in 2012, including at the opening of the Olympics.

Geraldine was born in London to high-achieving Trinidadian parents who paved the way for UK-based black artists. Her father, the singer, actor, folklorist and film-maker Edric Connor, was responsible for bringing the Trinidad All Steel Percussion Orchestra to the Festival of Britain in 1951. Her mother, Pearl Connor, was a theatrical agent and founder of the Negro Theatre Workshop. Edric died in 1968. Pearl later married Joe Mogotsi, the leader of the South African vocal group the Manhattan Brothers.

Throughout her life, Geraldine nurtured cultural and educational links between the Caribbean and Britain. She was schooled in Trinidad (Diego Martin government secondary, 1963-68) and in the UK (Camden school for girls, 1968-71). At the Royal College of Music, in London, she studied classical voice, pianoforte and conducting. She graduated in 1974 and returned to Trinidad to teach music for eight years at Queen's Royal College, one of the island's leading schools. Meanwhile she became a licentiate of the Royal Schools of Music in classical voice (mezzo soprano).

During these years she was impressively productive both as an educator and a practitioner, working with choirs, vocal soloists, instrumental and folk ensembles, and teaching extramural vocal classes at the University of the West Indies. As a performer, she toured with productions of Porgy and Bess, Showboat and Carmen Jones, and was a backing singer for Bob Marley, Jimmy Cliff and Tom Jones.

Geraldine played bass for the Trintoc Invaders steel band in Trinidad, where she believed she was the first woman to arrange a tune for the Panorama steel-band competition. Her close association with steel-pan music continued on her return in 1984 to the UK, where she made award-winning arrangements for the steel band Ebony. In 1990 she moved to Yorkshire to take up the post of senior lecturer in multicultural music at the University of Leeds, later being appointed senior teaching fellow and lecturer on the popular music studies BA degree course at Bretton Hall. She completed her doctoral research at the Centre for Cultural Studies, University of Leeds, in 2006, with a thesis that addressed issues of Caribbean consciousness, identity and representation.

Specialising in devising epic theatre events, Geraldine boasted directorial skills guaranteed to add brio to any writer's work. Her daring interpretation turned my historical drama Yaa Asantewaa – Warrior Queen into an all-singing, all-dancing extravaganza that toured the UK and Ghana in 2001-02, with stunning carnival-inspired design by Clary Salandy, some 50 dancers, actors, musicians and singers, and the title role shared by three women, depicting the story through dance, song and the spoken word.

Among the other acclaimed shows she mounted was Vodou Nation(2004), a multimedia reflection on Haiti, and a hit production of the reggae-infused musical The Harder They Come (for which she composed the Ganja Song). Bouts of ill health in recent years did not dim her visionary spirit. Geraldine never settled for half-measures; whatever she turned her hand to was infused with infectious enthusiasm and a passionate determination.

In 2005, she accepted an award from the British Association of Steel Bands in recognition of the Connor family's contribution to the promotion of steel-band music, Caribbean art, culture and heritage throughout the UK. In 2009, she was presented with Trinidad and Tobago's second highest national honour, the Chaconia medal (gold).

She is survived by her brother, Peter, and his children, Teo and Casey.

• Geraldine Roxanne Connor, theatre director, composer and performer, born 22 March 1952; died 21 October 2011.

Forward Home Has Its Suriname Premiere

Forward Home premieres today October 17th, at the TBL Cinema SURINAME.

Shot in 9 countries, Producer-Director Lisa Wickham, Director of Photography, Sheldon Felix, Executive Producer, Dr. Keith Nurse. Forward Home is a 50-minute documentary revealing the economic power of the Caribbean Diaspora, living in global cities and their significance to their homelands as travelers and entrepreneurs. This is the PROMO. Distributed by CaribbeanTales Worldwide Distribution.

Forward Home Has Its Caribbean Premiere

Dr Keith Nurse is Director of the Shridath Ramphal Center at UWI, and Chair of CaribbeanTales Worldwide Distribution. His  ground-breaking documentary "Forward Home" about the economic power of the Caribbean Diaspora,  had its World Premiere in Toronto earlier month at the CaribbeanTales 2011 Film Showcase. It will have its Caribbean premiere tonight, at the Olympus Cinemas in Barbados.

Diaspora tourism significant to Caribbean tourism

By RON FANFAIR

(Reprinted from Share Newspaper. Photo by Bevan Springer)

The results of groundbreaking research on Diaspora tourism and the significant economic power it wields have been made into a documentary that had its world premier screening last week at the opening night of the sixth annual Caribbean Tales Film Festival at Harbourfront Centre.

Forward Home sheds light on the conclusions of a two-year project by economist Dr. Keith Nurse and other University of the West Indies professors who studied four Caribbean countries and overseas communities in which there are large concentrations of nationals from those countries.

The links were Guyana and Toronto, Jamaica and London, the Dominican Republic and New York and Suriname and The Netherland Antilles.

The research project title was Strategic Opportunities in Caribbean Migration.

"We now have empirical data to back up what we have always known anecdotally and that is Diaspora tourism is a significant component of Caribbean tourism," said England-born and Trinidad & Tobago-raised Nurse who is the 40-minute documentary executive producer. "In addition to looking at the impact of the Diaspora community on tourism in the region and the brain drain, we also looked at how people have been utilizing the movement of Caribbean professionals to advance the transfer of knowledge and the growth of intellectual property as a provision of services.

"In effect, the purpose of the research was to look at the relationship between global cities and Caribbean economies. What we found was that the Diaspora tourism economy is multi-faceted in that people come for educational, medical, festival and heritage events and not just leisure. The Diaspora tourism is not a monolithic construct and it also links into other key sectors like telecommunications, travel, shipping, media and a range of other key sectors which we found were critical for the development of economies in the Caribbean.

"Coming out of the research, we are trying to emphasize that there are investments that entrepreneurs are engaged in both in the Diaspora and back home to facilitate this trade and what we need to be doing is strategically looking at how we can expand this trade."

The Ottawa-based International Development Research Centre funded the research project and collaborated with the Shridath Ramphal Centre for International Law, Policy and Services at the UWI Cave Hill campus in Barbados to commission the film.

The findings of the study will also appear in the Canadian Foreign Policy Journal.

"We are gratified by the relationship we have had with Canada in this process and it is for that reason that we are here to launch the documentary," said Nurse who is the Shridath Ramphal Centre director and chair of Caribbean Tales Worldwide Distribution (CWTD) that aims to match content with buyers.

Nurse, who graduated with his first degree from the University of Western Ontario in 1986, said there is a plethora of Caribbean stories and a burgeoning regional audiovisual sector.

"It's however one thing to tell a story and quite another to actually produce the content," he said. "That's why this distributing mechanism is essential in that it will help to get that content monetized and into the market spaces. That is what we have been missing...We need to create more market-ready content. There is a traditional notion that if you produce good content, the market will come to it.

"We are flipping the framework and saying let's figure out what is the market first and then we could go ahead and create content that can be directed at that particular market. Most of the regional filmmakers are floundering largely because their product is not formatted in the right way for the specific market. The broadcast, academic and mobile markets all have very targeted requirements and so if you produce first without understanding what the market needs are, your product will most likely not get picked up."

CWTD produced the Toronto Film Showcase & Market Access program that runs alongside the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) which ends on Saturday. The event showcases the creativity of Caribbean filmmakers at a major film festival and connects them with industry specialists, potential partners, funders and business strategists in an intensive three-day training program.

Forward Home is distributed by CaribbeanTales World Wide Distribution. Buy a copy now for your school or institution. Includes Shipping and Handling to the US/Canada.

Special honour for TIFF co-director, Cameron Bailey

By RON FANFAIR

Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) co-director Cameron Bailey said the four years he spent growing up as a young lad with his grandparents in Barbados shaped his life.

In his acceptance speech last week at the opening of the sixth annual Caribbean Tales Film Festival showcase that honoured him for his dedication and contribution to the Caribbean film industry, the British-born film curator and media personality noted the lessons he learned in the Caribbean country serve him well in his artistic endeavours.

"I attended a small one-room school in St. James where we used little slates that resemble iPad tablets," he recalled. "I learned respect, old-fashioned values and diligence and I also learned how to do things in an unconventional way because you have to in the Caribbean. But the most important thing I learned was the value of Diaspora and how to live that.

"When I go to Barbados' east coast which is the most powerful part of the island for me, I look out to the sea and I feel as if there is nothing that separates me from Africa. I feel as if I could commune with that continent even though I am not physically there. I also feel like what we have in Barbados and the Caribbean is a connection to Africa, Europe, Asia, Latin America and North America because those are all a part of what makes us and we can take from them.

"We own those things. Lots have been taken from us, but I feel that now is the time we can take from all the different things that led into our tradition and heritage. When I travel around the world representing TIFF, I carry all of that with me - that sense of working hard, unconventionality, of being part of the entire world and owning the traditions and cultures of the world because they float through me in one way or another."

Bailey accepted the honour from entrepreneur and community activist Denham Jolly.

"This is overwhelming and a great honour," said Bailey who founded the Planet Africa section of TIFF which lasted nine years until 2004 and headed the Perspective Canada Series before being appointed a festival co-director in January 2008. "We have our little festival (TIFF) starting tomorrow night, but there is no place I would rather be tonight than right here."

A 1987 University of Western Ontario honours graduate, Bailey was Canada's first Black film critic. He co-hosted The Showcase Revue, co-founded the Black Film & Video Network and completed his first screenplay, The Planet of Junior Brown, which was named Best Picture at the 1998 Urbanworld Film Festival in New York. It was also nominated for a Best Screenplay Gemini award.
Bailey was a member of the city's blue ribbon panel assembled earlier this year to update Toronto's official culture plan. He also co-chaired Toronto's Civic Action Arts & Culture Working Group and represented TIFF last April at the inaugural Beijing International Film Festival where he met leaders in China's film industry.

"It's important that we celebrate and honour our own, especially those who represent us on the world stage," said Caribbean Tales Worldwide Distribution chief executive officer Frances-Anne Solomon.

"Cameron was the first to bring an intelligent, diversity-focused perspective to film criticism and appreciation here in Canada and further afield. He has consistently articulated the perspectives of people of colour around the world and has given us a voice in the mainstream of global society."
The Trinidad & Tobago Consulate in Toronto hosted the opening night of the Caribbean Tales Film Festival showcase during which Bailey was honoured.

High Commissioner Philip Buxo congratulated Bailey, adding that the diplomatic mission in the city is honoured to support an event that provides international exposure to the region's talented film industry and promote the Caribbean as an ideal production location.

"The Trinidad & Tobago government shares these goals as we have identified the film industry as one of the sectors to develop and diversify our economy through attracting international productions and generating local employment," Buxo said.

T & T recently launched a competitive incentive program that provides cash rebates of up to 30 per cent for expenditures accrued while filming in the twin-island republic.

TONIGHT SEPT 16th, 6pm @CARIBBEANTALES

THE SKIN: VIP Reception & Red Carpet Launch.

"The Skin is based on stories I heard as a child and in my research to write the screenplay, I discovered that the soucouyant  can be traced back to Greek Mythology.  Most likely it came to the Caribbean through Europe and not Africa as many would believe" Howard Allen, filmmaker.

The Skin screens tonight Friday 16th after a Red Carpet reception @ Harbourfront Centre

Howard and Mitzi Allen, the filmmaking duo behind  Antiguan mythological thriller THE SKIN, speaking to the media in Toronto earlier this week.

TOMORROW SEPT 17th -SCHEDULE

11 am : Enjoy a carnival workshop with Christopher Pinheiro followed by the screening of the film Calypso Dreams. "Calypso Dreams is far and away the best film ever made about Calypso." FREE

2pm :  10 years of Animae Caribe: Camille Selvon Abrahams presents 10 years of Caribbean Animation - $12

5pm : Mas Man - Portrait of Carnival Artist Peter Minshall - The Director's Cut / and the short films ASE by Nicole Brooks and  Redemption by Sean Michael Field - $12

7.30pm : In Conversation with Ian Harnarine - filmmaker of  "Doubles WIth Slight Pepper", and the feature film Fire In Babylon - They brought the world to its knees, and a nation to its feet, witness the breathtaking story of the West Indies cricket team of the '70s and '80s.

Ticket Giveaway @CaribbeanTales !!!!

Email CaribbeanTales@gmail.com with #HitMeWithMusic - 4 pairs of tickets to give away.

CARIBBEANTALES FILM SHOWCASE - SEPT 15th

Well known Canadian Journalist Turned Movie Producer Premieres Film in Toronto

Toronto -  (September 10^th 20011)  Former Canadian broadcast journalist Mitzi Benjamin will premiere her new feature film,  The Skin, in Toronto this week.

Benjamin, the other half of HamaFilms, the dynamic husband and wife filmmaking duo based in Antigua, are here for the Red Carpet premiere of their fourth feature film at the CaribbeanTales Film Showcase at Toronto’s Harbourfront Centre on Friday September 16th, at 6pm.

Benjamin, (now Allen) was the first black television news reporter on CFTO television in the 1980’s until she relocated to the islands of Antigua & Barbuda where she started her own film and television production company with her husband, Howard Allen, the film’s director.

The Skin, a supernatural thriller based on Caribbean mythology stars renowned Jamaican film star Carl Bradshaw, known for roles in iconic films such as The Harder They Come, Dance Hall Queen, and Third World Cop. The film also stars Canadian actor Peter Williams (Stargate SGI, A Winter Tale, and Da Kink in My Hair) and UK actor Jeff Stewart (The Bill, Dead Man Running and True Horrors).

“I am really excited to be back home in Toronto, to share the film with the community that nurtured my love for the arts”, says Benjamin-Allen. “The Skin is an example of how our traditional stories can become Hollywood blockbusters.”

The Antigua & Barbuda Consulate will co-host a reception for the filmmakers on September 16^th  at Harbourfront Centre at 6 p.m. which will be followed by the screening at 7:30. A talkback session with the filmmakers will follow the screening.

The Skin premiered in Antigua & Barbuda in June and Prime Minister of Antigua & Barbuda, Hon. Baldwin Spencer, who has been following the duo's work since their first feature, The Sweetest Mango in 2001, said, The Skin has proven that HAMAfilms has come of age and is taking the country with it.

Mitzi  Benjamin-Allen who is also a facilitator in the Caribbean Tales Incubator sessions during the Toronto Film Showcase is using the opportunity to share her experience as a filmmaker with emerging filmmakers.

The Caribbean Tales Film Showcase is in its sixth year and has proven to be an excellent platform to highlight Caribbean-Canadian creativity.

For tickets, the schedule and general information about the CaribbeanTales Film Showcase and Market Incubator, visit www.caribbeantales-events.com.

Watch the movie trailer, see the behind the scenes video and read about the making of The Skin on http://theskinahamafilm.wordpress.com.

 

 

New Jamaican Action Drama set to premiere in Toronto

Ghett’a Life, the much buzzed-about new action drama by respected director Chris Browne of Third World Cop, makes its North American debut on Tuesday, September 13 as part of CaribbeanTales 2011 Toronto Film Showcase. The  long-awaited and much-anticipated film will screen at Harbourfront Centre’s Studio Theatre, at 7:30pm.
 
Ten years in the making, the wholly Jamaican film, funded by local investors and featuring indigenous talent and music, is a high octane no holds-barred depiction of what life is and can be like in inner city Kingston. The “against-the-odds” drama is set in a politically turbulent community and tells the story of Derrick, a determined teenager, struggling to realize his dream of becoming a champion boxer despite a country, community and family torn apart by divisive politics.
 

Ghett'A Life, a Jamrock film production, is written and directed by Chris Browne and stars Teddy Price, O'Daine Clarke, Chris McFarlane, Etana and Lenford Salmon. Browne, winner of the Grand Prize at the Hartley Merrill International Screenwriting Competition for Ghett’a Life at Cannes in 2006, has made it his passion to grow a film culture in the Jamaica. Ghett'a Life is his second feature film - his Third World Cop, released in 1999, still holds the record as the largest grossing Jamaican film of all time.
 
The CaribbeanTales Toronto Film Showcase, among other goals, aims to raise the international profile of Caribbean film, support the growth of a vibrant world-class Caribbean film and television industry, and serve as a platform for promoting the Caribbean as a premier warm weather travel destination and location for film production.
 
Now in its sixth year, the 2011 Toronto Film Showcase, and the recently introduced Market Incubator, returns from September 7 to 17, 2011, engaging families, youth, community groups, and the celluloid industry in a program  that includes workshops, screenings, networking sessions, and other activities all celebrating the burgeoning film and television sector in the Caribbean.
 
Many exciting films will be screened during the 10-day showcase which also features a market access incubator for Caribbean filmmakers, including Antigua's The Skin, a  mythological thriller that draw on Caribbean mythology, that will have its Red Carpet Launch on Friday 16th September.
 
The CaribbeanTales Film Showcase is co-produced with the Harbourfront Centre, and partners include Animae Caribe Animation and New Media Festival, The Consulate General for the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago in Toronto, First Fridays, Green Light Artist Management, theInternational Development Research Centre, Pennant Media Group, Planet 3 Entertainment, Taffe Entertainment, Toon Boom Animation, the Shridath Ramphal Centre for International Trade Law, Policy and Services at the University of the West Indies, andWHATZHAPPNG.
 
For tickets, the schedule and general information about the CaribbeanTales Film Showcase and Market Incubator, visit www.caribbeantales-events.com
 
Trailer available here:
Ghett'a Life: http://www.ghettalifethemovie.co

YOU ARE INVITED TO CaribbeanTales @TIFF 2011

Meet the filmmakers, hear their pitches, attend screenings and the fetes

http://caribbeantales-events.com  

September 6, Tuesday – Opening Night 

6 p.m. – 11 p.m./ Lakeside Eats, Harbourfront Centre

            Welcome Dinner and meet the filmmakers

September 7, Wednesday 

6 p.m. – 9 p.m./ Lakeside Terrace, Harbourfront Centre

            Opening “Fete” - hosted by the Consulate General for the Republic of T&T           in Toronto and Award Ceremony: Honouring Cameron Bailey

8:00 p.m. – 11 p.m./ Studio Theatre Harbourfront Centre

            Screening: Forward Home & Calypso Rose Lioness of the Jungle

September 11, Sunday 

8 a.m. – 11:30 a.m./ National Film Board of Canada/150 John Street

            Breakfast and The Pitch session by filmmakers

10 a.m. – 5 p.m. / ING Toronto Café, Yonge Street

            Animation Incubator

September 13, Tuesday

7:30 p.m. -10 p.m./ Studio Theatre Harbourfront Centre

            Screening: Ghett’a Life and New Caribbean Cinema

September 15, Thursday

7 p.m. – 10 p.m./ Studio Theatre Harbourfront Centre

            Screening: Dominion / Hit Me With Music + Shorts

September 16, Friday

6 p.m. – 7:30 p.m./ Marilyn Brewer Room/Studio Theatre, Harbourfront Centre

            Red Carpet Reception hosted by the Consul General for Antigua

            and Barbuda

7:30 p.m. – 10 p.m.

            Screening: The Skin

September 17, Saturday

11 a.m. – 12 p.m. noon/ Lakeside Terrace, Harbourfront Centre

            Carnival Workshop with Christopher Pinheiro

Noon – 1:30 p.m./ Lakeside Terrace, Harbourfront Centre

            Screening: Calypso Dreams

2 p.m. – 4:30 p.m./ Studio Theatre Harbourfront Centre

            Screening: 10 Years of Animae Caribe (Caribbean Animation)

5 p.m. – 7:30 p.m./ Studio Theatre Harbourfront Centre

            Screening: Mas Man + Shorts

8 p.m. – 10:30 p.m./ Studio Theatre Harbourfront Centre

            Screening: Fire in Babylon + Shorts

PRESS AND INDUSTRY SCREENINGS

CaribbeanTales 2011 Toronto Film Showcase

NFB Mediatheque Theatre, 150 John St. (Opposite Scotiabank Theatres)

September 12, Monday, 9 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
GHETT’A LIFE
Director: Chris Browne, Jamaica.  Dur: 90 Mins   
An “against the odds” action drama set in a politically turbulent inner city community of Kingston. Derrick, determined inner city teenager struggles to realize his dream of becoming a champion boxer, despite a country, community and family conflicted by a divisive political system. 

September 13, Tuesday, 9 a.m. – 11 a.m.

LITTLE BOY BLUE

Director: Nicholas Attin, Trinidad & Tobago.  Dur: 89 Mins

Little Boy Blue follows a depressed art teacher who becomes the victim of paranormal disturbances after confiscating a strange pendant from an orphaned student.  The character Bill a troubled man with a tragic past struggles to find happiness, confiscating a mysterious pendant from the orphan, Georgie boy, as his visions of a spectre plague his sleep that eventually make the terrifying transition from the world of dreams into reality. 

September 14, Wednesday, 9 a.m. – 11 a.m.
10 YEARS OF CARIBBEAN ANIMATION, Trinidad & Tobago.  Dur: 120 Mins 

Presented by Camille Selvon Abrahams of Animae Caribe.

10 Years of Caribbean Animation from Animae Caribe shows the best of Caribbean animation using all animated short films with colorful and innovative local characters and storylines developed especially for children, young adults and older.

SHORT FILMS WILL RUN THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE EVENT

Caribbean Tales Worldwide Distribution Inc.

Frances-Anne Solomon: http://caribbeantales-worldwide.com/

E: francesannesolomon@caribbeantales-worldwide.com    T: 416.910.6496

For further information and to reserve:

Planet3 Communications Ltd. - info@planet3com.net

Joanne Smale: mobile 416.554.2637/Sacha Miller: mobile 647.293.4808

For media inquiries:

Pennant Media Group - kp@pennantmediagroup.com  Kevin Pennant: 416.596.2978

 

CAMERON BAILEY TO BE HONORED IN TORONTO

TORONTO (September 1, 2011) - A well-known Barbadian-Canadian media personality and film curator will be honoured at the 2011 CaribbeanTales Film Showcase next week.

British-born Cameron Bailey, co-director responsible for the vision and execution of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), will be honoured on Wednesday, September 7 at Harbourfront's Lakeside Terrace during the opening of CaribbeanTales, hosted by the Consulate General for Trinidad and Tobago in Toronto.
 
"It is important that we celebrate and honour our own, especially those who represent us on the world stage," said Frances-Anne Solomon, CEO of CaribbeanTales Worldwide Distribution.
 
"Cameron was among the first to bring an intelligent, diversity-focused perspective to film criticism and appreciation here in Canada and further afield. He has consistently articulated the perspectives of people of colour around the world and has given us a voice in the mainstream of global society," she added.
 
In his early career, Cameron Bailey reviewed films for Toronto's NOW Magazine, CBC Radio One and CTV's Canada AM. He presented a weekly program on international cinema on Showcase Television's The Showcase Revue, and produced and hosted the interview programme, Filmmaker, on the Independent Film Channel Canada. He has been published in The Globe and Mail, The Village Voice, CineACTION!, and Screen, and is a popular guest speaker.
 
Bailey has distinguished himself as a curator of a number of significant film festivals, and has served as a programmer for TIFF for more than a decade. He has curated film series for Cinematheque Ontario, the National Gallery of Canada, the National Film Board of Canada, and the Sydney Film Festival.
 
In 1997, Bailey completed his first screenplay, The Planet of Junior Brown, co-written with director Clément Virgo. Not surprisingly, the film was named Best Picture at the 1998 Urbanworld Film Festival in New York, and nominated for a Best Screenplay Gemini Award. Bailey also completed a video essay, Hotel Saudade, shot in Brazil. Bailey was subsequently part of the delegation accompanying Governor-General Michaëlle Jean on her state visit to Brazil in 2007.
 
Earlier this year, Bailey was a member of the blue ribbon panel that designed a brand new Culture Plan for the Mayor of Toronto entitled "Creative Capital Gains: An Action Plan for Toronto". The plan boldly moves away from the notion of the Arts as a luxurious pastime towards that of a significant and powerful business industry which could be key to the global economic recovery. 
 
From December 2007, Bailey has been co-director of the Toronto International Film Festival, one of the largest film markets and festivals in the world, dedicated to presenting the best of international cinema and transforming the way people see the world.
 
Under the Patronage of His Excellency Phillip Buxo, High Commissioner for the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and with the support of the International Development Research Centre, Wednesday's reception will kick off a 10-day showcase of the best films by new and established Caribbean filmmakers, including Calypso Rose: The Lioness of The Jungle, a documentary about the uncontested diva of calypso music; Ghett'a Life, the popular new feature by Third World Cop director Chris Browne; The Skin, a mythological thriller by Howard and Mitzi Allen of Antigua and Barbuda; Hit Me With Music, a study of Jamaica's dancehall music culture; and 10 Years of Caribbean Animation from Animae Caribe.
 
The sixth annual Toronto Showcase - set for September 7 to 17, 2011 - aims to raise the international profile of Caribbean film, support the growth of a vibrant world-class Caribbean film and television industry, and serve as a platform for promoting the Caribbean not only as a premier warm weather travel destination but also as a viable and preferred location for film production.
 
The Showcase is co-produced with the Harbourfront Centre, and supporters are Animae Caribe Animation and New Media Festival, The Consulate General for the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago in Toronto, First Fridays, Green Light Artist Management, the International Development Research Centre, National Film Board of Canada, 404 Media Group, Pennant Media Group, Planet 3 Entertainment, Taffe Entertainment, Toon Boom Animation, the Shridath Ramphal Centre for International Trade Law, Policy and Services at the University of the West Indies, and WHATZHAPPNG.
 
For tickets, the schedule and general information about the CaribbeanTales Film Showcase and Market Incubator, visit www.caribbeantales-events.com.

About CaribbeanTales Worldwide Distribution

CaribbeanTales Worldwide Distribution (CTWD) is the first full-service film marketing and distribution company in the English-speaking Caribbean, and aims to become the reference point for producers and buyers of Caribbean film material. The company hosts marketing events through the CaribbeanTales Film Festival Group, and provides co-production services to producers. CTWD was founded by award-winning filmmaker Frances-Anne Solomon, and its principals include creative industries expert Dr. Keith Nurse; economist and businessman Dr. Terrence Farrell; media personality and producer Lisa Wickham; and filmmaker and writer Mary Wells. CTWD, a member of the BIM Ventures family of entrepreneurs, has hosted two film festivals in Barbados, another in New York, produced training workshops for filmmakers, and now has scores of films in its catalogue.
 
For further information, visit www.caribbeantales-worldwide.com.

CARIBBEANTALES - Tickets now Available!

Check the schedule below and buy your tickets now. Or click here to purchase tickets from Harbourfront Centre's Box Office. For group rates or to register for our free screenings, call 416 598 1410.

Choose your shows

Sep 7 - Calypso Rose - Opening Gala $25.00 Sep 11 - Animation Incubator $15.00 Sep 13 - Ghett'a Life - Red Carpet Premiere $35.00 Sep 15 - Hit Me With Music/Dominion $25.00 Sep 16 - The Skin - Red Carpet Premiere $50.00 Sep 17 - 10 Yrs of Animae Caribe (Animation Program) $12.00 Sep 17 - Mas Man - Director's Cut $12.00

CaribbeanTales 2011 Toronto Film Showcase

MAJOR CARIBBEAN FILMS TO PREMIERE IN TORONTO

Trailers available here:
Calypso Rose: The Lioness of the Jungle: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtzCPDBA3So
Ghett’a Life: http://www.ghettalifethemovie.com
The Skin: http://theskinahamafilm.wordpress.com

CAPTION: Living legend, Calypso Rose.
 
TORONTO (August 23, 2011) – The international curtain goes up in Toronto for three significant Caribbean films at the 2011 CaribbeanTales Toronto Film Showcase.
 
The trio of major Caribbean cinematic offerings will be screened during the sixth annual action-packed Showcase set for “Hollywood North” at the Harbourfront Centre in Toronto from September 7 to 17, 2011.
 
"Calypso Rose: The Lioness of the Jungle", a documentary about the impact of the Trinidadian queen of soca music; "Ghett’a Life", a new Jamaican film with positive messages of overcoming adversity and ignorance; and Antigua’s "The Skin", a film on Caribbean mythology, will play in Toronto.
 
“We are overjoyed to present the North American premiere of not just the latest Caribbean films, but the best of the brightest of Caribbean filmmakers at our September 2011 showcase,” said Frances-Anne Solomon, CEO of CaribbeanTales Worldwide Distribution. She added that many other exciting films will be screened during the 10-day showcase which also features a market access incubator for Caribbean filmmakers.
 
Following the opening reception at Lakeshore Terrace on Wednesday, September 7, patrons will screen the Pascale Obolo-directed documentary about Calypso Rose, followed by a live question and answer session with the uncontested diva of calypso music.
 
Calypso Rose, the "mother of calypso", is a living legend, and the documentary features the many faces and facets of her life, including her reflective moments, and her great passion for fishing and spirituality. It is a film not only about her vision and ancestral history, but also recounts the journey of a militant and impassioned woman, an Afro-Caribbean soul, an exemplary artiste, who has touched the life of her people at home and many others in distant lands.
 
On Tuesday, September 13, "Ghett’a Life", by respected director Chris Browne of “Third World Cop”, premieres at the Studio Theatre. Ten years in the making, the wholly Jamaican film – funded by local investors and featuring indigenous talent and music – is a depiction of what life can be like in inner city Kingston. The “against the odds” drama – set in a politically turbulent community - tells the story of Derrick, a determined teenager, struggling to realize his dream of becoming a champion boxer despite a country, community and family riven by divisive politics. 
 
On Friday, September 16, "The Skin", a mythological thriller set in Antigua & Barbuda, will have its Red Carpet launch. A young couple encounters strange occurrences when they unearth and try to sell an ancient artifact. This is the fourth feature film by the industrious husband and wife team of Howard and Mitzi Allen whose work is widely celebrated in Antigua. 
 
The Toronto Showcase, among other goals, aims to raise the international profile of Caribbean film, support the growth of a vibrant world-class Caribbean film and television industry, and serve as a platform for promoting the Caribbean as a premier warm weather travel destination and location for film production.
 
The Showcase is co-produced with the Harbourfront Centre, and partners are Animae Caribe Animation and New Media Festival, The Consulate General for the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago in Toronto, First Fridays, Green Light Artist Management, the International Development Research Centre, Pennant Media Group, Planet 3 Entertainment, Taffe Entertainment, Toon Boom Animation, the Shridath Ramphal Centre for International Trade Law, Policy and Services at the University of the West Indies, and WHATZHAPPNG.
 
For tickets, the schedule and general information about the CaribbeanTales Film Showcase and Market Incubator, visit www.caribbeantales-events.com.

About CaribbeanTales Worldwide Distribution
CaribbeanTales Worldwide Distribution is the first full-service film distribution company in the English-speaking Caribbean, and aims to become the go-to solution for producers and buyers of Caribbean-themed content. The company holds marketing events through the CaribbeanTales Film Festival Group, and provides co-production services to producers. CTWD was founded by award-winning filmmaker Frances-Anne Solomon, and its principals include creative industries expert Dr. Keith Nurse, economist and businessman Dr. Terrence Farrell, media personality and producer Lisa Wickham, and filmmaker and writer Mary Wells. CTWD, a member of the BIM Ventures family of entrepreneurs, has hosted two film festivals in Barbados, another in New York, produced training workshops for filmmakers, and now has scores of films in its catalog.
 
For further information, visit www.caribbeantales-worldwide.com. 
 
Contact: Bevan Springer, Marketplace Excellence + 1 201 861-2056
              bevan@marketplaceexcellence.com

Filmmaker In The Newz : Ian Harnarine

Ian Harnarine's short film DOUBLES WITH SLIGHT PEPPER has been accepted into TIFF. Ian is an alumnus of the 1st CaribbeanTales Incubator in Toronto in 2010, where he met and began working with Mariel Brown, Tony Hall and other CT Incubator participants. Months later, and with their support in casting and crewing, he was shooting the film in Trinidad.

Originally from Trinidad, Ian grew up in Toronto, where he attended York University earning a bachelor's degree in Physics and Astronomy. Sticking with the sciences, he moved to Chicago where he earned a master's degree in Nuclear Physics. Eventually he became bored with probing the fundamental building blocks of the Universe so he decided to abandon the sciences, move to Brooklyn and become a filmmaker at NYU's Graduate Film School. He is a faculty member in both the Physics department and Graduate Film School at NYU. Described as a Sound Geek, Ian is the location sound mixer on numerous award winning short films, features, documentaries, special events and commercials. His own films have screened and won prizes at festivals around the world. Currently, Ian is co-writing "Time Traveler" with Spike Lee and an adaptation of David Chariandy's landmark novel "Soucouyant".

DOUBLES is a 16 minute short film set in Trinidad during Christmas. It's a coming of age story centered around Dhani, a young street food vendor, who must decide if he will help save his estranged Father from dying. The film is beautifully  shot - here is the trailer. If you are In Toronto during TIFF, make sure to support the film by turning out in droves!

MAN ON GROUND hits the ground running at TIFF

Bajan/Nigerian director Akin Omotoso's new feature film  MAN ON GROUND has been selected for screening at TIFF.

Based in South Africa where he is well-known as a television actor, Akin explored his Bajan roots in Gathering The Scattered Cousins, a moving cinematic elegy to his Bajan mother, following her death from cancer. This was screened at the opening night of the CaribbeanTales Film Festival in 2009. He has also recently visited and worked in Barbados.

MAN ON GROUND, starring LA-based Nigerian actor Hakeem Kae Kazeem, is "..a bold and exacting portrayal of rising xenophobia in South Africa. Omotoso casts the story of a young Nigerian man living in the African refugee tenements of Johannesburg who disappears against the background of animosity against immigrants flaring into violent rioting. In the span of a single night, his brother, on a short visit from London, tries to elucidate the mystery." (TIFF) If you are in Toronto in September, don't miss it.

See the trailer below:

15 Outstanding Caribbean Filmmakers will participate in Unique Incubator Program

Frances-Anne Solomon, CEO of CaribbeanTales Worldwide Distribution, the region’s premier film marketing and distribution entity, this week announced that fifteen (15) top Caribbean filmmakers will participate in CTWD's highly effective Market Incubator Program.

  The Program, now in its second year, trains Caribbean content creators in the all-important packaging and marketing of films, and will take place as part of the CaribbeanTales Toronto Film Showcase, from Sept 7-17^tth at Harbourfront Centre.

The "Class of 2011" includes some of the hottest current and emerging filmmakers from around the Caribbean Diaspora:

-       Chris Browne, Jamaican writer / director, whose film “Ghett’a Life” will have its North American Premiere at the CaribbeanTales Showcase. Browne’s first feature “Third World Cop” is the largest grossing Caribbean film to date having played in Jamaican cinemas for over four months.

-       Michelle Serieux, St. Lucian producer and director, co- founder of New Caribbean Cinema, a Jamaica-based film collective that includes filmmakers Storme Saulter, cinematographer, Nile Saulter, and filmmaker Joel Burke.

-       Rodney Smith and Aubrey Padmore, the team behind innovative, New York / Barbados-based web series “Dominion”

-       Nicole Brooks multi-talented Canadian filmmaker, producer, songstress and theatre artist, producer of the series ECHO, and director of “The Orisha Suite” and “Ase”.

-       Darren Anthony, Jamaican-Canadian writer of runaway hit play “Secrets of a Black Boy” that has just closed at New York’s ActNow New Voices In Theatre Festival.

-       Alison Saunders, award-winning director of "Hit For Six", whose documentary project “Panama Fever” was one of the projects supported by Toronto’s 2010 Incubator Program.

 Core Faculty are CTWD CEO and Program Director Frances-Anne Solomon; Creative Industry Specialist, Dr. Keith Nurse; and Media Personality and Producer, Lisa Wickham. They are supported by a stellar team of guest specialists that includes:

-       Hayet Benkara, International Festival Consultant

-       Johanna Samuel, Distribution Specialist

-       Charlotte Rose, CEO, Green Light Artist Management

-       Joan Vogelsang, CEO, Toon Boom Animation

-       Sonja Heinen, Project Manager, World Cinema Fund and Head, Berlinale Co-production Market,

-       Anne Frank, Regional Director of Business Development, Telefilm Canada.

-       Anais Clanet, Head of Sales, WIDE Management, France

-       Tonya Lee Williams, Actor and President of Canada’s Reel World Film Festival.

The Incubator Program 2011 is funded by the CaribbeanTales Scholarship Fund, that this year is supported by Camilo Antonio, Leroy Crosse, Rita Cox, Terrence Farrell, Fil Fraser, Jay MacPherson, Selwyn Rouse, Jimmy Stewart, Carl Thorpe, Jean Sheen.

For more information about the Incubator Program, the Film Showcase, its Schedule, and to buy tickets please visit: http://caribbeantales-events.com

TORONTO FILM SHOWCASE HIGHLIGHTS THE POWER OF THE DIASPORA

TORONTO (August 11, 2011) - Revealing the economic power of the Caribbean's overseas communities, a new documentary will be screened at the 2011 CaribbeanTales Toronto Film Showcase and Market Incubator Program at Harbourfront Centre from September 7 to 17, 2011.

The half-hour documentary "Forward Home" will have its world premiere on Wednesday, September 7 at 8 p.m. on the opening night of the sixth annual film showcase.
 
The film's executive producer is economist and creative industries specialist, Dr. Keith Nurse, chairman of CaribbeanTales Worldwide Distribution and director of the Shridath Ramphal Centre for International Trade Law, Policy and Services at the University of the West Indies.
 
Produced and directed by award-winning Trinidad-based filmmaker Lisa Wickham, with cinematography by Sheldon Felix,  "Forward Home" illuminates the findings of Dr. Nurse's ground-breaking research project, "Strategic Opportunities in Caribbean Migration", which studies four Caribbean countries and their counterpart communities in global cities: Jamaica and London; Guyana and Toronto; Suriname and the Netherlands; and the Dominican Republic and New York.
 
"We have begun to document the uncharted territory of what we call 'Diasporic Tourism,'", explained Dr. Nurse who added "what has been widely known anecdotally, we now have empirical data - solid facts and sound research - to back it up."
 
The groundbreaking two-year study shows that more than 60 percent of the tourists who arrive in Guyana and Suriname are "Diaspora travelers" or Caribbean nationals living abroad. In Jamaica and the Dominican Republic, these nationals account for between 15 to 20 percent of tourists who travel to the region.
 
"We have found that Diaspora Tourism is a significant component of Caribbean tourism, and it is not a monolithic construct. These are not just leisure tourists, but people who come for educational and medical reasons, for festivals and other cultural events. We have also found there is an intersection between Diasporic Tourism and the telecommunications, airline, shipping and media industries," he said, noting that the findings have been far more dynamic than expected.
 
Dr. Nurse, who was born in the United Kingdom and grew up in Trinidad, recommends more strategic planning and marketing on the Diasporic sector to further propel diversification of the Caribbean economy. By so doing, "we can encourage and enlist more Diasporic entrepreneurs, both at home and in the global cities where Caribbean diasporas predominate."
 
Frances-Anne Solomon, CEO of CaribbeanTales Worldwide Distribution (CTWD), said: "Keith Nurse's film reflects the changing face of the Caribbean. Today's Caribbean person, family and community are dynamic, diverse and international - this is exactly what our contemporary film stories reflect."
 
The Toronto film screening is sponsored by Canada's International Development Research Centre which joined forces with the Shridath Ramphal Centre to commission the film. The findings of the study will also appear in the Canadian Foreign Policy Journal.
 
The Toronto Showcase is co-produced with the Harbourfront Centre, and partners include The Consulate General for the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago in Toronto, First Fridays, Green Light Artist Management, the International Development Research Centre, Pennant Media Group, Planet 3 Entertainment, Taffe Entertainment, Shridath Ramphal Centre for International Trade Law, Policy and Services at the University of the West Indies.
 
The CaribbeanTales Scholarship Fund is supported by Camilo Antonio, Carl Thorpe, Fil Fraser, Jay MacPherson, Jean Sheen, Rita Cox and Selwyn Rouse.
 
For information about the CaribbeanTales Film Showcase and Market Incubator, the schedule, and for tickets, visit www.caribbeantales-events.com.
 
About CaribbeanTales Worldwide Distribution
CaribbeanTales Worldwide Distribution is the first full-service film distribution company in the English-speaking Caribbean, and aims to become the go-to solution for producers and buyers of Caribbean-themed content. The company holds marketing events through the CaribbeanTales Film Festival Group, and provides co-production services to producers. CTWD was founded by award-winning filmmaker Frances-Anne Solomon, and its principals include creative industries expert Dr. Keith Nurse, economist and businessman Dr. Terrence Farrell, media personality and producer Lisa Wickham, and filmmaker and writer Mary Wells. CTWD, a member of the BIM Ventures family of entrepreneurs, has hosted two film festivals in Barbados, another in New York, produced training workshops for filmmakers, and now has scores of films in its catalog.
 
For further information, visit www.caribbeantales-worldwide.com.
 
ENDS