Baby Doll documentary well received at Canadian Film Festival

Idakeda was privileged to be part of the 2009 edition of the Caribbean Tales Film Festival in Toronto, Canada, mingling with Caribbean Film greats such as Festival founder Frances-Anne Solomon, Gayelle co-founder Christopher Laird and the legend herself, Euzhan Palcy of Martinique, the first Caribbean woman Director to receive support for a major Hollywood movie, with stars such as Marlon Brando. The good news is, we held our own!

The theme of the Festival this year was Caribbean Film- A Tool for Education and Social Change. Our documentary, 'Baby Doll Meets Midnight Robber; Carnival Intervention for the At-Risk' was shown to an appreciative audience on Friday July 10th as part of Trinidad and Tobago night. The response to the piece was very warm and questions centered on the kinds of financial support available for Idakeda and the ability of our work to impact young people beyond Trinidad and Tobago and the Caribbean.

Dara Healy who represented Idakeda at the Festival, made a number of important links with Caribbean film-makers and workers in the industry interested in continuing to explore the possibilities of film within the context of youth education and empowerment. The Idakeda-styled intervention, inspired by the work of Eintou Pearl Springer, was also of great interest to educators attending the Festival, who were keen to learn of its ability to bridge some of the communication gaps within the education system in Toronto.

We at Idakeda remain eternally grateful for the advice and contribution of educators such as Professor Jeff Henry, Dr. Yvonne Bobb-Smith, school Principal Ronald Sanchez, Dr. Michael Alleyne, Merle Hodge, Father Clyde Harvey, librarian Jennifer John and teacher Cheryl Gordan-Thomas, as well as all of the other teachers, young people and parents who participated in the documentary or provided valuable advice to us.

Keep checking the site for photos and more updates.

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