Flashpoint Ends With A Bang

The 2008 Flashpoint Film Festival was a mega hit this year with the world premiere of two budding directors’ feature films. Flashpoint was one for the record books premiering a record number of Jamaican films making the 2009 staging a highly-anticipated affair.

Joel Burke’s “Candy Shop”, which starred the likes of Yuri Stewart, Kyino Cunningham, Everaldo Creary and Melissa Fearon, premiered on Friday, June 6 and closed with a tumultuous round of applause. The hilarious comedy showed what happens when curious uptown boys get caught up in a web of trickery and adventure around sexuality and friendship.

Patrons were amused throughout the entire film as many could be heard throwing humorous comments to the director who was in attendance. Many could be heard asking, “Where can we buy the DVD?”. The film is expected to be release world wide later this year.

“Flashpoint Film Festival is the spring board for any serious or budding Jamaican film maker who wants to be relevant. It is like Sundance, but a lot warmer,” said Noel-Andrew Bennett, Chief Creative Director of Backayard Magazine.

The Saturday night premiere of “Better Mus Come” was rewarded with a standing ovation and shouts of approval from audiences in response to the 2 hour and 15 minute movie. Fort Charles hosted a full house for the film premiere with latecomers capturing standing room only.

Better Mus Come was directed under the creative auspices of Storm Saulter, who expressed how humbled and grateful he was to be a young Jamaican pioneering an authentic Jamaican cinema movement.

“It’s the 2008 Harder They Come”, one patron was heard saying.  Another commented that “The love scene is the best in any Jamaican film”.

Many patrons were surprised to know that most of the actors in the films were performing on the big screen for the first time, as the quality of the performances were commended.

“I always knew that the Festival would be accepted and loved by Jamaicans and I am relieved to say that the move from Negril to Kingston is not one that I regret,” Paul Bucknor, Festival organizer and film producer. “What’s next for us is to complete the editing process and get the films up to par with other international films and then take them to other festivals around the world.”