 information service. I am Johnny B. St. Joseph. The 10th anniversary of the Caribbean Youth Film Festival took place in August 2022. This milestone marks 10 years of providing a platform for young creatives to explore their potential by providing workshops, webinars and exercises in filmmaking with supplementary workshops for nurturing their soft skills. And yet today I am joined by Mr. Colin Weeks who is the director of the festival and the past participant of the festival, Mr. Imran Sen Brice, and they're here to tell us all about the film festival, its history, as well as this milestone of the 10th anniversary. So first of all gentlemen, thank you for joining me today. Thanks for having us. Great. So let's start with you Colin. Let's give us a little brief history about the film festival. When did it first begin and what was your idea about getting this film festival together? Well, the festival started off in 2012. That was the first year. Obviously it's the 10th year. But two years prior to that I shopped it around when I came back from England from school. And the reason why I thought it was a good opportunity for St. Lucia, for young filmmakers and people getting in the industry is because I too had a stint at the Rain Dance Film Festival in London. And I just saw the potential of what it did in terms of the workshops and how you know, you encourage groups to come together and that community base, you know, to grow that industry. So I thought it would be a good idea to introduce young people and even young professionals in the industry, give them that platform where again we could come together as a unit, as a community, and discuss, have workshops, have discussions on different aspects of filmmaking. And so as I said, I shopped it around a little bit. And as usual, you know, it's a creative, I don't know if it's just because it's a creative thing, but you know, it was very much closed doors for two years, trying to convince people that this is something that should happen. And I just decided, you know what, I'm going to do it. As I said, whether it be two participants, three participants, I'm just going to start. And that was the both of it, really. I just started. And I think it was a good example in terms of a good model for just filmmaking, basically, because sometimes people don't always see your vision and you just have to go at it. And I guess the filmmaker in me had that resilience to say, I'm going to do it. And hence, I just started and ten years later, I remember on the first year saying, hope to see you in on the 10th year and here we are now. So I'm happy we got to that milestone. Okay. All right. Now, I know that along the way, you got like governmental agencies and other people involved. How are you able to get them? I mean, as you said, you started no matter what. So in other words, you started to actually give them an example of this is what I wish to attain and this is what I'm going to do. But I mean, it was just a case of that when they saw the example of what you were achieving. That's when people came Yeah, I think very much so. And I must adapt at this point to say that Ambassador June Sumam had an integral part in in terms of giving it that platform. She kind of saw the vision and she encouraged me. We went to different agencies, especially embassies. I shopped it around at all the embassies with her, Mexico, the Mexican Embassy, Brazilian Embassy. And I think it again, it propelled after that where different government agencies now started to see the potential of it. And just the participation, you know, people, young filmmakers started participating, young potential filmmakers who started participating. And it just grew. So once the the growth is there, again, as I say, if you build it, they will come. So, you know, that's basically what happened. We just started getting a following from all aspects, from corporate St. Lucia, from from government from different agencies. And yeah, it just grew from there. Okay, all right. Now I want to go to Imran. But before I do, I just want to say, because like 10 years is a long time. A lot of people, a lot of projects get off the ground, but they do not see it through that. What do you think has kept the Film Festival being able to go for so long? Good question. I just think it's it's being resilient, I think. Me just say, I'm going to do it every year. And I mean, it took it took it different formats too. In the early days, we we tried to have it during the Easter break. That didn't work out as as well, because it was kind of short of a period and other things were happening. So it moved to the summer. And even after that too, that just trying to get with people trying to get young people to create films out of that, that didn't really happen the way I thought it would have happened. So we started concentrating a lot more on the workshops. And that was a lot more received. So we went in that direction for the latter part of the years. And yeah, it just you kind of have to tweak and turn a little bit in terms of to make it make it happen. So you have to realize that, okay, this is not working. This is working. Let's go with this. Let's approach this one. And the other thing that we did to to allow it to survive is to attach different themes to it. So every year, we would attach a different theme. For example, one year we did on on waste management. We did on child abuse. So we would allow them to create films on on those on those themes. And and again, speaking to agencies. So now I could approach a agency and say, Hey, the topic for this summer festival, the film festival is on x and hence target, you know, the agencies that would be receptive to that aspect. So that in itself allowed it to rather than just having a plain canvas and just, you know, so if you target different aspects of it. And again, that's filmmaking. Yeah, we see, we see that we see a lot of the blockbusters. But I think what a lot of young filmmakers don't realize that really, actually, we should be looking at very specific target audiences in order to to produce your film. So yeah, you want to be the Hollywood big Hollywood star, but there are thousands of films that target specific audiences. So why not do a film on on exercising and and and target, you know, that group, why not do a film on on cooking and you know, rather than looking at I want to create this big blockbuster blockbuster, it's not going to happen. Honestly, it's not going to happen. We're talking one in a million or one in 10,000 that's gonna happen. So what what happens there? Do you not work? So you have to look at the your niche markets. And that's basically what we did with the film festival to see. Yeah. Oh, brilliant. Now, come into you. You are past participant of the film festival. When did you actually take part in the festival? I think the first part of the film festival was 2017. I think it was. Okay, I can't. 2017 or 2018. Yeah, I submitted the film secure, which was my first shot film. Okay, and I made it just in time for the festival. Yeah, and I actually got a best director and second place overall. Okay, film festival. Yeah. Okay, brilliant. Now, tell me a little bit about what you actually did because I mean, the festival is not about just, you know, taking part and and submitting things, but they're actually our workshops and such like tell me a little bit about that. Yeah, the workshops were a huge benefit to me as a young filmmaker. We got two producers from the UK to come in and we went to film sets in Dairy Soul to see Matthew and Emmanuel's films, you know, so we got to see it in action. Okay. And being amongst that crowd and being able to ask these producers questions and stuff, it really did help me in, you know, figuring out, okay, what am I going to do for my film that I'm going to be shooting in a few weeks? Yeah. You know, even the workshops at Bonseju, it's just been like a great, like, learning experience for me, starting off. Okay, brilliant. All right. What did, what may I ask, what kind of, did you follow the profession? Did you get carry on behind the camera and directing and such like? Yeah, of course, of course. Okay. I actually started off writing and then I eventually made my short film and then I went on to make two more after that. Oh, brilliant. Yeah, one of which has been shown in Trinidad and I've since been doing filmmaking in various forms. I don't do short films as much now, but I do more corporate stuff, you know, commercials, promotional videos, that kind of thing. So yeah, I'm still very much involved in the field. Okay. And would you say that a lot of what you learned during the festival had an impact on you deciding to stay in the field as well as well as you can see you're using some of the skills learned during that time still today? Yeah, of course. A lot of the things that I've learned during the film festival period when I first started participating, I'm still using today. So learning to speak to actors is a similar skill that I carry on when I'm doing commercials. Okay. Directing actors to, you know, hold a glass this way or do a certain action in that way, like just the experience of having to work with others and being a part of the workshops has really carried on into the career that I have now. Okay, you're a great endorsement for the festival, I must say, because I mean insane that. Is that something that you do? Do you actually, if a young person comes to you and tells you, you know, they think they want to take this direction? Do you actually tell them maybe, maybe look up Mr. Weeks and he might be able to, you know. Yeah, of course, of course. Every year, I mean, we know it's a, it's been going on for 10 years, like, you know, we've established already and it's something that always comes to my mind immediately when someone says, hey, you know, I want to start filmmaking. Yeah. And I'm like, yeah, there's a Caribbean Youth Film Festival, you know, it's a regional festival. It's not just a local festival, but you know, you can take part in it, go to the workshops now, I mean, up to recently I saw other young filmmakers being a part of the workshops in town, you know, doing their thing in their cameras and so on. So it's still very much alive and I think it's still very much a good training ground for people looking to get into that field. Okay, all right. Colin, I've known you for a long time now and I know that working with you is something that you feel is a very important thing that you need to do. How does it feel when you see someone who has come out of your film festival that is making strides like him? Honestly, it is something that, it is that passion that I always had and it is always very very fruitful to see that, again, people like Imran and I could name a few others who have carried on. And I don't think it too personal to be honest with you. I just, I'm just happy that they're able to move on or to, so it's not like I pat myself on the back or anything like that. But I'm proud of who they have become. So I don't take so much credit for it. I just want to know that I'm that beacon that allow them to excel and reach their own potential because again it has a lot to do with your own person. If you don't have that drive and that talent and that everything, I mean all I could do is just hold your hand. It's up to you after that. So you know at the end of the day I'm just happy that they're doing well. But yeah in terms of others who have have gone on and done other things in fact, I try to also look at talent, unique talent within. And as Imran said that he started off writing and I saw that potential too. So even I was writing another storyline for a feature of him and I spoke to McDonald's soon about it and he penned it and I brought Imran on. So he also is a cool writer of that project. So I always try to use students from the film festival and so forth to get them to into other stuff. Last year I did 100 degrees of COVID which is a series on COVID and half of the crew was people from the film festival. So the writer, two of the writers, the people from the film festival, the hands-on people. So yeah I use them all the time. I try to get them involved as much as possible. Now I know that as well for the 10th anniversary, this kind of leads on to that because for the 10th anniversary I believe you're like paying homage to past participants right? Where did that rationale come from to actually do that for the 10th anniversary? Well again that's what the festival is about. It's about getting young people to have that platform so the rest of the world would see them. So again the 10th anniversary is about them, it's not about me. So it's about honoring them and honoring those who have gone through the festival and who have continued like Imran who have continued and doing fairly well in the industry. I mean one of the proud moments I must say for myself is that young people who have come in and parents specifically who have said no I don't have to get into that that you know because again looking at the industry you know who wants a child to become an actor and so forth a writer. You know I want my child to be a lawyer, I want my child to be a doctor. And after the festival what the the output of it and and what the joy they see on their child's face and the passion that comes out of it. I have a number of students who have gone on again to go to university and who are doing well. Again I could speak of Jelani Paul who is who worked at MTV afterwards. You know so you have guys who have passed through the ranks and have done well and only because again the festival have given them that platform. So that I'm pretty proud of. Okay brilliant okay well right now however it's time for us to have a short break however we will be back in a moment. Stay tuned. My 14-year-old child she's driving me crazy. I just don't know what to do. All that I need is some good leaks to wake up. Alice ignore the counseling pension is given. Government employees have free access to professional counseling services under the Employee Assistance Program known as EAP. EAP? EAP? What's that? Not me that telling people my business. Listen to me Alice. I was struggling with my child. I made an appointment to see an EAP counselor and I was very satisfied with the service that I received and you know what up to a day like today my information remains confidential. Cox how come nobody in the office knew anything about your counseling? Ah that's because EAP counselors they work on the strict clauses of confidentiality. I know you know what confidential means. EAP providing professional counseling services? How much is it? Girl the counseling is free. Free for you, free for your child and you know what your information remains confidential. Call the EAP unit at the ministry of the public service. Telephone number 468 2269 for more information. EAP works. Let it work for you. Welcome back. Now I am here today with Mr Colin Weeks of the Caribbean Youth Film Festival and the past participant Mr Imran Sembrais and they're telling me all about the 10th anniversary. I read some there's something that you gave me that I said that's about a thousand youths have actually passed through the festival. That's a lot of people. That is a lot of people. What how do you I mean you kind of touched on it before but how do you keep the festival fresh in the sense of technologies are always changing and such like do you make sure you implement things that can relate to the young people that are coming up now? How do you do that? How do you you know? Definitely. Well what again what we do every year is we try to introduce new tutors into the workshops. Okay. So again fresh minds, fresh ideas and so forth. And again I'm always just proud of of those I see coming back for example Al Wally who have who have taught editing in the workshops Julius who have taught and that's guys again who worked with me right in the early 2000s. Worked with us? Yes, yes. Worked with us in the early 2000s. You know so again that's that was young guys who came into the industry and 20 years later they are there and now they could actually teach and even somebody look like Al Wally who has gone and certified himself you know in a number of Adobe products you know in terms of the editing software and so forth like so it's again it's not about just staying still but evolving so you have to evolve over the times and that's what we try to encourage to that okay today a technology is this but tomorrow it will change however the foundation will always be there because the principle of filmmaking will always remain the same even though the technology changes it's up to you to to move with it so we try to introduce them to to new ideas every year for example last year I was introduced to a fantastic makeup artist Ziggie who does effect makeup but stuff like that and I didn't know that talent was incenduously you know so and just the work that came out of that it was totally exciting for me because again I mean she would do a bruise on your hand and you would think that it's actually a bruise you know just okay so you know you you get that talent coming out all the time and we try to keep it as you said we just try to keep it fresh as much as possible okay all right Inran if I could just go back to you just for a little while um you were talking to me about what you're doing now as a person again that that came out that as a young person anyway who just has has a lot of um I don't know you the things that you want to achieve what do you see as what you want your future achievements to be do you really want to stay in the industry that kind of yeah for sure okay I mean this is the plan A and the plan B okay yeah it's something that I definitely plan on continuing and it's uh the stuff that you do now I mean not just for me but for anybody else the stuff you do now is a long-term investment even if you may not realize that first yeah but if you decide that okay this is what you want to do and I've decided that then you know it's really fulfilling in the long run you know something that can take you anywhere you can yeah have a really fulfilling career in this industry again just piggyback in on on what Imran said Rich Kelt something just came to mind it's the same thing that when when I was at school um 15 years old even before that I knew what I wanted to do but we're talking way back in the 80s there it was very primitive times yeah what do you do when you get out of school but you have to you know you have to think of hey that that is the goal yeah so even with the film festival that was one of the the I would say the platforms for for me doing this too because um what when I came out of school I did not have that that base anywhere to go to to even look at the my future so I wanted to introduce that at an early age for young people so yes you you do have to to think of it as that long yeah yeah keep at it because 30 years later I'm still doing this yeah and that's really important because sometimes when you're young like that and you see there's no avenues you can take um that can just you know that's just wash your dreams even before you start so I think something like that is really important yeah exactly you know so so you have to know that there's something that you passionate about and you want to do and you okay now we talked a little bit before calling but I know that there are some agencies that you have actually worked with can you tell us and give some insight into who the people are that came on board yeah I'm really pleased that we have been able to attract you know a number of good organizations and other regional bodies international bodies to be part of it in the past we have worked with the October 1st out of out of New York again as I said rain dance is always a good partner for us from TT sorry is there and part of of what we do too yeah and even regionally too in terms of one of my high points I must say is that when I got contacted by the US Embassy and they wanted me to work with them because of what they saw I was doing and and and yeah so as I said that that was that was one of the high point because I was like okay you're on the right track you know when people like that start to notice your work so yeah so people like that in terms of working with them and individuals to you know working with people like aerophobia sobers out of Dominica and again well on the on the locals to kill that we have worked with a number of people so yeah and agencies at Lucilleck has always been a partner for us for the number of years and I would personally like to say thank you Lucilleck for being there all those years the government has always supported us in terms of creative industries and the different agents and ministries there also supported us so yeah we have had a fairly good crop of corporate and agencies that who have worked with us and yeah we're happy that we're somehow doing it to make them come back and continue with us yeah that's good that's really good okay great um again 10th anniversary I know that some of the um the the activities have actually taken place already but there's actually still more to come right so give us a bit of insight about what's actually happening this year right great so this year what we decided to do was to break it down into two aspects so usually right after the workshops we would have a little one ceremony and and give them certificates and so forth but because of the 10th anniversary I said okay let's make this bigger so we're hoping to be part of the calendar for heritage month okay and so we could have again have a bigger showcase yeah screen some films island wide so you could have a screening in in grozily have it in view for you know that type of thing um so we're hoping to do that but but just have a big gala award ceremony and really just highlight the festival okay and as I said it is all about them so give them the platform you know give them the the no no reality that they deserve in terms of of of letting the world see them yeah so that's that's where we are with it for this year we just want to give it that big push as much as possible okay all right now where exactly is there a one ceremony supposed to be taking place well we're currently looking at the end of october but i suspect it might be early november because of the way the calendar is so tight all right so we we currently speak into to um the different agencies right now um folk research and we speak into creative industries to see when how we could fit into the calendar but we're hoping we're hoping that we are part of it okay brilliant now it's nearly time for us to wrap up the times they um this has really come up on us however i just wanted to also um just mention cut tv you have actually different enterprises different things that have come out of the film festival tell me about how that has evolved well again it is exactly as you said it things evolve out of it because of of wanting to do other things and make it it so we created cut tv um it's a website that that that will showcase the films that have been part of the thing and just to continue updating information so anything new is happening we put it on cut tv just for people to see it and and so forth um we even had an independence film festival for two years that didn't work out well enough because of support we never could have gotten onto that calendar so hopefully we could get back there again um then we we i have a very active whatsapp group with a number of filmmakers and they're young filmmakers like continuously post stuff on there the facebook page obviously so we just try to keep on a daily basis things happen and just keep that community go and keep everybody informed with who is doing what and try to get them to collaborate too you know and and and what i've noticed over the years to which i'm very pleased with is that a lot of the young people have become very good friends okay you know so they they're excited to be together they work together they have that camaraderie you know so it's it's that's basically what the festival is supposed to do so it's doing it so i'm happy about that that's brilliant that's brilliant and even before we leave any words that you would like to say about the film festival at all um yeah i mean it's been such a good influence of my career right and my life as a filmmaker now so i would encourage anybody else who's even thinking of getting into that field i mean it's not just you know the person holding the camera or the person in front of the camera like koh had mentioned you know makeup artists who can get into this kind of industry you know and provide their work so that you know others can benefit from it and yeah there's a lot of different fields within the filmmaking industry that many people can get into when i mean locally the caribbean new film festival is a place for that okay okay well thank you both for joining me calling i don't know if you have any last words you want that um well i just want to thank everybody for being part of this festival for the past 10 years and allowing my little dream to to you know excel to to what it is today i mean we could do so much more um i still think there's a stigma about the creative industry period not just filmmaking and um i would like to hope that i'm i'm some kind of example as to when a child is has a creative mind and doesn't want to go and work in a bank that that you know shun upon because i trust me i would never see myself you know and and you have to understand that you you know that that parents too and that the funny thing about it is again where the world has evolved into that type of of lifestyle in terms of the it is so accessible in terms of on your on your food and your dish and and now you have the tiktoks and so many avenues and you it's still shun upon i i just don't understand that you know why you're still looking at the conventional way of of of of of a living yes you know as i said i've never done anything else in my life and i'm here today still you know i basically raised a family and everything and you know proud grandfather now so you know i'm done pretty well as a creative and i would like um upcoming young people to understand there is a platform for this you could make a living you could but again it's a discipline you have to be disciplined you have to wake up every day yeah and say i'm doing it it cannot be oh i'll do it tomorrow i don't think the mood i want to feel like you know you have to be happy you know you have to want to must want it or else it will leave you behind okay well thank you both for joining me here today and thank you everybody out there for tuning in to interview as usual do stay tuned to the national television network however for now this is joe and bisa joseph same bye