Guyanese short film for Caribbean film festival

Guyana Masquerades

Demerara Waves…April 7, 2012 — “Tradition”, one of the eight short films (CineGuyana) produced under The President’s Film Endowment 2011, established by President Bharat Jagdeo, will be shown at the Caribbean Tales Film Festival in Barbados this Thursday, April 12, 2012.

The Festival is organised by Caribbean Tales, The Caribbean Diaspora’s most dynamic film festival group — with bases and events in Toronto, Barbados and New York, and partnerships across the region and the globe. It showcases works made by filmmakers from Caribbean backgrounds and/or that celebrate and explore Caribbean themes, and themes of interest and relevance to people from the Caribbean Diaspora.

“Tradition” was one of 8 features and 15 shorts selected from over 70 entries in this year’s Cartibbean Tales festival. It was conceptualised and directed by Margaret Lawrence and written by the team of Lawrence, Richard Pitman (Producer) Ayanna Waddell, Russell Lancaster and Yaphet Jackman (Director of Cinematography ) . Executive Producers were Dr. Paloma Mohamed and Brian Zahm, MFA.

“Tradition” a 10 minute cultural fiction is about a family battling personal loss and the anger that this brings while a young boy tries to hold on to the traditions of his father and the yearnings of his heart. Through the cultural artifact of the Masquerade, the past, present and future collide in a surprising end. “Tradition” stars Lavonne George, Kijana Lewis, Johann David and The Golden Arrowhead Masquerade Band.

CineGuyana Films have been screened for the public at The Billy Holiday Theatre, New York; The University of Warwick, UK; The American Film Institute, Washington, The African Film Festival in Nigeria and Guyexpo. The making of the films was also supported by USAID.

Guyanese across the regions of Guyana will have an opportunity to view these films when the local caravan rolls out on April 20, 2012. Schedules will be published on the CineGuyana website and Facebook pages as well as the local press. One of the eight films is also expected to be included in the European Union’s Film festival carded for the Theatre Guild later this month.

Founded in 2010, the CaribbeanTales Film Festival @ Island Inn Barbados is a multi facetted event that includes a Film Festival, an Industry Symposium, and a Content incubator, all aimed at stimulating the development of a vibrant world class Caribbean film and television industry.

CaribbeanTales is a group of companies that produces, markets and exhibits Caribbean-themed films for regional and international distribution. These include: CaribbeanTales Worldwide Distribution, that links producers and buyers of quality filmed entertainment; the CaribbeanTales Film Festival Group that produces annual events in Toronto, Barbados and New York; the Caribbean Incubator Program for Audio Visual Entrepreneurs that delivers training for filmmakers, and CaribbeanTales.ca, a non profit that promotes citizen participation through the medium of film, contributing to an inclusive Canadian society.