An exchange programme between established film festivals in Africa and the Caribbean provides an opportunity for trading ideas across cultures
Films offer us a means to find out about other cultures: they tell human stories, are accessible, and can communicate important social and developmental messages. Films are also a vibrant form of cultural expression that can play an important role in bringing about greater international understanding. Practitioners need a platform and infrastructural support to pursue their goals and see the realisation of their creative potential maximised. Festivals are an important way in which support, publicity and exchange between and for film-makers can be encouraged.
With these ideas and potentials in mind, in 2010 the Commonwealth Foundation set up a pioneering exchange programme between the Zanzibar International Film Festival (ZIFF) and the Trinidad & Tobago Film Festival (TTFF), both of which have become established and important regular events within their own regions. The festivals share many similarities in terms of their African heritage, island setting, and focus on screening films that are culturally and socially relevant, but the context in which they operate is really quite different.
Trinidad is unique in the Commonwealth Caribbean in providing dedicated government funds to support film production. Entertainment is seen as crucial to the country’s economic diversification
ZIFF is East Africa’s largest film, music and arts festival, bringing new talent together from all over the world. In Tanzania, government policies to support or facilitate film production are limited, but work in film is moving ahead through individual industry initiatives and civil society-led programmes, with the help of international funding agencies. The now well-established annual ZIFF has become a model that others in Africa have come to study.
In Trinidad and Tobago, the situation is rather different in that support for the film industry comes directly from the government. Established in 2005, TTFF seeks to highlight excellence in filmmaking and is an annual celebration of the best films from Trinidad, the Caribbean, the Caribbean Diaspora and Latin American countries in the Caribbean Basin. Film is recognised as a cultural industry and Trinidad is unique in the Commonwealth Caribbean in providing dedicated government funds to support production. The government sees music and entertainment as crucial to the country’s economic diversification.
Building on the success of the exchange programme established last year, ZIFF and TTFF are again coming together to share the best of the Commonwealth’s diverse films and cultures. This initiative presents an invaluable opportunity for the two festivals to learn from one another in order to strengthen the film sector within each country. The programme aims to maximise the ability of both partners to promote and distribute African and Caribbean cinema to audiences throughout the Commonwealth, introducing them to new films, and creating opportunities for networking and building lasting bridges among key film festivals.
The cross-programming presents an important opportunity to increase cross-cultural awareness and understanding among audiences. Both festivals also offer support for emerging film-makers, providing a significant contribution to the development of their respective creative industries.
This year’s Zanzibar International Film Festival, the 14th Festival of the Dhow Countries, has chosen as its theme ‘A Season of Visions’. Held from 18-26 June 2011, the festival was due to feature an international film and video competition, music, theatre and performing arts, workshops, seminars and conferences, and other related arts and cultural programmes. The festival included a networking programme for global film festivals, as well as a pitching contest for emerging East African documentary-makers.
The Trinidad and Tobago Film Festival takes places from 21 September to 4 October at venues across both islands. TTFF seeks to facilitate the growth of the Caribbean film industry by hosting guest directors, workshops, discussion panels, seminars and conferences, and networking opportunities, where industry professionals, as well as interested individuals, can interact and exchange knowledge and ideas. Film-makers will engage in question-and-answer sessions with audiences, and will also speak on special panels about their experiences in the film industry. This year will also see the start of a three-day training programme, providing novice film-makers with the opportunity to learn from the professionals.
