Caribbean Association of World Bank and IMF Staff (CAWI), Caribbean Professional Network (CPN), Institute of Caribbean Studies (ICS), TransAfrica Forum, and AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center Proudly present the

NINTH ANNUAL DC-CARIBBEAN FILMFEST

Opening Thursday, June 4 at AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center, 8633 Colesville Road, Silver Spring, MD 20910 featuring the films HAPPY SAD at 7:00pm

HAPPY SAD--When 17-year-old Mandy's mother is sent to prison, she goes to live with her father's dysfunctional family, whom she has never known. Her new situation brings about profound changes in the lives of several people, and long-hidden family secrets are revealed as tempers and personalities flare. (Note courtesy of Pan African Film & Arts Festival) DIR Dianah Wynter SCR/PROD Horace Wilson; PROD Rodill Clarke. Trinidad and Tobago, 2009, color, 105 min. NOT RATED

Featuring Horace Wilson writer/producer of Happy Sad.

ADMISSION FOR EACH FILM JUNE 4: Tickets $10 General Admission / $9 Seniors, Students (with valid ID), and Military Personnel/ $8.50 AFI Members/ $6.00 Children (12 and Under). For ticket information visit www.afi.com/silver

Tickets for June 4 and June 5 films available at AFI box office or online, click here.

Friday, June 5 at AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center, 8633 Colesville Road, Silver Spring, MD 20910 featuring the films RAIN at 7:00pm 

RAIN--Raised by her grandmother on bucolic Ragged Island in the Bahamas, teenager Rain goes to live with her estranged mother in Nassau after her beloved grandmother passes away. But her mother leads a dangerous and self-destructive lifestyle, and Nassau turns out to be a very different place from her former home. At her new school, Rain's track coach (THE SHIELD's CCH Pounder) becomes a mentor to the youngster, and helps her navigate the challenges and realize her potential. DIR/SCR/PROD Maria Govan; PROD Nate Kohn; Pamela Kohn; Francis J. Kuzler; Molly M. Mayeux. Bahamas, 2008, color, 93 min. NOT RATED 

ADMISSION FOR EACH FILM JUNE 5: Tickets $10 General Admission / $9 Seniors, Students (with valid ID), and Military Personnel/ $8.50 AFI Members/ $6.00 Children (12 and Under). For ticket information visit www.afi.com/silver

Tickets for June 4 and June 5 films available at AFI box office or online, click here.

Monday, June 8 at Charles Sumner School, 1201 17th Street, NW,  Washington, DC 20036 SARACCA AND NATION: AFRICAN MEMORY AND RE-CREATION IN GRENADA AND CARRIACOU at 6:00pm--FREE, Discussion with filmmaker Merle Collins

SARACCA AND NATION: AFRICAN MEMORY AND RE-CREATION IN GRENADA AND CARRIACOU--An exploration of the role of memory in the creation of contemporary Caribbean culture.  “Saracca” is a village event commemorating the harvest, honoring ancestors and intended to attract a blessing. “Nation” refers to the “Big Drum Nation Dance”, known particularly in Carriacou (an island that is part of the State of Grenada) where African nations are remembered and honored by name.  These cultural performances owe their existence to inherited memory of Africa and to the refashioning or “re-creation” of culture in Caribbean spaces. DIR/PROD Merle Collins,  EDIT Bini Tecle. Documentary. Grenada, 2008, color, 41:36 min. In English. NOT RATED.

Discussion with the filmmaker Merle Collins follows screening.

Tuesday, June 9 at the South Orientation Theater, Visitors Center, U.S. Capitol Building, Washington, DC featuring the film SUGAR PATHWAYS at 6:00pm--FREE. Hosted by Congresswoman Donna M. Christensen (Delegate to Congress, U.S. Virgin Islands); Co-Hosted by Congressional Black Caucus Chair Barbara Lee and Congressional Hispanic Chair Nydia Velazquez. Discussion with filmmaker  Johanna Bermudez-Ruiz.  RSVP required by 12 Noon June 9 at 202.226.7981.

SUGAR PATHWAYS--tells the riveting story of the unwilling migration by Puerto Rican families from the small Caribbean island of Vieques to the U.S. Virgin Islands.  This powerful and vibrant film recounts their will to survive, integrate and contribute to the culture, economy and politics of the Islands through personal testimonials, first time seen archival footage, archival stills, and historic documentation text.  Narrated by actress Lauren Vélez of the Emmy Award-winning Showtime series Dexter. DIR/PROD Johanna Bermudez-Ruiz. Documentary. U.S. Virgin Islands, 2008, color, 80 min. In English and Spanish with English subtitles. NOT RATED. 

Discussion with the filmmaker Johanna Bermudez-Ruiz follows screening.

PLEASE CALL 202.226.7981 TO RSVP BY 12 NOON JUNE 9.

Wednesday, June 10 at Charles Sumner School, 1201 17th Street, NW, Washington , DC 20036 ON THE MAP at 6:00pm--FREE

ON THE MAP--debunks the myth of a unified, "laid back" Caribbean culture and contrasts images of beach, golf course and paradise, with the reality of Caribbean living, victimization and abuse. Un/documented Guyanese migrants tell of their migrant experience into Barbados, exposing how Caribbean people treat Caribbean people as “other”. The film speaks out to create awareness of critical issues to improve the human condition, allowing us to co-exist respectfully. DIR/PROD Annalee Davis. Documentary. Barbados, 2006-2007, color. In English. NOT RATED.

Additional support for the Ninth Annual DC-Caribbean Filmfest by

For ore information call 202.223.1960 ext. 137 or email info@transafricaforum.org.

For more information on the Caribbean American Heritage Month visit www.caribbeanamericanmonth.org/.