On Independence Day, Green Screen Environmental Film Director Carver Bacchus reflected on how climate change is fast becoming a decisive issue for the success or failure of nations across the world.

Trinidad and Tobago is no different and as we reflect on the past 59 years as a sovereign nation and look towards the next 59, Bacchus is wondering how soon action on climate change will become a front-burner issue in the national conversation.

Green Screen Film Festival, which will be hosted for the 11th year on October 29-31, was initially envisioned as a space to discuss issues of sustainability.

“We felt like film was a good creative framework within which to have these conversations. The Arts have long been used as a bridge from highly technical jargon and concepts to forms that are more easily digestible by the entire population. Environmental issues don’t only affect technocrats or policymakers, we’re all affected and so we all need to be adequately and reliably informed.”

The Festival has grown significantly in the past 10 years, with the 2020 edition having to shift to an exclusively online format.

“Last year our theme was ‘The New Normal’ and we tried to address some of the concerns regarding society, food security and human interaction that were emerging from the pandemic. This year our theme is ‘Heroes’ and we’ll be focusing on the many ordinary humans who are making an extraordinary impact in their part of the world.”

The theme Heroes also extends to the Very Short Shorts Mobile Film Competition, which is now open for submissions until September 15. This year’s competition expands on its strong youth focus, empowering youth to be more aware and lay a foundation for when they themselves become this country’s leaders and citizens.

“Since the inception of the Very Short Shorts Mobile Film competition we’ve awarded a special youth prize. This year we’re introducing a Youth Jury so that our young people can be invested, not just in making films but also in the process of critically engaging with the work being produced by our filmmakers. We hope that this other kind of engagement empowers them even more and they see themselves as part of creating and curating local solutions to global problems.”

The Very Short Shorts Competition, deadline extended to September 15, is accepting submissions from T&T nationals whose films will be judged

in the following categories:

• Overall Jury Winner (All ages) with a $12,000 TTD prize courtesy The National Gas Company of Trinidad and Tobago (NGC)
• Youth Jury Winner (12 to 25 years) with a prize of $5,000 TTD
• The People’s Choice Award (All Ages) with a $3,000 TTD prize courtesy the Solid Waste Management Company Ltd (SWMCOL)

Like other businesses and organisations that have been adversely affected by COVID-19 restrictions and the accompanying economic downturn, Green Screen Film Festival is holding on, despite the challenges.

“It’s sink or float time for all of us, not just creative businesses or organisations. Our survival also reflects the state of the planet. But this is not the time for us to give up on our future.”

Bacchus remains optimistic about the impact that Green Screen will continue to have. He’s particularly heartened by the response to the call for films for the main festival programme.

Originally published in LoopTT