[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Caribbean American Heritage Foundation of Texas (CAHFT) announces that I Am Bolt, a documentary about the life of Jamaican Olympic athlete Usain Bolt, will headline its 2nd Annual Houston Caribbean Film Festival (HCFF). The Festival was conceived to observe and celebrate June, which was designated as National Caribbean American Heritage Month by President George W. Bush in 2006. An estimated ten Caribbean films will be screened during HCFF, taking place at The Midtown Arts and Theater Center Houston (MATCH) June 9-11, 2017. At press time, confirmed films from Barbados, Cuba, Guadeloupe, Jamaica, Saint Lucia will be screened. The Festival will feature several full-length films and several short film which are 2-20 minutes in duration. Other films scheduled to be screened includes: Barbados, H2O; Cuba, Tengo Talento; Guadeloupe, Tourments d ’Amour; and Saint Lucia, Who Are You?. Animated and several movie shorts will be featured at the HCFF in June. Films will be nominated and receive awards in several categories including: Best Foreign Language Film, Best Film Short, Best Animated Film, Best Documentary, Best Spoken Word. The HCFF is dedicated to embracing and promoting the rich Caribbean culture through the eye of the director’s lens. The mission is to promote, support, increase and heighten interest and awareness of Caribbean films, filmmakers, screen writers, producers and directors in the Caribbean basin and the diaspora year-round, focusing particularly in June, National Caribbean American Heritage Month. The HCFF will provide opportunities for Houston’s diverse audience to not only screen films from Caribbean nations, but to also interact with the film makers, producers, writers and directors in a series of Meet-and-Greets and interviews in Houston. It is their hope that The Festival will foster greater understanding and support of Caribbean history, and make positive contributions to the Houston Art scene, while sharing the Caribbean’s distinctive charms and unique historical and modern perspectives.
The HCCF, The Piton International Film Festival (PIFF), which will be held on August 13-20, 2017 in Saint Lucia, The Chicago Caribbean Film Festival (CCFF), scheduled for June 9-23, 2017 and The Barbados Independent Film Festival (BIFF), which was held on January 11-15, 2017, collectively form Caribwood. Conceived to bring awareness to the emerging Caribbean film industry, Caribwood supports and assist individuals, companies and organizations who promote Caribbean Films and Film Festivals; this in turn allows the film makers to build stronger working relationships with governments and industries in the booming film industry in the Caribbean region and in the United States. For more information about the HCFF, their mission and a complete guide to the Festival’s films, visit their official website, www.houstoncaribbeanfilmfestival.org.
