May 2016


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The UWI Film Programme, as part of its 10th anniversary celebrations, turns its eye towards emerging filmmakers from across the globe at its new film festival: World Festival of Emerging Cinema (WOFEC), from May 19-22, 2016 at its Carmody Street, St. Augustine home base.

The response to the call for submissions was overwhelming – almost 700 films from 76 countries were submitted. A total of 192 films made the final selection; these were from 52 countries including features from Peru, Columbia, Netherlands, Mexico, France, Albania, Spain, Guinea-Bissau, India and Italy, along with the specially invited films from Trinidad and Tobago and the region.

The films focus on a range of issues such as migration, race, women’s rights, coming-of-age, as well as religion and spirituality. This diversity of subject matter and theme, creatively and originally addressed, will attract the full spectrum of WOFEC’s patrons. Of note, there is a selection of films specifically targeting junior audiences.

Included in the first official selections announced are two feature films, Climas from Columbia/Argentina directed by Enrica Perez; The Head Hunter from India directed by Nilanjan Datta; documentaries from Ireland Destination: Gaza directed by Garry McGovern, and Finland, Listen by Rungano Nyoni; as well as an animated movie from Brazil, Castillo y Armado, directed by Pedro Harres. Among the selected shorts are the comedies Rap Brothers from Poland directed by Adrian Apanel, Occupy Jamasa from Finland directed by Jaakko Kajein, Sans Plomb (Unleaded) from Canada/France/Netherlands and Une Simple Formalité from France directed by Nicoloff Loïc. Rounding off the first selections are dramatic shorts Wut from Spain, directed by Sergi Maltas, and Love, by Bulgaria’s Petar Boya Harizanova.

The feature film Climas explores the circumstances of three women of vastly differing ages and origins as they cope with life in three distinct regions of Peru. Eva, a young girl from the lush tropics of the Amazonian jungle, experiences a sexual awakening by way of a forbidden relationship with her uncle. Victoria, a wealthy socialite from Lima, suffers a terrible secret that renders her inner life as grey and melancholic as the city surrounding her. Zoraida, an elderly peasant from a destitute village in the Andean Mountains, confronts her worst fears in the wake of the unexpected return of her estranged son. Three disconnected regions, three introverted women, three stories of discovery shaped by three different geographies, societies and climates of the same fragmented country.

Over the years, The UWI Film Programme has played host to myriad film festivals including the Trinidad and Tobago Film Festival, the Green Screen Film Festival, Africa Film Trinidad and Tobago Festival and the Africa World Documentary Film Festival. The Indian High Commission also collaborates with the Programme which hosts its Indian Cine Club.

Students of the Programme have won numerous awards for their films, which have screened locally, regionally and internationally to consistent acclaim. The official festival trailer produced in-house at the UWI Film Programme by film students Sekou Charles and Mikhail Gibbings, who edited the trailer and composed the original musical score respectively.

The Festival is free and open to the public.

For more information:
Phone: 662-2002 ext 82727
Email: film.programme@sta.uwi.edu
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WFEC15
Check out the teaser trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJX6XbLDeIM