Bahamian filmmakers found a prominent place at the Sixth Trinidad and Tobago Film Festival, taking part in film screenings, prominent panel discussions and workshops.

Three filmmakers – Kareem Mortimer, Clarence Rolle, and Maria Govan – participated in the festival, representing the Bahamas and their individual films. Kareem Mortimer, the director of the feature film Children of God, had his latest movie, Windjammers, screened at the festival.  Meanwhile, Clarence Rolle’s Crazy Love had two screenings during the two-week festival. Rolle is the writer and director of Crazy Love, a critically-acclaimed romantic comedy that is now airing on Cable Bahamas’ Pay Per View.

“It was an inspiring experience to realize the great appreciation and respect that Caribbean audiences have for Bahamian films,” said Rolle after the first screening of Crazy Love at Movie Towne cinemas in Port of Spain. “Several people in the film business and many who are just fans of movies told us how they consider Bahamian films to be among the best coming out of the Caribbean.  In their opinion, Bahamians and Jamaicans are doing some of the best work in the region, and it was so gratifying to see that my film in particular was so loved by an audience outside of The Bahamas.”

Rolle also took part in a panel discussion featuring directors from across the Americas.  The panel brought together directors from Aruba, Jamaica, Caracao, Suriname, Trinidad and Canada to discuss their filmmaking experiences. While on the panel, celebrated Jamaican director, Chris Browne, discussed the making of his two feature films – Third World Cop and Ghett’a Life.

Over the course of the festival, Mortimer and Govan, took part in TTFF’s filmmaker development program, Focus.  The program is facilitated by award-winning, international film-industry professionals - Venezuelan director and screenwriter Fina Torres, and Guyanese-Canadian producer and actor Damon D’Oliveira. Torres is the writer, director and producer of several feature films, including Woman on Top (2000), starring Penelope Cruz. D’Oliveira’s films experience includes producing Poor Boy’s Game (2007), starring Danny Glover.

Bahamas Film Commissioner Craig Woods said the festival proved to be an experience for growth and development for Bahamian filmmakers.

“Our filmmakers are always expanding their horizons,” Woods said. “We are getting nearer to a seeing a sustained local film industry in The Bahamas and we continue to work to put things in place to make that a reality for those who want to dedicate their lives to this calling.”

The Trinidad and Tobago Film Festival ends October 4.