Soluble wins Green Screen prize

SOLUBLE by Shane Hosein is the winner of the inaugural edition of the Green Screen Film Festival’s Very Short Shorts Mobile Film Competition, and the $10,000 cash prize sponsored by SWMCOL. Hosein’s film topped 19 other shorts to claim the Jury Award: Overall Winner, while Renaldo “Red” Frederick has copped the Jury Award: Youth Winner (17-25 years) and $5,000 sponsored by FilmTT, with his film I Refuse.

The announcements were made at the opening night gala of the eight annual Environmental Film Festival – Green Screen, held at Digicel IMAX on Wednesday evening, following the screening of the 20 (one-minute) films in competition.

The Very Short Shorts Mobile Film Competition is the newest feature in the festival’s line-up. Over 40 entries were submitted, and a panel of industry experts and filmmakers narrowed the list to 20 finalists whose films best conveyed the theme Stories of our Rivers and Seas. The final jury panel included Danielle Dieffenthaler, writer and film programmer Jonathan Ali, Martiniquan film programmer Steve Zebina and water and sanitation specialist at the IADB Gilroy Lewis.

Hosein says he made the film to raise awareness of soluble pollutants from people’s day-to-day activities entering the natural ecosystems. Although he has a background in film as a director and editor, this is the first time he has submitted work for competition. He started his career as a filmmaker on the Set of Westwood Park, during season three in 2001.

His keen desire to progress in the industry motivated him to move quickly through the ranks, producing work alongside many top Trinibagonian and international industry professionals. His skills have allowed him to pursue storytelling through film and television productions, documentary and commercial advertising in a way he finds incredibly satisfying and rewarding.

The competition was praised by SWMCOL chief executive officer Ronald Roach who presented Hosein with his prize. “This provides an opportunity to spread key environmental messages through the medium of film. Increasing problems of over-consumption of resources, environmental degradation and species loss are affecting our climate in unprecedented ways, leading to increases in natural disasters, as evidenced by the disastrous flooding that was experienced in Trinidad two weeks ago,” Roach said.

Youth winner Frederick’s I Refuse features a dystopian take on a society without clean water that barters plastic in exchange for the necessary resource.

Frederick started acting at age 16 in secondary school where he won a scholarship to attend Trinidad Theatre Workshop. From there, he completed his BA in Film Production and Theatre Arts at the University of the West Indies then worked for one year as an apprentice player at the National Theatre Arts Company of TT. He can be seen in TVC’s, music videos and short films. Notable film credits include Girlfriends’ Getaway, Flying the Coup, Pan! Our Modern Odyssey, Unfinished Sentences, and Home Invasion. He is pursuing his MA at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London.”

According to FilmTT general manager Nneka Luke, “The festival has also done its part to invest in the development of the local film industry. Through previous programmes, Green Screen identified and trained several local filmmakers in creating environmentally-focused content, and some of these films went on to screen at other festivals, thereby exposing a wider audience to TT talent and important messages.”

The festival continues to Saturday, with school screenings at Digicel IMAX today and tomorrow from 10 am. The 20 films of the Very Short Shorts Mobile Film Competition will be screened along with the animated feature The Adventures of Zack & Molly. Students will learn also about possible careers in marine and coastal zone management from experts in the field through the debut of the festival’s Green Career Talks initiative.

Green Screen is also sponsored by FilmTT, Atlantic, the Canadian High Commission and Culturego Magazine.