Wednesday, January 13, 2010

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La Soga, Morenita, Traces of the Trade and Gaining Ground take top awards at film festival~ By BIFF Writer ~ For The Guardian: "La Soga," "Morenita," "Traces of the Trade" and "Gaining Ground" took home the top prizes at the 6th Bahamas International Film Festival. The competition winners were announced by festival founder and executive director Leslie Vanderpool and BIFF jurors, following a special career achievement honoring actor Johnny Depp at the awards ceremony on Sunday, December 13 at the Balmoral Club, Sanford Drive. BIFF, which runs through Thursday, December 17, showcases 86 films from 26 countries, including 38 features of which several are world or international premieres and nearly all Bahamian premieres. The four competition categories at BIFF are Spirit of Freedom: Narrative; Spirit of Freedom: Documentary; New Vision; and Short Film. Following are the official competition winners at this year's festival: New Vision: Awarded to "Morenita," written and directed by Alan Jonsson Gavica. Spirit of Freedom: Narrative — Awarded to "La Soga," a Dominican Republic film from Director Josh Crook. Spirit of Freedom: Documentary — Awarded to Katrina Browne's "Traces of the Trade." Short Film: The award for Best Short Film went to "Gaining Ground," directed by Marc Brummund. About the Winning Films: Gaining Ground A young, illegal immigrant couple spends their time furtively avoiding the German authorities until the well-being of their young son dictates that they resolve their untenable situation. Germany Language: German Director: Marc Brummund Producer: Yildiz Özcan Screenwriter: Fabian Wiemker Principal Cast: Radik Golovkov Genre: Drama Short La Soga In a poor neighborhood in Santiago, Dominican Republic, where the streets are run by "boomerang" drug dealers, a modest butcher struggles to raise his 10-year-old boy. After witnessing the murder of his father by a vicious New York criminal named Rafa, Luisito meets General Colon, head of the Dominican secret police. Colon preys on the boy's desire for revenge, transforming him into a heartless killer. Twenty years later, Luisito has risen to become Colon's top assassin, kept in control by the general's promise to deliver his father's killer. Into Luisito's hollow world comes Jenny, a childhood sweetheart. Unaware of his occupation, Jenny falls again for Luisito, and the tenderness she shows him rekindles his dormant conscience. Recrimination, guilt and fury bubble up until he is forced to risk his life in order to alter its path. In his first solo directorial effort, Josh Crook has worked cheek-by-jowl with writer-actor-producer Manny Perez to create a work of such poetic ferocity that much of its imagery will be stamped on the viewer forever. Inspired by true events, and made on location in the Dominican Republic for the price of a high-end German car, La Soga embodies everything that independent filmmaking should be about: Passion instead of money, story instead of special effects, soul instead of spin. Dominican Republic Language: Spanish, English Director: Josh Crook Producers: Josh Crook, Manny Perez Screenwriter: Manny Perez Principal Cast: Manny Perez, Denise Quinones, Paul Calderon, Juan Fernandez Genre: Action-Drama SF Narrative Morenita Desperate to save his family from death threats by a notorious drug dealer, Mateo Cruz steals the venerated image of the Virgin of Guadalupe causing pandemonium throughout Mexico. Mexico Language: Spanish Director: Alan Jonsson Gavica Producer: Ozcar Ramirez Gonzalez Screenwriter: Alan Jonsson Gavica Principal Cast: Ignacio Lopez Tarso, Everado Arzate, Maya Zapata, Mario Almada, Dagoberto Gama, Ianis Guerrero Genre: Drama New Visions Traces Of The Trade: A Story From The Deep North Filmmaker Katrina Browne discovers her New England ancestors were the largest slave traders in US history. Traces of the Trade follows Browne and nine fellow DeWolf descendants as they travel from Rhode Island, to Ghana and Cuba on a trip that brings them face-to-face with the history and legacy of New England's hidden enterprise USA Language: English Directors: Katrina Browne, with Co-Directors Alla Kovgan and Jude Ray Producer: Katrina Browne and Alla Kovgan Screenwriters: Katrina Browne, with Co-Producers Juanita Brown and Elizabeth Delude-Dix Principal Cast: N/A Genre: Documentary SF Documentary Tuesday December 15, 2009