Recently the Haiti Cultural Exchange (HCX), a New York-based non-profit organization that develops, presents and promotes the cultural expressions of the Haitian people, hosted its second annual Haiti Film Fest in New York City. Opening Night took on a life of its own! Film Fest co-chairs, Michèle Stephenson & David Belle set the tone for the evening. Manhattan Deputy Borough President Rosemonde Pierre-Louis presented Haiti Cultural Exchange with a Proclamation recognizing its contributions to the community and award-winning journalist, Michèle Montas, introduced filmmaker and archivist, Frantz Voltaire as this year’s Haiti Film Fest honoree. Following screenings of Silent Treatment by Martine Jean, Plezi Gede Credit by Romel Jean-Pierre, and Suze-Anne by Amiral J.C. Gaspard of the Ciné Institute, Emeline Michel took the stage for an energetic performance followed by a spin session with DJ ZING aka Paul Beaubrun of Zing Experience.
On Friday the organization hosted the Emerging Filmmakers Networking Event on Friday May 10th at FiveMyles Gallery, Brooklyn which was hosted by filmmakers and Haiti Film Fest Advisory Committee members Jerry LaMothe & Easmanie Michel, the audience enjoyed screenings of Viter Juste by Rachelle Salnave and Night Driver by Fritz Celestin. A Q & A with filmmaker Fritz Celestin and the film’s star, Vladimir Versailles followed the screenings. The audience was then encouraged to mix and mingle at this laid back event which offered a valuable opportunity for film industry professionals to exchange information and ideas.
Over the course of the weekend, Haiti Cultural Exchange screened 19 films (including 5 New York premieres) and hosted a total of 8 Q & A’s with filmmakers, actors and producers. The presence of voices from across the Haitian Diaspora and from Haiti really contributed to enhancing this celebration of Haitian cinema. The Q & A’s offered a special opportunity to share opinions and discuss the subjects of these powerful films. Haiti Cultural Exchange (HCX), is dedicated to supporting films about Haiti’s Diaspora, as well as films from the beginning of Haiti’s presence on-screen, the HCX Haiti Film Fest 2013 will be held at St. Francis College in Brooklyn, New York. Opening Night, Thursday, May 9 at East Village venue, DROM, will celebrate Haitian film, music and culture with a special performance by singer Emeline Michel.
“Through our annual Haiti Film Festival, we seek to enrich the cultural landscape of New York City by presenting and promoting a wide array of inspiring films and masterful filmmakers,” said Régine M. Roumain, executive director, Haiti Cultural Exchange. “We are proud to shine a spotlight on Haitian cinema to a broader audience as part of our continued commitment to supporting the arts and education programs in our community.”
This year’s HCX Haiti Film Fest will launch on the evening of Thursday, May 9 with an exclusive Opening Night Reception. The festive affair will feature screenings of select short films and a special performance by Emeline Michel. As the reigning “Queen of Haitian song,” Michel has captivated worldwide audiences for over 20 years, and is considered one of the most talented Haitian songwriters and versatile vocalists of her generation.
Haiti Cultural Exchange has assembled a distinguished team of film aficionados from across the Haitian movie industry to help shape and guide this year’s festival programming, led by Co-Chairs David Belle and Michèle Stephenson.
In 2004, award-winning American filmmaker Belle co-founded Haiti’s first international film festival in Jacmel, which showcased hundreds of films free of charge for Haitian audiences of over 80,000. Belle later founded Jacmel’s groundbreaking Ciné Institute in 2008 to provide Haitian youth with film education and technical training.
For more information on the HCX Haiti Film Fest 2014 or to simply support the organization visit http://haiticulturalx.org.
Photo Credit: Francesca Andre and Alison Domzalski
