Trash Into Cash scores big at Green Screen film fest

Trash Into Cash has won The Green Screen Environmental Film Festival's Very Short Shorts Mobile Film competition. The film by Alyzee Lalla and Amber D'Ornellas also won three other categories.

The Best International Film Award was presented to Climate Blueprint: A quest 'to be the most climate-resilient nation’ by Sarah Howard. This short film examines what it really means for a small island in the Caribbean facing the onslaught of climate change while still reeling from the impacts of colonialism, slavery, natural resource extraction and environmental degradation, a media release said.

Festival director Carver Bacchus said in the release, “This film illustrates the resilience and innovation necessary for our region’s long-term survival in the face of climate change. We have the best examples of this next door in Dominica and we would do well to pay attention. The film is well made, people focused and solution oriented.”

This award comes with a $700 prize from the Green Screen Film Festival.

The Best Trinidad and Tobago Film Award was won by Walking To Gasparillo by Kwasi Holder. The film follows Kwasi who, yearning for a deeper understanding of himself, embarks on a transformative quest: a solo walk from Arima to Gasparillo, traversing picturesque landscapes and diverse communities. Along his journey, Kwasi encounters unexpected challenges and through these encounters, he embraces the resilience of the human spirit.

“We’re always pleased to receive local films that are well made and tell such a relatable story. This film is a love letter to our spirit as Trinbagonians and we felt it deserved the nod for the prize,” Bacchus said. Kwasi earned $1,000 for his production also sponsored by the Green Screen festival.

The festival's 2023 theme is Our Circle. The idea that the natural world is a connected circle of elements and organisms is not new. Darwin’s idea of evolution is best depicted as a circle, with various species connecting and branching off from each other, the release said.

The Very Short Shorts competition 2023 aimed to embrace stories of this amazing never-ending story through film, with a focus on the following three Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), SDG 14 (Life Below Water), SDG 15 (Life On Land). Filmmakers were therefore tasked to highlight stories of the interconnected nature of life and systems on this planet.

The Very Short Shorts Mobile Film Competition Overall Jury Award was presented to Trash Into Cash by Alyzee Lalla and Amber D'Ornellas. This award of $12,000, sponsored by the NGC, is based on the highest-scoring project.

Lalla and D’Ornellas, co-directors of the film, said that Trash Into Cash is meant to be an entertaining, comedic telling of a few ways to practise circular economy.

"We thought the idea of an upbeat 90s infomercial would be funny and nostalgic. The main goal of the project was to have fun making something, learning how to prepare and shoot a film, while also educating ourselves and others on circular economy. We'd say our goals were well met!”

Additionally, The Very Short Shorts Mobile Film Competition Youth Jury Award was presented to Trash Into Cash. This award of $5,000 was presented by Republic Bank Ltd through its Power to Make A Difference Programme. The filmmakers were the highest scoring in their age category of 12-25 years, the release said.

The special category Circular Economy Award was also presented to Trash Into Cash. This award donated by the Cropper Foundation is worth $8,000. Trash Into Cash was the highest-scoring film project in the special category.

The Very Short Shorts Mobile Film Competition Overall Jury Award was presented to Life on Land by Apphia Makeda Lord which poetically examines the disconnection between earth and humankind. This award of $3,000, presented by FilmTT, is based on audience voting on social media.

The festival is supported by lead sponsor the NGC, supporting sponsor Republic Bank Ltd through its Power to Make A Difference programme, festival patron FilmTT and festival partner The Cropper Foundation.