Twenty-four year old self-taught Bahamian filmmaker Jarrod Knowles recently announced the launch of the first annual WideScreen Film and Music Video Festival at the AMC Aventura 24 Theaters in Aventura, FL, set to take place from February 27 – March 3, 2015.
Knowles studied Information Technology with Liberal Studies at Florida International University. It was there that his life took an interesting curve into filmmaking. Hecompleted his first film, "What Lies Beyond...The Beginning" in 2012 and had a red carpet premiere in Florida in 2013. Knowles may perhaps be the first Bahamian to work in the horror / comedy genre of filmmaking. When asked why he chose that particular genre he said,"Horror is typically one of the easier genres to produce, as far as competition is concerned, because there aren't many great horror films. Moreover, you usually don't need a huge budget, or big name actors."
Jarrod directing...
Jarrod was born and raised in Nassau, Bahamas and attended Kingsway Academy and Queen's College as well as home-schooled for a year. Having never attended formal film school he said he was simply driven by his vision and thrived off of the enthusiasm and knowledge of his cast and crew.
"This experience taught me so much. More, than any school could ever teach me. 'Experience' is indeed the greatest teacher," said Knowles. "I can certainly say that what I do is not meant for the faint of heart. I am driven by my will to succeed, and that requires a unique level of relentless tenacity and utter determination."
Along with his work on other scripts and films Knowles is the president and founder of the WideScreen Film and Music Video Festival will give other filmmakers and artists the ability to shine. The event is sponsored by TheBahamasWeekly.com, a Bahamian and Canadian based news and events website."Knowles is a talented young filmmaker with a bright future," said Craig Woods, Bahamas Film Commissioner. "With consistent work and focus, his career as a filmmaker can only go to greater heights. Keep your eyes on the prize, Jarrod," said Woods.
Filmmakers from around the world can submit films to the WideScreen Film & Music Video Festival for a chance to win bragging rights and the ultimate prizes: WideScreenFilm and Music Video’s Best Filmmaker Award as well as $500 cash. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the American Cancer Society’s charity foundation Relay For Life.
Film submission entries begin Monday, December 1, 2014; all official selections will be announced Sunday, February 15, 2015. Early birds can purchase admission tickets in advance, beginning early January 2015.
For Submission details or more information on the WideScreen Film & Music Video Festival visit: www.widescreenfest.com
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Stay connected through social media with the Official hashtag #WSF