Turks & Caicos International Film Festival

The votes are in and Turks & Caicos is the winner. Never before has such a little-known destination been lauded with so much flattering publicity. Magazines like Caribbean Travel & Life and Conde Nast Traveler praise Turks & Caicos as the finest islands in the Caribbean, recently rating them “Best Undiscovered Caribbean Destination,” “Best Caribbean Beach,” “Best Beach For Romance,” “Best Snorkeling Site,” and “Best Diving Destination.”

But those aren’t the only reasons to visit the award-winning Turks & Caicos Islands. Now you can come down to the Caribbean and experience a little cinema with your sun, sand, and sea, at the 1st Annual Turks & Caicos International Film Festival & Screenwriting Competition, November 13-20, 2004.

Unlike many Caribbean destinations, Turks & Caicos is incredibly easy to get to, with direct flights onto Providenciales – or “Provo,” Turks & Caicos’ main island, where the festival is held – from seven North American cities, including Toronto, New York, Philadelphia, Boston, Charlotte, and Atlanta (all less than 3½ hours non-stop), as well as Miami (75 minutes non-stop).

Situated a mere 575 miles southeast of Miami, nestled between the southern tip of the Bahamas and the northernmost point of the Caribbean, the Turks & Caicos Islands are as close to paradise as you will find anywhere on Earth. Though not widely known except to divers and a growing number of savvy travelers, the islands offer the best of what the Caribbean has to offer – 230 miles of powdery white beaches, the third-largest coral reef system in the world, and a seemingly endless supply of sparkling turquoise water.

In fact, Conde Nast calls the Turks & Caicos Islands “the last outpost of the Caribbean not yet wholly taken over by tourism,” while Islands magazine calls Turks & Caicos “one of the few remaining retreats in the Caribbean.” As well, the islands were recently highlighted on the cover of the premiere issue of Exotic Places to Retire magazine, which calls Turks & Caicos “a paradise of opportunity for relaxation and enjoyment mixed with an easy calm of security and safety.” Indeed, Turks & Caicos “stands head and shoulders above other islands in the Caribbean in terms of friendliness and safety,” according to Exotic Places, which states, “There are few places in the Caribbean where you will meet friendlier people.”

The Turks & Caicos Islands are part of the British West Indies. The islands comprise 8 inhabited and 40 uninhabited isles.

CALL FOR ENTRIES

Call for Entries Deadline for Film Festival: October 29, 2004
Call for Entries Deadline for Screenwriting Competition: October 29, 2004
The 1st Annual Turks & Caicos International Film Festival & Screenwriting Competition is now accepting entries for its inaugural event celebrating sun, sand, sea, and cinema. Submissions will be accepted in the following film categories: feature, documentary, short, animated, student, foreign, and Caribbean/Bahamian.

The TCIFF is also accepting screenplay entries for its inaugural screenwriting competition.

A jury panel of film-related professionals will judge entries in each category.

Student films will be judged separately, as will films by Bahamian and Caribbean directors.

Films will be screened at the 360-seat, state-of-the-art Brayton Hall on Providenciales (or “Provo”), the main island in the Turks & Caicos chain, as well as at several indoor and outdoor venues on the island, including a stunning open-air theater on Grace Bay Beach, the island’s pristine, award-winning 12-mile stretch of powdery white sand.

Over the festival’s 8-day run, participants will be treated to U.S. and world premieres of independent and studio films, gala opening- and closing-night events, yacht parties, question-and-answer sessions with filmmakers, and educational seminars hosted by film industry professionals.

Jury, audience, and career achievement awards will be presented at the festival’s Closing Night Awards Gala ceremony on November 19, 2004.

Filmmakers and screenwriters interested in submitting a film or screenplay to be reviewed by the TCIFF&SC, or those who would like to become a sponsor, volunteer or benefactor of the festival, should visit www.turksandcaicosfilmfestival.com, email festival officials at tcifilmfestival@yahoo.com, or explore the festival’s link at the respected www.filmfestivals.com website.

Turks & Caicos is indeed, as its slogan says, “Beautiful By Nature,” and that natural tropical beauty, coupled with an eclectic mix of films, will bring together art on film and art in nature at the islands’ inaugural festival. The Turks & Caicos Islands will provide the perfect backdrop for emerging directors, actors, screenwriters, the film-going public, and Turks & Caicos residents to come together to celebrate and embrace the beauty of sun, sand, sea, and cinema.

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