From:TheBahamasWeekly.com

Bahamas International Film Festival
RBC Royal Bank sponsors Bahamas International Film Festival
By ROGERS & COWAN for BIFF
Nov 15, 2011 - 1:12:45 PM



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
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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/.



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