The 17th Bahamas International Film Festival (BIFF), running January 4-10, 2021, is on its mark and set to go virtual, it was announced today by Leslie Vanderpool, Founder & Executive Director of BIFF.
BIFF is one of the most respected and exciting film festivals in the Caribbean and named by MovieMaker Magazine as one of the “Top 25 Coolest Film Festivals in the World”.
Since its inception 16 years ago, BIFF has introduced The Bahamas to more than one million film enthusiasts from around the globe and has injected an economic impact of over $25 million into The Bahamas. Benefiting from its outstanding hospitality and extraordinary island lifestyle, BIFF has drawn attention and praise from media outlets around the world, including CNN, The New York Times, Entertainment Tonight, The London Times, Variety, Screen International, and more.
In 2021, BIFF will be combining an intimate physical festival with a larger online offering. Vanderpool revealed that BIFF will be engaging small audiences with limited, COVID-safe in-person screenings. At the same time, the festival will be offering a larger online audience the chance to experience the event virtually during the dates of BIFF January 4 - 10.
BIFF will offer a vibrant online interactive space, powered by cutting edge Internet platform Filmocracy. Vanderpool said, “BIFF is proud to partner with this leading virtual platform, a company that provides innovative solutions for streaming films, networking opportunities and entertaining a broader audience. Film fans can experience all the excitement and buzz of the festival while in the comfort of your home.
“Streaming does not take away the quality of curation that we will showcase this year,” continued Vanderpool. “I believe we will garner more audience members that might not have attended the film festival in person, while preserving the intimacy and camaraderie that BIFF is famous for.”
Vanderpool said BIFF is proud to embrace the new technology and aims to provide the magical, island touch, creating an environment for viewing films, panel discussions, tributes, and industry networking. She added, “Film festivals around the world are adapting positively to the pandemic by combining small scale physical screenings with large scale, world-wide reach by streaming online and for the foreseeable future the hybrid format seems likely to be here to stay.”
The online BIFF virtual experience will be hosted on the Bahamas International Film Festival website. Once tickets or passes are on sale, ticket and pass holders will enter into the magic of the virtual platform. Pass holders can create a profile, which triggers the interaction of hopping from one virtual venue to the next, such as, Information Center, Networking Pavilion, Film Venues, Education Center for panels and workshops, and a Special Events Pavilion.
BIFF anticipates doubling the viewership with festival-goers, acquisition leaders, and industry professionals. The opportunity to network online with fellow industry professionals and film aficionados from all over the world will be a great addition to the virtual BIFF.
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.
