NASSAU, BAHAMAS – For the past six years RBC Royal Bank has sponsored the Bahamas International Film Festival (BIFF), which this year is scheduled to take place from December 1 – 4. In 2011, RBC Royal Bank will provide significant sponsorship of BIFF by becoming a Presenting Festival Sponsor and the exclusive sponsor of First Look, a programme for emerging Bahamian filmmakers.
“Our sponsorship of the 2011 Festival includes many elements that involve our clients, employees and the broader community,” said Nathaniel Beneby, Jr., Market President and Head of Retail Banking in The Bahamas, Cayman and Turks & Caicos. “We are pleased to support BIFF in its efforts to raise awareness of our beautiful country as a place where films can be shot on location and where many local talented professionals are available to engage in the film production process. RBC’s sponsorship also ties in with our organization’s global support of the arts, particularly emerging artists who are so core
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As the exclusive sponsor of
First Look,
which is open to Bahamian filmmakers, RBC Royal Bank will provide the
first annual Bahamian Emerging Filmmaker Award with a combined prize of
$10,000 cash. $5,000 will be awarded to the winner in the short-film
category, and $5,000 to the winner of the feature-length film category.
The winners will be announced at the 2011 BIFF Awards ceremony on
December 4, 2011. Films by all of the entrants in the
First Look programme
will be screened at the Galleria JFK Cinema and will be shown to the public free of charge.
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On
November 30, 2011, RBC is holding an exclusive preview screening of
“YELLING TO THE SKY” for clients by invitation only. The premier event
will include appearances by Actress Zoe Kravitz, winner of the BIFF 2011
Rising Star award, and a discussion with Director Victoria Mahoney.
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On
December 3, 2011, RBC Royal Bank will sponsor the attendance of 10
students from The College of The Bahamas at a master class on acting. On
the following day, December 4, 2011, RBC Royal Bank will sponsor the
attendance of 10 emerging filmmakers from The College of The Bahamas at a
master class on filmmaking, taught by critically acclaimed
Director/ Screenwriter/Producer Jordan Walker Pearlman. The master classes are also open to the public for a fee. Advance registration is required.
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Throughout
the Festival, RBC Royal Bank will provide a separate entry line during
BIFF for its Visa Rewards Platinum cardholders and its employees will
volunteer as ticket sellers and bankers.
“I want to thank RBC for its generous sponsorship of BIFF, especially for its support of
First Look,
our programme for emerging filmmakers,” said Leslie Vanderpool, founder
and executive director of BIFF. “Over the last eight years, BIFF has
developed into a prestigious and well respected event throughout The
Bahamas and around the world, and without support of sponsors like RBC,
the Film Festival would not be possible.”
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About RBC Royal Bank
RBC Royal Bank
has
a longstanding presence in The Bahamas, with operations first
established on November 2, 1908. Today, it boasts a retail network of
24 branches throughout New Providence and the Family Islands, a
Commercial Banking Business Centre, and 45 automated banking machines.
About the Bahamas International Film Festival
The
Bahamas International Film Festival (BIFF) is a nonprofit organization
committed to providing the local community and International festival
goers with a diverse presentation of films from
The Bahamas
and around the world. In addition to showcasing films that might not
otherwise be released theatrically, BIFF provides unique cultural
experiences, educational programs, and forums for exploring the past,
present & future of cinema. BIFF aims to raise the level of
filmmaking, participation and education throughout The Bahamas and the
world.
For more information please visit
http://www.bintlfilmfest.com/.
