Actor Anthony Anderson Confirmed for Film Festival

Anthony Anderson, American actor, comedian, and writer has been confirmed to be present at during the Belize International Film Festival, from July 17 to the 19. He will also be present in San Pedro on July 17 when the Film Festival reaches San Pedro for a White Night at the Paradise Theater, Reef Village. See flier below for more information or click on ad link on right column.

Anthony Anderson has starred in his own sitcom “All About the Andersons”, as well as the Fox sitcom “The Bernie Mac Show” during the fifth and final season of the show. He is also known for his leading roles in television dramas such as K-Ville, The Shield and Law & Order. He has also had supporting roles in films such as Transformers, The Departed, and Agent Cody Banks 2: Destination London.

Anthony in his role in Transformers movie

2010 BELIZE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL ONLY DAYS AWAY

Preparations are underway for the 2010 Belize International Film Festival. Later this week the Grand the festival will open with a Red Carpet Gala at the Bliss Centre for the Performing Arts. According to Festival Director Suzette Zayden this year’s showing will be bigger and better than the previous ones.

Suzette Zayden; Director, Belize International Film Festival

“We are celebrating our 5th anniversary. We have decided to expand our reach from Belize City to other parts of the country including San Ignacio this time and San Pedro Ambergris Caye. Our main guest this year is Darrell Hugh Mitchell who has been here several times before. He is bringing with him Anthony Anderson who has acted in Law and Order and a bunch of other films that I’m sure Belizeans will be familiar with. The official opening night is a red carpet affair. We are expecting a lot of local celebrities, international celebrities, local film makers and anyone who’s who to be walking that red carpet on Friday.”

There will be a grand red carpet entrance that will be televised, an hour and 30 minute cocktail and then guests will be invited to the auditorium where the opening ceremony will take place followed by the opening film ‘Silent Army’.

Suzette Zayden

“This was a film from Holland which was nominated for the Oscars this year. It talks about the plight of child soldiers in Africa. I believe we have in the festival this year feature length fiction films and short fiction films as well as feature length documentaries and short documentaries. We had a lot of entries from Belize this year which was really good and we noticed we got a lot of documentaries from all over the world as well. What I would like to mention is that there are several people whose films have been chosen and who will be coming here to accompany their film. There is a Belizean Nia Fearweather who I believe stares in a film that we have in the festival call the Row Effect. It is a short film that has aired on HBO I believe so she will be coming as well. There is a Jamaican American actor who has a film called A Dance for Grace. She will be coming as well to see his film. We have had some e-mails as well from Trinidad and Tobago where other people whose films were chosen are indicating that they might be also showing up at the festival.”

The festival will also include a series of workshops.

Suzette Zayden

“The year we are going to be having six workshops that last at least two days and two seminars geared at increasing people’s knowledge of how to make feature films, how to make short films. We have a documentary workshop; we have a music video production workshop. We have a script writing workshop as well as editing theory, editing practical and learning how to put your own lighting together using materials you can find anywhere. The seminars are about how to use you own digital still camera as well as learning how to or understanding why we need to market Belize as a production location.”

The 2010 Belize International Film Festival will feature 60 films from 29 different countries.

The Film Festival Returns

Organizer Suzette Zayden told us why films festivals are so important.

Suzette Zayden
"Normally, you would not see a film from Mexico, you would not see a film from Spain, you would not see a film from another part of the Caribbean, and you would not see a European film. Seeing these kinds of films are scarce, and what we're able to do with the film festival is bring you alternative films, alternative independent films from around the world which are exceedingly far better made than these Hollywood blockbusters. The only thing, I mentioned before, that they lack is the marketing behind them. So for many people who are looking to learn about other cultures, who want to see what life is like in other places, who want a cheap travel ticket, you can say, to different realities and worlds, these films offer that opportunity for them to experience the entire world in a theatre screen. It's the building of an industry, and so for me it's very important, and I enjoy the process, because I am certain the festival is the first step in building Belize's audiovisual industry."

The Festival will begin this Friday and end on July 24th, and is taking place in the City, in San Pedro, and at Cayo. There will also be workshops on seminars on Screenwriting, Editing, Digital Photography, Music Video production, and Documentary making.

Channel 7

Chill, the Next Episode

Chill is no stranger to Belize or 7 news and today he seemed right at home when Emaun Hyde spoke to him.

Emaun Hyde
"Why did you decide to come to Belize for the Film Festival and grace us with your presents."

Daryl Mitchell, Actor, Rapper
"Well we didn't come for the film festival, what happened was, we was on the plane going to Detroit, got detour because of the weather so we are here. (laughting)"

Emaun Hyde
"Now I know you're kidding?"

Daryl Mitchell
"Na, I am here for the Belizean Film Festival, representing for my man, Nigel Moguel. Why I decided to take part in it, hey this is what I do, you know what I mean and this is something I want to do and being a part of it because I get in on the ground roots of things, you know what I mean and watch it develop and watch it grow and come together and that's the fun part you know and when you start inviting people from different places to come in like all my different actor friends who come down , they come down to celebrate with us and get the chance to see you know, where would you rather work in Hollywood or would you rather work in Belize? It's very important to have these, they are not happening as much as it use to happen, so now that we doing it here, we bringing some place different and some place rough some place new, exciting beautiful so I thing it going to be a big thing for a lot of people."

Emaun Hyde
"You excited about the show?"

Daryl Mitchell
"Nah, of course I am, you kidding me. It going to be really crazy, this is going to be real crazy, I am waiting for that red carpet, I brought out my best tuxedo, I went all black i don't care how it get (Laughing). The power is in the people, just like in government, people got to understand the power is not in your per say Prime Minister, the power is in the people you elect that man, you give that man that job you pay that man, so the power is in the people it's the same thing here, when you go to the movies you going to tell people all over the world, this is the place to be, this is the place you need to make you films this is the place where you need to come and invest, this right here, this is what going to happens, so that is what it's very important for the people to show up."

Emaun Hyde
"Just give us a little rap about the film festival."

Daryl Mitchill
"Oh, you want one?"

Emaun Hyde
"Yes, just a little."

Daryl Mitchell
"Well, this is what I must confess, I got on the plane cause I came to the fest you know what I mean easy laid back because I am here to Belize, come on say it, don't make me start flowing hard, don't make me start flowing too hard. (Laughing)"

The Festival will begin this Friday and end on July 24th, and is set in the City, in San Pedro, and at Cayo.

Channel 7

Belize International Film Festival and industry workshops

The annual Belize International Film Festival opens tonight at the Bliss with a big bang that includes a red carpet entrance. The yearly event features films from independent and well–known filmmakers. The lineup is interesting but it’s not only about movies. The week of events includes a series of workshops and seminars to help Belize’s budding film industry to improve their skills on the many aspects of film making. One of the seminar instructors dropped by our studios today to tell us a bit more about the upcoming workshops.

Prof. Abiyi R. Ford, Professor of Film Studies/Independent

Abiyi Ford

Filmmaker

“Tomorrow’s workshop is going to be on script writing. The fundamentals of film making and what I’ll be doing is trying to expose the workshop participants to the disciplines or rudimentries or theories of film writing about. How to develop character, how to develop plot, and how to actually string together the idea or the platform to actually materialize.”

Brianna Gill

“What are some of your qualifications and why did you choose to participate as an instructor for the workshop?”

Prof. Abiyi R. Ford

“By first meeting Nigel Miguel, who visited Ethiopia last year. we met and we struck up a very good friendship and I realized that he’s the film commissioner of Belize and since that was my field we thought that it would be good if we could work together to see if we could build a bridge between Belize and Ethiopia as far as the film industry in concerned we’re on about the same level of development. So we’re gonna try to see if he can collaborate perhaps have Belizean filmmakers come to Ethiopia and vice versa.”

The workshops will also cover editing, still photography, lighting equipment, music video production and many more. The prices and locations of the workshops vary for each event and Saturday’s workshop will take place at Ka’ana Boutique resort. Immediately after the news tonight you can view the Belize Film festival show right here on this station.

Channel 5

Scriptwriting: The Art Of Storytelling

But he's not here tell his story; he wants to find out about Belizean stories and he told us why screenwriting is really about the art of storytelling:..

Professor Abiyi R. Ford
"You may not write screen plays but you tell a lot of stories and you have a lot of stories to tell. Screen writing is only one model one formula that facilitates that storytelling, and helps you to sort or organize your stories to be told through the moving image and that's the trick right there."

Jules Vasquez
"The people you love in a film and the people you hate, those people are actually constructs of the screen writer?"

Professor Abiyi R. Ford
"They are constructs of the screen writer but they are large pieces of real life, someone people in the audience in one way or the other knows or is familiar with or has heard about."

Jules Vasquez
"Do you think that good, great, relevant stories can come out of Belize?"

Professor Abiyi R. Ford
"Absolutely undoubtedly, Belize, Belizeans are people, they their history, they have a past they have a present; they have aspirations for the future, a lot of dynamics that have taken place here in Belize. The history of Belize, the making of the people the variety, the diversity of the people, the topography, all of these thing are raw material to be molded and told to the rest of the world through the voice of a Belizean or Belizean voices, rather than having somebody from the outside come and tell the story of Belize the Belizeans will be able to use this powerful medium of cinema to speak to world and introduce themselves to the rest of the world at the same time entertaining themselves."

The workshop starts tomorrow at 9:00 at the Ka'ana Resort outside San Jose Succotz.

Channel 7

Belize International Film Festival comes to San Pedro

Chino and Michael Flores

Miguel and Chino

The ever effusive and hilarious Lauren was the Mistress of Ceremonies for the evening

The film shown on the first night was "SKIN". Based on a true story about a white Aafrikaner family who were unaware of the Black ancestry, and the struggles they have with their daughter Sandra Laing when she is born with dark skin. Sandra is driven out of white society, and the film follows her 30-year journey from rejection to acceptance, betrayal to reconciliation and her fight to find a place for herself in the ever changing world.

After the movie, some of the audience were interviewed to give their review of what they had seen.

Immediately after the film, it was time to head to the White Party at the Reef Village Bar. People converged at the bar to enjoy bocas from The Palm Restaurant and drinks from Traveller's Liquors. People got the opportunity to mingle and catch up with friends.

Allan, Clive and Norma

Darryl "Chill" Mitchell and the lovely Tanya Samoila

A smiling Kim Vasquez of the Institute of Creative Arts mingles with attendees

Belize Intl' Film Festival White Night in San Pedro

Dancers welcome guests at the Paradise Theater

Ambergris Today's Dorian Nuñez and Gerry Badillo attend the White Night

Ms. Diane C. Haylock, President of NICH (National Institute of Culture & History)

Dorian Nuñez with Francis "Chino" Eiley and producer Michael Flores who's documentary "Do It" was screened on Monday, July 19

Jeff Pierce of Reef Village gets interviewed by Belize City media

Dorian Nuñez with 2005 Miss Belize Costa Maya Festival contestant Opal Enriquez

Special screening of the movie Skin inside Paradise Theater

The after party at Reef Village's The Palm Restaurant

Ambergris Today's Gerry Badillo meets actor Daryl Mitchell

Daryl Mitchell with more fans

Belize Intl’ Film Festival White Night

For the first time in their five year run, the Belize International Film Festival made it to San Pedro, possible only because of the new Paradise Theater at the Reef Village which was inaugurated late last year. A special White Night was celebrated in San Pedro with a red carpet entrance, movie screening and an after party on Saturday, July 17.

The three-day event in San Pedro was kicked off with a White Night affair at the Paradise Theater where guests were encouraged to dress up in white. Attendants did not fail to impress at the red carpet entrance to the theater with their best white island gear as they gathered at the social before screening the featured film of the night “Skin”.

City folk involved with the film festival also attended the White Night, including National Institute of Culture and History (NICH) president Diane Haylock, Film Commissioner of Belize Nigel Miguel and Festival Director Suzette Zayden.

Unfortunately, actor Anthony Anderson, could not make it to Belize to attend the festival, but NAACP award winner and actor Daryl “Chill” Mitchell was in attendance to address the audience. Francis “Chino” Eiley and Michael Flores were also on hand to promote their film documentary “Do It” which screened on Monday, July 19.

What followed after the screening of the movie Skin was the after party at the Reef Village The Palm Restaurant and Bar where guests socialized enjoying hours’ devours and drinks sponsored by Traveller’s Liquors and Belikin Beer.

All in all, it was a great first run for the Festival’s presence in San Pedro and very well received by residents looking for new experiences to enjoy.

The Belize International Film Festival 2010 started on July 16 and will run through to July 24 when an awards ceremony and Tribute to Haiti will be held at the Bliss Center in Belize City. The primary goal of the Belize International Film Festival is to provide a space for the exhibition of films from Belize and its neighboring regions of the Caribbean, Central America and Southern Mexico so that these audiences can see their images onscreen and be motivated to create more.

Festival Director, Suzette Zayden, commented that the Belize International Film Festival was very happy to be in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye and San Ignacio, Cayo this year, giving the festival other venues of promotion and possible international exposure. (For more information about the Film Festival visit our website.)

Click HERE for more pictures

Ambergris Today

Belize Film Festival brings international movies and directors

The reel has been rolling all week long at the Belize Film Festival. Industry insiders such as music and film makers have flown in from around the region to participate in the annual film showcase. Independent film maker Albert Xavier arrived in town to showcase his second film. Xavier finances his projects by working on projects with networks such as ESPN. He recently worked on a tour for Alicia Keys. In 2009 Xavier was in Belize for the film festival to present Red Passport. Earlier this week, Xavier told News Five about his latest film, Hermaphrodite.

Albert Xavier, Independent Film Maker

Albert Xavier

“Hermaphrodite is based on a true story. It’s really like a one of a kind. It’s a film that takes place in the 60’s, it’s shot up in the mountains in the south part of the Dominican Republic, very country side. ON the night of a hurricane, a hermaphrodite; and a hermaphrodite, if people don’t know what it is, is a person that’s born with penis and vagina, they have two hormones. We followed the true story of this girl named Maria, of how she actually lives her life, growing up as a hermaphrodite, being discriminated by society, having this battle between the religions. The Catholic Church, they’re telling her that she’s not his; the doctors don’t even know what hermaphrodite is; and then the whole thing about having her first love. The film has a lot of action. It’s not a documentary it’s a movie. Sometimes people say, oh its hermaphrodite, oh it’s a documentary, it’s not a documentary.”

“I believe that every person that’s born is a filmmaker because we all have stories to tell. You get you know, if your get together with your boys and have a couple of drinks on the corner, or whatever, you tell them a story. That story your telling, your saying it in a way that your visualizing what you did, you can remember what happened; and that’s the same way a producer and a director and a screenwriter thinks because when you’re writing , you’re telling a story, your visualizing it. If you can tell a story, you can always bring that to life.”

Showtime for Hermaphrodite is eight p.m. at the Bliss and eight thirty at Ka’ana.

Channel 5