film - Haiti Observer Blog

One of the coolest film festivals in the world. Starting June 13 through 17, 2018, join our community of artists, executives and industry tastemakers who gather each year in Miami Beach to showcase emerging talent, celebrate Black culture and create opportunities for people of color to achieve success in the entertainment industry.

Enjoy five action-packed days of red carpet premieres, master classes, celebrity conversations, tech talks, exclusive parties and more. ABFF is at the forefront of diversity in Hollywood and continues to inspire generations of new artists and storytellers! Be a part of this coming summer's hottest event.

Read more →  

Le 7e Festival Fondu au Noir offrira une grande célébration du Mois de l'Histoire des Noirs à Montréal du 22 au 25 février 2018 à travers un programme alliant cinéma, humour, musique et discussions.

Le Festival Fondu au Noir, créé par la Fondation Fabienne Colas et présenté par la Banque TD, revient avec une 7e édition inspirante et diversifiée. 2018 étant une année mythique soulignant les 215 ans de l'indépendance d'Haïti, le Festival a choisi le thème hommage à Haïti et ses talents tout en commémorant, en clôture du Festival à travers le film The Rape of Recy Taylor, l'important mouvement planétaire #MoiAussi, qui inspire les femmes à se tenir debout et à s'exprimer.

Read more →  

The Haitian film industry is about to experience a first. An independent, short-feature film, "Addiction", produced by Haitian-American filmmaker, Perri Pierre, is going to be screened for the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) for the 2014 awards ceremony. AMPAS requires a film to be in release for a two-day, two-screening run to qualify. Pierre and Amis Entertainment are partnering with Laemmle Theatres in Southern California to make that happen.

"Addiction" tells the tale of a substance abuser, who wages war with his drug and alcohol demons, while searching for fulfillment in love. Early reports from industry insiders, who have gotten a first look at the film, say the character study of a young man's struggle against the undertow of drug addiction is poignant and compelling.

Read more →  

Great news for stage film buffs! Danny Glover is all set to play the character of the revolutionary Toussaint L'ouverture. For those who do not know about Toussaint L'ouverture, he was a shrewd and a military genius and was the mastermind behind the Haitian Revolution. His act of bravery and intelligence during the revolution is what is believed to have established the independent black state of Haiti and completely abolished slavery.

Danny Glover will star as Toussaint L'ouverture in "Roots of Liberty: The Haitian Revolution and American Civil War". Danny has been working on this film for quite some time and is very excited to have finally nailed down the script and get it off the blocks. This has got a lot of people excited in the stage pageant arena. Director Megan Sandberg-Zakian mentioned that the film would be highly exciting and humbling experience and that it would be great to be in the presence of such a revolutionary figure.

Read more →  

Following is a list of some of Haiti's most revered and/or prolific filmmakers and their filmic output:

Arnold Antonin, Albert Mangones, Art Naif and Repression in Haiti (1976), Can Sculpture Save the Village of Noailles (2009), Haiti, le Chemin de la Liberté (1973), Heby, Jazz, and Haitian Music (2012), Jacques Roumain, the Passion for a Country (2008), Six Exceptional Women (2012), TIGA: Haiti, Dream, Creation, Possession, Madness (2006)

Vladimir Thelisma, Double Jeu ((2001), Couloir de L'amitié (2010), Destin Tragique (2006), Les Couleurs de la Dignite (2006)

Richard Seneca, Barikad (2003), I Love You Anne (2005), I Love you Anne 2 (2005), Reginal Lubin, La Peur D'aimer, Pouki se Mwen

Herold Israel and Peter Ronald Berlus, Collusion (2009), Histoire D'infidèles (2009), Lovdatnet (2009), Xtreme Blue (2008)

Read more →  

Haitians are rabid movie-goers. Their frequent forays to attend movies has enabled the Haitian film industry to keep producing topical films on pressing social concerns as well as lighter fare. Because Haitians are going to see film in droves, it has allowed the Haitian film industry to steadily increase the amount of product they make, currently a dozen full-length films annually.

Haiti ties with Cuba as the Caribbean regions' most prolific film making country. This is possible because of inexpensive hand-held video cameras, capable of producing quality screen pictures. The cost of an average full-length film costs approximately $40,000.

Read more →  

Fabrique des Cinémas du Monde has eventually unveiled, during Cannes Film Festival, its latest edition's project lineup. The aim of Fabrique des Cinémas du Monde that was launched in 2009, is to find financers who can finance the works of different filmmakers from developing countries. Fabrique is located in Cannes' Cinéma du Monde pavilion and is a result of a joint initiative by Audiovisuel Extérieur de la France and Institut francais.

The project lineup for Fabrique des Cinémas du Monde 2013 include The Sigbin Chronicles by Joanna Arong and The Siren of Faso Fani by Michel K. Zongo. While Joanna's work is hovered around mythical Filipino creature, Zongo's work covers the impacts on a town called Burkina Faso because of the closure of its textile factory.

Read more →  

Here is the documentary that you have heard so much about. Assistance Mortelle or Fatal Assistance in English was realized by Hatian filmmaker Raoul Peck. It is an exposé that provides a look at the response of the international community following the January 12, 2010 earthquake in Haiti. This film that made its World Premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival in February, has a duration of 1:45 minutes.

Se dokimantè ou te tande anpil pale sou li. "Asistans Mortelle" te reyalize pa Hatian sineast Raoul Peck. Se yon ekspoze ki bay yon gade sou tranbleman tè 12 janvye 2010 an Ayiti.

Read more →  

Haitian Raoul Peck, documentarian and feature-filmmaker, began life in Port-au-Prince in 1953. A few years later, François Duvalier's reign began, creating fear in Haitians and causing many to leave and reside elsewhere. Peck's family moved to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) where they lived for the next quarter-century. Peck studied in the DRC and the U.S., his interests drawing him to journalism and photography, but he earned his film degree in Berlin.

As documentarian, Raoul Peck produced and directed before entering feature filmmaking. He achieved early success with 1993's "The Man by the Shore", which became an official entry at Cannes that year. Then Peck received unprecedented global recognition for his film "Lumumba" in 2000. His subsequent film, "Lumumba--Death of a Prophet", grabbed Best Documentary award at Montréal in 2002. He has also received many awards for directing attention to human-rights abuses in his film work. Human Rights Watch bestowed two Lifetime Achievement Awards on him in 2001 and 2003.

Read more →  

Jeux dangereux or Dangerous Game and Le chauffeur or Driver, are the two Haitian films that were officially selected (category Diaspora) for 23rd Pan-African Film & TV Festival of Ouagadougou (aka FESPACO or Festival panafricain du cinéma et de la télévision de Ouagadougou), 2013 that was held during 23rd February till 2nd March 2013 in Burkina Faso of West Africa. Antoine Boseny directed Jeux dangereux while Le chauffeur's director was Jean-Claude Bourjolly.

The finalists for category Diaspora were selected by the jury members Carlos Aguilar from Panama, Asha Lovelace of Trinidad & Tobago, Tanya Valette from Dominican Republic, Beti Ellerson from United States of America and Arnold Antonin from Haiti. Arnold Antonin is himself a filmmaker who won three Prix Paul Robeson of Best Film award at African Diaspora FESPACO in the years 2007, 2009 and 2011.

Read more →