Sunday, January 20, 2008

Photos from Bahamas International Film Festival

Filmmakers Mari, Marisa, Andrea

Red Carpet Photo Ops

Actors CharlizeTheron, Darryl Hannah, Sir Sean Connery & Filmmaker Stuart Townsend

Filmmakers: Andrea Leland, David Mueller, Lynn Salt


Bahamas International Film Festival

Jamesie on the big screen!


The Bahamas International Film Festival took place on Dec. 6-13th, 2007. This was a wonderful film festival for filmmakers. The people who run the festival are very professional and take very good care of the filmmakers. Our plane tickets were paid for and we were housed at the Atlantis resort on Paradise Island in Nassau. We arrived on Thursday and taken to a filmmakers retreat at a lovely private club. Unfortunately it was raining very hard so beaching it and swimming was out the question, making for better eating and meeting other filmmakers. The next day the film screenings began and in the evening there was a most terrific party at Nobu restaurant. Sir Sean Connery is a sponsor of the festival and a friend of Darryl Hannah, who was honored at the festival the following evening. More films, more photos, more fun….all weekend.


The Jamesie film was presented on Monday night at the British Colonial Hilton in the town of Nassau. The evening was sponsored by Fed Ex. They invited their clients to a pre screening social hour followed by the screening of the Jamesie film. The film was very well received and local Bahamian audience LOVED the film. I believe the film touches a nerve with Caribbean people, reminding them of a simpler time where outside cultural influences did not have such a strong impact on their lives and when music was very much a reflection of their life experience.

The film was reviewed by Elliot Kotek from Moving Pictures Magazine. Here is the link to his review: http://movingpicturesmagazine.com/reviews/movies/jamesie

I spent a few days beyond the weekend at the festival, talking with some local musicians and tradition bearers who would like to see me make a film about the music of the Bahamas known as Rake & Scrape. Their music is similar to Scratch Music with a Bahamian twist. I am intrigued at the prospect so stay tuned to find out where this idea develops!