Reggae

Film Festival 2008

2008-02-20 Welcome......

Welcome to the 'Reggae Film Festival' 2008 website. The Festival was held February 20-22 in Kingston, Jamaica screening feature films, documentaries, music videos and animation with a focus on reggae music. It was a historic event, beginning at the public Emancipation Park, Kingston, under the glow of a full moon eclipse, then on the following two days at the Courtleigh Auditorium in New Kingston. There was also a screening of films at the Global Reggae Conference being held simultaneously at the University of the West Indies.

Emancipation Park - Opening Night 20th Feb. 2008

Scroll down for the latest Schedule of Festival films, news and updates......

2008-06-23 Reggae Film Festival Overview...

REGGAE FILM FESTIVAL 2008

The first REGGAE FILM FESTIVAL was held in Kingston, February 20-22, 2008. The event was presented to showcase some of the scores of films that have been made about Jamaica’s reggae music and culture. As most of these films have been made by non-Jamaicans living and working outside the country, most of the films had never been seen in Jamaica. As much as Jamaicans wanted to see how they and the country are presented by interested film makers, so also the film makers were overjoyed at the opportunity to show Jamaicans the love and admiration expressed in their productions.

ORGANIZERS.

The REGGAE FILM FESTIVAL was organized through a collaboration with Jamaican film maker and festival co-founder, BARBARA BLAKE HANNAH, working with British film archivist and festival co-founder PETER GITTINS of REGGAE FILMS UK, who sourced the films, contacted the film makers, secured their approval to enter films from his archive and dispatched them to Jamaica.

SPONSORS

Meanwhile, BARBARA BLAKE HANNAH worked to secure sponsors to underwrite the costs of the event. She was early successful in obtaining patronage and support from the Minister of Information, Culture, Youth & Sports – Hon. Olivia Grange, who authorized the inputs of the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission to cover the production costs of staging the 3-night event. The REGGAE FILM FESTIVAL became the Ministry’s contribution to Reggae Month, alongside other events including the film premiere of ‘Africa Unite’, the Reggae Academy Awards and the ‘Smile Jamaica’ concert.

Other sponsors who supported the REGGAE FILM FESTIVAL were:

IRIE-FM, which offered $250,000 worth of free radio advertising and promotion;

ALTAMONT COURT HOTEL, which provided accommodation and meals for 3 nights for 4 VIP guests;

VIRGIN AIRLINES, which provided return air travel from the UK to Jamaica.

CVM-TV, which provided $250,000 worth of free TV advertising and promotion;

HYPE-TV, which hosted the screening of entries in the Music Video section of the event;

JAMAICA OBSERVER newspaper, which provided advertising and promotion as part of their collaboration with the Ministries of Tourism and Culture in promotion of February as Reggae Month,

STRAWBERRY HILL HOTEL, which provided VIP accommodation for 2 Film Festival guests;

JAMEDIA PRODUCTIONS, whose staff acted as co-ordinators and main workers.

THE EVENT

The REGGAE FILM FESTIVAL opened at Emancipation Park, New Kingston, on the night of a full moon eclipse and the evening unfolded under the ever changing celestial spectacle.

IRIE-FM did a live one-hour broadcast from the event on DJ BONES ‘Entertain Review’ program, interviewing some of the many film makers, actors and celebrity guests present. These included Festival VIP Guests CARL BRADSHAW – star of 9 feature films made in Jamaica; WAYNE JOBSON, director of the Peter Rosh documentary ‘stepping Razor, Rex X’; JEP JORBA, who made his own way to Jamaica from Spain to present his film ‘Rico Rodriquez – the Legacy”; BILL PARKER, director of the dancer hall feature “KLA$H”; ARTHUR GORSON, leading Hollywood producer of the Ernie Ranglin documentary ‘Roots of Reggae’; JUNGLE JIM from Canada, director of ‘Destination Jamaica’; actor CARL DAVIS, star of ‘Dance Hall Queen’ and the Festival film ‘Almost Heaven’ and many others.

The second and third nights of the REGGAE FILM FESTIVAL were held at the Courtleigh Auditorium, New Kingston. HYPE-TV presented live coverage from the lobby with interviews and commentary by PETER LLOYD.

JAMAICA FILM ACADEMY & JAMAICA FILM ARCHIVE.

On the closing night the Minister of Information, Culture, Youth & sports announced that the REGGAE FILM FESTIVAL had inspired the formation of a JAMAICA FILM ACADEMY and that she was pleased to use the REGGAE FILM FESTIVAL to induct six film pioneers into a JAMAICA FILM ACADEMY to produce more Jamaican films and increase the nation’s film output.

The six inductees are: CARL BRADSHAW, CHRIS BLACKWELL, TREVOR RHONE, FRANKLYN ST. JUSTE, CYNTHIA WILMOT and SALLY HENZELL (representing her late husband PERRY HENZELL). In addition, the Minister announced that the films of the REGGAE FILM FESTIVAL will be the foundation of a JAMAICA FILM ARCHIVE to be established as part of the National film Library & Archive.

THE FUTURE

The organizers of the REGGAE FILM FESTIVAL are pleased that their event has inspired renewed attention to film as an aspect of Jamaica’s cultural expression. We look forward to hosting an even bigger and better REGGAE FILM FESTIVAL 2009.

Already several film makers have informed us of productions scheduled for completion. SYLVESTRE JACOBI, director of “Roots Time”, the feature shown on the second night of the Festival, is coming to Jamaica later this year to shoot a sequel. RICK ELGOOD, director of ‘Surf Rasta’, has started production on a documentary about festival Host L.A. LEWIS. LYNN TAIT, who was the subject of the Festival film “Lynn Tait – Rocksteady’ is one of several artists being featured in a documentary about rocksteady that will be ready for the 2009 event.

2008-02-26 More about the Reggae Film Festival...

At the event we showed some of the best Reggae/Rasta films for 2008 aswell as some older classics in the Retrospective section. A lot of films which are made about Reggae and Jamaica are never seen in Jamaica itself and we felt it was important for the Festival to be able to show these films and let people know what films are being made about their country's music and culture.

Our special aim was to showcase the work of film makers from around the world, many of which would not normally be seen or heard about in Jamaica.

In future years the 'Reggae Film Festival' will continue to highlight the best films which are made each year using reggae as a theme, sound track or subject. Entries may be submitted to
Jamaica Media Productions, P.O. Box 727, Kingston 6 or www.ReggaeFilms.co.uk

2008-02-26 Reggae Film Festival a Huge Success

The Reggae Film Festival was a huge success, drawing a full house crowd at Emancipation Park, where 7,000 chairs had been set out. The audience enjoyed the films and especially the venue, calling for the Film Festival to become a monthly, and certainly an annual event. Members of the audience wanted to know where they could buy copies of the films shown and generally showed enthusiasm for every single film screened.

Films of special interest were "Almost Heaven", "Roots Time", "CountryMan", "Stepping Razor - Red X" and "Dub Echoes". Members of the audience also talked about the travel programme"Island Hoppers" and "The Legacy - the Rico Rodriquez Story" about another of reggae's unsung heroes.

The Reggae Film Festival continues on February 29th at the Island Village, Ocho Rios with screenings of several of the festival films.

2008-02-26 Official 'Reggae Film Festival' 2008 Screening Schedule

FEBRUARY 20th – EMANCIPATION PARK

MUSIC VIDEOS

By The Rivers of Babylon – Sinead O.Connor

Reggae Strong – Lucky Dube

Kingston Town – albarosie

DOCUMENTARIES

The Legacy – the Rico RodriquezStory – Jep Jorba (SPAIN)

Stepping Razor – Red X – Wayne Jobson (JA)

FEATURE

Almost Heaven – Ed Herzog (GERMANY)

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FEBRUARY 21 – COURTLEIGH AUDITORIUM

MUSIC VIDEOS

Warrior Love – Etana

Wake Dem Up – Peter Lloyd

DOCUMENTARIES

Island Hoppers Robert Douglas

Summer Sound In Canada – Kevin Howes/Jerry Brown (CAN/JA)

Roots of Reggae – the Ernie Ranglin Story – Arthur Gorson/Wayne Jobson (USA/JA)

FEATURES

Surf Rasta – Rick Elgood (JA)

Countryman – Dickie Jobson (JA)

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FEBRUARY 22 – COURTLEIGH AUDITORIUM

TRAILERS

Destination Jamaica – George Tait (CAN/JA)

K2 – Allan Tenant (JA)

DOCUMENTARIES

Dub Echoes – Bruno Natal (BRAZIL)

Africa Unite – Stephanie Black (USA/JA)

FEATURES

Kla$h – Bill Parker (USA/JA)

GLOBAL REGGAE CONFERENCE – UWI – FEB.22

African Safari, SEED for Africa – Geeza Graham (UK)

Mystic Revelation of Rastafari – Bro. Sam Clayton (JA)

Time Trip – Cynthia Wilmot (JA)

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ISLAND VILLAGE - OCHO RIOS - 29th FEB.2008

TRAILER

Reggae in The Ruff - Don McConnell (USA)

DOCUMENTARIES

Destination Jamaica - George Tait (CAN)

Lynn Tait: Rocksteady - Generoso Fierro (USA)

Summer Sound in Canada - Kevin Howes/Jerry Brown (CAN/JA)

FEATURES

Rootstime - Silvestre Jacobi (Argentina)

2008-02-26 Thank You.....To All Our Patron and Sponsors.......

We'd like to give a big Thank You to all the people who have helped to make the Reggae Film Festival possible. Primarily, we thank the Minister of Information, Culture, Youth & Sports, Hon. OLIVIA GRANGE, under whose patronage the Reggae Film Festival was presented and whose Ministry covered many of the costs involved in the event's presentation.

Most especially, the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission, a division of the Ministry, handled the staging of the event at Emancipation Park and the Courtleigh Auditorium under the leadership of Dahlia Harris, Michael Nicholson and Hopeton Murray, under the supervision of Executive Director Hugh Nash.

OTHER THANKS must go to the SPONSORS who gave in kind, this includes:

Virgin Airlines - who flew Peter Gittins to Jamaica from the UK. (Special thanks to Cathy Snipper of Palm Pictures).

The Altamont Court Hotel - was gracious enough to provide accommodation for the Film Festival overseas guests Generoso Fierro, Arthur Gorson, Wayne Jobson and Peter Gittins.

IRIE FM - adopted the Reggae Film Festival as a special event and gave complimentary advertising and massive on-air coverage and promotion. Thanks to Andrea Williams-Green, Courtney Wallace, Keshima Francis and DJ Bones.

The Courtleigh Hotel & Suites - our venue for 2 nights of Festival screenings

HYPE TV - gave the Film Festival a cable TV presence by airing our advertising trailers as well as the music videos submtited by leading videographers.

CVM - who gave invaluable TV advertising and promotion

Jamaica Tourist Board - whose Budget supported the advertising for the Reggae Film Festival and Reggae Month.

The Observer

Air Jamaica

www.Unitedreggae.com

+everyone else who helped make this festival possible,

THANKYOU