Creativity runs in her family, and Asha Lovelace continues to build on what comes naturally to her.
Founder and festival director of the Africa Film TT festival, launched over a decade ago, Lovelace is now giving people in the regional film industry an opportunity to showcase their creativity with the launch of the Caribbean Film Festival (CFF).
On February 13, Lovelace and her team, including director Melanie Powell Jones, welcomed scores of guests to the Calabash Garden, a hideaway on Tragarete Road, Port of Spain. Among the guests were her father and brother Earl and Che Lovelace, calypsonian David Rudder, artist Fitzroy Hoyte, fashion designer Claudia Pegus, Tobago-based Healing with Horses Foundation's Veronika Danzer-La Fortune, and actor Michael Cherrie.
"We launched Africa Film TT to create a space where Caribbean filmmakers could find inspiration from African and diaspora cinema," Lovelace told WMN.
"It became a platform for learning and building a future for local and regional filmmakers. As we solidify our presence in the festival arena, we are proud to introduce the Caribbean Film Festival, a natural evolution of our mission.
"This festival isn’t just a continuation of our work – it’s a bold step forward,” she said, to loud applause.
Lovelace said over the past ten years AFTT was built into a beautiful festival that had an impact on where she and her team are now.
"With CFF, we are expanding our vision – creating a collective regional effort to ignite film production, advocate for industry support, and ensure that our stories are represented on the screens we watch every day. We will be supporting emerging talent, engage in training, as well as developing and advancing film projects."
As a filmmaker, she said, she has witnessed the ability of the Caribbean people to tell stories – stories that need to be told.
[caption id="attachment_1139177" align="alignnone" width="1024"] From left, Lorraine O'Connor, general manager, C15 Studios, interior designer Danielle Elefant and Danielle Dieffenthaller, co-founder FILMCO at the launch of the Caribbean Film Festival, Calabash Garden, Port of Spain on February 13. - Photo by Vishal Ramoudith[/caption]
"We need to be in command of how we are presented, not just for ourselves but for the world.
“In a time when audiences are craving fresh stories, this festival is our opportunity to drive the production of Caribbean content. We have a whole heap of untold stories and it is about time we get serious about representing ourselves and our realities through our own lens.
"It is through this lens, with filmmakers at the centre, that we have designed a festival that will not only spotlight our creative power but provide solutions for our regions creatives."
Lovelace said the CFF offers initiatives for everyone – from students to seasoned professionals.
"We want to ensure that anyone interested in film and content creation has access to training, development, and opportunities to take their projects from idea to completion."
The festival will
