HaMafilms’ latest film, “Deep Blue,” will be the opening film on Friday November 3, 2023, at the Belize International Film Festival (BelizeIFF). The environmentally themed film highlights a variety of tensions around development practices and marine conservation in the Caribbean region.
Suzette Zayden, Festival Founder and Director of the 16th edition of BelizeIFF says, “Deep Blue” was selected as the opening film because it does an “excellent job” of covering a “crucial Caribbean issue: sustainable development”. Zayden asserts that the film is a good match with the emergent themes of Sustainable Development and Indigeneity at the BelizeIFF 2023 as “Deep Blue” is a film by Caribbean filmmakers about critical Caribbean issues.
The film features a cast of Canadian, UK, Caribbean and Antiguan and Barbudan actors. The male protagonist is played by Jamaican-Canadian Peter Williams and the female lead by Canadian Kim Huffman with notable supporting roles from Antiguan-British actress Julie Hewlett and Antigua’s Reggae Ambassador, Colin “Causion” Bailey.
Zayden says the opening ceremony of the Belize International Film Festival will be live-streamed on Facebook at 8 pm on Friday November 3, 2023 for the general public to view. In addition, as part of the Festival, HaMafilms will be running a full-day workshop titled “Feature Filmmaking on a Shoestring Budget” on Sunday November 5, 2023, at the University of Belize’s Belmopan Campus.
Behind HaMa’s presence at the BelizeIFF 2023 is the REACTION PROJECT sponsored by Interreg, an initiative that connects film schools and training centres in the Caribbean region. The BelizeIFF is one such partner along with EPICES Film School in Guadeloupe.
This screening of “Deep Blue” comes on the heels of its successful screening in Toronto at COMMFFEST, a global film and arts festival in September. On hand for the Canadian premiere were members of the Canadian cast along with Antiguan actors Nevil Nichols, and Christal Clashing. The Canadian festival also saw performances by Causion (Antigua and Barbuda) along with Maurice Gregory and Simone Gordon.
“Deep Blue” was also screened at the Trinidad and Tobago International Film Festival on October 24 and 26, 2023.
So far the film has played to rave reviews which has led to an encore screening in collaboration with The Real Jerk – Legacy a Caribbean restaurant in the city of Toronto. Buoyed by the response to the film the HaMa team says they will continue to screen the film in North America.
Director Howard Allen and Producer Mitzi Allen are the team behind HaMafilms productions like “The Sweetest Mango”, Antigua’s first locally produced feature-length film and the first indigenous film for the Eastern Caribbean. Over the last 30 years, HaMafilms have made a list of films such as “The Skin” and “No Seed” as well as TV series such as “Paradise View.”
Their work ranges from romances to political dramas to folklore horror.
