Reggae Film Festival relocates to Kingston

The JAMAICA FILM ACADEMY has announced final plans for the 4th JAMAICA REGGAE FILM FESTIVAL to be held at STUDIO 38, Trafalgar Road, New Kingston from May 23-27. STUDIO 38 CEO Kingsley Cooper, has welcomed the REGGAE FILM FESTIVAL to the venue's calendar of events, and all is set for a five- night programme of film screenings, seminars and meetings of the Jamaican and international film communities.

A main focus of interest at the festival this year is the Make A Film In 24 Hours competition, in which teams will use any media to make a 5-minute film in 24 hours and compete for prizes including cash, Jamaican vacations and entry in international film festivals.

UNESCO, through the Jamaica National Commission for UNESCO, is supporting the Reggae Film Festival as an event celebrating the UN Year of African Descendants which will be celebrated at the Festival on May 25, African Liberation Day. UNESCO will present the Honour Award for Best Documentary.

Entries in the Reggae Film Festival have come from the USA, UK, Antigua, Poland, Brazil and Catalonia, with the largest number of entries from Jamaica whose 11 entries include animation, short and long features and documentaries. Films include:

• 'Rocksteady – The Movie', (USA) A brilliant feature film starring Cedric Sanders, whose performance won him a role in THE SOCIAL NETWORK, and David Hinds, lead singer of Steel Pulse reggae band which provided the film's soundtrack.
• 'Reggae Britannia (UK) – the February 2011 BBC documentary tribute to Jamaica's reggae and its influence on Britain.
• 'Intensified' (SPAIN)– A look at the British band that revived interest in Ska in the 80s, long after it was no longer popular in Jamaica, and inspired scores of European bands to follow their example.
• 'Bob Marley – Making Of A Legend (JA/UK) – Rare footage by Jamaican actress Esther Anderson of Marley and musicians in the early years before the 'Catch A Fire” album.
• 'Room For Rent' (JA) – Film of Ginger Knight's popular roots play, a load of laughs starring Volier Johnson, Deon Silvera.

This year's festival includes five films by female directors, including the short features 'Dinner' by Tameka Jarvis-George of Antigua, and 'Reckoning' by Jamaican film student Jovel Johnson. Innovative entries from Jamaica include animated films “Bad Influence' byReinardo “Menta l” Chung and 'Cabbie Chronicles' by Alison Tabois Latchman.

Among the unusual entries are 'David Is Dying' -- a Black British feature by director Stephen Lloyd Jackson, and 'Bubblin', a feature by new Jamaican director Denisse Campbell in which a country girl turns go-go dancer to make ends meet. Both films will be shown in the Midnight Movies programme to be screened after midnight.

Special guests of the REGGAE FILM FESTIVAL are David 'Steel Pulse' Hinds, who stars in the US feature film 'Rocksteady – The Movie; producers Mitzie and Howard Allen of HamaFilms Antigua, directors of 'Skin”; and Jamaican actors Audrey Reid and Carl Davis – all of whom will participate in the Film Festival Seminars. A contingent of supporters from the 'Rocksteady' film production company led by producer Stephen Mays will be attending the festival. Antiguan producer-director Tamika Jarvis-George of the short film 'Dinner', British director Stephen Lloyd Jackson, and first-time director Jamaican Denisse Campbell of the feature film 'Bubblin'', are all expected in Jamaica for the week-long event.

The REGGAE FILM FESTIVAL is an annual event presented by the JAMAICA FILM ACADEMY to inspire and influence the development of the Jamaican film industry, with special emphasis on films that focus on or include Jamaica's reggae music culture. Winning entries will be included in the Best of the Reggae Film Festival international tour to the UK, USA and Europe.

FURTHER INFORMATION: reggaefilmfestival@gmail.com

CASH PRIZES FOR REGGAE FILM FESTIVAL HONOUR AWARDS

Winners of Honour Awards for excellence in film making arts will each receive cash prizes of $50,000 in this year's REGGAE FILM FESTIVAL, to be held May 23-27 in Montego Bay. Honour Awards in 13 categories will be sponsored by organizations supporting the growth and development of Jamaican culture in fil m, who will also contribute a percentage of their sponsorship to a fund for future film productions to be administered by the Jamaica Film Academy which organizes the annual Reggae Film Festival.

UNESCO executives Dr. Maria Smith, Everton Hannam and Hilchuli Gurung
with JFA's Carl Bradshaw and RFF Barbara Blake Hannah

This was announced by Carl Bradshaw, Chairman of the Jamaica Film Academy, as he accepted a cheque from UNESCO to sponsor the International Documentary Honour Award. The presentation was made by Ms. Hilchuli Gurug, UNESCO Programme Specialist for Culture, Mr. Everton Hannam, Secretary General of the Jamaica National Commission forUNESCO, and Dr. Maria Smith, JNC-UNESCO Programme Manager at the New Kingston offices.

The UNESCO officials said they recognize the Reggae Film Festival as a positive celebration of the UN Year of African Descendants, and the fact that African Liberation Day occurs on May 25 during the film festival provides UNESCO with an opportunity to highlight Jamaica's reggae culture as an excellent expression of African Liberation by African descendants.

With the festival's move to the island's premier resort city, plans are in place to present an first class event that will make its mark among the premiere international film festivals. Invited celebrity guests include David 'Steel Pulse' Hinds, star of the US feature film “Rocksteady”, US actor Laurence Fishbourne, narrator of the music documentary “Everyday Sunshine”, Jeremy Marre, director of the BBC entry “Reggae Britannia”, Mitzie Allen of HamaFilms Antigua, Jamaican music video director Rass Kassa and actresses Sheryl Lee Ralph and Audrey Reid.
FURTHER INFO: reggaefilmfestival(at)gmail.com