Miami, Florida – October 20, 2021 – Proud moment for Curaçao film fraternity. Award-winning Curaçao filmmaker Rovendley Welvaart has emerged as the Caribbean’s top filmmaker in the prestigious PlayGo Emerge Film Competition 2021. The 25-year-old filmmaker from the Island of Curaçao has won the best film in the Drama category, the Grand Prize, and the People’s Choice Award at the competition for his latest short film “Tahit”.
Written and directed by Rovendley Welvaart, “Tahit” was produced by Michenou Paz from Curaçao based film production agency, Impact Creative Agency.
In an exclusive interview, Rovendley Welvaart shared that they are more than elated to win the competition among the many eminent filmmakers. He also stressed that the esteemed PlayGo Emerge Film Competition 2021 has given him the great opportunity to show the world that if one has the desired talent and zeal, he too can achieve big goals even if he originally comes from a small island like Curaçao.
“It was a surreal feeling that the judges chose our film, which was made on the small island of Curaçao, for the PlayGo Emerge grand prize. I’m so proud of the team that made this film possible, and for me, it’s an honor to represent Curaçao on a global scale”, said the award-winning filmmaker.
“Tahit” revolves around the story of a young boy whose adopted mother is struggling financially to make ends meet. However, the little boy is determined to overcome poverty and carve out a better life for his beloved mother.
Speaking of the film, Rovendley said that “Tahit” speaks of hope in the midst of adversity.
“Life is not always fair. But the champion is the one who is determined to overcome all the obstacles that life throws in his way and keep the spirit of hope alive. It’s the ‘hope’ that will take you a long way even if you are currently surrounded by challenges. And that’s what ‘Tahit’ is all about. We are passing through extremely trying times lately- ‘Tahit’ aims to bring that light of hope and positivity to make life wee better amid the grim times today.”
As of now, “Tahit” is set to head for a series of eminent film festivals across the world.
Rovendley Welvaart is a 25-year-old entrepreneur, fashion designer, and filmmaker from Curacao. Early in his life, he found his passion in filmmaking, and over time, he realized that his true calling lies in the film realm. He started making short videos as a hobby at a very young age which later on helped him to evolve as a professional filmmaker as he grew up.
In 2015, Rovendley won the award for “Best Short Documentary” at the Curaçao International Film Festival Rotterdam for his short documentary, “Press on Marelly”, The documentary is based on Marelly Balentin that practices sprinting. In 2016, Rovendley competed with the short film “Layo” at the Curaçao International Film Festival, Curaçao, where he came up as the runner-up. The film is based on the story of a young kid that writes a letter of desperation to his father. In 2020, Rovendley was the 3rd Assistant director for the Netflix film “Bulado” which also won the “Best Film Award” at the Netherlands International Film Festival.
While speaking on his style of filmmaking, Rovendley said he believes that film can be a highly potential medium to inspire the audience and thus his films always carry a motivational message for the viewers.
Apart from filmmaking, Rovendley also loves to act in movies. He was the main actor for the short film “E ta bini wela!” which was selected as the top 4 films of 2014 by Film Go Weekly.
As a fashion designer, Rovendley launched his fashion brand, Extra Wavy in 2019, with a group of friends. Renowned for its unique type of clothing, Extra Wavy was invited by Luxe Brand International at the New York fashion week 2019 to showcase its innovative designs.
The young dynamic filmmaker believes in giving back to the community. He was recently honored by the Curacao Neighborhood Foundation as the Youth prospect of his neighborhood.
After the grand success of “Tahit”, Rovendley is currently busy with the post-production of his upcoming short film “Perspektiva” that stars Malcolm Damiana and Shenyo Bokshoven
For more information, you can follow Rovendley via Instagram at @rodywel, or visit Tahitfilm.com, and @tahitfilm on Instagram and Facebook.
Media Contact
Company Name: Impact Creative Agency
Contact Person: Alvin Lein
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Country: United States
Website: tahitfilm.com