In celebration of Cinema in Paradise, the second annual Bahamas International Film Festival will present approximately fifty films, encompassing international features, shorts, documentaries and animation. This year’s competition categories are the Spirit of Freedom and New Visions. The Spirit of Freedom competition, which is presented by Versace, will honor one narrative and one documentary whose subject matter touches upon the filmmaker’s personal convictions and journey into the human spirit with ties to themes such as religion, politics and the freedom of expression. The New Visions category, which is presented by Hard Rock Café, will focus on emerging artists who have completed no more than two films, only narrative films will be honored in this category. Films entered into the competition categories will be eligible for a Grand Jury Prize. Other film categories that are non-competitive will include Family Film, World Cinema, Touching Africa Sidebar and a Caribbean Sidebar. BIFF 2005 will also honor accomplished artists with Gala Presentations and Special Tributes.

Education and connection between the film industry and the Bahamian community is an important aspect of the Festival's mission. "The Bahamas International Film Festival will continue to bridge the international film community with the vast amount of talent that resides here in the Caribbean," says executive director Leslie Vanderpool.