Welcome to the TTFC’s second quarterly newsletter for 2009. As always, we welcome comments, feedback and suggestions regarding ways in which we can enhance our publication. Please contact us at info@trinidadadandtobagofilm.com

Film Has Big Economic Impact!!
TTFC has been gathering data on the impact of the film industry on the economy of Trinidad and Tobago. We are thrilled to report that within a decade – only the last two years of which the Film Company has been in existence, the industry has contributed handsomely to the economy. Data collected over the period shows that 2,233 persons were employed, 318 film crews and projects were facilitated contributing almost $33 million dollars in on-location expenditure. The private sector contributed in excess of $4m to the TTFC’s Production and Script Assistance Programme and 483 persons were trained in industry specific areas. A total of 14 students benefited also from bursaries to pursue Bachelor of Arts in Film Degrees at the University of the West Indies.

Focus on Film
The Guardian Newspaper resumed the fortnightly publishing the TTFC’s Focus on Film features. The series which has been very well received will continue to focus on stories about the local film industry told by the experts who have worked tirelessly to build and shape the industry as we know it today. The current feature is a moving piece on Dalton Narine, the producer of the documentary “Peter Minshall, the Art of Mas” which chronicles the life and the work of Peter Minshall. In the next article focuses on Dr. Bhoe Tewarie, Pro Vice Chancellor for Planning and Development at UWI and the producer of “Conversations with Naipaul” featured at the 2008 Trinidad and Tobago Film Festival (TTFF). Masterfully penned by free lance writer Jessica Joseph, the stories are published every fortnight in the Guardian and on the TTFC’s website.

St. Barth’s Film Festival
Jean-Michel Gibert’s Soca Power, directed by Claude Santiago was selected as the film to close the 2009 St. Barth Festival of Caribbean Cinema (Cinéma Caraïbe), which celebrated its 14th season from April 25-30, 2009 on the island of St. Barthélemy in the French West Indies. This fourteenth edition of the festival offers the population of St. Barthélemy the chance to discover films and filmmakers of the Caribbean as well as thought-provoking international films.

Hot Docs
Jean-Michel Gibert will present his latest project “Rose Calypso Diva” at the 2009 “Hot Docs” Toronto Documentary Forum (TDF) in May 2009. The festival is widely regarded as the most effective international market in North America for the documentary industry. Over 150 key international broadcasters from Europe, Australia, Japan, the USA and Canada are expected to be present. The forum aims to stimulate international co-production financing for projects at various levels of completion. Selected documentary producers publicly pitch their projects to a round-table of international commissioning editors, financiers and buyers. The TTFC wishes Jean-Michel every success.

Schools Outreach
During the first quarter of 2009, the TTFC hosted weekly Outreach sessions at its Bretton Hall premises and reached 190 students from 9 schools situated all over the country. The Outreach, technically more of an “In-reach” is the TTFC’s way of exposing the nation’s youth to current developments within the film industry including training, educational opportunities and sampling local film productions. Group sessions of 15 – 20 participants are also facilitated by the TTFC’s stakeholders - beneficiaries of its Production Assistance and Feature Film Programmes, who give generously of their time and talent to teach the children first hand about what it takes to be a film maker. The TTFC also visits schools with AV rooms and greater seating capacity to expose a larger number of participants to its film industry presentation. This is an on-going initiative coordinated by the TTFC’s Marissa Burke. Interested teachers and principals can contact Mrs. Burke at the TTFC, telephone number 625-3456 ext. 36.

Travelling Caribbean Film Showcase
The Second Travelling Caribbean Film Showcase 2009 was hosted in T&T during the period March 16-23, 2009. The showcase uses the medium of film to elevate consciousness about critical social issues and to achieve a cultural exchange between Caribbean countries. The target audience was children, youth and adolescents and the Trinidad and Tobago Film Company (TTFC), a sponsor of the showcase, immediately saw an opportunity to expand its reach by screening films to the nation’s youth. The TTFC took films from the showcase to 13 communities and reached over 500 participants, exposing them to themes such as HIV/AIDS, teenage pregnancy, racism, intolerance, drugs and gang violence. Participating schools and communities included Eastern Boys’ and Girls’ Government, Belmont Boys RC Secondary, Paramin RC School Principals, Bishop Anstey High School, Fatima College, QRC, the Easy Learning Centre, Nelson Street Boys and Girls, Malabar Composite, a partnership with YTEPP for the Valencia Community, St. Anthony’s Confirmation Class and the Blanchisseuse Community Centre.

The TTFC was proud of the fact that a significant number of films in the 2009 showcase were produced in T&T. These included: “Something Doh Change” by Mathew Hudson, “The Red House” by Shevon Guevara and “Atiba Williams” by Bruce Paddington and Christopher Laird, “I Spy: things in my garden” and “Invisible” produced by Elspeth Duncan, and “Old Rabbit Die Hard” by Camille Selvon. Both Elspeth and Camille are awardees in the TTFC’s Production and Script Development (PASD) programme.

Local Film Trailers
A recent addition to the TTFC’s website is the inclusion of trailers of local feature films, documentaries, children’s programs and animations which provide a sampling of the work and details regarding legal purchase of the DVD’s. The initiative is a work in progress and does not currently reflect the full scope of work that has been produced that is currently available commercially. Check out the trailers at www.trinidadandtobagofilm.com/localfilms.asp.

Happy Sad scores big at Pan African Film Festival
Producer Horace Wilson’s “Happy Sad” was screened at the 17th annual Pan African Film Festival, held in Culver City, California from February 5 – 16, 2009. Mr. Wilson was elated that the film won Special Jury Honorable Mention for “Best Narrative Feature”. The film was one of 140 movies selected for the festival from a pool of 2, 500 submissions.

Angel Ross, lead actor attended the festival and the TTFC was pleased to support the screening in California. Twenty-two year old Angel Ross made her acting debut in the film as the lead character, Mandy Graham.

Happy Sad is expected to premiere in Trinidad and Tobago in May 2009.