The first event was a night of comedy, which was held at The National Centre for the performing arts on Shirley Street. The second was a Junkanoo rush-out at Rawson Square and the third event was an awards banquet (at The British Colonial Hilton).
Declaring that this year’s theme was “Picture the Dream”, the Founder of TBFF, Mr Celi Moss, ensured that an avenue was set up for up-and-coming Bahamian film makers. He topped the festival off with the splendid awards banquet. He said the theme was keenly chosen because it empowers The Bahamas’ talented actors, writers, producers and directors to charge toward their passion of filmmaking. The theme also coincided with the TBFF’s goal to display, promote and showcase Bahamian films, according to Mr Moss.
“Locally and internationally, we expect this festival to be the breeding ground for an abundance of Oscar winning filmmakers to come,” Mr Moss expressed, as he officially thanked all Bahamian filmmakers for sharing their stories with those in our region and throughout the world.
And Oscar winning filmmakers may just have been born that night, as ‘amateur’ Bahamian filmmakers rubbed shoulders with internationally acclaimed ones such as Jeff Friday, Chief Executive Officer and Founder of The American Black Film Festival (ABFF) and Film Life Incorporation out of New York.
“We started having ABFF 10 years ago, really as a platform for the work of black independent filmmakers around the world. And I think Mr Moss was with us from our first year and he has been very supportive of us. I have always encouraged him to bring a black film festival to the Bahamas because at the end of the day, it is up to us to tell our own story. So we are really just trying to encourage black Africans from around the world to make true movies about the black experience,” said Mr Friday.
“Blacks do not only count for about 13 percent of the US population but such group makes up about 25 percent or 26 percent of all box office sales, So African Americans over index in their consumption of movies, and you would think that Hollywood studios, since they are in the business of making money, they would target more films towards blacks, at least 25 percent of the films should be targeted towards blacks. In 2005, for instance, there were 503 theatrical releases by Hollywood studios and only about 11 of those films were targeted towards the African American population. So at the beginning of the day, I just think that if all things are equal, then more films should be targeted towards the black population in the US.”
Helping the over 18 aspiring filmmakers “Picture the Dream” is Utah L Taylor, Vice President of The Bahamas Film Society and producer of the short film “I hate you”, said the organisation was designed to find and help local talent.
“You have a lot of talent out there and people dreaming the dream. So we are here to actually help them make such dream a reality, from the paper to the television. We want. to encourage young aspiring actors and persons who are interested in a career in filmmaking, to go to school and get a degree in the area of specialty which you are interested in, whether it be acting or filmmaking. We also want to encourage such persons, after enrolling in a university, join the different societies, clubs and organisations that can facilitate your chosen career,” he said.
Though there are many obstacles such as sponsorship and high cost of equipment hindering Bahamian filmmakers at times, they can now look for a merger between both film societies in order for them to share ideas and develop the craft.
“We are actually working on it. One of the things that I discussed with him (Celi Moss) was finding ways that we could leverage some of our success to help you guys here to get the festival internationally exposed,” said Friday.
“There are many challenges and they are funding, interests, local Bahamian filmmakers who are trying to improve their craft and who need good equipment that they can use to make films, whether they are in the form of short stories, documentaries, public service announcements, we have to have access to equipment. We are trying to encourage certain sectors of the government to allow equipment in duty free so that such equipment can be used to build an industry. If many filmmakers have to pay the duty on the equipment that is needed, some of them will never be able to get sufficient equipment to be able to advance the filmmaking industry. There is never going to be enough funding for a programme like this,” said Craig Woods, Bahamas Film Commissioner.
Friday encouraged young talents who are interested in the profession “to learn as much as you can about the craft of making movies. One of the things that I do see is that a lot of people pick up a camera and call themselves filmmakers. Filmmaking is an art that is a lot more technical and detailed than merely just picking up a camera and recording something. There are some technical aspects that are necessary, unlike music, where good music is just good music and where it is a lot less easy from a technological standpoint. So I would advise such aspiring artists to go to university, if the people making the movies are in the US and you come to the US and you meet with such people and learn valuable
skills from them, then you ought to return to the Bahamas and you make some good movies about The Bahamas.”
“Two years from now, I see the Bahamas Film Festival doing really well, and I want to encourage Bahamians that have some money and who are interested in investing, to let us invest in the necessary equipment and resources so that we can make some great movies because we have the international connections. I think tonight is a historic moment for the mere fact that we have someone, in the person of Mr Friday, who is not only attending TBBF but who is also being awarded for his role in promoting black films and getting them exposed internationally,” said Neville Wisdom, Minister of Housing who attended the ceremony representing the Minister of Tourism.
By CHERITA SYMMONETT and LAURA MATTHEWS, The Nassau Guardian
