Film Festival 2006

FRIDAY JUNE 30, SATURDAY JULY 1, SUNDAY JULY 2 , 2006
(SATURDAYS - 7.00 p.m; SUNDAYS - 6.00 P.M.)
MEYER LEVIN PERFORMING ARTS SCHOOL AUDITORIUM,
RALPH AVENUE, BROOKLYN, NY

Shirvington Hannays Producer, "The Importance of Being Honest" Actor, producer and writer are some of the titles that Shirvington Hannays wears as an independent filmmaker in Canada. Born in Guyana he received training in performing arts and filmmaking in Guyana, Jamaica, Poland, Denmark and Canada. Shirvington lives by the simple philosophy: "In life you don't get what you deserve, you get what you negotiate". Cross trained as an independent filmmaker, stage and film actor, he has also successfully completed studies at Toronto's Centennial College in independent television production.	Habeeb Khan, Guyana's most popular comedian and star of the movie "If Wishes Were Horses" is known as "Guyana's Ambassador of Comedy." He has shared the stage with world-renowned artists such as Ben E. King, Percy Sledge, Count Basie, the Mighty Sparrow and Bob Marley.
Terry Gajraj Popular Chutney and Soca singer and producer of the music video "Cricket, Lovely Cricket"	"Speed for Thespians" Producer Shameela Baksh. This film marked Shameela's debut as a Producer. It went on to be nominated for an Academy Award in 2002 and was acquired for the Permanent Collection of the Australian Center for the Moving Image in 2003.
Paloma Mohamed Producer, Jezebel. A poet, essayist, playwright and prizewinning director. Paloma Mohamed has won the coveted Guyana Prize for Drama on three occasions. The most recent prize was awarded to her in May 2005 for the play "Anansi's Way". She is currently the youngest person to have ever received the Caribbean Cacique Award for Contribution to the Arts.	Jimmie Mannas Producer, "Aggro Seizeman". While in Guyana, Jimmie served as senior film producer with the Ministry of Information. He has produced and directed: William Greaves production (Ali-Frazier) Fight of Champions, The Folks, Aggro-Seizeman.

The Guyana Cultural Association, producers of the annual Guyana Folk Festival, announces its inaugural international Guyanese Film & Video Festival to celebrate cinematic achievement in films and video in short format, feature-length dramatic or documentary projects with at least one Guyanese or a person of Guyanese heritage in a key creative role (Director, Producer, Writer, Lead Actor, etc.) The festival organizers understand and seek to promote that the cinematic form has been and will continue to be a universal voice with a global language which can be used to educate while entertaining.

Therefore the Guyana Film Festival’s vision is to promote, celebrate and honor the craft of filmmaking that seek to promote Guyanese history, culture, experience and heritage using film, video and new media. This year and for the next few years the main emphasis will be to showcase and honor film and video projects by pioneers over the years in Guyana. Annually a pioneer Guyanese filmmaker will be saluted and their work screened at the opening gala, while emerging and established filmmakers of Guyanese heritage will have their work showcased during the festival.

The festival will close with the screening of a select short and feature project (narrative or documentary) of emerging filmmakers. Genres for consideration include narrative, documentary, animation, experimental, and music video. There will be a special category for non-Guyanese or international short, feature or documentary film or video that depicts ‘inclusion or diversity’.

The Guyana Film & Video Festival will be Guyana’s premier international film and video festival dedicated to exhibiting films and videos by Guyanese or anyone of Guyanese heritage. GFF selection committee will select project seeking films that are excellent, independent and maybe even undiscovered that tell unique stories and honor the craft of visual storytelling.

The three-day event will kick off with a gala evening reception and screening of this year pioneer inductee’s film. Over the rest of the festival works of emerging filmmakers will be screened along with panel discussions and workshops.

Guyanese moviemakers or a person of Guyanese heritage in a key creative role (Director, Producer, Writer, Lead Actor, etc) - from around the world are invited to submit films for the 1st Annual Guyana Film Festival, which will be held June 30 – July 2, 2006. The final deadline for entries is June 3, 2006.

The festival will be Guyana’s premier international film and video festival dedicated to exhibiting films and videos by Guyanese or anyone of Guyanese heritage. Film categories include drama, comedy, documentary, animation, music video and student works. All genres and lengths are welcome however visual creative storytelling is encouraged. New York film festival goers will have a chance to view the work of some of the finest pioneers, emerging and established filmmakers of Guyanese heritage.

Mail entries to:
Guyana Cultural Association, NY
1368 E89 Street, Suite 2
Brooklyn, New York, NY 11236.

*GFF will not return any tapes or DVDs submitted unless you provide proper return postage.
** All shortlisted films or videos will not be return and will be listed in the festival archives with filmmaker contact information.

Entry tape label:
Each entry must be labeled with title, contact phone and e-mail, length and submission category (General or International).