Trinidad and Tobago Film Company
 | |
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 2006 |
| Jurisdiction | Republic of Trinidad and Tobago |
| Headquarters | 47 Long Circular Road, St James |
| Parent agency | CreativeTT, Ministry of Trade and Industry of Trinidad and Tobago |
| Website | http://www.filmtt.co.tt/ |
The Trinidad & Tobago Film Company Limited (FilmTT) is a national agency established in 2006 to facilitate the development of the film industry in Trinidad and Tobago.[1] FilmTT provides logistical support and services such as location scouting and research and acts as a liaison between industry partners, the community, production houses and Government agencies. The agency is also a leading sponsor of the annual Trinidad and Tobago Film Festival.
FilmTT came under the purview of the Trinidad and Tobago Creative Industries Company in 2013.[2]
Film Commission Services
Industry Liaison
FilmTT is responsible for coordinating the necessary permits for crews to film. As a state agency, FilmTT organizes with various ministries within the government for clearance for various aspects of the production process.
Location Scouting
FilmTT researches and proposes a range of locations in and around Trinidad and Tobago to production crews for filming. The agency executes the legal negotiations involved in the acquisition of locations for filming.
Projects/Initiatives
Secondary School Short Film Festival
The Trinidad and Tobago Secondary Schools Short Film Festival was founded by MovieTowne and passed on to The Trinidad and Tobago Film Company Ltd (FilmTT) in 2010.[3] Winning films are shown at the Trinidad and Tobago Film Festival annually and winning schools awarded with high-tech equipment to sustain their film programs and productions. [4]
Smartphone Film Festival
The national Smartphone Film Festival was launched in 2013. The competition which invites amateur filmmakers from Trinidad and Tobago to film mini-movies using only smartphone/mobile technology has no age limit.[5] These short films must be no longer than 5 minutes in duration. The winner of the 2015 Smartphone Film Festival, Ayesha Jordan, had her film, “Good Ole Days” submitted into the 2016 Toronto Smartphone Film Festival.[6]
Film Festival Season
FilmTT has established an annual local film industry event by encouraging and facilitating collaboration among Trinidad and Tobago’s three major festivals – trinidad+tobago film festival (ttff), Animae Caribe Animation and Digital Media Festival and Green Screen Environmental Film Festival. In 2016, Film Festival Season took place from September – November.[7]
1. Trinidad and Tobago Film Festival – 20 – 27 September: trinidad+tobago film festival (ttff) is an annual event that celebrates films from and about the Caribbean and its diaspora, as well as from world cinema. Ttff also seeks to facilitate the growth of Caribbean cinema by offering wide-ranging industry programmes and networking opportunities. FilmTT has been a leading sponsor with this festival since its inception in 2006.
2. Animae Caribe – 24 – 29 October: Animae Caribe’s Animation and Digital Media Festival is the Caribbean’s biggest and most prestigious animation festival, providing a platform for the development of animators, as well as the exposure of animation as a viable business. The Animae Caribe Festival attracts top animators from studios such as Dreamworks, Aardman, Pixar, Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon to Trinidad and Tobago to present and host workshops for potential, novice and professional animators. This festival is based on information sharing allowing participants to gain vital information on trends and career possibilities in this dynamic industry. Animae Caribe was sponsored from inception in 2001 firstly by the Tourism and Industrial Development Company, and thereafter by FilmTT which emerged out of this company in 2006.
3. Green Screen: The Environmental Film Festival – 1 – 12 November: Green Screen the Environmental Film Festival is an annual film series that screens movies about environmental conservation, climate change, green energy, sustainable development and social justice. These films are shown free of charge to audiences all around Trinidad and Tobago. This festival is a production of Sustain T&T. FilmTT is one of the leading 2016 sponsors for this festival.
Small Marketing and Development Grants
In May 2017, FilmTT awarded small Film Marketing and Development Grants to nine T&T filmmakers to advance their productions and careers. These grants are investments in the marketing and development of projects, including (but not limited to) attending regional or international film festivals, markets, incubators, labs or workshops. All projects will take place during the period May 1st – December 31st, 2017. Based on evaluation, the following projects were selected to receive Government funding:
- Michael Mooleedhar - social media marketing for his upcoming feature length film Green Days By The River (Film)
- Leslie-Ann Wills-Caton – marketing of FIXERtales, a Trini-Caribbean television series
- Abigail Hadeed – inclusion of Spanish and French subtitles in Play the Devil for distribution to foreign audiences
- Lesley-Ann MacFarlane – production of 60 sec. sizzle reel for new feature film Scattered
- Tenielle Newallo – social media marketing for The Cutlass
- Everard McBain – online and international distribution for the animated short Celflux Reluctant Heroes: The Secret Weapon
- Mariel Brown – production of a trailer for the feature length film Unfinished Sentences
- Clarence Carver Bacchus – attend the CaribbeanTales International Film Festival to seek distribution agreeements for the Green Screen’s library of content
- Christopher Din Chong - attend ScriptFest 2017 and take part in the Great American Pitchfest including masterclass, one-on-one meetings and consultations for his slate of films[8]
The Open Call, held in March 2017, was available for application to residing nationals or permanent residents of Trinidad and Tobago with at least three film credits for three different productions. Nneka Luke, General Manager of FilmTT, said that the call is an opportunity for the company to invest directly in active film projects in a targeted and sustainable way.[9]
Stakeholder Meeting
The Trinidad and Tobago Film Company (FilmTT) will be hosting a stakeholder meeting on present and future sector development plans on Monday 10th July, 2017.
The purpose of this meeting is to deliver key messages about the present and future sector development plans, introduce stakeholders to FilmTT partners and educate them about wider issues/advances in the sector.
Also at the meeting, attendees will be introduced to Olsberg•SPI[10], the consulting firm selected to research and develop a 5-year strategic plan that will address the developmental needs of the Trinidad and Tobago film and audio-visual sector. This meeting will be the first step in connecting Olsberg•SPI to our stakeholders as part of the research phase of strategic planning.
References
- ↑ Chan Tack, C (November 10, 2006). "TT developing Film Industry". Newsday.
- ↑ "Film, music and fashion to fall under Creative TT".
- ↑ Fraser, M (February 3, 2014). "New Category for Schools Film Festival". Trinidad Express.
- ↑ Phillip, R. "). NorthGate College tops FilmTT's Secondary Schools Short Film Festival". Loop Trinidad and Tobago.
- ↑ "Smartphone Film Festival launched". Trinidad Express. December 15, 2013.
- ↑ Phillip, R. "FilmTT announces winners for the Smartphone Film Festival". Loop Trinidad and Tobago.
- ↑ "FilmTT and Loop News form media partnership". Loop Trinidad and Tobago. September 20, 2016.
- ↑ "Open Call for Film Marketing and Development Grants". CreativeTT.
- ↑ "FilmTT offers grants for film projects". Newsday. March 3, 2017.
- ↑ "Olsberg SPI". www.o-spi.co.uk. Retrieved 2017-06-29.