The Film and Folklore Festival is proving that Caribbean culture is more than just a performance, it is a viable business.
This was evident during the festival’s first-day challenge, the film incubator and treasure hunt, which required filmmakers to use their presentation, teamwork, and location-scouting skills to navigate complex issues in a treasure hunt-style format.
Founder of the festival, Leslie-Ann Wills Caton, explained the goal behind this activity.
“For me, filmmaking is fun and creative, and a lot of times when a filmmaker is trying to figure out the best way to approach an investor, they’re not sure of the process, and so we wanted to make sure that throughout the day, they would be able to get that immersive experience, have one-on-one time with investors, financiers, export professionals, for them to be able to really use their creative side of their brain but also benefit from a business perspective.”
TTT News was on the hunt with one of the four teams involved in the treasure hunt.
While pitching their film, a supernatural thriller grounded in Caribbean folklore, the team noted that although this is an unconventional practice, the opportunity afforded to better their craft is something they always take advantage of.
“Any chance to develop our projects, get it in front of people and talk and pitch and kind of get feedback on what we may be missing, what strengths and weaknesses we may not be realising or seeing right away. And so I think it is an unconventional scavenger hunt or treasure hunt. But I think that at the same time, it tests teams’ ability to work together. Short time frames, again, pitching to a number of people over the course of the day also has its developmental benefits.”
Pitching a short film based on self-discovery to an international investor, this team is using traditional mas characters to showcase culture and identity.
“I could at the same time learn about these new characters that I may not be aware of from Trinidad and Tobago that may fascinate me because of their colours and their textures and their movements, and then that excitement of discovering something new but also discovering something within myself, I think, is what we are trying to mesh and make whoever we’re pitching to excited and interested.”
As an investor long involved in the creative industry, C15 Studios Limited Group’s Operations Manager, Dr. Carlana Ramlochansingh, mentioned one of the challenges local filmmakers encounter while pitching their films.
“We are happy to be a part of it because we do believe that filmmakers, especially in Trinidad and Tobago, need some guidance, need to know how you can put your package together to get it funded, invested in. They have that creative side, but they have to bridge the gap to the business side to make it financially viable. So we are here to help.”
The Film and Folklore Festival invites audiences to immerse themselves in folklore through interactive performances, spoken word, and film.