Poinciana Festival ready to blossom
The producers of Bright Spot, with their Poinciana Award for best short documentary, (L-R) Rob Tyler, Tamer Soliman and Jeremy Walton (Photo by Dennie Warren Jr)
(CNS): The first-ever Poinciana Festival, held 27-31 January, proved a showcase of all things artistic in Cayman. The work of more than 100 musicians, filmmakers and artists were on display over the five days, and the festival culminated with a gala recognising 30 Poinciana Award winners.
The festival’s first event was the opening of the Pop Up Poinciana Art Gallery at The Strand on Wednesday evening, where more than 60 pieces of art were on display. Then the weekend’s events kicked off with the Poinciana Music Festival on Cardinall Avenue on Friday with more than 30 local artists performing a variety of musical genres throughout the day and into the night.
The next day, the Poinciana Film Festival at Camana Bay’s Regal Cinemas began with local and international screenings in three theatres and panel discussions. Local film Self Prescribed and international movie Cause & Effect screened Saturday evening followed by an after party at Abacus.
Festival organiser Badir Awe expects the event to continue to expand. “Poinciana successfully planted itself in the Cayman community through its wide range of artist participation,” he said. “The festival looks forward to growing each year by highlighting the diversity and quality of artists until Cayman can bloom at an international stage.”
The festival ended on Sunday, 31 January, with a gala awards ceremony at the Harquail Theatre where the 30 Poinciana Award winners were honoured. The late Julia Hydes was also recognised with a Poinciana Lifetime Achievement Award, which was accepted by her grandson Juniour Hydes. Nominees and award winners in 12 categories had their work displayed on screen.
Jason Felts, CEO of Virgin Produced, who was one of the award presenters, said, “Virgin and Poinciana share a passion for music and film, and the festival weekend showcases local talent in both, plus the visual and performing arts. It has great potential to become a fixture on the calendar for residents and visitors.”
The remaining 18 award winners were announced on stage, but due to time constraints, received their awards backstage immediately following the ceremony.
Category: Arts, Film, Visual Arts
