And two. After an Audience Award at the 2017 Trophées des Français Abroad, Ingrid Jean-Baptiste is the winner of the Culture/Art of Living Trophy at this first edition of the Trophées des Français des United States. A deserved reward for the one who transformed life’s obstacles into a real success. Its Chelsea Film Festival has just concluded its 11th edition. “It’s a whole network, a real ecosystem, which makes our festival successful,” underlines the talented Martinican.
After 11 years of existence, what do you think makes the success of the Chelsea Film Festival ?
I would say it’s resilience. For this edition, for example, we have more than 130 films from 20 different countries. This represents a lot of work. We have been communicating with the various people involved in these projects for a year. Our success is due to resilience and our passion.
Was it complicated for you to establish your festival as one of the most recognized in the United States today?
I think we were very lucky the first year. After the car accident I had in 2012, I received a lot of support from my community and the people I hung out with at the Actors Studio in New York. I had a whole network of influential people around me who supported me when I had the idea of developing this festival. Especially since my idea from the start was to highlight emerging directors and create an international platform.
From the fourth year onwards, things got complicated. I needed more funding, promotion but also marketing. We encountered more difficulties but we persevered. Success, once again, comes from this belief that we can achieve it despite the obstacles. We contact the press and our partners a lot in order to make ourselves known as well as the story of our directors. It’s a whole network, a real ecosystem, that makes our festival successful.
After 11 years you continue to evolve, can you tell us about the writing incubator at the Chelsea Film Festival?
I have wanted to create a writing residency for several years now. I was originally supposed to do it in Martinique, but this idea could not come to fruition in 2020 because of the pandemic. So I had to think about how to redefine this project. As I always have great ambition, I finally turned to the creation of this incubator which is not only a writing residency but also assistance with the production and realization of projects.
Often, screenwriters complete their writing projects but they remain in their drawers and never see the light of day. We therefore help them to find financing but also with the logistical and technical part. For nine months, we have been supporting screenwriters. Five short films were screened for the first time during the Chelsea Film Festival.
THESE DAYS team, winner of the Chelsea Film Festival 2023 Grand Prix Award for Best Film
Is international cinema still struggling to make room for diverse talents?
Things have evolved but statistics clearly show that BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) screenwriters struggle more to have projects or to be hired. The idea of this incubator is to be able to help them and show them that everything is possible.
What are your next projects ?
Beyond the Chelsea Film Festival, I have other more personal projects, particularly linked to my acting career. I moved to New York for this purpose. My car accident threw me on a different path but also helped me make other connections and also better understand the system. So I have other projects for the cinema but also as a television presenter. I like to renew myself and all these projects allow me to reinvent myself and nourish my soul and my creativity.
What was your reaction following the announcement of this Culture Art de Vivre Trophy from the French Trophies of the United States?
I am still shocked by this news. Like good wine, it will take me time to decant and taste it. I thank lepetitjournal.com enormously for this new Trophy which gives me courage. This recognition of my work but also that of my mother and partner, Sonia Jean-Baptiste, touches me a lot.
2023-11-10 00:38:21
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