?Two weeks of local and Caribbean diaspora film screenings came to an end on Tuesday night at the closing ceremony of the T&T Film Festival 2009, where honoree Geoffrey Holder took the spotlight.
The acclaimed actor, dancer and painter was honoured as the festival screened Carmen and Geoffrey, an intimate documentary by Linda Atkinson and Nick Doob, on Holder's life and work with dancer wife Carmen de Lavallade. The film was named Best Film of the festival, now in its fourth year.
Holder used the opportunity to impart words of wisdom to his countrymen at the event, attended by dignitaries, foreign and local film-makers, actors, artists and industry personnel. In a stirring impromptu talk punctuated by dramatic flourishes, jokes and admonitions, and delivered in his trademark baritone, Holder encouraged those present to use their inner resources to create original and inspiring work, in spire of environmental challenges: "Go inside yourself and get the answers."
Holding his trophy in one hand and a cane in the other, Holder, 79, said the award was the first recognition he had ever received from the country of his birth. The closing ceremony took place at MovieTowne in Invader's Bay, starting off with the Carmen and Geoffrey screening, followed by cocktails and an awards ceremony at the MovieTowne Ballroom. Prizes were given out after a performance by the St Augustine Chamber Orchestra and a dance choreographed by Dave Williams were featured. The award for Best Local Film was won by The Solitary Alchemist by Mariel Brown. In the People's Choice category, Coolie Pink and Green by Prof Patricia Mohammed won Best Short Film, while The Ghost of Hing King Estate, produced by Francis Escayg and directed by Horace Ov�, won Best Dramatic Feature. The People's Choice award for Best Documentary was won by Dalton Narine for Mas Man, a film on the work of Peter Minshall.
