Bahamas Blog

BIFF, Bam, Boom! Ouch!

That's the sound of the Bahamas "International" Film Festival crashing down to reality.

Three years ago, Leslie Vanderpool was saying her festival would soon rival Cannes.

Some of us knew better. It was never really a film festival. It was created as a tourist attraction and has, since the beginning, given short thrift to the community, and to the film industry.

It was never about the films. It was about the parties. It was about Leslie living the high-life and jockeying herself into the Hollywood scene, where she was unceremoniously rejected while trying to become a star in her younger years.

Basically rejected by the film industry, and incapable of getting first run movies (due to the rampant copyright infringement that our government allows) the Bahamas International Film Festival had to settle for movies that have already premiered for their opening and closing nights. These, of course, are not "premiers" and hence lessen the credibility of the event.

So, they've tried to solve that problem by announcing that this year's Bahamas International Film Festival will, indeed, open with a premier, a film by local Bahamian filmmaker Kareem Mortimer.

Now, don't get me wrong. I don't know Kareem Mortimer but I think he is a very talented young fellow and he does have some experience making films. But to open an "International" film festival with the work of a novice Bahamian filmmaker seems to be the equivalent of shooting yourself in the foot.

If the big media and film industry movers and shakers didn't come the last four years, they sure as heck won't be coming this year.

Again, Kareem is a talented young man, but he is not in the same league as the filmmakers whose films are opening other major film festivals.

Kareem's film would have been perfect to open Celi Moss' Bahamas Film Festival, the original Bahamian film festival, which is geared to local filmmakers in hopes of developing the industry.

It seems incestuous, in a typically Bahamian way, to feature a Bahamian filmmaker when you are trying to establish an "International" film festival. Kind of like dissing the other entrants before the festival even gets underway.

Another problem is: because the film industry pans this pretend festival (read: tourist event) there is little chance of a participating filmmaker ever really getting a distribution deal at the Bahamas "International" Film Festival.

Now, the international film industry is aware of this, so I am betting that Leslie is seeing a dwindling number of good films being entered into the competition. And if all the promotion and awards keep going only to Bahamian filmmakers and friends of Leslie - like they have so far - the interest from the international community will continue to wane.

It seems like Leslie has realized that her "international" festival is a bomb and that her only hope of saving what she has is to turn it into a locally supported, rather than tourist supported, event.

Of course that would count Atlantis out as a big sponsor, Locals do them no good and are only more trouble than they're worth.

But if Leslie aimed her festival at the local market, wouldn't that be direct competition to Celi Moss's original Bahamas Film festival? Hardly seems fair for the government to give Leslie more money than Celi. Especially since Celi was the originator of the concept, has done a wonderful job with it, and his festival is actually growing the local film industry.

It does not escape notice that Leslie's festival was given its initial funding when Vincent Vanderpool-Wallace was Director General of Tourism. Are Leslie and Vince related? Now that Vince is Minister of Tourism that whole arrangement should probably be looked at a bit more closely. Especially since we've discovered that the families that control the Ministry of Tourism have been helping themselves to taxpayer dollars for years. I'll bet that fraud and corruption go back to when Vince was Director General.

I am sure Bahamian taxpayers, like myself, who already throw way too much money into poorly managed public corporations wouldn't want to see their hard-earned tax dollars going to support Leslie's lavish Hollywood lifestyle when her festival does nobody any good... except her, and maybe Atlantis.

What do you think?

Oh, I forgot, I am a Bahamian Blog. Most of my D-minus audience can't read or write. No wonder I don't get many comments. Most Bahamians are too busy uploading smiley-face icons on Bahamas Issues. lol Maybe I should communicate with comic book style pictograms next time.