THE seventh edition of the Timehri Film Festival, which runs from October 26 to 29, will feature 34 films organised into 14 screenings, 16 of which are from different countries with Guyanese and Caribbean heritage.
The festival has seen more films this year compared to previous ones with 13 being from Caribbean countries and seven being created by Guyanese.
Associate Director with responsibility for marketing, Melissa ‘Vanilla’ Roberts, shared with Buzz that the programme this year is made up of a mix of films submitted to the festival via film freeway, and programmed from the festival’s partner organisation, Third Horizon.
According to her, it reflects the ethos of politics, love, reality, happiness, sadness and other emotions.
“We consider them aware films that push the form of filmmaking – which is what we love,” she expressed.
The festival will host the Guyana premiere of ‘Just 3 People Talking’ by Guyanese activist and artist, Joan Mayfield-Cambridge as ‘The Procession’ by Hew Locke, a renowned Guyanese visual artist.
There will also be an environmental/indigenous segment with films from Dominica and by Guyanese filmmaker Alex Arjoon.
Historical films – ‘It is Not Past’, which is about the December 1982 political killings in Suriname and a film about those enslaved on sugar estates in Guadeloupe will also be featured.
“We are also showing well-regarded Yao Ramesar’s latest film as well as the film that will likely be the most popular, Chee$e by Trini filmmaker Damian Marcano,” Roberts disclosed.
The festival started in 2015 during Guyana’s independence celebrations and has been drawing positive reviews over the years. It was started by Romola Lucas, Executive Director of the Caribbean Film Academy (CaFA), a New York-based not-for-profit, in partnership with Alysia Christiani of the Caribbean-American culture blog, Rewind & Come Again (RACA).
“Romola Lucas is our festival director. While she may not be a popular name on Guyanese tongue, she is a lawyer by profession, a business owner, film producer and a great contributor to film and the creatives as a whole,” Roberts, Guyana’s nine-time Road March Queen and film producer, expressed.
The team also includes Technical Director Yaphet Jackman, who is a Cinematographer of the BET Christmas movie ‘Christmas 4 Sale’.
As part of the festival, the films will be played at several prisons across Guyana and at the Sophia Juvenile Centre.
Lucas had told Buzz in a previous interview that CaFA’s mission is to support the work of Caribbean filmmakers. “One way we do that is by creating platforms through which we encourage film production and share films by Caribbean filmmakers.”
According to her, when the festival was started, there was no real distribution of films in the Caribbean and films made in other Caribbean countries were not really being seen in Guyana.
“That is changing now with MovieTowne and Caribbean Cinemas showing films by Caribbean filmmakers, but Guyana’s industry is still lagging behind other Caribbean countries. So, the purpose of the festival is to first create a platform for the Guyanese filmmakers who are making films despite the challenges in Guyana to showcase their films, as well as bring some of the best films being made in other Caribbean countries, to share with Guyanese audiences,” Lucas said.
The films this year will also be played at Castellani House in Georgetown.
