Joy! will be a fun family afternoon at the Searocks Dome in Maxwell next to the Barbados Beach Club featuring face painting, music, a photo booth, drum circle, Animekon booth, Read for LIfe and more, ending with a Sunset Concert hosted by Cici and featuring the Ascending Stars, John Yarde, Faith Callender, Alix Cage and more!
In this season of giving, leading up to the Joy! event, in a campaign to encourage young children to have empathy, to be generous and to help others, there was a Joy To Your World Essay Competition where they were asked: “How are you bringing Joy to your World? How are you helping your family, neighbour, community? How can we all make Barbados better?” All of the children will be recognized prior to the performances and the three top winners will receive special recognition. Prizes include Scotiabank accounts, Atlantis Family Submarine trip, Free Eye Exam from Eye Q Stylist Opticians, a children’s book authored by Lady Roberta Simpson, a Chefette party and more! There will also be additional giveaways donated by Discovery Kids, Yello, Animekon, Wibisco, and the American Embassy Bridgetown
Last year’s top essay contest winner, Aijah Robinson, was featured on the cover of the latest issue of Parenting Magazine and is expected to be in attendance to cheer on this year’s winner.
The event starts at 3pm with admission for Adults $20, 16 and under $10 and Children 10 and under FREE!
Patrons are also asked to bring non-perishable food items and unwrapped gifts for needy families which will be given to the Variety Club.
November 27 – The finale of Star Strut 2018 is upon us! The Queen’s College Graduating Class of 2019 is hosting this year’s model search entitled ‘The New Era’ and it is not to be missed.
On Saturday, December 08, 2018, three boys and five girls will be competing to become King and Queen of the runway 2018 and from all reports it is a fight to the finish. The strut-off is scheduled to begin at 6:00 p.m. in the Queen’s College School Hall.
The eight contestants have undergone weeks of tiring and demanding preparation which included workshops as well as photo and video shoots. Rehearsals are in high gear for these 15-17 year old model hopefuls.
This year’s model search will be coordinated by the team from New Generation Productions in collaboration with The Look Pageant and Runway Training.
Highnoon Gaming is a Barbadian gaming group, co-founded by Nicholas Roach and Ricardo Knight. We ran into them during one of their Sunday night gatherings at Aeon Bar and Grill and decided to have a little chat with Roach, Knight and one of the group’s members, Mykelti Clarke, about the group and its activities and, of course, gaming.
Zeitgeist: Tell us about the actual group and when it started; give us some background information about it. Nicholas Roach: Before, we were Trident All Stars. That was back in…say like, late 2016 and coming on to 2017. We actually rebranded as Highnoon Gaming. We are, right now, about to rebrand again – can’t disclose that information on the new stuff to come as yet. But, High Noon Gaming basically started as my final year project for community college. I did the Bachelor’s Degree in Graphic Design. So I used Highnoon Gaming as my final year project and me and Ricardo Knight – who is also co-founder with me – he decided that we could take it to the next level.
So that’s when we decided to let the guys know that we were going to rebrand the group. ‘Cause it was just the guys getting together, doing [a] little gaming [at] the arcade every now and then and we decided: “There’s something much bigger than this now and we want to take it to the next level.”
Then we decided: “We’re going to take Highnoon Gaming and we’re just going to rebrand under that.” Then we started to hold events at the arcade – which is System Link Gaming Lounge. It was in Diamond Tower Lounge, Marhill Street in Bridgetown. We started to hold monthly events at first. Kel never won any, of course-
Mykelti Clarke: I actually did, so.
NR: Yea, he probably won one or two. That series was called “Come Scrub Out”; our monthly gathering for our monthly tournament and then we decided to hold one every Wednesday, which was “Wild Wild Wednesdays.” We would have mini tournaments which would allow the guys to get practice coming on to the big tournament at the end of the month.
Z: What exactly about video games caught your interest? What value and importance did you see in it in order to create this group? NR: Oh, I love video games. Coming up, I never had my own video game console and I got my first [one when] I was in secondary school, or something like that, a Game Boy Advance. But I had been playing games with my cousins and stuff like that. They had Nintendo 64, Playstation 1, Playstation 2. So back then I just used to, as any kid would do with bigger family; you sit on the sidelines, you sit on the couch and watch and then you try to sneak a play when they move away to the kitchen or something and when they come back [they’re] like: “You touch my game?” And [you’re] like: “No. Of course not.”
So I would say, just my love for gaming and finding people that also love gaming. Like meeting Mykelti at System Link Gaming Lounge. It was amazing to me because I remember when I first got introduced to Mykelti. We got word of this guy at UWI that was pretty good at video games – at Smash in particular. When he came down – because he actually came to Rick’s house to play some Smash – I was like: “Alright, cool. This [is] the guy. We’ll school this guy now.” He was pretty decent. This was a new iteration of the Smash Bros. genre and he was like: “Wow. I met guys who are actually on my level.”
I mean, as a gamer you don’t know that [there are] people out there who are as good or even better than you. So you want to meet those people and challenge them. I think that’s what really pushed me and Rick to make the gaming group; because then we could just make a hub where everyone that’s into gaming could just come and be social. I mean, there’s this thing about gamers; they just sit at home – especially with online gaming now – and you just talk to your friends online and play games. But having the gaming group and the meet ups on Wednesdays and the end of the month…yea. You get people out that house and just get them to come on down.
Z: Would you say that you have a big community? Because you just spoke about online gaming and how that’s kind of encouraging people to stay at home and just play online. What does coming out and playing among each other offer that that can’t? NR: I’ll let Mykelti handle that, because he did a thesis on this.
MC: You really get…a personal take on it. When it’s online it’s just you, in your room. You’re playing against other people across the world. You don’t get to see them, you don’t get to interact with them outside of the actual game itself. If their systems allow it you can message people, but offline will always be better.
‘Cause if you’re online you have to use an internet connection. If your internet connection is not great then the game won’t run smoothly. Even sometimes the best connections will never run as smoothly as offline.
Offline, again, you get to meet the individuals. Sometimes you might meet somebody online who’s great, but you might not have another opportunity for you to play that person. If you meet somebody in person you can learn from them or you want to teach them. You can have that interaction with them in person; you can sit down with them, come together, talk with them, you can make friends with them.
You can do the same thing online to an extent but, having that very close interpersonal relationship with a person offline is just much better than online ‘cause you can see who you’re playing against. And there’s something about sitting down next to a person and playing with them and playing with them multiple times. You really see who they are as a person; within the game and outside of that game as well, where online you won’t.
Online it’s just; “Oh this is a person online. This is who they play.” But I can sit down next to Nick, for instance, and I know – I can figure out what he’s thinking. He can figure out what I’m thinking and then it’s an unspoken chess battle in our minds, but it gets played out on the game. So that’s what I think offline offers that online just simply can’t.
Highnoon Gaming AKT1 2018 Tournament Posters
Z: Both of you chose video games as a subject for your thesis. Do you think video games – and gaming in general – is a topic that could be chosen as a more academic topic for programmes? MC: Studying, yes.Within my own thesis I tried to look at the business standpoint of it; gaming being a career. But, within my research I found that there are a lot of psychological facets that go into gaming as well. There’s a lot of mathematical processes that we as gamers have to go through.
I think [that] some studying of it should be done because gaming right now is becoming more and more popular. It’s becoming more and more mainstream. Even with talks about it becoming an Olympic sport. As time goes on I do think it’s something that needs to be studied.
I mean, just a quick aside, I actually want to do a documentary talking about the mind of a gamer; how we think. And I think that that’s something that should be studied ‘cause it’s a lot that goes on up [there], but a lot of people don’t understand and they don’t want to see it ‘cause there’s a stigma placed on gaming. I think, if more research is done and more opportunities for research is done, I think people can see it as bigger than what it initially is seen as; instead of just sitting down.
It can be used as a form of therapy. It can be used as a form of teaching – education. Some people think [gaming is] just buying a Playstation. No. [There are] companies that create programmes to teach kids how to [do math, etc]. That is gaming. That is one side of it; the educational side of gaming. So I do think that gaming has a place to be studied and researched within the future.
Z: Do you think that gaming has the potential to offer careers especially in the Caribbean and Barbados? MC: Yes. Because, again, gaming as a career is not just the playing of the game. Somebody has to make the games. When the games come out, somebody has to test the games. If you want to take it to the competitive level, that then offers even more [opportunities]; you have the players, you could decide to be a sponsor, you could be a tournament organiser, you can be an analyst, you can be a commentator. These are all careers that are starting to become actual jobs. People make a living from just calling the shots of what’s happening in games.
NR: It’s gotten so big that commentators get flown out of their country, just to commentate on a game that’s happening in another country.
MC: And then there are other careers that exist. You can have maybe a video game creative director. If you want to design a space you have that mind of; “Okay well I know what the vision of gaming in my head is – because that’s what I’m about.” And then [if] you have an artistic side you can put that in too. I think as time goes on more jobs, more careers, will start to pop up.
Z: You just mentioned that people are flown out of their own country to come and commentate on games. Are there any big names in Barbados at the moment that you know of? NR: Big names in Barbados I would honestly have to say [are] these guys in High Noon Gaming. We have Ricardo Knight, Fabian Hinds, Mykelti Clarke, Vandar Small…those guys.
MC: Damani Sargeant…a whole list of other people. Khiomal Powers.
NR: These guys have flown to and did regionals in the Caribbean.
MC: Trinidad, Martinque, we did St. Lucia recently.
NR: Yea, Michael Shanker, he’s actually the best in Barbados in Smash Bros., but he’s not here right now.
MC: Yea, he actually moved to New York.
NR: And he competes over there right now.
MC: But we don’t have any internationally proclaimed people yet.
NR: We want to get to that level.
Z: We’re at Aeon Bar and Grill and there is a weekly event that High Noon Gaming puts on here. Could you tell me about that? Ricardo Knight: Omar Kennedy [co-owner of Aeon Bar and Grill], he is the proprietor of AnimeKon and this [year] was the first time we held an event at AnimeKon under our name. We were helping with the people that were running tournaments beforehand, since 2010, and this year was the first time we did it by ourselves.
Through that relationship that we built with Omar, he said that if we want to come [to Aeon] on Sundays and just bring our community down here then we could. So that’s basically what you’re seeing in here. We [have] the guys over here playing fighting games and then we [have] the guys over here playing more casual games.
The idea is, I guess, once we get the word out that this is what we do, some people that would be looking for something to do on Sundays would be able to come down and they have the option of; “Hey, I actually know how to play this game.” or “Hey, this is Mario Kart, Mario Party.”, something a little more casual for people that would otherwise be at the bar, but it’s just a little something extra for them to do, if they so please.
Z: Is there an age requirement? RK: No. No, no. Anybody that wants to come out and play we will allow [them] to play. Even children. [With the fighting games] you might not get that sort of hospitality, ‘cause these guys are a little more serious when it comes to like the fighting games, but on the casual side 100%.
Z: What kind of games do you offer? RK: The fighting games, it’s a small selection of games like Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat, Dragon Ball Fighters, Super Smash Bros., Injustice 2…
MC: Guilty Gear XRD, Tekken.
RK: It all depends on like which guys come down. They would then put on whichever game. On the casual side we have Mario Kart, Mario Party, Mario Tennis –
NR: A lot of Mario games.
MC: They tend to be able to hold a larger number of people. Like up to four people could play at a time.
RK: So the kids would be able to do that while mummy and daddy [do] whatever.
MC: Getting a little drink at the bar, you know. We look out for everybody.
Z: Tell us about your gaming personas; why you choose them and what they mean. MC: I actually had another one at first, “Kid_Blank” because I always liked the term “kid” and I couldn’t figure out something else, so I just put “Blank.” But then I really sat and thought about it and I came up with the name “Senshi” because my name is African and my name means “warrior”, but I have a very strong love for Japanese culture and in Japanese “warrior” is “senshi.”
NR: I got my name from a character in Noragami: “Yato.” He’s a god. He’s a very poor god. He doesn’t get [many] offerings and stuff like that. In the anime he’s rated as very low. He’s the protagonist of the anime, so he’s kind of like the underdog. That’s how I feel personally about myself.
I came from someone who has never played Smash Bros. competitively and just being at Rick’s house and stuff like that and just practising, I managed to come up and place top four and top three in tournaments and stuff like that.
RK: Back when I first started competing in the competitive scene, I was travelling under the name of “Baje Knight.” Which is sort of dull because it’s just a shortened “Bajan” and my surname.
But then I stumbled across [the word] “narcopath” and [I read] something about it being a combination of a narcissist and a sociopath [and that] these people have the makings to be psychopaths and killer I.n the gaming community everybody aiming to be a “killer.”
So I’m like; “Okay, let me embody this name so that when I’m playing I always have to remember; “Yo. Channel into the mind of a killer.”” So that way I would always be focused..
Z: What kind of games do you normally play?
RK: I play shooters, FIFA and Smash. The fighting games…I have an extensive knowledge about them, but I don’t actually play them. My fingers don’t cooperate with me the way these guys’ do.
NR: I generally just love video games so I play some of everything; RPGs, shooters. But my love for fighting games is very, very deep.
MC: Similar to Nick. I grew up playing a myriad of different games, but when I really found myself in games I actually started out mainly playing first-person shooter games like Battlefield and Call of Duty. But Smash is what really start[ed] it for me and I realised that I had a knack for all [of] the other games like Tekken and stuff like that. I mainly play fighting games at the moment, but first-person shooters [are] my first love.
Z: Is there anything that you want readers of this article to know about the club or the Sunday evenings that you have? RK: For right now, the word spreading on this event would be helpful to us, but we are actually currently working with an arcade to do a joint venture where we have a set location that we would then say; “Well hey, Monday to Saturday, you could see us there and then Sunday we will be up here.”
NR: Follow High Noon Gaming on Facebook and look out for the very big launch of our rebrand that we plan to do.
MC: Follow us on all social media; YouTube, Instagram. Those three.
NR: I forgot to mention that we also do recordings [of the games we play]. That’s a very big part of our events on Wednesdays at at the end of the month. So we post all of those videos to our YouTube channel and they have live commentary and stuff like that.
Soca artiste Joaquin Brewster dropped the music video for his Crop Over 2018 release “Tiney Winey” to YouTube two Sundays ago. The video – directed by Jamar Harding of Jahket Productions and local CariPop band Cover Drive – sees Joaquin in pursuit of a blue-eyed beauty at the pool, on the beach, on the road and on a golf course. Brewster produced the video along with Harding, Lee-Ann Lashley and Kerrie Thomas-Armstrong.
Penned by Shontelle Layne and Camille ‘Adaeze’ Evelyn and produced by Bass In Productions, the track was nigh inescapable this past summer and won Brewster a spot as a reserve in this year’s Sweet Soca Competition. As of the publishing of this article, the video sits at over 20,000 views.
15 powerful live performances wowed the crowd at the annual Honey Jam Fundraising Concert Saturday, November 17 at Frank Collymore Hall! The concert raises money for a non-profit artist development program.
Photo provided by Honey Jam Barbados. Shane Eastmond, Ebonnie Rowe, Mahalia, Vivian Barclay.
Everything kicked off at 6:30 with a red carpet mixer featuring live art by Shane Eastmond of 6PMSplash, music by DJ Josh, delicious sample treats by Cravings desserts, giveaways by Diamonds International, Suga Apple Swim and Cave Shepherd, three $500 cash vouchers from BPWCCU as well as vouchers from Dome Mall, Kensington Mall and Paradise Cafe and a pop up by Eye Q Stylist Opticians’ luxury eyewear brand Peoples From Barbados.
At 8:00, the audience was treated to an eclectic mix of dynamic live performances in a variety of musical genres including jazz, hip hop, soul, alternative, rnb, pop, gospel, reggae and soca.
There were nine acts plus five special features including:
Man Jam! – For the first time in the history of the Honey Jam brand – 23 years in Canada and 8 years in Barbados, three male artists – Jabari Browne, Chad Montplasir and Kareem Agard took to the stage and blew away the audience. Show producer Ebonnie Rowe explained that for all the years that Honey Jam has been existed, she has been repeatedly asked about including men. What inspired her to do it this year was when audition judge and local hip hip artist Island Levvy said that he wished there had been a Honey Jam for him when he was younger so she tapped Jabari Browne, brother of Honey Jam Barbados’ best known alumna, Nikita, to organize the performance which featured an eclectic mashup that showed their versatility.
Photo provided by Honey Jam Barbados. Jabari Browne, Kareem Agard and Chad Montplasir, the first male artists to take to the Honey Jam Stage!
Therez Lambert– the teenage alum has been generating a lot of buzz recently with her participation at NIFCA as well as her performance during the open mic of Mahalia’s Corner. She performed 2 original songs at Honey Jam while accompanying herself on keys and then again in the 2nd half in an energetic gospel performance with her band Focus.
Honey Jazz Promo for the January Jazz Gala featured Leigh Phillips doing a sentimental sweet duet with Kweku Jelani on the Nat King Cole song “Unforgettable”. The jazz world has been honouring Cole during the 100th anniversary of his birth. Dannyele Leslie will also appear in the January 26 Honey Jazz gala and did alively version of “I’ve got Rhythm”.
Finale Act Faith Callender featured the Riddim Tribe Dancers and live painting on stage by Shane Eastmond. Her mashup of genres was a hit with the audience and also featured a sneak peak of her upcoming release “All Night Long”.
Photo provided by Honey Jam Barbados. Photography by Bajan Paparazzi. Adaeze during House of Dae Feature
House of Dae showcased tracks produced by Vibes by Dae and featured Adaeze, Rhea Layne, Shanta Prince and Kweku Jelani. She had a makeshift studio on stage and was “producing” while the artists were performing.
All of the artists came on stage at the end for a powerful a capell version of “SuperWoman’ after which patrons headed to the terrace for an after-party featuring the lively NJ30+ band that had patrons dancing on the terrace of the Hall into the night.
Photo provided by Honey Jam Barbados. Photography by A3KD. Audience.
Wednesday, 14 November 2018, Bridgetown, Barbados – The 2019 Barbados Independent Film Festival (BIFF) promises to be bigger and better than ever with an exciting line-up of local and international filmmakers and stars. The ten-day Festival, 11 – 20 January 2019, will showcase over 40 thought-provoking films from around the world, many of them making their Caribbean premiere. Alongside multiple screening events, BIFF also features Master Classes and film discussions led by industry veterans and filmmakers, broadening its appeal and helping to inspire new generations of filmmakers.
BIFF Co-Founder Sir Trevor Carmichael shared his thoughts on the third annual Festival: “The extended days will permit film lovers and filmmakers the opportunity to attend a variety of film premieres, master classes, and free activities without having to miss any of these exciting events.
“Of course, without the help of our dedicated sponsors such as First Citizens, the McNeel Foundation, Fairmont Royal Pavilion, Blueprint Creative, Capital Media HD, Diamonds International, the US Embassy, the Canadian High Commission and so many others, this simply wouldn’t be possible,” he added.
From its Walled Garden Theatre hub and beyond, the Festival takes advantage of Barbados’ rich cultural heritage and tropical climate to host locally-inspired receptions that combine live entertainment, local cuisine and films geared to appeal to a broad range of tastes. Compelling stories about extraordinary musicians will be a featured strand of the 2019 Festival.
“Music is food for the soul and the theme for this coming Festival,” Sir Trevor added. “With specially invited guests to perform, we look forward to showcasing some of Barbados’ top musical talent over the ten-day period.”
2017 recipient Machel Montano presents award to 2018 awardee Alison Hinds. Photo provided by BIFF.
At the Opening Night Gala (Friday, 11 January), the Walled Garden Theatre rolls out the red carpet for the Caribbean premiere of V. Scott Balcerek’s SATAN AND ADAM, which chronicles the unlikely pairing of one of the world’s greatest blues duos: legendary one-man-band Sterling “Mr. Satan” Magee and harmonica master Adam Gussow.
The Festival’s musical theme continues throughout the week, featuring:
UNBANNED: THE LEGEND OF AJ1 – Highlighting icons from across the cultural spectrum – including Spike Lee, Anthony Anderson, Michael B. Jordan, DJ Khaled, Lena Waithe, Kenya Barris, Jason Sudeikis, NBA stars Carmelo Anthony and Russell Westbrook, hip-hop legend Chuck D, as well as rising stars Gizzle, Christian Combs, and Kid Ink, and many more.
HUGO – Featuring the master film composer Howard Shore who worked on 98 blockbuster films and nearly all of Martin Scorsese’s, including this family-friendly film classics
RUMBLE: INDIANS WHO ROCKED THE WORLD – chronicles the fascinating revelation that some of rock’n’roll’s greatest talents were Native Americans. The film will be introduced by well-known rock guitarist Stevie Silas.
SING YOUR SONG – a tribute to legendary musician and civil rights champion Harry Belafonte, followed by live music from the master calypsonian’s repertoire.
Additionally, BIFF’s signature Cine Cuisine Night backed by Slow Food Barbados returns to its popular Copacabana Beach Club location. This year’s Cine Cuisine Night will present WASTED: THE STORY OF FOOD WASTE, which was executive produced by the late Anthony Bourdain and features many celebrity chefs. The film’s two filmmakers will hold a post-screening discussion on delicious, yet sustainable food.
Other Festival highlights include Barbadian films PANAMA DREAMS (Alison Saunders)and THE LAND WE CALL HOME (Stockton Miller); the modern Western LITTLE WOODS from filmmaker Nia DaCosta and starring Lily James and Tessa Thompson; the Barbadian premiere of the Bahamian film CARGO, and a “Behind the Lens” double presentation featuring the dramas JINN (Nijla Mu’min) and MOKO JUMBIE (Vashti Anderson) with by a panel discussion on storytelling led by award-winning, female filmmakers including Lone Scherfig, Nia DaCosta, Nijla Mu’min and Vashti Anderson.
BIFF seeks to showcase the finest work of accomplished and emerging filmmakers and inspire future generations to tell their stories through film. BIFF’s Collaboration Grant has resulted in two original short films that celebrate Barbados’s rich stories: the first, SEASIDE STABLES: A GALLOP TO THE OCEAN explores the cultural relationship between racehorses and the beautiful, tranquil Caribbean Ocean along the shorelines of Pebbles Beach, Barbados. The second, LIQUID GOLD: THE STORY OF RUM IN BARBADOS, produced by Bajan filmmaker Rommel Hall and American Dan Mirvish, will premiere at the opening night of BIFF 2019. Another important element of BIFF are the masterclass series on independent filmmaking, screenwriting and directing – many of which are open to the general public.
For a complete schedule and more information about BIFF films, masterclasses, judges and events, please visit www.barbadosfilmfest.org. All free and paid tickets can be found at Ticketpal.com under “BIFF”. Tickets go on sale Monday, 26 November.
16 powerful live performances are expected to wow the crowd at the annual HoneyJamfundraising concert coming up Saturday, November 17 at Frank Collymore Hall! Tickets are only $50 and can be purchased online at ticketpal.com or at one of their many outlets listed on their website. The concert raises money for non-profit artist development program.
Everything kicks off at 6:30 with a redcarpet mixer featuring live art by Shane Eastmond of 6PMSplash, music by DJ Josh, delicious sample treats by Cravings desserts, giveaways by Diamonds International, Suga Apple Swim and Cave Shepherd, three $500 cash vouchers from BPWCCU as well as vouchers from Dome Mall, Kensington Mall and Paradise Cafe and a pop up by Eye Q Stylist Opticians’ luxury eyewear brand Peoples From Barbados.
At 8:00, the audience will then be treated to an eclectic mix of dynamic live performances in a variety of musical genres including jazz, hip hop, soul, rnb, pop, reggae and soca. For the first time male artists will take to the stage for a highly anticipated performance!
Following the concert will be a lively after-party featuring the NJ30+ band!
The Honey Jam Concert Launch saw the unveiling of the 2018 lineup featuring 16 acts including new faces and some returning alums doing special segments within the show.
Media, sponsors, artists, audition judges, workshop panellists, music industry representatives and supporters were invited to hear about their upcoming plans and to congratulate and cheer on the artists who will grace the Honey Jam stage and take part in the developmental programme.
Photo provided by Ebonnie Rowe. Photography be A3KD. Honey Jam Barbados producer, Ebonnie Rowe.
Producer Ebonnie Rowe welcomed new sponsor Brydens Insurance and longtime sponsors Ian Donovan of Massy Properties, Larix from Blueprint Creative and also a Honey Jam alum, and DJ Simmons of Gine On Magazine spoke about the value of the programme that has kept them on board to support for many years.
New artist Sapphire spoke about her experiences so far in the programme, Alums Adaeze, Faith and Leigh Phillips reminisced about their journey, how much they learned, the contacts they made, how much they benefitted, the impact on their careers and that they all are still involved and participate as audition judges, workshop panellists, mentors and supporters. All three are returning to the stage on November 17 at Frank Collymore Hall doing special features within the show.
Attendees were surprised to hear that for the first time ever there will be 3 male acts featured in a special segment during the normally all female concert. Jabari Browne, brother of the most high profile Honey Jam alum, Nikita, was tapped to put together a small segment featuring himself, Kareem Agard and Chad Montplasir. Rowe said that for all the years she had been doing the programme in both Canada and Barbados, every year she would be asked about the inclusion of men. This year, after a comment by Audition Judge artist Island Levy who remarked that he wish there had been something like this for him, inspired her to find a way to include male vocalists without a huge change to the brand. Jabari indicated “I was honoured to be asked and we’re all excited to take part and be the first ones invited. We’ve already started rehearsing and can’t wait for the night of the concert to show you what we’ve put together.”
They’ve got lots of giveaways for the Red Carpet Mix & Mingle, live painting by fine artist Shane Eastmond of 6PMSPLASH, a pop up with Eye Q Stylist Opticians where patrons can try on their fashionable eyewear, of course a great show and lively after party featuring the NJ30+ band. It promises to be a great night of entertainment!
Miss Universe Barbados Meghan Theobalds was on hand to give some encouraging and uplifting words, ending the evening with these words:
Photo provided by Ebonnie Rowe. Photography be A3KD. Miss Universe Barbados Meghan Theobalds flanked by Honey Jam Producer Ebonnie Rowe (left) and Honey Jam Barbados alum and artist Faith Callender (right).
“This journey is very much like the one I just finished at Miss Universe Barbados and continue on my way to Thailand. This is a developmental programme that provides educational, mentoring and networking and performance opportunities for young artists. Miss Universe Barbados is a 3 month process of training 3 times a week, teaching all delegates how to become your very best selves, networking, educating ourselves on national and global issues that we care about and learning to walk the walk of altruism. That process encourages us to strive for our dreams and to work hard to support each other follow our dreams.
Just like Honey Jam – for a Miss Universe delegate it’s about more than just the external. And for you more than just a voice. You have to learn the business side as well. Many of the Miss Universe Delegates have degrees or are in University in their final year. It is about the total package. What I wanted to share is that when women support each other we all thrive. They are our support. Other women are not our competition. Other women are our village!
What the public do not see are the hours and hours of hard work that go along with the process – the rehearsals, mentoring, practice. The journey is not for the audience it is for the artist. I spend 36 hours a week. I is our way to prove to ourselves that we have what it takes. that we are ready to face obstacles. That we learn tools to overcome the inevitable moments of self doubt, frustration, breakdown when it may not go your way that day. And yes I had all of that. What came from my breakdown was a breakthrough – that I wanted this and I had worked hard for it and I was going to do my best no matter what the result was. The result was not in my hands but how I performed and listened and absorbed what I was being taught, that was in my hands.
To the ladies about to embark on this incredible journey, I encourage you to learn as much as you can. Be your best self. Your task is to step up. Long after this process has ended, these lessons and memories and friendships for the rest of your lives. I wish you a journey of discovery and Joy.”
Photo provided by iSolutions Caribbean. Mia Amor Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados is flanked by Rawdon Adams, CEO of Bitt Digital Inc (r) and Avinash Persaud, Special Advisor to the Government of Barbados on the Economy.
Bridgetown, BARBADOS; October 31, 2018 : The Central Bank of Barbados and the Financial Services Commission have jointly launched their first regulatory sandbox with Bitt Digital Inc. The move follows an announcement made by Prime Minister Mia Mottley last month, during Bitt’s second annual ‘Central Banks Meet Blockchain’ Conference at the Barbados Hilton, that there would be a national mMoney pilot.
mMoney is a mobile application, available from both Apple and Android app stores, that is designed to allow users to send and receive Barbados digital dollars from mobile devices to make payments with ease. Since its debut earlier this year, mMoney has been utilised by over 200 merchants and thousands of consumers across Barbados, with increasing demand and uptake.
“Professionals from the Financial Services Commission, the Central Bank of Barbados and the Ministry of Finance, Economic Affairs and Investment, had an inaugural meeting with the mMoney team. It was a productive meeting to establish a sandbox as a necessary first step,” reported Rawdon Adams, CEO.
The intent of the mMoney pilot would be to explore the benefits and work through the challenges of using a digital version of the Barbadian dollar within the framework of the sandbox scheme, thus providing adequate mechanisms for consumer protection and the ability to monitor systemic risk to the local financial system.
“The central focus of the sandbox, would be to satisfy the regulators that any and all possible regulatory concerns such as consumer or systemic risks have been identified and addressed,” Adams explained.
Among the areas examined will be the company’s operational strength, the scalability and soundness of its technology and the impact, if any, it would have on the incumbent financial system.
“As we progress collectively, updates would be communicated,” Adams assured.
Stockton Miller is a Barbadian filmmaker whose name may be familiar if you’ve seen his numerous VFX videos on YouTube – which normally involve monsters and creatures from horror and fantasy; he was the creator of those viral videos of a supposed werewolf in Barbados and a monster under a boat – or follow the Barbados Visual Media Festival, at which he has won several awards.
His latest project is a sci-fi film entitled The Land We Call Home, which will be screened at the Accra Beach Resort this evening as part of the aforementioned Barbados Visual Media Festival. We spoke to Miller about his path and career thus far as a filmmaker and about his upcoming film.
Zeitgeist: You are perhaps best known for your monster, VFX videos on YouTube. How did you get into that? What originally sparked your interest in VFX and why monsters specifically? Stockton Miller: Most of my viewers on YouTube are mostly from America and they also do VFX. So it started when a friend who also [does] VFX sent me a monster CGI model that he made to use to collaborate on a video which went viral on YouTube and in Barbados. I got into VFX because of the types of movies I wanted to make and it’s not really specifically monsters it’s just those types of videos were getting the most views.
Z: Are you professionally trained or self- taught?
SM: Self-taught.
I had [a] 2006 HP laptop when I started doing VFX in 2011, with only 2 GB of ram. So when I bought Adobe After Effects and tried to install it I kept getting errors. I did some research and found [that] the laptop I had was not powerful enough, so I bought more ram and updated the laptop and I was able to use Adobe After Effects with it. It was still running slow, so it was very difficult – and still is even with this new laptop [that] I have now. I started messing around with the program first, then went on YouTube and watched some tutorials.
I watch a lot of movies. So [whenever] I see something I try to recreate it in Adobe After Effects and even sometimes on YouTube they had tutorials on how to do specific effects and I just continued that way until the program was like a second language to me. I [recreated] turning into a Super Saiyan doing the kamehameha, the hand glow like in Iron Fist, gun shots, explosions, blood, flying like Superman, heat vision, fast running like The Flash and much more.
Z: As a child growing up, was filmmaking ever something that you saw yourself doing as an adult? Was there another career path you’d considered taking? SM: No, it was not. I started out in secondary school playing guitar and up to this day I still can, but I gave that up . I probably would have been a guitarist in a band.
Z: What are some of the films you’ve made? What were they about and what inspired them?
SM: The first film [I] made back in 2016 is called Daybreak. It is an action/drama about a young boy [who] [witnesses] his friend being murdered and is almost killed in the process. He is torn between doing what is right or [living] the rest of his life in fear. I was inspired to do the film because at that time a lot of unsolved shootings were happening in Barbados because people who [witnessed] them were afraid to talk to the police. So this film addresses that.
Z: Some of your films have won awards at the Barbados Visual Media Awards and you’re probably one of the Barbados Visual Media Festival’s most decorated filmmakers. How does it feel to receive that recognition from your peers? SM: It feels good because we worked really hard on that film so it feels good [to] receive that recognition.
Z: The motion picture that you won Best Web Show for in 2014, was that Daybreak as well? If not, could you also tell us about that film as well as the film you won the 48 Hour Film Challenge with last year? SM: In 2014 that was not a film; that was a three episode web series called Into the Darkness. Daybreak came after that [and] is a full length film which won [the] People’s Choice Award [in] 2016.
Into the Darkness was [an] experiment [that] me and three of my friends did because at that time, the place where we filmed it burned down and it looked like a scene from [an] apocalypse movie. So that was how we got the idea to do a zombie apocalypse web series for YouTube. It was honestly one of my favorite things [that] I did and one day I am hoping to remake it bigger and better.
The short film that won the 2017 48 Hour Film Challenge is called In Dreams which will also be showing during the festival on Saturday at the Olympus. The short film is about a guy trying to find forgiveness from a deceased friend after he died in a car crash which he caused.
Z: Speaking of the Barbados Visual Media Festival, you’re set to premiere your latest film project, The Land We Call Home, there this evening. What was it that led you to make the film? SM: That goes back to one of my monster videos that went viral earlier this year. Well, two went viral in Barbados [and] they were shared around Whatsapp and social media at the same time. One was with a werewolf (remember the voice note with the woman claiming to see a creature up Waterford) and another one with a creature under a boat (also connected to Waterford somehow). I remember coming home and seeing a lot of messages and I was even contacted by CBC [and] I did [an] interview just to clear up [that] the videos were fake.
After that I was sent more models by some Brazilian friends to create a video, so me and my friend Krieg Thompson went to film the footage, but he told me: “Let’s make a short film instead.” And I thought that would be a better idea. A few days later I called three actors – Cherah, Brandon and Ishmael – about starring in a short film and a few weeks later, we filmed it.
Z: How did the decision to premiere the film at the festival come about?
SM: It is not really a “premiere”, it’s just a screening for cast, crew and invited [guests]. The full premiere will be later this year or early next year. I was getting some advice from the BFVA (Barbados Film and Visual Media Association) president, Damien Pinder, about the film and he told me I should submit it and I thought it was a great idea because I wanted to submit to a Barbadian festival before outside festivals.
Z: Your past work has almost exclusively been short films. Why the did you decide to make The Land We Call Home feature length?
SM: The short film was supposed to be 6 minutes long, but by the time I [finished] [editing] it, it was over 20 minutes long. Then I told myself I will just make it [into] a full length film and the rest is history. In 2017 we started to film a movie, but because of reasons I couldn’t control, we were unable to finish it and most of the cast from that film are in the film The Land We Call Home, so I felt like I owed them a film. I guess it was my way of saying sorry.
THE LAND WE CALL HOME TRAILER
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLtzbfejtEs
Z: This film is Barbados’ first science fiction, feature length film. How does it feel to be making history? SM: It feels awesome. From day one I wanted to be the first to do a sci-fi or horror film in Barbados. I was able to do the sci-fi, so the next one will be a horror.
Z: From conception to completion how long did it take to make The Land We Call Home? How long did it take to write, how long did it take to shoot and how long did it take to edit? SM: It took about two months to film because I kept adding more and more to the script or changing a scene because the ideas were flowing. I was making a sci-fi film with so little [that] I had to make [do] with what I had. It took me about a week to edit because when I start editing, I never stop until I am done.
Z: How was production of the film? Was it fairly easy-going and smooth or were there a lot of bumps and setbacks along the way? SM: Everything went [smoothly]. So [smoothly] that I was actually surprised. Based on the fact [that] on previous films I had so [many] issues, but everything went so well making this film. I guess working with like-minded people made the job easier.
It was all positive energy. Everyone had a job to do and everyone did their job. We had a lot of laughs on set [and] I would love to add a blooper reel at the end of the film, but…Sorry it’s not that kind of film.
Z: You mentioned in your interview with CBC that you had been in contact with American visual effects company Tippet Studios (whose work includes The Matrix Revolutions, Cloverfield, the latter three Twilight films, Jurassic World and Star Wars: The Force Awakens), how did that come about? SM: I sent a screenshot of the model I got from a Brazilian friend because I was looking for the original maker to get permission. So they sent me an email basically letting me now that that monster model I [was] using for the film [was] copyrighted to a game and [that] I could be sued by the original owner. Hearing that really made me sad because I was thinking; “Well I guess no movie.” Then, a few seconds later, they emailed me again asking me to send them the 20 minutes of the film because they wanted to see it ([I’m] assuming they wanted to know what I was doing with it), so I sent it to them.
A few hours later [I] received another email from them telling me [that] they really liked it and instead of using a copyrighted model they [would] give me one of theirs to use so [that] I [could] finish the movie and [that they would] help me in anyway. So I accepted and I told them how each scene with the monster [would] look and they animated it to match back the scene. All free. And the rest is history.
Z: How did you feel when they offered to work with you free of charge? SM: I was very thankful for that because I do not have the equipment (PC) to do that kind of stuff. We spoke through emails and I basically told them what I wanted and they made it happen. The only thing I had to do in return [was] to credit them “animation by Tippet Studios.”
Z: Now that the film is finished how do do you feel and what are your hopes and expectations for it? What would you like audiences to get out of the film? SM: I feel good because this is the first of its kind and I really do not know what to expect, being [that] it is a sci-fi film. Sci fi is not a popular genre in Barbados, but I hope Barbadians enjoy this film. Right now I am working on getting this film screened outside [of] Barbados, because we need to show the world [that] we to can create great films.
Stockton Miller is a Barbadian filmmaker whose name may be familiar if you’ve seen his numerous VFX videos on YouTube – which normally involve monsters and creatures from horror and fantasy; he was the creator of those viral videos of a supposed werewolf in Barbados and a monster under a boat – or follow the Barbados Visual Media Festival, at which he has won several awards.
Z: Speaking of the Barbados Visual Media Festival, you’re set to premiere your latest film project, The Land We Call Home, there this evening. What was it that led you to make the film?
