The Tribune

FREEPORT – With the date for the 2013 Ft Lauderdale Film Festival’s ‘On Location: Grand Bahama Island’ quickly approaching, sponsors and organisers are busy promoting the event at high schools throughout the country.

The Grand Bahama Port Authority is a major sponsor of the high school film competition, and GBPA corporate affairs officer and project liaison Kendra Clarke made visits to several high schools to encourage student participation for the upcoming competition.

The schools visited included St George’s High School, Grand Bahama Academy and Tabernacle Baptist Academy among others.

Age requirement, film categories, and entry criteria were some of the details discussed, as students were encouraged to be creative with the delivery of their submissions.

“We are extremely excited about the 2013 FLIFF event and wanted to get students hyped about participating,” Ms Clarke said. “Over the past two years we’ve seen a tremendous amount of talent displayed by young persons throughout the country; we want to continue to encourage them.

“The Bahamas has produced world-class athletes, musicians and artists, et cetera. Who’s to say, perhaps through the film festival initiative, we can inspire more great talent like Martin Campbell, director of Casino Royale, and Gore Verbinski, director of Pirates of the Caribbean.”

FLIFF takes place on Grand Bahama October 31 – November 2. Original Bahamian films will be judged in three categories: high school, college and open films.

FLIFF on Location will be hosted at the Canal House, Pelican Bay Hotel. It will feature international films, outdoor screenings, a Lifetime Achievement Award, film specialist workshops, an island locations familiarisation tour for visiting filmmakers, and an awards ceremony and wrap party at the Grand Lucayan Resort.

Winning prizes for the competition include two round-trip tickets to Fort Lauderdale complete with hotel accommodations and transportation to attend the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival, a $500 cash prize, and a featured screening of the winning film during the FLIFF event on Grand Bahama.

FLIFF On Location: Grand Bahama Island is a collaboration between the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival, the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism and the Grand Bahama Island Tourism Board.