The competition winners at the 2013 T&T Film Festival (TTFF) were revealed on Sunday night at an awards ceremony at the Hyatt Regency's Esplanade, as the eighth edition of the Festival wound to a close.A total of 142 films were screened as part of the festival, which began on September 17 and ended yesterday.Of the 50 feature films screened at TTFF, 23 were Caribbean and diaspora films, which represented 14 countries. Five of the films were world premieres, while nine enjoyed their Caribbean premiere, and one its international premiere.
Fifteen of the Caribbean and diaspora films were in competition for one or more of four jury awards: Best Narrative Feature, Best Documentary Feature, Best T&T Feature and Best Caribbean Film by an International Filmmaker.Twenty-six of the features were world cinema selections screened in the festival's Panorama section, which comprises films from Latin and North America, as well as from T&T's "heritage" regions, including countries in Africa and Europe, India, and, for the first time, China.In addition to the feature films, the festival screened 56 Caribbean and diaspora shorts, as well as 36 experimental works from the Caribbean and the diaspora in its New Media section.
The T&T Guardian was the festival's official media partner this year.
The 2013 TTFF competition winners are:
Jury Prize: Best Feature
Melaza, directed by Carlos Lechuga
The jury awarded a special mention in this category to God Loves the Fighter, directed by Damian Marcano
Jury Prize: Best Documentary
There was a joint first prize: Fatal Assistance, directed by Raoul Peck, and Songs of Redemption, directed by Miquel Galofre and Amanda Sans
Jury Prize: Best Local Feature Film
God Loves the Fighter, directed by Damian Marcano
Jury Prize: Best Short
There was a joint first prize: Passage, directed by Kareem Mortimer, and Previous Scenes–directed by Aleksandra Maciuszek
Jury Prize: Best Local Short
After Mas, directed by Karen Martinez
Best Caribbean Film by an International Director
3 Kids, directed by Jonas D'Adesky
The jury awarded two special mentions in this category:
Tula: The Revolt, directed by Joeren Linders, and The Stuart Hall Project, directed by John Akomfrah
New Media Prize
Olivia McGilChrist
People's Choice–Feature
God Loves the Fighter, directed by Damian Marcano
People's Choice–Documentary
Songs of Redemption, directed by Miquel Galofre and Amanda Sans
People's Choice–Short
Jab in the Dark, directed by Robert McFarlane
RBC Focus Pitch prize
Shakira Bourne
bpTT Student Award
Maryam Mohammed
bpTT Film in Development Award
Kevin Adams
Full details of the award-winning films can be viewed at ttfilmfestival.com.
ABOUT TTFF
Founded in 2006, the TTFF is an annual celebration of films from and about T&T, the Caribbean and its diaspora.The Festival also screens films curated from contemporary world cinema and seeks to facilitate the growth of the Caribbean film industry by hosting workshops, panel discussions, seminars, conferences and networking opportunities.The Festival is presented by Flow and given leading sponsorship by RBC Royal Bank, bpTT, The Trinidad and Tobago Film Company and the Ministry of Tourism.Guardian Media Ltd was the official media partner for the TTFF.