Film-makers to get more training

THE Trinidad and Tobago Film Festival (ttff) is partnering with the British Council to strengthen the business and entrepreneurial skills of the local film-maker.

In keeping with the ttff’s film-industry development programme 15 experienced film-makers will come together for for a three-day workshop on project proposal writing and pitching from March 23 to 25.

The workshop is designed to support film-makers in developing a clear understanding of what investors are looking for, and the crucial business skills of proposal-writing and presentations. In addition, they will get an opportunity to strengthen their delivery and pitching skills, said a media release.

The programme is a continuation of the festival’s partnership with the British Council, which began in 2017 with training for film-makers and writers in screenwriting and script development.

The workshop will be led by Peter Ansorge, head of short courses and part-time diplomas at the National Film and Television School (NFTS), in the UK. Ansorge has previously worked for the BBC as a script editor and producer in the Drama Department, and for the UK’s Channel 4 as head of drama for television series and serials and a commissioning editor for fiction, helping to create the Film On 4 strand. At the NFTS he developed and runs the popular Writing the Pilot and TV Drama: Creating the Bible courses. He has published two books on stage and screenwriting, Disrupting The Spectacle and From Liverpool to Los Angeles.

The NFTS is considered to be one of the world’s leading film and TV schools and a recognised centre of excellence. Established in 1971, it offers post-graduate degrees, diplomas and short courses in specialist disciplines including animation direction, cinematography, fiction direction, documentary direction, film programming and curation, digital effects, games design and TV entertainment.

Also commenting on the project, Josaine Alexander, country manager, British Council, said: “We recognise that there is potential for growth in the TT film industry and are seeking to assist in filling the knowledge gaps.

“This is why we saw it as integral to extend our partnership with ttff and continue the capacity-building programmes with the inclusion of the proposal writing and pitch development workshops.

“We hope that these workshops will equip the film-makers to better position their films to distributors in wider markets.”

The participants are: Kevin Adams, Jamil Agard, Jeffrey Alleyne, Shea Best, Maya Cozier, Christopher Din Chong, Sonja Dumas, Janine Mendes Franco, Jian Hennings, Sean Hodgkinson, Juliette McCawley, Teneille Newallo, Jared Prima, Sophie Walcott and Dainia Wright.