The Island House
Film Festival
April 13th – 16th, 2023
April 13th – 16th, 2023
4 days of films, talks, workshops and celebration.
The Island House Film Festival is an independent non-competitive film festival in The Bahamas. TIHFF celebrates and focuses on films and filmmakers that emerge from the Caribbean region, celebrating Bahamian premieres of international, regional and local narrative films and documentaries. Panels and workshops that educate and inspire creativity amongst the Bahamian population, as well as placing a strong focus on educational outreach programs is key to TIHFF, thus expanding the film industry in the region.
Thursday, April 13 @ 10am – 2pm
TIH Meeting Room
FREE
TIHFF is proud to once again partner with B.A.M. (Bahamas Artist Movement), to host two mornings of workshops designed for high-school students ages 13 –18 years old. The workshops will introduce kids to the world of acting, provide insight into the industry and provide a brief look at theatre performance.
Thursday, April 13 @ 5:30 – 7:30pm
Invite Only – Filmmakers & Sponsors
Thursday, April 13 @ 8pm
USA | 2022 | Sarah Polley | 1h 44m
TIH Cinema
The women of an isolated religious community grapple with reconciling their reality with their faith. Though the backstory, we see a community of women come together to figure out how they might move forward together to build a better world for themselves and their children. Stay and fight or leave. They will not do nothing.
Friday, April 14 @ 10am – 2pm
TIH Meeting Room
FREE
TIHFF is proud to once again partner with B.A.M. (Bahamas Artist Movement), to host two mornings of workshops designed for high-school students ages 13 –18 years old. The workshops will introduce kids to the world of acting, provide insight into the industry and provide a brief look at theatre performance.
Friday, April 14 @ 4:30pm
Hosted by Goombay Kids | The team behind the successful Bahamian Kids TV series will be hosting a casting to discover new young talent for future productions.
Friday, April 14 @ 6:00pm
The Bahamas | 2022-23 | 1h 33m
The Meeting Room
A group of kids goes on adventures in The Bahamas to explore and learn more about the country.
Directors & Producers will be in attendance for post screening Q&A.
Friday, April 14 @ 6:30pm
Sweden | 2022 | Ruben Östlund | 2h 20m
TIH Cinema
Carl and Yaya, a couple of influencers, are invited to a luxury cruise ship alongside a group of out-of-touch wealthy people. The situation takes an unexpected turn when a brutal storm hits the ship. In Ruben Östlund’s wickedly funny Palme d’Or winner, social hierarchy is turned upside down, revealing the tawdry relationship between power and beauty.
Friday, April 14 @ 8pm
The Bahamas | 2019-23 | Neville Smith | 1h 51m
The Meeting Room
‘Days After Dorian’ recalls the harrowing reports of what transpired days after the hurricane tore through Abaco and Grand Bahama.
‘Marco Archer’ is a short documentary about how the family of a young boy who was devastatingly murdered, chooses to remember him.
Director Neville Smith will be in attendance for a post screening Q&A.
Friday, April 14 @ 8pm
Friday April 14 @ 9:30pm
USA | 2022 | Jamal Dedeaux | Runtime: 1h 32m
TIH Cinema
A comedy told in three ways… Sexually awkward Stacey Johnson decides to take control of her life, cancel her ex, and conquer her fears by having a threesome with her new beau and a mysterious woman she’s never met. What could possibly go wrong?
Director Jamal Dedeaux will be in attendance for a Q&A post screening.
Saturday, April 15 @ 9:30am – 12:30pm
The Meeting Room
FREE
Evelyn is back! Learn firsthand from her 20 years of experience in the film and TV business, as on camera talent as well as a commercial and documentary writer/producer/director.
Learn tips & tricks on how best to perform at a casting for film, theatre and television.
Saturday, April 15 @ 10:30am
The Library
FREE
Tim Papciak has worked as a writer, a script coordinator, and a concept consultant. He has both sold his own original material and written for a live-action series currently on Disney+. Additionally, he has consulted for producers, film financiers, content creators, and industry executives on a variety of scripts and intellectual property.
Through an intimate chat and Q&A, this session will provide insight into the world of writing for film and television. Tim will share his experiences, as well as his firmly held beliefs about what makes a screenplay “great” — or “matter” — and how to stand out in a highly-competitive market.
Saturday, April 15 @ 12pm
Haiti | 2021 | Gessica Généus | Runtime: 1h 33m
TIH Cinema
Freda lives with her mother, sister, and little brother in a popular neighborhood in Haiti. They survive with their little street food shop. The precariousness and violence of their daily life push them to do everything they can to escape their situation in the hope of finding a better life.
Saturday April 15 @ 1pm
The Bahamas | 2023 | Gina Rodgers-Sealy | tbd.
The Meeting Room
“Two-Faced: Gender Inequality in The Bahamas” is an independent documentary film focused on the impact of gender Inequality in The Bahamas. It is a significant and timely film because in this the fiftieth year of Bahamian Independence it asks the country to reflect on the ways gender inequality has impacted and to a large extent impeded the country’s development and growth, and considers a path forward.
Saturday, April 15 @ 2 – 4pm
The Library
Saturday, April 15 @ 2:30 – 4:30pm
TIH Squash Courts
Saturday April 15 @ 2:30pm
USA | 2023 | A.V. Rockwell | Runtime: 1h 56m
TIH Cinema
Unapologetic and free-spirited Inez kidnaps 6-year-old Terry from the foster care system. Holding on to their secret and each other, mother and son set out to reclaim their sense of home, identity, and stability in a rapidly changing New York City.
Saturday, April 15 @ 5pm
USA | 2022 | Sharon ‘Rocky’ Roggio | 1h 32m
TIH Cinema
The mystery of how theology, history, culture, and politics led to a Biblical mistranslation, the man who tried to stop it, and the impassioned academic crusade of the LGBTQIA+ Christian community driven to discover the truth.
Director Sharon ‘Rocky’ Roggio and Producer Jena will be in attendance for a Q&A post screening.
Saturday, April 15 @ 8pm
France | 2022 | Alice Diop | 2h 2m
TIH Cinema
Rama is a novelist who attends the trial of Laurence Coly, a young woman accused of killing her 15-month-old daughter. Testimonies from witnesses and Coly’s own words soon shake Rama’s convictions.
Saturday, April 15 @ 7pm
TIH Lawn
Sunday, April 16, 9-11am
The Cinema Terrace
Sunday, April 16 @ 11:30am
The Bahamas | 2022 | Kareem Mortimer | 1h 33m
TIH Cinema
Sir Harold Christie is a unique figure in Bahamian history. He rose from humble beginnings to become one of the most powerful figures in the country/ This documentary will explore his rise to prominence and his legacy in The Bahamas. Through interviews with family, friends, and experts, the film will paint a picture of a man who achieved remarkable success despite his difficult upbringing. Sir Harold Christie was a true pioneer in the Bahamas, and this documentary will celebrate his life and accomplishments.
Director Kareem Mortimer will be in attendance post screening for a Q&A
Sunday, April 16 @ 2:00pm
USA | 2021 | Katie Taber, Dan Crane | Runtime: 1h 15m
TIH Cinema
When the Westphal family learned that their 6-year-old Kyle was on the Autism spectrum, they feared they might never develop a real connection with their child. Withdrawn and constantly wrapping himself in fabric and blankets, Kyle was retreating from the world around him. Determined to find a way to connect, his parents embarked on an intense and radical journey that involved compassionately joining Kyle in his unique behaviors. Twenty years later, the entire family looks back at Kyle’s journey with candor and humor.
Lead subject Kyle Westphal will be in attendance for a Q&A post screening.
Sunday, April 16 @ 6:30pm
The Bahamas | 2022 | Kareem Mortimer
The Meeting Room
Keisha and Rachel have been living completely different lives until the day they found out they are related. Despite Keisha being a recently unemployed businesswoman and Rachel being without money and ditzy, suddenly both of them became joint heirs of a poor resort in The Bahamas. Now these new half-sisters must work together to save their hotel from ruin and themselves from financial hardship.
Screening Episodes 1 and 2
Sunday, April 16 @ 4:30pm
Cuba | 2022 | Camilo Vilaplana & Lilo Vilaplana | Runtime: 1h 33m
TIH Cinema
Alina, Luisa, and América are three women who, after fighting to restore and stabilize democracy in their country, realize their revolution leader has betrayed them. The three women begin to confront and challenge the new system in their own ways, and they are imprisoned for thinking differently. Their lives become intertwined in the misfortune they endure in the dungeon of a jail where their human rights are violated without respect for their womanhood.
Director Lilo Vilaplan and Executive Producer Irasema Oterio will be in attendance for a post screening Q&A.
Sunday, April 16 @ 7:30pm
USA | 2023 | Todd Field | 2h 38m
TIH Cinema
Lydia Tár is the groundbreaking conductor of a major German Orchestra, at the height of her career, preparing both a book launch and a much-anticipated live performance of Mahler’s Fifth Symphony. Over the ensuing weeks, her life begins to unravel in a singularly modern way. The result is a searing examination of power and its impact and durability in today’s society.
Like The Island House itself, the 48-seat cinema was designed to attract and captivate both guests and local culture buffs alike. Regularly featuring both blockbuster and art house films, the versatile space also hosts live music, seminars and speaking events.
Mahogany Hill Western Rd, Nassau
(242) 698-6300
4.9 mi / 7.9 km from Downtown
Merging the height of contemporary luxury with the understated elegance of authentic island life, The Island House offers today’s sophisticated traveller an experience that is warm and intimate in spirit, polished and discerning in character.
Unwind in a plush contemporary style with sweeping views of our Lyford Cay Marina or Relax in your very own private retreat with spacious porch whilst enjoying poolside views amongst lush greenery.
Enjoy a delicious breakfast at The Coffee Bar, lunch takeout at Mahogany Pizza, open air dining at Shima or cocktails at Mahogany House.
Wellness is a central theme of The Island House. The property features a variety of health, fitness and treatment options designed to energize, rejuvenate and relax.
23
FILMS SCREENED
10
FREE TALKS AND WORKSHOPS
200
TALK AND WORKSHOP ATTENDEES
1000
SCREENINGS ATTENDED
Tickets for all films are only $10, workshops and talks are free –You can book by clicking on the Eventbrite link (under each event/activity), by visiting The Island House Front Desk or by calling 698.6300 for more information.
“A stunning and distinct array of skills, shots and presentations that articulate the splendor of different and unique views and talents coming together in a weekend of intense filmic pleasure at the third annual Island House Film Festival.”
“I had an amazing experience at my University of the Bahamas lecture – It was great interacting with fellow creatives and I hope to come again!”
“Thank you so much for the fabulously intimate festival, I feel I made very real connections and appreciated the opportunity to share my film with the Bahamian audience. The events were well organized, the team calm and collected and the movies were great!”
“Thank you to The Island House Film Festival. You made our trip for Life In The Doghouse so special!”
“I thoroughly enjoyed the Insight Into The Film Industry Workshop, thank you once again to The Island House Film Festival as well as Evelyn Vaccaro. I learnt so much and was delighted to get such an intriguing insight into the industry.”
“I’m always available for TIHFF – Thanks for opening the door to me and my films.”
“Tim’s screenwriting workshop was really inspiring – He is so relatable and gave us lots of great tips that I can’t wait to use in my future pieces”
“Thanks so much for another wonderful festival, a great screening of Reggae Boyz (and party!), for your hospitality and for making everything super comfortable for everyone.”
Cydne Coleby (B. 1993, Nassau, Bahamas) attended The College of The Bahamas (now University) where she received her associate degree in art in 2012.
In 2018, Coleby reintroduced her art practice at The National Art Gallery of the Bahamas as a part of their Ninth National Exhibition with a body of work entitled “A God Called Self”. Since then, she continues to produce digital collages and mixed-media paintings that engage themes of personal and Caribbean identity, sexuality, and gender.