Aruban Francisco Pardo finalist in Focus: Filmmaker’s Immersion Willemstad – Francisco Pardo represented Aruba admirably at the Trinidad + Tobago Film Festival (ttff), held on September 21 – October 4, 2011. Francisco was a finalist of an intensive session and pitch competition for emerging Caribbean filmmakers called "Focus: Filmmaker’s Immersion", with his movie "Awa Bendita". This was the first year for the "Focus" program, sponsored by RBC Royal Bank in T&T.
Francisco also won the Jury Award for Best Short Film at ttff for "Ten Ave Maria," providing added recognition and a boost to the fledgling filmmaker community in Aruba.
Filmmakers
"Focus: Filmmakers’ Immersion" was an intensive three-day development program that provided 11 selected Caribbean filmmakers with the opportunity to learn from professional film artists. It was held from September 20 – 22 and took place at venues in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. "Focus" included group discussions on a range of topics, concentrating on the artistic side of dramatic filmmaking, sharpening the skills and abilities of participants. "I am very happy with the experience that ‘Focus’ gave me. It was exciting and interesting. I never experienced something similar before," says Francisco. The first movie that Francisco pitched was not good enough, according to the facilitators for "Focus", Fina Torres and Damon D’Oliveira.
"They found that it had a Hollywood taste, they wanted me to pitch something more like a art house movie, more emotional, not commercial, something from my heart."
Francisco, who studied at the Film and TV School in Madrid, decided to use a screenplay from 2007 that he wrote for Aruba. "It’s called ‘Awa Bendita’ and tells the story about a religious family where a daughter of 15 years old gets pregnant, from a Latin American boyfriend. The parents, although very religious, wanted her to have an abortion, they felt very ashamed. But the daughter decided to fight for the unborn child. It’s a dilemma; it’s dramatic and strong, there is no best solution – Having the child or not having the child. Director Fina Torres said to me that it is a very beautiful and driven story."
To pitch this movie at the finals of "Focus", Francisco only got five minutes to present it vocally with a mood board and pictures. "You need to sell the content and visually with the photos and the style. It’s not that you get the chance to let them see a movie clip. But they loved it, lucky me."
Main sponsor
RBC Royal Bank is proud to be the leading sponsor of the 2011 edition of the trinidad + tobago film festival, and is privileged to support the artistic expression of the region’s emerging filmmakers as they take the enchanting stories of the Caribbean people to the big screen, while entertaining and educating us.RBC Royal Bank began its relationship as a supporting sponsor of the ttff in 2010, as the sole sponsor of a successful short-film concept competition for young filmmakers. This year, building on that approach, the bank teamed up with the festival committee to develop and create "Focus: Filmmakers’ Immersion" to help discover and develop fine Caribbean film talent.
International
Two, highly experienced, international filmmakers guided the "Focus" participants: Venezuelan writer-director Fina Torres and Guyanese/Canadian actor and producer Damon D’Oliveira. Among Ms Torres’ films is "Woman on Top" starring Penelope Cruz, as well as the more recent "Havana Eva," which screened at the ttff this year. Mr. D’Oliveira’s résumé includes "Poor Boy’s Game," starring Danny Glover.Next to Francisco, the selected "Focus" participants were: Maria Govan and Kareem Mortimer, both from the Bahamas, Mandisa Pantin, Roderick de Weever, Camille Granger, Kevin Adams, Christopher Din Chong, Sean Hodgkinson, Michael Mooleedhar, Renée Pollonais and Steven Taylor, all from Trinidad & Tobago.In the end, Maria Govan of the Bahamas emerged as the winner of the "Focus" pitch, winning approximately US$3,000 toward her future film project. Maria had some success at the ttff in 2009 when her film "Rain" screened to excellent reviews.
Kareem Mortimer has also attended the festival before with "Children of God," where his film won audience award and jury prize for best feature film at ttff/10.The tfff is currently in their sixth year of production and is presented by Flow and supported by the Trinidad & Tobago Film Company; the National Gas Company; bpTT; the Tourism Development Company and the Tobago House of Assembly.