The 3^rd annual Aruba International Film Festival (AIFF) has begun accepting submissions for its 2012 Caribbean Spotlight Series competition. The event, which has proved enormously popular with festival attendees, showcases the work of regional filmmakers or productions dedicated to the subject of Caribbean culture, society and history.

“Judges and audiences were very impressed with last year’s selections,” commented Aaron Hosé, program director of the AIFF Caribbean Spotlight Series.  “And we hope to see more such films as entries this year. We feel the winners were outstanding examples of the fascinating elements Caribbean life brings to the table.  Jury Award-winner Voices From Mariel from Cuba/USA was poignant while informative, and Audience Award-winner Children of God, from Bahamian filmmaker Kareem Mortimer, was riveting. We had several sold out screenings and had to schedule additional showings throughout the festival.”

The competition has strict criteria in that submissions MUST be focused on subject matters pertaining to the Caribbean region. Only full-length feature films or documentaries with a runtime of 50 to 120 minutes will be eligible (no short films accepted), and rules require they were completed after January 1, 2010.

There are excellent incentives for submitting a film aside from earning a prestigious award and cash prize; AIFF will provide airfare and accommodations for filmmakers. Package includes travel for two including a 3-night staying at a resort, and all-access passes to the screenings and events.

Deadline for submissions is May 18, 2012.  Full criteria and requirements for entries are available on the AIFF website: http://www.arubainternationalfilmfestival.com/aiff_2012/CSS.html

For more information, contact: