The highly anticipated HCX | Haiti Film Fest came to a close last weekend (November 18-20) and we would like to thank everyone who attended for making it such a great success! The film festival allowed Haiti Cultural Exchange to present a wide breadth of films about Haiti and the Diaspora to the community. The weekend was international in nature, as it included filmmakers from the U.S, Haiti, Canada, France and beyond. Overall, more than 500 people were able to experience the HCX | Haiti Film Fest over the course of the weekend. Additionally, the film festival marked a milestone for our community because it allowed us to bring our most extensive grassroots event to the public.
The Brooklyn Museum’s third floor Atrium was the ideal venue for the HCX | Haiti Film Fest Opening Reception. Attendees enjoyed hors d’oeuvres and drinks, mingled, danced and enjoyed a special performance by Orchestre Septentrional. The band set the mood for the night, playing new music as well as familiar classics. Following the performance, attendees enjoyed a screening of Whitney Dow’s film When the Drum is Beating.
On Saturday and Sunday, The HCX | Haiti Film Fest screenings took place at the Spike Lee Screening Room at Long Island University in Brooklyn. Over a dozen films were screened and explored a variety of topics from personal experiences of the 2010 earthquake, to the orphan situation in Haiti. Arnold Antonin, one of Haiti’s most prominent filmmakers was present on Saturday for the screening of his film Amours de Zombie, which was our feature film for the evening. On Sunday, amidst many films, we screened young filmmaker Kervans Barthelemy’s powerful first feature film Kaleb. This film was very special and was widely received by the audience, leading to a standing ovation for Kervans and his cast.
Our event would not be possible without the diligence, dedication, and support from our members, staff, and volunteers. Special thanks to the HCX | Haiti Film Fest Advisory committee, our sponsors, and of course the filmmakers! It took a great team to make the event such a success.
We can’t wait to do it all again next year! Be on the look out next Summer for more films and fun in anticipation for the 2nd Annual HCX | Haiti Film Fest coming in Fall 2012!
Many of you who attended were interested in purchasing copies of the films we screened. Unfortunately, many of the films we screened are yet to be released to the public via the big screen or on DVD.
Here is a list of items that are available for sale to the public:
Manno Charlemagne/Konviksyon (2010, 59 Minutes, Kreyol Not Subtitled) by Frantz Voltaire A documentary about the life and musical influences of Haitian musician and song writer, Emmanuel Charlemagne.
Available at our HCX events for $20 or online (plus s+h).
Moloch Tropical (2009, 107 Minutes, Kreyol and French with English Subtitles) by Raoul Peck In a fortress perched on the top of a mountain, a democratically elected « President » and his closest collaborators are getting ready for a state celebration.
Children of Haiti (2010, 54 Minutes, Kreyol/French with English Subtitles) by Alexandria Hammond, co-produced and translated by Regine Zamor. Following the day-to-day lives of three teenage street boys in the northern city of Cap-Haitien, CHILDREN OF HAITI provides an intimate view of the country-wide orphan epidemic.
Available at our HCX events for $20 or online (plus s+h).
Black in Latin America (2011, 55 Minutes) – Haiti & the Dominican Republic: An Island Divided by Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
In Haiti, Professor Gates tells the story of the birth of the first-ever black republic, and finds out how the slaves’ hard fought liberation over Napoleon Bonaparte’s French Empire became a double-edged sword.
Available for free online with the rest of Skip Gates’ Black in Latin America series. Watch it here!
Amours d’un Zombie (2011, 90 Minutes, Kreyol and French with English Subtitles) by Arnold Antonin A zombie who has just escaped tells the press about the love that he feels for a woman. A female reporter follows closely the story. We discover through her reporting how a group of politicians has decided to exploit the zombie’s popularity.
Available at our HCX events for $20 or online (plus s+h).
Mario Benjamin (2008, 53 Minutes, Kreyol/French with English Subtitles) by Irene Lichtenstein
Around an exhibition which took place in Port-au-Prince in June 2008, Mario Benjamin, this charismatic man shares his thoughts with us, on his work, the art and the difficulty in being an artist in a Third World country.
Below are the other films we screened that are not yet on sale to the public:
Une Etrange Cathédrale dans la Graisse des Ténèbres (2011, 78 Minutes, French with English Subtitles) by Charles Najman
The film evokes the devastating effects of the earthquake that struck the Haitian capital on January 12, 2010, through the words of Haiti’s greatest poet Frankétienne and his premonitory play Le Piège (The Trap).
Haiti One Day: One Destiny (2011, 21 Minutes, Kreyol and French with English Subtitles) by Michèle Stephenson
In the aftermath of Port-au-Prince’s January 12, 2010 earthquake, Haitian-American documentary filmmaker, Michèle Stephenson, traveled to Haiti for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting National Black Programming Consortium to document stories not yet heard.
Gospel of the Creole Pig (2004, 18 Minutes, Kreyol/French with English Subtitles) by Michelange Quay
Haiti has been exposed to the menace of invaders since the Era of Exploration. The pig poetically speaks about historical and present Haiti, the first republic of black people that still suffers extreme poverty.
Jean Gentil (2010, 84 Minutes, Spanish/Kreyol with English Subtitles) by Laura A. Guzmán & Israel Cárdenas
This poignant tale follows an educated Haitian immigrant as he travels through the Dominican Republic in search of work and a meaning to his life.
Kaleb (2011, 76 Minutes, English); Presenting a Sneak Peek of this new film! by Kervans Barthelemy
One day Jacques sees his son Kaleb in a local newspaper accused of raping a young girl. The police search for Kaleb and his friends while the incident sparks friction within the family, demanding Jacque to respond to his wife’s ultimatum: Find Kaleb or lose the rest of his family.
We also still have several non-film items for sale:
Dis-moi des Chansons d’Haïti (with CD) Children’s Book by Mimi Barthelemy Available at our HCX events for $40 or online (plus s+h).
Pi Douvan by Orchestre Septentrional Available at our HCX events for $15 or online (plus s+h).
The Daughter of Anacaona Writing Project Anthology Available exclusively through HCX for $10.
Thanks again to all of you who participated in our first film festival. Haiti Cultural Exchange appreciates your continuous support in making our programs successful. We look forward to seeing you at our upcoming events!
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