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March 2015
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For the first time in the festival’s history, diaspora films were included in the main competition where they were vying for the Etalon de Yennenga – Africa’s major film award. The 20 features include the 2015 Oscar nominee, Timbuktu, along with the latest movies from many of the masters of contemporary African cinema. It is an historic first for Haiti/Trinidad and Tobago, Caribbean, and African diaspora cinema. FESPACO takes place every two years in the capital of Burkina Faso in West Africa. Since its inception in 1969, the festival’s goal has been to “contribute to the expansion and development of African cinema as means of expression, education and awareness-raising.” FESPACO is the largest cultural event on the African continent, its elaborate opening and closing ceremonies and prominence for the African film industry, has caused it to be dubbed Africa’s Oscars.”
Haiti Bride was funded in part by a grant from The UWI and world premiered at the University’s Film Programme. The film’s inception was also at The UWI, when Ramesar had a chance meeting with Haitian exchange student, Tahina Vatel, whom he cast as the bride. The first screen tests, writing and pre-production were located at the St. Augustine campus at a time when the University was home to Haitian students whose education had been disrupted by the earthquake. Haiti Bride follows Marie Therese whose parents fled Haiti for New York after the removal of President Aristide, and Paul, a young Haitian who visits New York. She wants to marry him and re-settle in Haiti, he wants to re-settle in the US. They compromise and the wedding is set for Haiti on the afternoon of January 12, 2010 – the day and time of the earthquake. |
Yao Ramesar’s feature film Haiti Bride, a Haiti/Trinidad and Tobago co-production was selected in the feature film competition at the Pan African Film & Television Festival of Ouagadougou (FESPACO) the oldest and largest film festival in Africa, which ran from Feb 28 to March 1. 
Ramesar began production on his first feature on the African continent, Shade, in July 2014 and is also developing a romantic feature to be shot in Accra, Tamale & Kumasi in Ghana along with a handful of other projects.