T&T communities make movies

The spirit of community was distinctly felt on the night of March 9 when T&T Film Company Ltd (TTFC) partnered with the Ministry of The Arts and Multiculturalism to host the 2012 Community Short Film Festival. Held at the Little Carib Theatre in Woodbrook, the event was attended by a cross-section of participants, as well as officials from the Arts and Community Development ministries, and film technicians.

Inaugurated last year, community groups were invited to participate, attend training workshops in film production, and submit a five-minute short film, featuring the community members. Theme of the 2012 festival included The Environment; Culture (50 Years of Culture: Preserving the T&T Legacy); and, Peace, Social Change and Unity (Fixing T&T).
Awards were won by five community groups—Caratal Youth Kreations; Prizgar Lands/Kelly Village; SEPOS Cultural Workshop; San Fernando School of the Arts, Sports and Culture—with the southern group, led by Constructive Termites’ founder Junior Bisnath, having the largest attendance. Cheers were wild and loud as each group’s film was screened.
While each film was commendable and well done, especially when taking into consideration they were done by novice filmmakers, Behind D Bridge, by SEPOS Cultural Workshop, impressed me the most.

Entered under the theme Peace, Social Change and Unity (Fixing T&T), I found that it was the most authentic and topical, especially given today’s spiralling crime wave. Reflecting on the festival, TTFC CEO Carla Foderingham, said, “We are fulfilling our mandate to diversify the T&T community, and provide new opportunities for citizens. From the responses received to this inaugural programme from the five communities it is evident that the passion and interest, and discipline exists within our communities. It’s just a matter of shaping new platforms for communities to share and tell their stories through films, and to address serious critical social issues that confront T&T. 

“We see the community films as a serious platform to transfer the information and culture between rural and urban communities. It is encouraging that it involves all ages.
“We’ve approached the Ministry of Community Development to have this aspect of community activity included in this year’s Prime Minister’s Best Village Trophy Competition, especially as its 50th anniversary of the competition.”

With Community Development permanent secretary Donna Feraz and Best Village Trophy Competition programme manager Norvan Fullerton in attendance at the Little Carib Theatre, short addresses were made at the completion of the film screenings by The Arts and Multiculturalism permanent secretary Destra Bascombe, and director of culture Ingrid Ryan-Ruben, as well as by community film trainers, including St Bernard Marcelle and Che Rodriguez, and actors, including Garth Nicholas, Best Actor Ronald Lashley and Best Actress Alicia Collier Modeste.

2012 Community Short Film Festival Award winners

• Best Overall Film—Caratal Youth Kreations (My Sister’s Keeper) 
• Best Script—Caratal Youth Kreations (My Sister’s Keeper)
• Best Actress—Alicia Collier Modeste (Caratal Youth Kreations)
• Best Actor—Ronald Lashley (Prizgar Lands/Kelly Village)
• Best Social Awareness Film—Behind D Bridge (SEPOS Cultural Workshop)
• Best Cultural Awareness Film—Ma Mas (Bon Bassa Productions)
• Most Promising—San Fernando School of the Arts, Sports and Culture