The 8th Annual Haiti International Film Festival (HIFF) set for August 19-20, 2023 was established in 2015 and is a non-profit corporation. The mission is to showcase positive images of Haitian culture through film and art.
HIFF Executive Director Jacquil Constant presents the 2022 HIFF Diaspora Award to Marguerite Erasme Lathan. She serves on the Board of Directors for Fonkoze, an organization that provides financial and other services to empower Haitians -primarily women.
HIFF Executive Director and Award-Winning Filmmaker Jacquil Constant talks about the challenges of filmmaking for the Haitian Diaspora with Award-Winning Haitian-American Actor Bechir Sylvain.
HIFF Winners for Best Feature Film: Freda directed by Gessica Geneus; Best Documentary Film: Jean-Jacques Dessalines directed by Arnold Antonin; and Best TV Series: Send Help Executive Producers: Jean Elie & Mike Gauyo.
HIFF Winners for Best African Diaspora Short Film: Becoming Black Lawyers directed by Evangeline M. Mitchell and Best Haitian Global Short Film: Tifi directed by Alikens Plancher.
HIFF advocates for underrepresented storytellers from Haiti and the Haitian Diaspora in Hollywood. This year’s theme is Global Innovation of Haitian Filmmaking.
— Jacquil Constant, Executive Director for the HIFF.
HOLLYWOOD, CA, UNITED STATES, November 17, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ — The 7th Haiti International Film Festival Committee announced its five winning films for 2022. The two-day hybrid celebration of Haitian culture through film and art was held this summer at the historic Barnsdall Gallery Theatre in Hollywood, California. To reach a worldwide audience, on day two, HIFF was streamed on Xerb TV. “HIFF unveils Haiti’s secret sauce as the country’s beauty through the diverse arts in filmmaking and culture,” said Jacquil Constant, an award-winning Haitian American filmmaker and HIFF executive director.
“While the devastating aftermath of COVID was still evident by the film projects coming from the Haitian community, this year’s festival was a tremendous experience displaying the best films from the Haitian Diaspora and African Diaspora and its humanity,” said Constant. “The theme for the 2022 film festival was “Global innovation of Haitian Filmmaking.”
HIFF honored Marguerite Erasme Lathan with the Haitian Diaspora Award, the highest honor for her contribution to Haiti because of her expertise as a psychotherapist and philanthropist. She serves on the Board of Directors for Fonkoze, a family of organizations that work together to provide financial and non-financial services to empower Haitians -primarily women- to extricate their families out of the grips of poverty for the past 26 plus years. “She is a pillar for the Haitian Diaspora through her leadership with Fonkoze that helps break the cycle of poverty in Haiti. The non-profit also assists women to become entrepreneurs and sustain their families through business skills acquired through the program,” said Constant.
“The festival audience appreciates the curation of films that will not be seen in the mainstream media or films,” said Constant. “Showcasing Haitians and Africans from an authentic point of view empowers the audience of creatives and film lovers to see the unique perspectives of Haitian Filmmakers.”
“Thank you to all these talented filmmakers for taking Haitian Diaspora Cinema and the African Diaspora Cinema to new levels through their artistic contribution of excellence and innovation,” said Constant.
2022 HIFF Winners:
Best Feature Film: Freda
Directed by Gessica Geneus
Trailer:
https://youtu.be/k1NNk4wW6w4
Best Documentary Film: Jean-Jacques Dessalines
Directed by Arnold Antonin
Trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKQ4APJ_sXM&feature=youtu.be
Best TV Series: Send Help
Executive Producers: Jean Elie & Mike Gauyo
Trailer:
https://youtu.be/ZVm2oX4wEU4
Best African Diaspora Short Film: Becoming Black Lawyers
Directed by Evangeline M. Mitchell
Best Haitian Global Short Film: Tifi
Directed by Alikens Plancher
One of the highlights of the HIFF, was the feature documentary, “Haiti Is a Nation of Artists,” directed by Constant. The award-winning film is from Afrik’Art and Pan African Film Festival in Montpellier, France. “I recently won the Best Diaspora Feature Film at the African Silicon Valley Film Festival,” said Constant.
As part of the Duke University for the Virtual Haitian Film Series, “Haiti Is a Nation of Artists,” will be showcased on December 2. “Thank you for the invitation of Professor Jacques Pierre from the Haitian Creole and Creole Studies to select my awarding-winning film,” said Constant.
Looking forward, HIFF is calling for submissions for the 8th Annual Haiti International Film Festival set for August 19-20, 2023. Its theme is “Krik Krak- The Art of Storytelling in Ayiti.” “Haitian storytelling is about the griot restoring the memory of the culture through film. Haiti has a two-hundred-year history of liberation and creativity,” said Constant.
Submit Films at FilmFreeway, https://filmfreeway.com/HaitiInternationalFilmFestival
To interview Jacquil Constant or the winning filmmakers or review the films, contact Marie Y. Lemelle for Platinum Star Public Relations at 213-276-7827 at info@platinumstarpr.com with your request in the subject line.
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Twitter: @HIFFLA
Facebook: HaitiInternationalFilmFestival
Instagram: @HIFFLA1
About the HIFF
The Annual Haiti International Film Festival (HIFF) is a two-day film festival celebrating Haitian art and culture. Founded in 2015 by Haitian American Filmmaker Jacquil Constant, HIFF showcases art and films from the Haitian Diaspora to authentically reflect Haitian community’s diverse experiences and backgrounds. HIFF promotes cultural diversity through various art genres including documentaries, feature films, short films, narrative films, and art.
HIFF is considered the HBO for Haitian films displaying the humanity of Haitian culture. The goal of the HIFF is to inform diverse audiences about the rich culture of the Haitian diaspora through innovative cinema. Through outreach and collaboration with emerging, and established filmmakers, we not only teach and conduct workshops, but we also build a stronger ecosystem for Haitian filmmakers through partnerships with non-profit organizations and educational institutions to make a bigger impact in Hollywood and Haiti.
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info@platinumstarpr.com
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