[UPDATED] Terri Lyons' Queen of Soca to premiere at ttff

QUEEN of Soca, a film starring soca artiste Terri Lyons and veteran actress Penelope Spencer, will be premiering at the annual TT Film Festival (ttff) which will feature mostly free screenings of 90 films as part of Carifesta XIV.

This was announced at the media launch for ttff 2019 which was held on Monday at the Shell Box, Queen's Park Oval.

Festival founder and director Bruce Paddington said the festival was in its 14th year and, while it was usually held in September, it made sense to have a special edition with Carifesta XIV which always has a film festival.

He said there were challenges and major benefits from that arrangement including 1,800 foreign guests and films at many venues including at the Academy for the Performing Arts (APA), Port of Spain, the Southern Academy for the Performing Arts, Naparima Bowl, San Fernando Hill and the Shaw Park Cultural Complex in Tobago.

He said the screenings were 95 per cent free of charge but patrons still had to book their tickets. The tickets will be available online from August 10 and at the venues from August 17.

There will be a special screening on August 21 at the National Academy for the Performing Arts for Queen of Soca for which tickets will be sold. The film, directed by Kevin Adams, is a rag-to-riches story about a girl from Morvant who is trying to get out of poverty by becoming a soca singer. Queen of Soca will also be featured that day at Naparima Bowl and Shaw Park Cultural Complex.

Queen of Soca is one of three films to receive the Take One film grant from the Culture Ministry; the other two are Grace & Saleem and She Paradise. Paddington said the films were completed in less than a year which was "incredible."

For this year ttff is partnering with Filmmakers Collaborative of TT (FILMCO) and representative Danielle Dieffenthaller said this year was a test year and going forward FILMCO would continue to have responsibility for the festival. The festival will include a number of events for filmmakers including on financing and contracts and clearances, and Dieffenthaller said it was a huge problem with filmmakers not clearing the rights for intellectual property.

She said she reviewed 200 films and selected 90 and many of them dealt with traumatic Caribbean experiences.

"Film plays a huge role for people to discuss themselves and have conversations about themselves."

She added film had to be all-year round so a child could turn on a television and see themselves reflected in different facets.

"Which unfortunately isn't happening very often here, hence the turmoil that we are in because we are kind of lost and confused and traumatised as a people. And hopefully we will see more films coming out that reflect other aspects ourselves. I think I will do a love story because we need more love in the land."

National Gas Company (NGC) head corporate social responsibility Myles Lewis said the festival's Youth Village would feature four short films from the NGC and ttff Shooting Stars secondary school film programme including the winning film Tainted Reality. Paddington pointed out three of the four five-minute films were about girls cutting themselves.

Culture Ministry corporate communications manager Rodelle Phillips-Simmons, in her remarks, said 8,000 people were expected for Carifesta XIV and there would be representatives from 23 countries. She said there would be almost 200 events from August 16-25 and having the film festival during Carifesta would raise the prominence and relevance of film in the region and allow the opportunity for filmmakers to network.

Asked about the move from MovieTowne and the cinema setting, Phillips-Simmons explained that all Carifesta events were free except for the Super Concert and there was a mandate to make the films accessible.

Other highlights include the documentary Charlie's Records with local music pioneer Rawlston Charles, the documentary Reggae Boys and animation and children's films at the Youth Village.

Ttff 2019 will be held from August 17-23. See ttfilmfestival.com for more information.

This story was originally published with the title "Terri Lyons film to premiere at TTFF" and has been adjusted to include additional details. See original post below.

QUEEN of Soca, a film starring soca artiste Terri Lyons and veteran actress Penelope Spencer, will be premiered at the annual TT Film Festival (TTFF), which will feature mostly free screenings of 90 films as part of Carifesta XIV.

This was announced at the media launch for TTFF 2019 on Monday at the Shell Box, Queen's Park Oval.

Festival founder and director Bruce Paddington said the festival is in its 14th year and while it is usually held in September, it made sense to have a special edition with Carifesta, which always has a film festival. He said there are challenges and major benefits from this arrangement, including 1,800 foreign guests and films at many venues, including the Academy for the Performing Arts, Port of Spain, the Southern Academy for the Performing Arts, Naparima Bowl, San Fernando Hill and the Shaw Park Cultural Complex in Tobago.

He said the screenings are 95 per cent free of charge, but patrons still have to book their tickets. Tickets will be available online from August 10 and at the venues from August 17.

Queen of Soca, directed by Kevin Adams, is a rags-to-riches story about a girl from Morvant who is trying to escape poverty by becoming a soca singer. The film will have its world premiere on August 21 at NAPA.

The TTFF will run from August 17-23. See ttfilmfestival.com for more information.