The little festival that could: Asha Lovelace leads Africa Film TT into 10th year

Founder and curator of Africa Film Trinidad and Tobago (AFTT) Asha Lovelace has good reason to celebrate.

The “little” festival she introduced to Trinidad and Tobago ten years ago has grown into one that hosts filmmakers the likes of Blitz Bazawule, director of the 2023 remake of the musical drama The Colour Purple. Bazawule’s film, The Burial of Kojo, was screened on opening night of AFTT in 2019.

“This is a year of gratitude for us," Lovelace told Newsday.

"For getting to the tenth edition, for the growth of the festival, for the dedication and commitment of the team and volunteers, for the difference we are making in the film landscape and for our sponsors who help us to make it all happen.

“I feel like it’s a bit of an accomplishment. We’ve had many challenges, but I really pleased with how far my small, dedicated team and I have come."

She said the audience has grown, not just in terms of size, but interest in how people see Africa, Africa's connection to Trinidad and Tobago and filmmaking.

The growth of the festival is a testament to Lovelace's dedication to the things she holds sacred, as in addition to putting together the AFTT annually, she is a mother, a UWI student doing a PhD in cultural studies, and is also working on two films of her own – a feature-length and a short film.

"So it’s a bit of a juggling that takes place, because you’re trying to show up how you need to for your children, for the festival, for your assignments, and everything you're doing.

"But the team and I are committed to this work. We started planning a lot earlier this year because the programming takes a while. It’s a curated festival and we wanted a nice cross-section of films, a nice genre in terms of country. It's just about organising your time and doing what you have to do to make things happen.

This year’s festival runs from May 22-26, at Queen’s Hall, St Ann’s, with a packed agenda for creatives.

“We have a very exciting programme of films. On opening night we will screen the award-winning Goodbye Julia,” a Sudanese/Egyptian drama by Mohamed Kordafoni. The closing film will be Mami Wata, a fantasy thriller out of Nigeria.

She said a number of other well-selected films will be screened during the rest of the festival, and not just films out of Africa. Among them are Kanaval, produced in Canada; Mountain Boy, produced in the United Arab Emirates and the UK; and Will My Parents Come to See Me, a short film produced in Somalia, Austria and Germany.

“We’ve been building on a nice Caribbean corner with films from Jamaica, Antigua, Trinidad and Tobago, St Martin," and there will also be screening of cinematic music videos, and documentaries such as Iconography – Mungal Patasar.

"We have workshops and panel discussions, and one of the main features I’m excited about is Experience VR: Crafting Cinematic Worlds in Virtual Reality, which will be facilitated by immersive storyteller and director Selim Harbi, who will be coming in from Tunisia. It’s a collaboration with the IDB, and participants will spend a week working on content in VR, which will be presented at the end of the festival,” she said with excitement in her voice.

Every year the festival caters to children and teenagers, and this year they will get a bonus. Lovelace said the response has been so overwhelming that instead of the usual two days of screening, the team decided to add an extra day. There will also be the Play Ah Mas mask-making workshop, in which participants get to make their own masks featuring traditional Carnival characters.

"This was inspired by the soon-to-be-released picture book Play Ah Mas. This workshop welcomes creators of all ages and skill levels to explore mask making, pattern play and a special sneak peek of the story behind the curious characters who bring Trinidad and Tobago Carnival to life."

Lovelace said the festival producers understand the important role networking plays in the creative industry, so the goal is "to bring more industry guests to encourage exchange and collaboration on a local, regional, and international level for content in the future."

The festival also features an artisan market at which patrons can help support local businesses and indulge in handmade luxuries, and the Art Walk which will showcase the work of local artists.

"Here, you will be able to share your passion for art and connect with like-minded enthusiasts in the community."

And, of course, AFTT will not be complete with the highly-anticipated Afrobeat party, Fever, which will take place at Calabash Gardens, Tragarete Road, Port of Spain on May 25.

"We will have live performances from new calypso artiste Jimmy October and Tobago-based artiste XAV (Xavier Edwards)."

As the team continues to build on what it started ten years ago, Lovelace said the festival still has some way to go.

"We will persevere and continue to grow because we have carved out a great space for ourselves in the film industry in Trinidad and Tobago. We’ve had some consistent sponsors, to whom we are extremely grateful, and we would like to see more come in and support us in a big way.

"I'm truly grateful to my team, including festival co-ordinator Melanie Jones Powell, technical director Che Best and all our volunteers."

Patrons can buy tickets for individual activities, or festival passes with cost-saving benefits.

"A festival pass includes access to our legendary opening night gala, plus daily film screenings, all workshops, all panels, artisan market and art walk."

For more information visit africafilmtt.com.