CaribbeanTales breaks dawn on ‘A New Day’ with a powerful Lineup of Caribbean Films

8 Presentation Nights| Sept. 4–Sept. 20 | 20+ Phenomenal Films

Toronto, July 4, 2019 – The 14th annual CaribbeanTales International Film Festival (CTFF) comes to Toronto, September 4-20 2019.  CTFF2019 features eight (8) special-themed nights of incredible on-screen storytelling from Caribbean filmmakers, over seventeen (17) days.  

The Festival program includes Talkback Sessions, Panels with Directors, and an Award Ceremony, all celebrating the theme of “A New Day” for Caribbean and Diaspora filmmakers to share their stories with the world. 

CTFF Co-Director Diana Webley unveiled the Festival’s themed nights, as well as the full lineup of films and shorts being screened this year::

Opening Night | September 4, 2019 

Feature Film

Rattlesnakes (Julius Amedume, USA, 2019)

Rattlesnakes is a psychological neo-noir thriller based on Graham Farrow’s acclaimed stage play. The story follows an intense day in the life of a family man and yoga instructor Robert McQueen (Jimmy Jean-Louis), who is ambushed by three masked strangers accusing him of sleeping with their wives. He pleads his innocence, though what he does reveal will change all of their lives forever. But will it be enough to save his?

Oseyi and the Masqueraders (Dominica)

A young boy comes of age when he conquers his fear of the carnival costumes of his village, and learns two family secrets.

Environmental | September 13, 2019 

Feature film:

Paradise Undiscovered: The Unbreakable Virgin Islander (USVI) 

             For the first time in history, two Category Five hurricanes hit the same place in less than two weeks, devastating the island of St. Thomas but shedding light on the magic that can occur when a community comes together.

Shorts: 

Venus and Magnet (Trinidad and Tobago)

Ms. Sugga Ep.1 (Jamaica) 

French ‘N’ Free | September 13, 2019 

Feature film: 

Fig Lady (Machann Fig La) (Haiti) 

A young peasant girl is forced to raise her seven-year-old daughter alone. Determined, she keeps a journey through the streets of Jacmel with her basket of banana figs to meet the needs of her daughter. She is ready to do anything to protect her, Despite all her energy, she still suffers the absence of her husband gone to town to work as an artist.

Short: 

The Unicorn (Guadeloupe)

Trinidad | September 14, 2019 

Feature film:

Moving Parts (Trinidad)

After the death of her father, Zhenzhen hires a smuggler to take her to the Caribbean island 

where her brother, Wei, works in construction. Things start to look up when Wei gets her a job at a restaurant, but when the smuggler demands more cash, she is forced into a compromising position.

Shorts: 

Three Minutes 

March of the Mokos 

Music | September 16, 2019 

Feature film: 

Galsen - The Language of Souls (El Language de Las Almas) (Martinique) 

A journey in search of identity for someone Afro-descendant, through the universal union of music. We enter the heart of Africa, through different beings of light, where everyone will find their source of expression and communication to make us understand that when it comes to humans in different societies, at the bottom we speak of a single communication, “the language of souls.” A film recorded to bridge between Senegal, Gambia, Barcelona and New York…

Shorts: 

Antonio Norales: Garifuna Guardian (USA)

Karukéra Blues (USA/Guadeloupe)

Jamaica | September 18, 2019 

Last Street (Jamaica)

"After the controversial extradition to the U.S of the famous drug lord Christopher ¨Dudus¨

Coke, chaos reigns in his former areas of control in West Kingston, Jamaica. Bands of teenagers kill each other for any little reason. Although violence in Jamaica is always portrayed as drug-related, this film unveils a real truth which links a culture of violence to masculinity and shooting guns. Former gangsters from Denham Town, Dudus’ previous stronghold, have become violence interrupters, mediators who attempt to put an end to this nonsense situation.”

Shorts:

Rockstone and Fire 

Children of the Incursion 

LGBTQ | September 19, 2019 

Feature film: 

Rafiki (Kenya)

A love story between two young women (played by newcomers Samantha Mugatsia and Sheila Munyiva) in a country where homosexuality is still illegal, Rafiki is saturated with joy, heartbreak, and a richly effervescent cinematography that showcases director Wanuri Kahiu’s native Nairobi in all its vibrancy. 

Shorts: 

Please See Attached (Trinidad & Tobago)

Judgment Day (Trinidad and Tobago)

Closing Night | September 20, 2019 

Feature film:

Sacred Water (Belgium/Rwanda)

Kunyaza is the name for the technique through which Rwandese women manage to ejaculate. In this tiny African country female orgasm is a matter of honor for men. This documentary, led by a young woman who is a radio star, offers a trip through the villages to recover, with humour and spontaneity, old local traditions about this culture of feminine pleasure: a millennial art that, however, some try to eradicate.

Shorts: 

Maternal (Andrew Simpson, Canada, 2018); 00:06:52

Same Old Shit (Trinidad & Tobago)

Xiomara Sranan Folktales Episode (Suriname)

Ticket Info:

Click here to buy full festival pass 

Media Contact

Roger Dundas/Konvo Media Inc. | [email protected] | 416-918-9045

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About CaribbeanTales Media Group 

CaribbeanTales (CTMG) is a group of media companies that produces, markets, and exhibits Caribbean-themed films for Regional and international distribution, including CaribbeanTales Worldwide Distribution, CaribbeanTales Inc -  a registered Charity in Canada. Activities include The CaribbeanTales International Film Festival now in its fourteenth year; the renowned CaribbeanTales Incubator (CTI) a year-round development and production hub for Caribbean and Caribbean Diaspora Producers; Caribbeantales-TV a VOD  streaming service for Caribbean films; and CaribbeanTalesFlix, their production arm. 

About CaribbeanTales International Film Festival

The CaribbeanTales International Film Festival (CTFF) is now in its fourteenth year and will take place from September 4 - 20, 2019, at various locations throughout the City of Toronto.

CTFF celebrates the talents of established and emerging filmmakers of Caribbean heritage who practise their art across the Caribbean Diaspora worldwide – including Canada and the Caribbean, Europe, the Americas, Africa, China, India and the Middle East. CTFF presents a multi-ethnic mix of exciting and dynamic films that showcase diverse and shared stories and cultures.