"Papa Machete" wins best short documentary at the Trinidad and Tobago Film Festival

Jason Fitzroy Jeffers at TTFF. (Source:FB)

"Papa Machete" has been cleaning up on the festival circuit. The latest award comes courtesy of the Trinidad and Tobago Film Festival where the film won best short documentary. Producer Jason Fitzroy Jeffers was on hand to accept the award.

The film first screened at the Sundance film festival and has been very well received on the circuit since then. ""Papa Machete" explores the esoteric martial art that evolved through this victory [Haitian Revolution] through the practice and life of a farmer named Alfred Avril. The short film documents his proud devotion to his heritage in the face of bitter poverty, and his efforts to keep this mysterious art alive" (Source: www.papamachete.com).

The filmmakers are working on a possible feature version of "Papa Machete". We will keep you posted as we get more information. In the meantime, check out the film's trailer below.

Haitian films and the Iphone revolution

Lotre jou mwen tap pale de sineas ki fè fim sou iPhone. Mwen pale de yon fim ki rélé "Tangerine" koté ké sineas yo fé fim la Los Angeles avèk yon IPhone é bon jan lens profésyonèl (read the article again HERE.)

And now we have "The Painter of Jalouzi", a new film shot entirely on the iPhone 6s plus which focuses on Duval, the man who painted bright colors on the homes we see in the hills of Petion-Ville when we land in Haiti. The filmmakers at RYOTT worked with Apple and used the iPhone 6s Plus (which shoots in 4K). It's a short film shot in less than a week and it is available on YouTube already. Kidonk, nenpòt moun, nenpòt koté ka fè yon fim. Watch the film below!

Numa Perrier does it again!

Numa Perrier in "Ella", a film written and directed by Martine Jean.

Numa Perrier does it again! The Haitian-American actress and co-founder of Black and Sexy Tv just announced a new partnership with BET. 

BET has picked up three of Black & Sexy’s original digital series: RoomieLoverFriends, Sexless (a personal favorite) and Hello Cupid. The partnership kicks off with RoomieLoverFriends airing on Wednesday September 16^th (Today!) at 11pm E.T. RoomieLoverFriends explores the "situationship" between two roommates and is created and directed by co-founder Dennis Dortch. Blackandsexy.tv has a variety of original programming and the founders have built a strong fan base over the past few years. 

Black & Sexy Tv co-founders (from left to right): Jeanine Daniels, Brian Ali Harding, Dennis Dortch and Numa Perrier.

I’m an avid Black & Sexy tv supporter and am elated to see their programming reach even more consumers. Not to mention this is a big score for BET! Catch RoomieLoverFriends tonight on BET then let us know what you think! Chapo ba pou Numa!

Follow up on that "Haitian Sitcom"

We have more details on the potential ABC show we mentioned HERE

Turns out it really is not an Haitian sitcom. The show is a semi-autobiographical family comedy and focuses on Kat Coiro’s and her family as they live in an apartment above Tap-Tap restaurant in South Beach. Her parents own Tap-Tap (I was surprised to learn this tidbit). Most intriguing from Deadline’s announcement is the following:

“Her parents both are of the (sic) European descent but have strong ties to the Caribbean country and had previously taken in six Haitian refugees into their home in Key Largo.”

I’m not sure what role those "Haitian refugees" will play in the show, if any. As I’ve said before, I will reserve judgment until I see a script or the pilot episode. I do hope that this is not some White savior show.  That trope has been regurgitated countless times in the past and personally, I have no interest in it. And while this is a comedy, Haitians should not be the butt of the jokes. I would go on about representation etc. but I said I’d reserve judgment, so I will stop here.

A Haitian sitcom on ABC?

Well, this is big news! The television landscape is shifting constantly. Now comes news that ABC has ordered a pilot for a sitcom about a Haitian restaurant in South Beach. I read about this bombshell on The Hollywood Reporter. While I am a little apprehensive, I am keeping an open mind and look forward to seeing the show, if it gets picked up. For now, ABC has ordered a script so we're a long way from seeing the show on the small screen.

Kat Coiro, who has appeared in a number of TV shows and short films, will write and executive produce. Coiro has produced several projects including "And While We Were Here" which she directed. This is not Coiro's first tango with the major networks. In 2014, she wrote a pilot for NBC based on Sally Koslow's 'Slouching Towards Adulthood.' This year, already she's written a pilot based on Tre Miller Rodriguez' 'Splitting the Distance' for   ABC. 

Veteran TV director Julie Anne Robinson is attached as an executive producer. Julie Anne has worked with Shonda Rhimes on 'Private Practice' and most recently on 'The Catch'. She will direct the pilot if the project moves beyond the script order.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the show is a "comedy about a three-generation family who own and run a Haitian restaurant in South Beach". I've scoured the internet and have found no additional details. It remains to be seen whether any Haitians will be on board as consultants or whether any Haitian writers will be part of the staff. Again, we're in the VERY BEGINNING stages of the process. A script commitment is just the start! I will keep you posted as things develop.  

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"La Belle Vie: The Good Life" heads to TV

Set your DVRs! Filmmaker Rachelle Salnave's documentary "La Belle Vie: The Good Life" will have its broadcast premiere on September 21st, 2015 at 10pm on WPBT2 in South Florida. Check your local listings for specific channels.

"La Belle Vie: The Good Life" chronicles Salnave's journey "to discover her Haitian roots by examining the complexities of the Haitian society as it pertains to the overall political and economic dichotomy in Haiti" (La Belle Vie website). The film has been on the festival circuit since the beginning of the year and most recently screened at the esteemed BlackStar Film Festival where it won a "Special Recognition in Directing."

Check out the these clips from 'La Belle Vie: The Good Life' below!