Sunglass Sessions w/ New Caribbean Cinema – Ras Tingle

“Di gyal dem Pringle” discusses his short film Parish Bull, why he became a filmmaker and the future of Caribbean Cinema.

Finally Here!!! : Ring Di Alarm – BFI London Teaser

New Caribbean Cinema presents RING DI ALARM!
World Premiere – September 2, 2012 – British Film Institute, Southbank, LONDON

Big BIG UP: Shadow and Act wraps up the inaugural Black Star Film Fest: NCC in da buildingg, boom!

So we’re very happy to be included in the highlights of the Shadow and Act’s round up of the inaugural Black Star Film Fest which was indeed as Ava Du Vernay tweeted ” a stellar experience.” We were also mentioned in CineCaribes post about the festival, as they keep track of Caribbean stories, big and small,  making the rounds everywhere.  Big BIG up to all the peeps who organised the event especially Maori and Yaba, and all the wonderrrrrful volunteers. This is one network of art-ivists who are out to conquer. RESPECT.

Click here for link to round up article on Indie Wire’s Shadow and Act.

As far as the pending launch of NCC and our international circuit, we will definitely be be making the rounds very very soon. Please keep checking us here  for updates, big tings a gwan, moves ah make, in a MASSIVE way, details this week, stay TUNED!

 

 

Happy Independence Jamaica

Directed by Storm Saulter, Produced by Michelle Serieux, Edited by Joel Burke, GFX by John Mitchell. Concept by Prism Communications Ltd for Red Stripe Beer/Diageo Ltd.

Movements…ever forward

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I just had a real soul affirming moment today and its helped put every single detail of my life as a Caribbean creative into clear sharp precise perspective. Give thanks! It must have been so cool for these comrades Charles Burnett, Julie Dash, Haile Gerima etal to be part of that badass crew associated with the LA rebellion. For those of us young’uns who feel like we were born into a generation where things are so flacid we all feel like rebels without a cause, I’ve definitely found one that’ll makes us all proud, now and in hindsight, to be part of this time that we’re living in. All throughout out history there have been little spurts of creativity within our cinematic community and at this time, we are definitely going through another great one. Picking the lessons from the ones that fell short in the past, this one is going to rely heavily on our commitment as a people to supporting Independent Cinema from the not-so-seen cinesphere, black film, indie film, nuanced film, Caribbean film, African Diaspora film. I’ve seen some really cool stuff in the little time I’ve been here, the wickedest fashion film with a mad groovy beat called Party of Ministers and a very cool, very original take on a cycle of bad decisions, mayhem in black and white in a short film called Bump. The festival’s small but the energy is massive…big up yourselves, lovers and makers of diaspora cinema.

Random thoughts on some random (wonderful) things like : Black Star Film Fest, Shadow and Act, AFFRM

Some days are like no other. Infact every day is a unique gift like no other so lemme get real with that earlier statement. Yes I. Watching the city come alive in Philadelphia, PA where the inaugural Black Star Film Fest is underway. I submitted Missed to this festival just for the opportunity to link up formally with this network of Black and African Diaspora Filmmakers, curators, festival organisers,  cinephiles and activists, thinkers and people who fully recognize that yes we can(!) reach out to our audiences and make the community strong, from supporting our filmmakers to bringing their work to the audiences, by attending their screenings and blogging about the experience, we do have the ability to own the machinery that will bring all our collective stories to the right audience, that being ourselves. So hailing up all lovers of African Diaspora cinema, it’s happening, the times are a’ changing. With blogs like Shadow and Act on the Indie Wire network keeping us all in the loop with everything current and fresh in the Cinemascape, Ava du Vernay’s  AFFRM network doing the legwork to get black films out to the right audiences, and peeps from CineCaribes driving all the way out to Philly from NYC to support New Caribbean Cinema,  it’s definitely a good time to be black and sexy (big up Dennis Dortch

Anyhoo folks, checkout the scheddy, Missed screens in the shorts section at noon, followed by a talk with Avaa Du Vernay about AFFRM and her awesome new film Middle of Nowhere. I finally got to watch Restless City last night big up to Nicole Grey our Better Mus Come and NCC comrade whose performance is especially haunting in this film. Bradford Young certainly captures the beauty of this universe with his brilliant cinematography, and Mr Dosunmu, what can I say but you have transferred your passion  for making stunning photographs right across to this genre, and your directorial choices made this slow burn of a climax especially painful. Congratulations Black Star Film fest, Year 1 is definitely making an impact.

TRISHNA

So I treated myself to another round of Independent Cinema last night and went to the 9:30 showing of Trishna at IFC. I think I am still trying to settle on what my views are about the film. A very very powerful subject, no doubt, and performances that left me chyuuupppsing audibly, annoyed at Freida Pinto’s character for being so spineless, but also recognising the futility of wishing she would do anything other than bobble her head and let other people decide on her fate. I guess that kind of is what we women do when we have no options, especially when our financial freedom is nil, compromising ourselves becomes not even a choice but a matter of instinctual self preservation. Perhaps. That this is the reality of so many women in the world is really enough to give anyone pause. I guess at some point I will get around to my thoughts on the drama itself, and the meandering subplots that were as excessive as the lives they were trying to mimic, but in the meantime, the film has left me haunted. I think that’s a good thing.

Your Sister’s Sister

Lynn Shelton is a boss. Infact whoever wrote that screenplay is a boss (note to self to check it and insert, I could do it right now but am sleepy…ok, just did and its Lynn Shelton!)  I just watched the wickedest little indie film that right now is vying with Moonrise Kingdom for best film I’ve seen yet. I mean, they’re obviously very different, big budget versus miniscule but this likle 3 person comedic drama is definitely the little film that could. Good laughs, a couple of incestuous moments and a pretty incredible premise, the writing is a gem and the actors play it off very very convincingly. For all our cinephiles in NYC, check it out at the IFC if you have a sec and let me know what you think.

“Beyond” a fashion film by Storm & Nile Saulter for the new LUBICA collection

Oh…my.

Watch this vid till the end. Guaranteed to send chills down your spine. (NB These are not the original Shirilles, this is A + production/costume design and genius direction)