From iwn

Toronto — The 9th annual CaribbeanTales International Film Festival (CTFF) takes place in Toronto from September 3rd to 13th 2014.

From Sept. 2 to 7, the festival will host a unique market incubator, which gives selected Caribbean filmmakers an opportunity to hone their creative and business skills, through workshops and one on one mentoring by world-class specialists.

Eight teams of filmmakers of Caribbean descent will be participating in this one of a kind program, which this year focuses on series development for television and the web, aimed directly at audiences in the African and Caribbean diaspora. The Incubator features intimate CTFF events at the University of Toronto, which will present many opportunities for participants to network informally with international industry players and culminates in a pitching session in front of international funders and buyers at the renowned TIFF Bell Lightbox.

CTFF’s 2014 theme of, “Our Lens, Our Perspective” is truly resonated in this program as participants will be mentored by a panel of filmmaking professionals from the Caribbean/African Diaspora. These include Nicole Brooks (Producer, Director, Playwright), Dr. Rita Shelton Deverell (Television, Theatre, Academia), Rodney V. Smith (Director, Producer, Author), Christopher Laird (Banyan Ltd, Gayelle: The Channel) and Nick Davis (Director, Program Development CBC).

The Incubator’s 2014 participants are: Peyi Guzman (Dominican Republic), Camille Selvon Abrahams (Trinidad and Tobago), Melissa Gomez (Antigua), Rene Holder, (Trinidad and Tobago), and from Canada: Faisal Lutchmedial, Stephen Young-Chin, Jelani Nias, Chartrisse Dolabaille, Kerron Schullere and Hannah Yohannes.

According to incubator facilitator and former alumnus Nicole Brooks, “The Incubator is evolving to meet current market needs, and we are excited at the opportunities that will be created for producers and our emerging industry, in the Caribbean region and its Diaspora, by the work being currently developed.”

The CaribbeanTales International Film Festival kicks off on Sept. 3 with a red carpet gala and reception at the Royal Cinema in Toronto and the World Premiere of “The Glamour Boyz Again! Sparrow and Superior on the Hilton rooftop”. This feature-length documentary reveals a remarkable acoustic performance by two of calypso’s most acclaimed icons, the Mighty Sparrow (Slinger Francisco) and Lord Superior (Andrew Marcano).

The Mighty Sparrow will be in attendance at this auspicious opening night event.

IMAGE: Participants in the 2013’s CTFF Market Incubator programme.

For more on this story go to: http://www.iwnsvg.com/2014/08/24/caribbean-filmmakers-set-to-benefit-from-market-incubator-programme/