The Community Cohesion Foundation in partnership with The Nevis Cultural Development Foundation and Community Development (Nevis) will host the Nevis International First Feature Film Festival (NIF3). The festival will take place May 3-8, 2009 at various locations around Nevis.

“We are very much looking forward to the film festival and the exposure we hope it will bring to the island as a cultural destination,” said Devon Liburd, marketing director for the Nevis Tourism Authority. “This festival will provide a unique opportunity for us to reach a diverse audience.”

NIF³ aims to be a leading competitive showcase of first feature films from around the world, with a particular focus on the Caribbean region and emphasis on the discovery of first film works by new talent and emerging filmmakers. Entries are already registered from Belize, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Curacao, Haiti, Jamaica, Nicaragua, Dominican Republic, Suriname, Trinidad & Tobago and Venezuela.

“Of all of the exhausted clichés of the Caribbean, the most pervasive is in the sense that the sunshine can’t be serious and that profound thoughts shy away from the midday glare,” said Festival Director Petra Carvalho. “It is true that much of Caribbean culture has been imported from abroad, but the region is certainly creating its own, and we hope this festival will only enable that culture to thrive.”

A blue-ribbon panel of judges has been selected to review the films including well-known German Director Joachim von Vietingham, who will serve as the special advisor to NIF³ and act as chief judge at the festival. More than $30,000 will be awarded in cash prizes for best regional feature, best regional documentary and best regional short, among others.

Packages and discounts are currently available at hotels around the island including:
• Oualie Beach Hotel: Nevis Film Festival Special with rates starting at $185 per night which includes breakfast and taxes. Booking window is now through April 30 for travel between May 1 -15. For reservations visit www.oualiebeach.com or email reservations@oualiebeach.com
• Nisbet Plantation Beach Club: The love is in the air package is available now through May 31 and provides guests with the ability to book a room for a minimum of five nights and receive a $300 savings on airfare, as well as daily breakfast, afternoon tea on the Great House patio and dinner nightly at the Great House. To book, call 869-469-9325 or email reservations@nisbetplantation.com
• Hurricane Cove Bungalows is currently offering a 25 percent discount on all room rates. To book, call 869-469-9462 or visit www.hurricanecove.com

Please visit www.nevisfilmfestival.com for more information.

The island of Nevis is located in the Leeward Islands of the West Indies archipelago. This tiny jewel is just eight miles long and six miles wide, yet it has a natural beauty that is unparalleled. The Spanish explorers called Nevis, “Nuestra Senora de las Nieves” (Our Lady of the Snows) as a tribute to the white clouds surrounding the island’s central volcanic peak. Its green foothills support tropical rainforests, secluded valleys, historic plantations and the remains of sugar cane fields while its turquoise waters lap palm-fringed beaches. For more information about the island of Nevis, please contact the Nevis Tourism Authority toll-free at 1-866-55NEVIS and check out their website at www.nevisisland.com.