Haiti Cultural Exchange (HCX), a New York based non-profit organization announces the Third Biennial Haiti Film Fest taking place in venues throughout New York City and kicking things off with the Haiti Film Fest Opening Night on Thursday, May 7, 2015, at DROM NYC. As a part of Haitian Heritage month, May 8-15, HCX will present over 15 screenings showcasing a variety of documentary, feature and short films exploring subjects such as exile, memory, and cultural heritage.

New York Premieres include: La Belle Vie: A Good Life by Miami-based filmmaker Rachelle Salnave [see image above], Storming Papa Doc by Mario Delatour, and Port-au-Prince, Mon Seul et Unique Amour by Arnold Antonin; both Haiti-based filmmakers. A special evening of selected short films, including a number of films by graduates of the Ciné Institute, Haiti’s only free film school based in the City of Jacmel, will also be presented.

Description: Over its first two installments, Haiti Film Fest has drawn thousands of attendees and expects the 3rd Biennial Haiti Film Fest to attract an audience of 2,000 individuals, including Haitians and Haitian Americans, culture lovers, and cinéphiles. HCX has assembled a distinguished team of film aficionados to help shape and guide this year’s festival, including filmmakers Michèle Stephenson, Jonathan Demme and Jerry Lamothe, and scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr.

The 2015 Haiti Film Fest Opening Night on Thursday, May 7th is sure to attract a large crowd of supporters. The evening’s line-up includes Haitian radio personality, Carel Pedre of CHOKARELLA; screenings of two short films: the NY Premiere of Freedom by Matthew Brown, a docu-poem featuring Haitian-American spoken word artist, Ella Turenne and, La Veuve a short fiction piece by Ciné Institute graduate, Wood-Jerry Gabriel. The evening also includes special musical performances by Sanba Zao of Lakou Mizik and Ioan Delice, New York’s newest and hottest underground rap artist. Tickets available here: http://bit.ly/1AGVJ4c

Also of note during the festival are the expanded post screening discussions with filmmakers, actors and scholars including: renowned author, Edwidge Danticat, at City College on Friday, May 8th following the screening of Ayiti Toma, a documentary film by Joseph Hillel; and, with scholar and author Millery Polyné, following the screening of the Haitian Corner by Raoul Peck held in collaboration with the Brooklyn Historical Society on Tuesday, May 12th.

[. . .] 2015 Haiti Film Fest Advisory Committee members include: Arnold Antonin, Fritz Archer, Marc Baptiste, David Bell, Edwidge Danticat, Jonathan Demme, Guetty Felin, Henry Louis Gates Jr., Curtis John, Jerry Lamothe, Anne Lescot, Michelle Materre, Michèle Stephenson, Patrick Ulysse, Marc Henry Valmond, and Frantz Voltaire.

For Sponsorship Opportunities, please contact: Erika Pettersen, Development Manager at Erika@HaitiCulturalX.org

Media Contact: Reginé M. Roumain, Executive Director: Regine@HaitiCulturalX.org

Jessica Tong, Programs & Outreach Coordinator: Programs@HaitiCulturalX.org and (347) 565-4429

For a complete List of the 2015 Haiti Film Fest, please visit: http://haiticulturalx.org/haitifilmfest