Freeport, Bahamas – A press conference to announce FLIFF Take 2 took place on October 18th at the Pelican Bay Hotel Canal House to update the media and public on the film festival which is set to get underway on October 25th and continue through to October 28th.
The following is a statement by The Bahamas’ film commissioner, Craig Woods:
This is the second year of the FLIFF On Location: Grand Bahama Island, which is part of a three-year joint venture between the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival and the Grand Bahama Island Tourism Board, fully supported by the Ministry of Tourism and the Bahamas Film Commission.
The festival will take place over four days with screenings in three locations, but mainly at The Canal House, Pelican Bay Hotel, which is ideally outfitted with digital ready HD formatted projectors and screens. Opening night will feature an outdoor public screening and official ceremony on Thursday 25th October, at Taino Beach Park; and the second open-air public screening will take place in Count Basie Square, Port Lucaya Market Place on Friday 26th October.
The objective of the film festival is to create appropriate linkages at home and abroad in the multi-billion dollar film industry, and to establish the Islands of the Bahamas as the region’s leading destination for film development, starting with Grand Bahama Island in the north! It is the intention of the Film Commission to forge sustainable partnerships that will promote rewarding careers in the global film industry. In the words of Sir Sidney Poitier, this festival provides an ideal opportunity to expose international filmmakers to the Islands of the Bahamas and in turn expose Bahamian filmmakers to the world.
Academy Award winner Sir Sidney’s opening video message captivated the hundreds in attendance at last year’s official opening ceremony.
We are pleased to count an Academy Award winning director, Stefan Ruzowitzky among the list of twelve (12) filmmakers who will be on island for this year’s event. The VIP list includes actors, directors, producers and writers, who will travel to Grand Bahama from the Port of Palm Beach via Bahamas Celebration Cruise Line and depart for Ft. Lauderdale via Bahamasair.
The Career Achievement Award will be presented to celebrated television, film and stage actor, Giancarlo Esposito, whose acting career spans over several decades. Esposito has appeared in notable films such as “Rabbit Hole,” “The Usual Suspects,” “Smoke” and “The Last Holiday.” His performances in Spike Lee’s films “Do the Right Thing”, “Mo’ Better Blues,” “School Daze” and “Malcolm X” are among his most memorable. Esposito’s other film credits include an outstanding performances in “Sherrybaby,” “Ali,” “Nothing to Lose,” “Waiting to Exhale,” “Bob Roberts”, “King of New York” and “Cotton Club.” He recently won the 2012 Critics Choice Award for his portrayal and is a 2012 Emmy® nominee as well. In 2007 through his production company, Quiet Hand Productions, Esposito made his feature directorial debut with the film “Gospel Hill.” He also co-starred with Danny Glover, Angela Bassett, Julia Stiles, Taylor Kitsch and Samuel L. Jackson. Quiet Hand Productions aspires to make “conscious content” films that focus on the inspirational. He next co-stars in JJ Abrams upcoming drama series for NBC, “Revolution,” and this October he appears as a crime boss opposite Tyler Perry in Lionsgate’s “Alex Cross.”
Dennis Haysbert was the recipient of the Career Achievement Award at FLIFF on Location: 2011.
Dr. Ian Strachan, Associate Professor of the College of the Bahamas will conduct a workshop called, “The Stories That Matter” which is geared toward preparing writers to bring engaging stories to the small and big screens. Dr. Strachan is an Associate Professor of English at The College of The Bahamas, and is well qualified for this task. He received a BA in English from Morehouse College (1990) and an MA (1993) and PhD (1995) in English from the University of Pennsylvania. He is a former Research Fellow at the Carter G. Woodson Institute at the University of Virginia (1998-1999) and a former Assistant Professor of English at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth (1999-2001). He served as Chair of the School of English Studies at COB from 2004-2007.
Twenty-four (24) screenings will take place over the four days, with the two open-air screenings free of charge to the public. Festival organizers are to be commended for having struck an excellent balance with the film content. Eleven films, or 46% are international films and the other 46% represents a body of work produced by Bahamian filmmakers in the High School, College and Open Categories. One of the international submissions has been produced by a Bahamian director/producer, Calvin Dwight Harris who is based in the United States.
The Film Competition has generated a lot of local interest. High School students 14 – 18 years old, who are resident of The Bahamas, addressed a theme of their choice. College students, studying here or abroad and who are normally a resident of The Bahamas, offered open shorts and feature films. A Blue Ribbon Panel screened all Eleven (11) submissions, and the winners will be announced at the Awards/Wrap Party on Sunday, October 28th.
The High School Competition winner will be recognized at the Official Opening Ceremony on Thursday, October 25th, and all other winners in each of the film competition categories will be presented with their awards on Sunday 28th October at the Closing Awards Ceremony, whereupon the Bahamas Film Commission will also issue a “Best of the Fest” overall award.
There are three categories of tickets now on sale at reception center of Pelican Bay Hotel and at the office of the Ministry of Tourism. Our passes are reasonably priced with a Day Pass, giving one all movies, all that day for $7.00; a Fast Pass, giving you all movies, all weekend for $10.00; and the All Access Pass, which gives entrance to VIP functions, the workshop and all movies for $50.00.
I wish to acknowledge the support of our industry partners and sponsors, most notably – Bahamas Celebration, Bahamasair, Balearia Bahamas Express, The BahamasWeekly.com/Mackey Media, Ft. Lauderdale International Film Festival, Grand Bahama Port Authority, Pelican Bay Hotel, Sky Bahamas and of course our partner, the Grand Bahama Island Tourism Board. Special mention goes to Port Lucaya Market Place, the City of Freeport Council, and the Film & Plays Control Board of the Bahamas.
All festival information can be found on TheBahamasWeekly.com. Get your tickets at Pelican Bay Hotel, and the Ministry of Tourism.
Craig Woods
FLIFF PRESS PANEL: *Film Commissioner Craig Woods flew in from Nassau on October 18th to announce details of the upcoming FLIFF On Location: Grand Bahama Island film festival which is an offshoot of the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival now underway in Florida. The festival will take place from October 25th through 28th at the Canal House, Pelican Bay Hotel. From left to right: Donna Mackey, Bahamas Film Commission GBI (Ministry of Tourism); Patra Albury, Financial Controller, Pelican Bay Hotel (host sponsor); Craig Woods, Bahamas Film Commissioner; Geneva Rutherford, GBPA (sponsor); and Karen Ferguson-Bain, Port Lucaya Marketplace (screening venue). Sponsors of the event include Bahamas Celebration Cruises; Bahamasair; Balearia Bahamas Express; Grand Bahama Port Authority and Group of Companies; Grand Bahama Island Tourism Board; FLIFF; Ministry of Tourism and SkyBahamas Airlines; Pelican Bay Hotel; TheBahamasWeekly.com; and Mackey Media Ltd. Photo: TheBahamasWeekly.com / Mackey Media Ltd.
FLIFF On Location: OFFICIAL SCHEDULE
Thursday, October 25th
7:00pm: Official Opening Ceremony
Taino Beach
7:15pm: Bahamas High School Film Competition Winner
Taino Beach
7:30pm: Sammy 2: Escape From Paradise, USA,
(100 min)
Taino Beach
(Special Guests: Writer/Producer Domonic Paris)
While helping a dozen or so hatchlings into the sea, Sammy and Ray are captured by poachers. Our heroes are sold to a hi-tech aquarium belonging to a restaurant. As soon as they get to the aquarium, Sammy and Ray start planning their escape, no easy task in this state-of-the-art facility.
Friday, October 26th
7:45pm Una Noche (Cuba) 89 min
Pelican Bay Canal House
(Special Guest: Writer/Director Lucy Mulloy &
Producer Yunior Santiago)
Floridians are acutely aware of the situation that is the day in-day out life of people virtually imprisoned on the island of Cuba. The US embargo created a life in a bubble where remnants of the 1950’s pervades existence. Living with just the modicum of convenience is not easy and escaping is fraught with peril.
8:00pm Sammy Sammy 2: Escape From Paradise, USA, (100 min)
Port Lucaya Marketplace
While helping a dozen or so hatchlings into the sea, Sammy and Ray are captured by poachers. Our heroes are sold to a hi-tech aquarium belonging to a restaurant. As soon as they get to the aquarium, Sammy and Ray start planning their escape, no easy task in this state-of-the-art facility.
9:00pm Deadfall (USA), 94 mins
Pelican Bay Canal House
(Special Guest: Director Stefan Ruzowitzky)
Winter. Somewhere near the Canadian border on the U.S. side. A pair of robbers are on the run with bags of cash from a freshly held up casino. With the heat gettin’ hotter, the pair split up in the frozen landscape. Not so far away, we meet Jay, a boxer who just finished doing time in the state pen and decides to head home to Ma ‘n Pa for tomorrow’s Thanksgiving. Pa is the retired sheriff and their homestead is quite a trek from civilization out in the snow covered country.
Saturday, October 27th
10:30am Filmmakers’ Workshop with Ian Strachan
Pelican Bay Canal House
1:00pm The Black Miami (USA)
104 mins
Pelican Bay Canal House
(Special Guest: Co-Directors Carlton Smith & Michael Williams)
Take a journey through history and learn the importance and significance that blacks played in the creation and progress of America’s Magic City. The Black Miami revisits the past to understand how the race lines in South Florida were created and eventually transcended. The Black Miami takes you into a history that is rarely told but is not forgotten.
3:15pm How do you write a Joe Schermann Song (USA),
104 mins
Pelican Bay Canal House
(Special Guest: Writer/Director Gary King)
Joe dreams of hitting it big on Broadway. After landing an opportunity to write for an Off-Broadway musical, he is forced to cast either the love of his life Evey or his newly discovered muse Summer. The realities of show business prove to Joe that writing is easy, living is hard.
4:00pm On The Wings of Men (USA/Bahamas)
123 mins
Pelican Bay Canal House
(Guest: Calvin Dwight Harris)
Life and times of the late Sir Lynden Oscar Pindling; the first Prime Minister of the Bahamas born in Nassau in 1930.
5:00pm The Blame (Bahamas – Sunland Baptist) 8mins
5:05pm En Route (Bahamas – COB) 28 mins
5:10pm Teenage Pregnancy (Bahamas – Sunland Baptist) 7 mins
5:15pm Sex, Lies & Surgery (France),
90 mins
Pelican Bay Canal House
(Special Guest: Writer/Director/Star Artus de Penguern)
When ER and GREY’S ANATOMY turn into a DALLAS kind of comedy, with love and money-related plots, a HANGOVER atmosphere, and A FISH CALLED WANDA characters, the result is THE LOVE CLINIQUE: a crazy (but classy) comedy for all!
5:20pm Good News (Bah amas – COB) 30 mins
5:40pm I Love Life, But Life Has A Boyfriend (Bahamas – COB) 15 mins
6:00pm Last Week Tuesday: Proper Treatment On Depression (COB)
19 mins 6:05pm Who Are We? (Bahamas – COB) 27 mins
6:30pm Blended (Bahamas – Hampshire College) 9 mins
6:40pm 5 Bones (Bahamas) 5 mins
6:40pm The Price of Being a Man (Bahamas) 61 mins
6:50pm Thriving Encounter (Bahamas) 33 mins
7:00pm Supporting Characters (USA), 87 mins
(Guests: Dir/Co-Writer Daniel Schechter, Co-Writer/Star Tarik Lowe)
A comedy about two New York film editors (and best friends) who attempt to hold on to their significant others while reworking a film in crisis.
7:40pm Tony The Shotta (Bahamas) 70 mins
8:45pm Career Achievement Award Presentation and Reception
Pelican Bay Canal House
(Special guest honouree: Giancarlo Esposito)
*All Access Pass entrance only
9:30pm VIP Reception
Pelican Bay Canal House
*All Access Pass entrance only
Sunday, October 28th
12:45pm Del Lado Otro (Dominican Republic) 14 mins
Pelican Bay Canal House
(Special Guest: Director Yanillys Perez)
Spanish w/English sub-titles
In Santo Domingo, when some are dreaming of pursuing another life in the U.S., Miguel, earns a living selling food on the street, dreams of building his household on his island with his childhood love Laura, who lives under her grandmother’s authority.
1pm Ninah’s Dowry (Cameroon) 95 mins
Pelican Bay Canal House
(Special Guest: Writer/Director Victor Viyouh)
At 20, Ninah is a veteran wife of 7 years and a mother of 3. She is stuck in an abusive relationship with no hope of change. Her family lives off her meager earnings from farm work while her husband, Memfi, drinks away his equally meager earnings as a shepherd. When news of her gravely ill father reaches Ninah she decides to go speak her peace to her father even as her husband commands her to stay and get the farm ready before the rains come. Ninah disobeys Memfi by packing and attempting to leave.
2:30pm Awards and Wrap Party
Pelican Bay Canal House
*All Access Pass entrance only
FLIFF On Location: Grand Bahama Island is a collaboration between the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival, the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism and Grand Bahama Island Tourism Board. The event has been made possible through the generous support of the following sponsors: Pelican Bay Hotel; TheBahamasWeekly.com; Mackey Media Ltd; Bahamas Celebration Cruises; Bahamasair; Balearia Bahamas Express; Grand Bahama Port Authority and Group of Companies; Grand Bahama Island Tourism Board; FLIFF; Ministry of Tourism and SkyBahamas Airlines.
