The Bermuda International Film Festival (BIFF) is bringing its membership programme to life. BIFF has gone year-round and is encouraging support from the community to benefit from what’s in store.

BIFF was founded 22 years ago and has come of age. It requires support to make it to next year. BIFF hosts an annual festival in March that combines a celebration of world cinema with a focus on Bermudian actors, directors and producers working in film and television. The last two years has shown the success of the Bermuda film professionals’ section. There will be a mini-festival this Fall.

In March 2019, at a sold-out show, BIFF opened with a celebration of the film and television career of Bermudian actress, Lana Young, in a special event “An Evening with Lana Young”. It featured Ms Young’s latest lead role in feature film, Bentley’s Will. Also screened was The Isles of the Queen: Bermuda in a production led by Bermudian filmmakers Lara Smith and Milton Raposo in collaboration with a German production team.

BIFF featured its popular BerMovies Day, in a set of short films made by Bermudian and Bermuda-based short filmmakers – as well as filmmakers who shot some part of their film on the island or otherwise have a connection to the island. Films featured were by Bermudian animator Tashel Bean (The Adventures of Raz: Milk Roaches), UK-based Bermudian director Rory Wilson (Prince Jodie), and Bermuda resident director Alex Godfrey (Requiem: The Story of Bermuda’s Disappearing Sharks).

Each year BIFF provides free school screenings for nearly 1000 primary students to encourage creative thinking, with its Books to Film Programme. School Break Film Camps is also part of the BIFF mission. Nicky Gurret has been organizing the successful Film Academy.

BIFFFlix is a monthly film programme run by Duncan Hall and featuring the best arthouse, foreign, documentary and independent films. Screenings are held on the first Wednesday of the month at the Speciality Cinema.

BIFF is focusing on raising $25,000 by September 1st. That’s only 600 members. Patrice Horner, festival chair, said: “Presenting the festival, and the monthly film series, is a year-round exercise. We have great community support and ask everyone to become members of BIFF, so that we can continue to encourage and showcase Bermudian actors, directors and producers as well as the Oscar ® Qualifying ‘Bermuda Shorts’ Competition”, managed by Juliz Ritchie in 2019.

Membership benefits include an advance ticket purchase option for the screenings and special events, a 10 per cent discount on festival merchandise and workshops, access to a monthly newsletter that highlights upcoming film screenings and events, recognized by a BIFF card for individual, couple or family memberships. Join at https://www.ptix.bm/Event/3593/Bermuda-International-Film-Fes

• Press release from the Bermuda International Film Festival