Stephen Weir articles, editorials and popular social media weir postings

Coming to a computer screen near you is this year’s  Caribbean Tales Film Festival  (CTFF). by Stephen Weir Because of the current virus shutdown, the CTFF will be holding a virtual festival this summer., the Caribbean Camera has learned. “ Like every other festival in the city, we have been impacted by the virus,”  explained Dianne Webley, director of the festival. “This is our 15 th year and there is no way we are going to shut down.,” she told The Caribbean Camera. ” However, those events that we had hoped to put on in the summer months will now be held online. Information will be posted on its website soon.” According to the Webley the festival was set to hold a July 8th media launch, the Festival’s first annual Fundraiser and Reveal of this year’s films. This will, in one form or another, be held online.  “ We also were set to do a number of community outreach projects including film showings with Regent Park (community group). We ...

Off Their Rockers – 40 Years Later – Reggae Movie Expands Film Festival Programming By Stephen Weir To mark the 40th anniversary release of the seminal Jamaica reggae film Rocker, the Caribbean Tales Film Festival (CTFF) held a special showing last week at the downtown Royal Cinema. The screening of the remastered feature film is precursor for the CTFF 15-day movie fete which begins on September 5th. In 1978 when the Reggae musical movement was just getting noticed, the musicians of Trench Town were still scrambling for money, bookings and recording contracts.   Survival meant playing as many gigs as possible, promoting records from the backs of their motorcycles and living off the generosity of their wives, lovers and families. Rockers, a bargain basement movie that was made for just $4,000 US ($500,000 JA), took the Caribbean and ultimately North America and the UK by storm when released in 1978.   A reworking of the legend of Robin Hood, Rocker has good Ra...