Festival Circuit

 EL CANTANTE

Tuesday, September 25-------The Third Annual Turks & Caicos International Film Festival (TCIFF), which celebrates the fusion of cinema and music, will screen 28 films in the resort paradise of Providenciales from October 16-21, 2007.  For this year's edition, the Festival will present an intriguing mix of new international films, mixed with beloved music-driven classics, as well as events, panels, musical performances, and more on the tantalizing white sands of Turks & Caicos.

The musical biopic EL CANTANTE will open the Festival, with a screening on the beach. The film, directed by Leon Ichaso, stars Latin singing sensation Marc Anthony as Hector Lavoe, who started the salsa movement in 1975 and brought it to the United States. Anthony's real life wife Jennifer Lopez stars as Lavoe's spouse, who must deal with the meteoric rise and procipitous fall of her husband, due to drugs and the difficulties of the mainstream music business. The film, with its exuberant musical numbers and compelling backstage story, is a perfect opener for a Festival devoted to musical expression.

Features screening at the Festival include the World Premiere of LORA (Hungary) directed by Gábor Herendi and the Caribbean Premieres of GURU (India) directed by Mani Ratnam, who will be receiving the Festival’s Sal Del Mar Director’s Excellence Award; THE HOTTEST STATE (USA) directed by Ethan Hawke; the HBO Films drama SOMETHING THE LORD MADE, starring Alan Rickman and Mos Def; and SUMMER SCARS (UK) directed by Julian Richards.

WAR/DANCEDocumentaries screening include the World Premiere of RESPECT YOURSELF: THE STAX RECORDS STORY (USA), an entertaining and enlightening look at the role of the pioneering r+b and blues record label;  and JONATHAN BUTLER LIVE IN SOUTH AFRICA (South Africa). The Festival is also hosting the Caribbean Premieres of FROM MAMBO TO HIP HOP: A BRONX TALE (USA), LALO GUERRERO: THE ORIGINAL CHICANO (USA), SCREAMERS (UK); and the Sundance Film Festival hit WAR/DANCE (USA/Uganda). Other musical documentaries featured at the event, include JAMESIE KING OF SCRATCH (US Virgin Islands); LOS LONELY BOYS COTTONFIELDS AND CROSSROADS (USA), ROOTS OF REGGAE: THE ERNEST RANGLIN STORY (USA), SWEET HONEY IN THE ROCK (USA) and THE GODFATHER OF DISCO (USA).

Films will be eligible for juried awards for Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Documentary, Best Song and Best Score.  This year’s jury includes Academy Award nominated actor Robert Forster, director Sanna Hamri and Eleonora Granata-Jenkinson, Producer & Programmer for the Venice Film Festival.

Mos DefOn Saturday evening, October 20th, the Festival will present its annual Sal Del Mar Awards at a gala awards presentation. Actress Amanda Bynes (SHE'S THE MAN, HAIRSPRAY) will be given the Rising Star Award, in recognition of an up-and-coming film talent. Musician/actor Mos Def will be honored with the Tour de Force Award, in recognition of his original musical contributions and his work as an actor in such films as MONSTER'S BALL, THE ITALIAN JOB and his Golden Globe award nominated performance in SOMETHING THE LORD MADE. Composer Marc Shaiman (HAIRSPRAY) will be honored with the Composer's Excellence Award, and Indian director Mani Ratnam will receive the Director’s Excellence Award for his prolific 25 year career in Bollywood cinema.

For more information on the Festival, visit their website: www.tciff.com

Sandy Mandelberger, Festival Circuit Editor