By GENA GIBBS

Bahamas Information Services

NASSAU – The 4th An-nual Bahamas International Film Festival (BIFF) in conjunction with the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) and the British Colonial Hilton Hotel have collaborated to expand BIFF's popular Kid's Film workshop and integrate filmmaking programmes directly into neighbourhood classrooms.

Leading the way, Delores Ingraham, principal of C.C. Sweeting Senior High School, has included her school in the workshop, followed by C.V. Bethel Senior High, Uriah McPhee Primary School and St. Anne's High School.

Leslie Vanderpool, BIFF founder and executive director, announced during a press conference at the British Colonial Hilton that this initiative will take place Saturday, December 9, 2007 and Sunday, December 10, 2007.

"BIFF is committed to encouraging Bahamians to express themselves through film," Vanderpool said. "Students are excited by the filmmaking process and some dream about breaking into the film industry. BIFF plans to provide every opportunity and platform to make those dreams a reality."

The Royal Bank of Canada is sponsoring the children's workshops intended to heighten the awareness of the positive impact of media literacy.

The workshop is expected to have a long-term effect in developing Bahamian culture by way of filmmaking, music sound track production, claymation (sculpting with clay) and comic book productions. Its implementation is expected to facilitate an expression of excellence, as it evolves in an innovative children's mobile film studio.

This is all made possible courtesy of www.thedirectorscut.ca, which services over 7,000 children, ages five to 17, currently learning with interactive media and literacy programmes, as well as sound studio workshops throughout Canada.

During the workshop's press conference, Vanderpool paid tribute to Ingraham, acknowledging her commitment to children and pointing out that C.C. Sweeting Senior High is the first endeavour to launch this programme within the government school system.

Last year, the demand for the workshop yielded an overwhelming response but had limited space. However, this year, to avoid disappointing anyone, the Hilton will screen family films from BIFF's 2007 programme during the workshops as well as provide snacks for guest entertainment.