The Trinidad and Tobago Film Festival (TTFF) will celebrate the 50th anniversary of national independence with Side by Side, a series of events focusing on film in T&T. Side by Side will feature a film series, an exhibition and a film-making competition, supported by the Interministerial Committee for the Celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Independence. TTFF will screen a selection of local movies, including The Right and the Wrong (1970), the first local feature film to be made in colour, Bim (1974), considered one of the most important films produced in T&T, short films from the archives of the Government Film Unit, and many others highlighting the nation's history, cultures, people and development. The screenings-in association with bpTT and Trinidad and Tobago Film Company-take place from tomorrow to August 25 at ten venues across the country, including Holy Faith Convent, Couva, San Fernando Hill, the Point Fortin Public Library, Magdalena Grand Resort, Tobago, Arima Basketball Court, and NALIS, Port-of-Spain.
The first screening will feature This Land of Ours and Bim, at NALIS in Port-of-Spain at 7 pm. The history and development of the film industry in T&T will be the focus of the Side by Side exhibition, to be held at the Academy for the Performing Arts in Port-of-Spain, from August 15 to October 2, in association with Flow, bpTT and RBC Royal Bank. All events are free and open to the public. The third element of Side by Side is a filmmaking competition, which was open to residents of T&T and called for the creation of a 50-second film on the theme of independence. A short list of five films will be selected for the final round of judging. The winning film will be announced at the TTFF/12 award ceremony on 30 September. The five finalists will all receive cable television, telephone and Internet service packages from Flow, while the winning filmmaker will win an additional cash prize of $5,000. Further information on Side by Side, including a schedule of film screenings, is available at http://www.ttfilmfestival.com/side-by-side/