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Nassau, Bahamas - The Bahamas International Film Festival (BIFF) is celebrating its 18th anniversary May 3rd – 7th on the Islands of Nassau, Bahamas. Today we are excited to unveil the films screening in and out of competition.
BIFF Founder and Executive Director Leslie Vanderpool announced that the festival will showcase over 50 films, which will include a variety of submissions from varying corners of the world.
The festival will commence on May 3rd at the Atlantis Theater, opening with the film “Rock ’N’ Roll Is Not Dead” by filmmaker Charlie Cepeda, Mauricio Angulo and The Bahamas very own executive producer Edgar Seligman. For the duration of the festival BIFF will divide films between Atlantis Theater, Atlantis Paradise Island and ECCHO Art Gallery at Baha Mar. The festival closes May 7th showing the film SIDNEY, by director Reginald Hudlin and Producer Derik Murray, Anika Poitier, starring the late Sidney Poitier, Halle Berry, Denzel Washington and Morgan Freeman.
When asked about her excitement about the return after a long hiatus, Executive Director and Founder Leslie Vanderpool says “We are overjoyed to be back with an in-person film festival we look forward to bringing Hollywood and the who’s who of cinema for everyone to meet. Film is a tapestry into the life lived and the Bahamas International Film Festival will continue to showcase first-rate films from The Bahamas and around the globe from all genres and all voices.” Vanderpool echoes Sidney Poitier’s words “Everyone should go out and have fun.”
The films competing at BIFF will be in the festivals four competitive categories:
Spirit of Freedom (Narrative), Spirit of Freedom (Documentary), New Visions, Short Films
The Official BIFF feature film lineup is comprised of the following films:
Opening Night Film
ROCK’N ROLL IS NOT DEAD (Spain, Bahamas)
Director: Charlie Boy, Mauricio Angulo, Producer: Edgar Seligman
Closing Night Film
SIDNEY, (USA)
Director: Reginald Hudlin Producer: Derik Murray, Anika Poitier
Spirit of Freedom (Narrative)
Bobcat Moretti (USA) / Director: Rob Margolies
Grasshoppers (USA) / Director: Brad Bischoff
I Love My Dad (USA) / Director: James Morosini
Last Resort (The Bahamas, Canada) / Director: Kevin Taylor
Out and About (USA) / Director: Peter Callahan
When Time Got Louder (Canada)/ Director: Connie Cocchia
Spirit of Freedom (Documentary)
Blessed Unrest (USA) / Director: Mari Bonnemaison
Farewell Paradise (Netherlands) / Director: Sonja Wyss
Feeding Tomorrow (USA) / Director: Simon English, Oliver English
Invisible Beauty (USA) Directors: Bethann Hardison, Frederic Tcheng
On Our Own Island (USA) / Director: Sky Dylan-Robbins, Ellie Dylan
Vital Passage: (USA) / Director: Kyle Hufford
New Visions:
Holidays At All Costs (France) / Director: Stevan Lee Mraovitch
Person Woman Man Camera (USA) / Director: Niav Conty
Mirrors In The Dark (Czech Republic) / Director: Simon Holy
Sunday At I1 Posto Accanto (USA) / Director: Seth Zvi Rosenfeld
The Score (UK) / Director: Malachi Smyth, Producer Ben Pullen
World Cinema:
See How The Main Sail Sets (Bahamas) / Director: Charlie Bahama
The Unknown Athenians (Germany, Greece) / Director: Angeliki Antoniou
Retrospective – FREE OF CHARGE
Father of The Bride (USA) Actor: Pedro Damian – (attending)
The Official BIFF Shorts lineup is comprised of the following films:
Short Film:
| Action (Switzerland) / Director: Benoit Monney |
| Brother Troll (Faroe Islands) / Director: Gudmund Helmsdal |
| D.I.B.S Devil In The Backseat (The Bahamas) / Director: Jeffery Mackey |
| Decomposing (Canada) / Director: Nessa Aref |
| Distant (The Bahamas) / Dir: Michaella Ann Forbes, Leslie Ellis-Tynes |
| Good Night (Australia) / Director: David Vincent Smith |
| Holy Shitter (USA) / Director: William PC Marsh |
| iLlamame Chinita (USA) / Director: Stacy Chuu |
| If Things Go South (USA) / Director: Paul Boyd |
| It Takes A Village (Bahamas) / Director: Jonico Brandon Pratt |
| Magic (Ireland) / Director: Jo Halpin |
| Moles (Talponi) (Switzerland) / Director: Vanja Victor Kabir Tognola |
| Nursery Rhymes (Singapore, Malaysia) / Director: Michael Kam |
| Pat (Ireland) / Director: Emma Wall |
| Peaches (USA) / Director: Jared Januschka |
| Project H (Haiti, Martinique) / Director: Maharaki |
| Quiet Minds Silent Streets (USA) / Director: Karen Chapman |
| Raw Materials (Jamaica) / Director: Sosiessia Nixon-Kelly |
| Salvar (Republic of Korea) / Director: Sangwook Ahn |
| Sandcastle (USA) / Director: Feike Santbergen |
| Sin Raices (El Salvador) / Director: Gabriella Athena Moses |
| Somewhere In Time (United Arab Emirates) / Director: Nawaf Al Janahi |
| The Kicksled Choir (Norway) / Director: Torfinn Iversen |
| The Moon Child (Barbados) / Director: Sanna Allsopp |
| The Sprayer (Iran) / Director: Farnoosh Abedi |
| The Strawberry Jam (USA) / Director: Laura Lionetta |
| Thoughts (USA, The Bahamas) / Director: Shaq’uil Reeves |
| Training Wheels (The Bahamas, Canada) / Director: Lavado Stubbs |
| Triggered (The Bahamas) / Dir: Kenton Ferguson, Christon Seymour |
| Voices (United Kingdom) / Director: Abbie Lucas |
| Yuan Yuan (China) / Director: Shiyue Xu |
Short Documentaries:
In Her Element (USA) / Director: Kate Kunath
Food For Thought (Canada) / Director: Belle Winner
Not The Science Type: Gitanjali (USA) / Director: Julio Palacio
Youth Film Workshop - University of The Bahamas, Kings College, Arthur’s Town & New Bright School
About The Bahamas international film festival:
The Bahamas International Film Festival is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing the local Bahamian community and international visitors with a diverse presentation of films from around the world. In addition to offering films that might not otherwise be released theatrically in the Bahamas, BIFF provides unique cultural experiences, educational programs, and forums for exploring the past, present, and future of cinema. BIFF has created a legacy of excellence in presenting The Bahamas as a premier film destination to the international cinematic community. Apart from showcasing 1000+ local and international films, we have introduced our culture to more than 1 million film professionals and enthusiasts from around the world. Each successive year, BIFF grows significantly, with public relations dollar value over $20 million, according to the renowned publicity firm Rogers and Cowan. BIFF has attracted A-list celebrities such as Johnny Depp, Nicolas Cage, Sir Sean Connery, Laurence Fishburne, Grace Jones, Chaz Ebert, Debra Messing, Danny Glover, Heather Graham, Alan Arkin, Roger Corman, Daryl Hannah, Sophie Okonedo, Anna Faris, Naomie Harris, Zoe Kravitz, Lenny Kravitz, Sydney Tamiia Poitier, Roger Guenveur Smith, Lee Daniels, Rae Dawn Chong, Michael K. Williams and many more.