Further details announced for Goldeneye Film Festival in December

17-Jun-2005 • Event

David Koh & Chris Blackwell announced the dates for this year's Goldeneye Film Festival & Retreat at the recent Cannes Film Festival. The former home of Ian Fleming -- where he wrote all 13 James Bond novels -- hosts the December 7-12, 2005 celebration. His retreat, Goldeneye, is now an Island Outpost resort in Oracabessa Bay, Jamaica, just outside of the resort destination of Ocho Rios.
Co-founders Koh and Blackwell said: "Last year was magical and had an incredible vibe. It will be hard to top, but we are sure going to try. We promise the best movies in the most ideal location and with a Jamaican flavor.

"The event will feature a conference, retreat, film festival, live music and tours to key spots. In short, it's your quickest way to experience the best of Jamaica and the Caribbean."

The program showcases over 350 reels including feature films, documentaries, and shorts from around the globe. The line-up includes retrospectives about surfing, French noir and Bob Marley. Screenings also explore the history of Hong Kong cinema, 007 flicks, westerns, midnite specials and Jamaican films.

Other highlights include surveys, music films and outstanding documentaries. Goldeneye Film Festival & Retreat is still accepting submissions.

The films run mainly in DVD format, projected onto screens around James Bond's birthplace. The festival, now in its second year, has opening and closing night outdoor screenings on Low Cay Beach.

Dashing 007 originated at this 15-acre seaside hideaway, which blossomed around Fleming's modernist villa. The author delighted in the landscape's richness and praised "the blazing sunshine, natural beauty and the most healthy life I could live." Today, his retreat is a boutique resort laced with beaches, tropical forest, caves and secluded nooks.

Intimate and informal, this idyll attracts celebrities and other lovers of luxury. Four villas stand on a bluff over the Caribbean Sea, while Fleming's former home overlooks a secluded cove. Stars and ordinary travelers alike appreciate Goldeneye for its warm, welcoming atmosphere, like staying in the home of a good friend.

The unobtrusive staff provides five-star service, but maintains the mellow island vibe. Best of all, the villas' privacy allows holidays to unfold graciously, far from the spotlight ... which was the very reason Fleming fell for this estate, full of "peace and silence and cut-offness from the madding world."

Film festival sponsors, partners and programs will be announced at a later date. David Koh, Head of Acquisitions & Productions for Blackwell's Palm Pictures, will serve as the Artistic Director and Co-Founder. He joins Chris Blackwell, the founder of Island Records, Island Pictures, Palm Pictures and Island Outpost.

More information about the event can be found on the website at www.goldeneyefilmfestival.com

Thanks to `JP` for the alert.