Bamsees, Boats + Bazodee: Highlights From the Trinidad + Tobago Film Festival

September 29, 2015

trinidad-and-tobago-film-festival

The 10th annual Trinidad & Tobago Film Festival concludes tonight after two weeks of screenings across Port-of-Spain and its surrounds. LargeUp was there  for much of it, cramming as many movies as we could in between bottles of Stag and late-night runs to the doubles man on Ariapita Avenue.

While the scope of TTFF is worldwide, its focus is squarely on the Caribbean, with much of its programming coming from within the region. Haiti loomed large in this year’s edition, which opened with Sweet Micky For President, former Fugees member Pras Michel’s documentary on Michel Martelly’s unlikely run for president in 2011 (and Pras’ own role in it all). The harsh reality of post-earthquake Haiti, and the diffusion of Haitians across the region, inspired some of the best movies we caught at the festival, including Raoul Peck’s dark drama Murder in Pacot and the Dominican Republic-set January 1st. Trinidad & Tobago’s status as a growing hub for movie-making in the region was also evident, as the festival showcased a wide variety of films shot and set on the island, including a number of high-quality documentaries and the world premiere of Bazodee, the debut feature film from soca star Machel Montano.

Here, we’ve highlighted a few favorites, from brief shorts to epic features. Click here to start the roundup.