London, England - The search for the UK’s most talented film director in Britain came to an end last night as 32 year old Robin Schmidt was announced as the most talented filmmaker in the country, winning £14,000 to launch his career.  

Held at The Princess Anne Theatre, BAFTA in London, The 14 Islands Film Challenge Awards presented four awards to the hottest filmmakers in the UK. Oscar-nominated producer Finola Dwyer and chair judge and BBC director Bharat Nalluri awarded prizes on the night, including the Armchair Critics award, voted by the public to Kevin Curtis.  

As well as taking the first prize of £14,000 Robin Schmidt also becomes the Canon Ambassador for 2010, he will be trained to be a professional video representative and brand envoy for the leading camera manufacturer. Second place went to 28 year old Nimer Rashed. He was presented with Canon camera equipment worth over £2,500 to help him create future feature films and documentaries which could be seen by millions of people in years to come...

Freeport, Grand Bahama - Celebration Cruise Line is reaching its one year anniversary with some very exciting news for Grand Bahama Island. Beginning with the cruise of March 15 out of West Palm Beach, Florida, the Bahamas Celebration will be sailing to Grand Bahama Island every other day.

This new cruising venue has a tremendous impact on the economy of Grand Bahama Island. Celebration Cruise Line will be bringing 3,500-4,000 passengers to the island every week. Unlike the large cruise ships that may have passengers visit for the day, Celebration is aggressively marketing to have people stay on the island from two to six nights, resulting in money being spent for hotels, restaurants, stores, taxis and recreational activities ...

Nassau, Bahamas - Film sensation Tyler Perry will offer a special premiere of his latest movie in The Islands Of The Bahamas, days before the US release on April 2.

Why Did I Get Married Too, which was filmed in part on Eleuthera, will be screened at the Atlantis Theatre on March 29, following a first-class reception that Mr. Perry will attend.  He will be accompanied by three cast members, who will be identified later.

Minister of Tourism & Aviation Vincent Vanderpool-Wallace and Mt. Tabor Full Gospel Bishop Neil Ellis jointly made the announcement at a press conference on Sunday.

In the past, advertisers could practically cover the world by placing commercials on network television. Today, however, that method is much less effective, especially since commercials can be edited out with technologies like TIVO, Minister Vanderpool-Wallace said...

Nassau, Bahamas - On March 29th, the Bahamas will host the exclusive premiere of Tyler Perry's film "Why Did I Get Married Too" at the Atlantis Theatre complete with red carpet, Minister of Tourism Vincent Vanderpool-Wallace revealed at a press conference yesterday.

Partnering with Mount Tabor Bishop Neil Ellis and the Ministry of Tourism is GEMS 105.9FM, and major sponsors include Colombian Emeralds and Bank of the Bahamas. The event will be open to the public, and for the first time allow Bahamians a "taste of Hollywood, right in it's own backyard."

Bishop Ellis continued: "We are aware that the Bahamian people have come to know Tyler through his Madea character and I am happy once again to have the privilege to afford our people the opportunity to meet him up-close and personal..."

NASSAU, The Bahamas  – After receiving two coveted Adrian awards from the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) this week for outstanding promotional work, The Bahamas are now ready to make their mark in the social media realm. While efforts to publicize The Bahamas will continue with traditional print and broadcast media, The Ministry of Tourism and Aviation is also exploring the next communications wave via popular social network sites Twitter and Facebook.  

The Bahamas recently launched a robust fan page on Facebook, a social networking site with approximately 350 million active users. Visitors researching where to take their next vacation are invited to interact with Bahamian hoteliers and tour operators for recommendations on the customized page...

Fort Lauderdale, FL – The much anticipated Banyan Bahamas Day, held at the Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport, has been hailed as an unqualified success, with the appearance of a sharply uniformed Bahamian Police Officer and the rhythmic sounds of Junkanoo as highlights of the event.  

Hundreds of South Floridians attended the recent trade show and seminar at which Bahamas Preferred Gateway Banyan Air transformed its hanger into the look and feel of The Islands of The Bahamas. The trade show portion of the day’s activities included about 30 exhibitors - both U.S and Bahamian companies - with information from flying to The Bahamas, hotel and attractions to Bahamian rum cake tasting and cigar rolling by the renowned Bahamian Gray Cliff Restaurant and Cigar Co...

Freeport, Bahamas - Enclosed are remarks made by Vernice Walkine, Director General of the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism at the Grand Bahama Business Outlook on February 26th, 2010.

It’s great to be back here on your island, the place that - in my mind- I refer to as the Land of Great Potential.  

However, when I spoke at this forum last year, I promised not to speak again about the great potential that GBI enjoys. After all, what good is potential that goes unrealized?  

We must never allow ourselves to lose sight of the potential we have for greatness, and I am convinced that Grand Bahama Island has a great future. However, it is also true to say that we have allowed our focus to shift, that we have seen our course waver and we have experienced a further loss of momentum...

Fort Lauderdale, FL - In its ongoing efforts to promote The Islands of The Bahamas as the premiere destination for general aviation/private pilots, The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism and Aviation will be the chief sponsor of a Bahamas Day event at a Fixed Based Operation (FBO) in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, February 20, 2010.

The First Annual Bahamas Day, is being hosted by Banyan Air Service, located at Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport.  Banyan was named earlier this year as one of the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism’s Aviation Division (BMOTA’s) Bahamas Preferred Gateways. Going forward, the Bahamas Day will be hosted by a different Bahamas Preferred Gateway each year...

Nassau, Bahamas -  Ministry of Tourism employees were rewarded for hard work and dedication at the annual Ministry of Tourism Signature Awards (MOTSA) on February 5.

Dereka Moultrie of the Onshore Communications Unit was named All Star employee while Bonnie Rolle, also of Onshore Communications, received the Director General’s Award for performance and innovation. Antoinette Davis of the Family Island Unit received the Permanent Secretary’s Award for efficiency and professionalism and the Minister of Tourism’s Team Award went to the Visitor Relations Unit, which interacts closely with guests who have been victims of crime, accidents, poor service or other misfortunes. The unit also recognizes guests who have been longtime visitors to the country.

Ms. Moultrie hoped that the awards program would continue to motivate Ministry of Tourism & Aviation employees and all tourism sector workers...

Eleuthera, The Bahamas - Some of The Bahamas’ environmental programs recently got close inspection and support from leading environmentalists.

Representatives from the Foundation for the Environment Education (FEE) traveled to The Bahamas for site visits of two Blue Flag marinas and a school involved with the FEE eco-school program. Blue Flag marinas and eco-schools are two of the five environment education programs administered by FEE, a non-governmental organization.

The site visits covered Atlantis and Cape Eleuthera marinas, two of the three Blue Flag marinas in the country. The Blue Flag is a label given only to beaches and marinas that have undertaken the highest possible commitments to sustainable development. The representatives also toured Deep Creek Middle School in Eleuthera, which has take up the environmental management and sustainable development education curriculum of the eco-school program...

Freeport, Grand Bahama Island - The Bahamas International Maritime Conference and Trade Show (BIMCATS) 2010 results from collaboration of the Ministry of The Environment and Bahamas Maritime Authority with public and private sector partners. 

The 2010 Conference will be held at Our Lucaya Beach and Golf Resort from February 9th to the 12th.

Under the theme ‘The Maritime Sector and the Environment’ ...

NASSAU, The Bahamas  – The Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) honored The Islands of The Bahamas with two of the coveted Adrian Awards for web marketing excellence for their winning entries in the 53rd annual Adrian Awards Competition. The Bahamas accepted these awards at last night’s 20th annual black-tie awards gala held at the Marriott Marquis in New York, NY. The HSMAI Adrian Awards Competition is the largest and most prestigious travel marketing competition globally. There were nearly 1,100 entries from around the world judged by top executives from all sectors of the industry.

The Bahamas were rewarded with the competition’s highest honor, a Platinum Adrian Award, given to only 20 entries, for the innovative web marketing campaign, “Bahama Fridays.” A video parody of a local news segment entitled “Bahama Fridays” was produced and brought the fun of the islands into the homes and offices of U.S. consumers. With the video as inspiration, a consumer ambush event was created in New York using 100 “commuters” in bikinis...

Celebration Cruise Line’s management announced this week that it will be changing the itinerary of the Bahamas Celebration exclusively to Grand Bahama Island. The new itinerary is scheduled to begin on March 15, 2010.  The last cruise into Nassau will be March 12, departing out of Nassau on March 14.  

The cruise line was quick to point out the decision was in no way reflective of any negative experience had in Nassau and Paradise Island.  

“Our management team is very grateful for all the support shown to us by the people of Nassau, both as passengers and business partners.” said Charles Kinnear, president of the cruise line.  “Feedback from our passengers has always been very positive about the Nassau and Paradise Island experience...”