Belize City, Belize – Tuesday, July 10, 2012
It is curtains up once again as the 7th Edition of the Belize International Film Festival kicks off this Friday, July 13th, 2012 with its traditional Red Carpet Opening Gala at the Bliss Centre in Belize City. The film festival will expose the country to over 60 films, which will all be screened at the Princess Cinemas from July 14th to 16th. Included in this year’s activities is an Audio-Visual Symposium on the 16th at the House of Culture in Belize. Film awards will be presented to the winners on the 17th at the House of Culture.
The Belize International Film Festival offers the perfect opportunity to view Belizean, Regional and International movies, documentaries, narratives and music videos not normally accessible to local audiences. This year, the festival will open with a triple treat of Belizean Films with the highlights being a local feature film made by Belizeans, with Belizean actors and filmed in Belize. “2012: KURSE A DI XTABAI” is completely done in the Kriol Language, and produced by ‘Make-Belize Films’.
According to Suzette Zayden, Director of the National Film Commission, “Sixty four films were selected from an astonishing 120 entries submitted from countries such as Trinidad & Tobago, USA, Brazil, Mexico, Dominican Republic and Chile among others. The films competing this year include narratives, feature length documentaries, short narratives and documentaries and short animations from 24 different nations.” She also added, “For the first time ever, the festival has invited an international jury consisting of three renowned filmmakers: Caribbean filmmaker, Frances Anne Solomon, Central American filmmaker, Edgar Soberon Torchia and Mexican filmmaker, Oscar Urrutia Lazo”
Movies showcased during the 7th Edition of the Belize International Festival include ‘Akwantu: The Journey’ about Jamaica’s maroon community directed by Roy T. Anderson, ‘A Wonderful Day’ directed by Ariel Weisbrod & Yossi Meiri and “Habanastation” by Cuban director Ian Padron. A complete list of films along with synopses and trailers can be found on http://www.belizefilmfestival.com/images/2012/docs/2012-Film-Schedule.pdf.
