by Tarnia Green
Government Information Service
The Dominica Film Office and the Discover Dominica Authority in collaboration with Alliance Francaise is this week hosting the third travelling Caribbean film showcase at the Alliance Francaise building in Roseau.
The one week event which was formerly launched on Tuesday evening, affords Dominicans an opportunity to view films which were produced by filmmakers and audio-visual professionals in the Caribbean.
National Film Commissioner, Anita Bully, told the formal launch that the film showcase offers a true approach to the realities of the Caribbean.
Eight films will be showcased including a Cuban classic called “Broken Gods” and “Haven” from the Cayman Islands.
 National Film Commissioner,
Anita Bully
Anita Bully said that this is the third Travelling Caribbean Film Showcase to be brought to Dominica and it will be shown to various audiences at the Arawak House of Culture and the Alliance Francaise building.
“The Showcase which consists of some forty-three (43) films from eighteen (18) countries has already been presented in Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Cayman Islands, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Jamaica and St. Kitts and Nevis. This selection also includes a section which is devoted to children and adolescents. The section for ages 8-12 was showcased to some four hundred and fifty (450) children at the Arawak House of Culture at the end of last month (June). The selection for adolescents will be shown at the beginning of the new semester in September.”
The film showcase is also hoping to bring national film and audio visual productions to the attention of institutions, governments and the private sector with the hope that it will assist in the development of the local film industry.
In the meantime, Hon. Tourism Minister, Ian Douglas, has welcomed the Third Travelling Caribbean Film Showcase to Dominica, saying that it can contribute to the development of cinema in Dominica.
“This is an extremely significant event for the Caribbean and especially for us here in Dominica as it will contribute to the development of cinema and audio visuals. We need to see more films and documentaries about ourselves and our beautiful Nature Island of the world; films and documentaries made by Dominicans that will not only promote what we have to offer as the nature island of the world, but would tell interesting stories and reflect who we are and our way of life.”
The Minister said that Dominica has many interesting stories which could be developed and shared with the rest of the world.
“…We have a lot of stories to tell in Dominica as we all know; stories that can be shown locally and on regional television and which we can also sell on DVD locally, regionally and internationally, not only to Dominicans at home and abroad but to individuals of the Caribbean and African descent who are hungry for these types of films.”
 Hon. Tourism Minister,
Ian Douglas
The film showcase is sponsored regionally by UNESCO and UNICEF and supported by the Cuban Institute of Art and Cinematographic Industry in collaboration with the Caribbean Community, CARICOM. |
