Mout' Open, Story Jump Out
The Brooklyn based JouvayFest Collective (JFC) has partnered with Sabira Cole Film Festival (SCFF) in presenting "Mouth Open, Story Jump Out," a new film series of Caribbean oriented features, documentaries, and shorts in partnership with the City of Asylum.
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With consideration to Covid-19 restrictions, 99% of all indoor/outdoor arts & culture events have been paused. Subsequently, the international J’Ouvert & Carnival global traditions are interrupted.
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Although we are taking a break from the street parades this year, this is an opportunity to celebrate our uniqueness and unify online to maintain these vital cultural traditions. J’ouvert & Carnival cultural traditions are well understood by residents of the Caribbean, Brazil, USA & UK, etc. However, among cultural outsiders, there are many misconceptions about what appears to be an ordinary masked street parade.
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JFC & SCFF aim to present programming to fill this void, educate and celebrate this heirloom tradition of Resistance and Resilience. All events will be inclusive & free of charge to the public.
Join us in telling our own stories from our own point of view! JFC & SCFF want everyone to have access to the celebration from the comfort of their home!
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Calypso Dreams
On January 17, 2021, the JCF & SCFF partnered with City of Asylum for a screening of "Calypso Dreams" followed by a panel discussion with Dr. Geoffrey Dunn, Pro. Alvin Daniells, David Michael Rudder, and Sandra Bell.​
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Click here to view the panel discussion!
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Winner of the Best Caribbean Documentary at the Jamerican Film Festival, Audience Favorite at the DC Film fest, Pan- African film festival, Mill Valley Film Fest, and embraced by an entire nation in Trinidad, Calypso Dreams chronicles the rich and complex cultural roots of calypso music in Trinidad and Tobago.
Three Short Films
On February, 21st, 2021, the JCF & SCFF will partner with the City of Asylum for a screening of three short films about the Carnival culture and the mysticism behind it.
The films will be followed by a panel discussion, "Resistance & Syncretic Spirituality within Global Caribbean Culture” with "Paradise Lost" director, Chris Laird, "La' Diablesse Curse" director and producer, Jared Prima and Millicent Johnnie, and transformative arts leader, janera solomon. ​
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Liremu Barana
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SYNOPSIS:
Arisa dances every day and night to songs that tell of the struggles of her people. Her mother warns her not to make the same mistakes that she did as a young woman. Poetic and atmospheric, Liremu Barana subtly addresses themes of race and colonialism. The film is directed by Elvis Caj Cojoc.
La’Diablesse Curse
SYNOPSIS:
A womanizing Trinidadian is haunted by his past when La’Diablesse, a vengeful shapeshifting Caribbean spirit, comes to claim what she is owed - his soul. Either he surrenders, or his son will suffer his fate. The film is directed by Jared Prima.
Paradise Lost
SYNOPSIS:
Carnival artist Peter Minshall tells the story of the design and construction of "Paradise Lost," his first masquerade band for the Trinidad and Tobago carnival in 1976, via the lens of the only known film footage of the band on stage. The film is directed by Chris Laird.
Every Cook Can Govern: The Life, Impact & Work of C.L.R James
On March, 14th, 2021, the JCF & SCFF will partner with the City of Asylum for a screening of "Every Cook Can Govern: The Life, Impact, & Work of C.L.R James".
SYNOPSIS: ​
Feature-length, crowd-funded documentary that interweaves never-before-seen footage of C.L.R. James, together with personal contributions from those who knew him, and historical and political analysis from leading scholars of his work. The film grapples with issues from colonialism to cricket, from slavery to Shakespeare, from Marxism to the movies and from reading to revolution.
