“Church Affairs doesn’t read like a novel from a first time author,” says Jeevan Robinson of mnialive.com. “Semper handles the story like someone with two or three books already under his belt.”

The 300-page book delves into the lives of three ambitious young women Jynene, Shivon, and Stephanie whose journeys become intertwined as they help each other deal with their troubled pasts.

Semper, a licensed pilot now living in Arlington, Texas introduces the handsome and charismatic Pastor Robert Grant who can have his pick of the women in his congregation. However, it is Jynene with the violent history that catches his eye but her past may just be their undoing. Pastor Grant has troubles of his own as he is unconvinced that God has called him to the ministry, and being on the inside at St. Luke United Church leaves him with thoughts that church may be nothing more than a “racket.”

“There is nothing but drama surrounding church and church people and I have heard enough real life church-stories to fill a couple of books. It just seemed like an obvious choice when I started,” said the author. “There are obviously other themes in the book besides church people and their drama, but that was a good a place to start as any.”

Church Affairs explores the timely issues of domestic violence, religion, and love against the backdrop of the church— and forbidden affairs.

You can take a sneak peek inside Church Affairs on amazon.com and other online retailers.

About goldenmedia Montserrat

goldenmedia Montserrat is a public and media relations firm that has been working with young entrepreneurs in the creative arts and the non-profit sectors in the Caribbean for more than five years. Its flagship brand is trulycaribbean.net, which is a web portal that celebrates the work of Caribbean people, and provides information and resources to boost spirit, mind and body.

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Photo captions:

(1)   Author of Church Affairs, Theo Semper

(2)   Cover of Church Affairs by Montserratian author Theo Semper is now available on amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com.

ICT Roadshow St. Maarten is the first part of a week-long programme of activities which has been dubbed St. Maarten ICT Week and runs until August 20^th at the Westin Dawn Beach Resort. All of the sessions are free to the general public.

Cassell is the first lawyer in the Eastern Caribbean to specialize in intellectual property and entertainment law.  His expertise first came to the attention of the roadshow organizers, the Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU) during the ICT Roadshow Montserrat back in April. The dynamic speaker looked at the potential for the region to expand in the area of trademark and branding registration and also highlighted the necessity for this to become an integrated system to protect the ideas of entrepreneurs in the Caribbean.

The lawyer who recently released “O’Habits: 40 Success Habits of Oprah Winfrey,” says as the use of technology in the region continues to expand at rapid rates, individuals and companies must be aware that they need to protect those intangible assets, of words, music, inventions and brands.

“Most business people, whether they are just beginning or have been around for decades don’t really understand the tremendous potential for income by registering their trademarks and also why it is vital that they protect their intellectual property. We usually think of it in terms of musicians and artists, who write songs, paint pictures or photography, but a business that has cornered a market on a recipe, a particular methodology of deploying services to clients, should also consider protecting these ideas,” explained Cassell.

He added that with so many companies now offering services and products online, the risk increases that they can be exploited for gain by others. Cassell suggests companies have IP audits done, to ascertain the value of their IP portfolio and the necessary steps which need to be taken to protect them.

Wikipedia defines Intellectual property (IP) as a number of distinct types of creations of the mind for which property rights are recognised. Under intellectual property law, owners are granted certain exclusive rights to a variety of intangible assets, such as musical, literary, and artistic works; discoveries and inventions; and words, phrases, symbols, and designs. Common types of intellectual property include copyrights, trademarks, patents, industrial design rights and trade secrets in some jurisdictions.

Mr. Cassell will be available to answer questions immediately following his presentation.

About goldenmedia Montserrat

goldenmedia Montserrat is a public and media relations firm that has been working with young entrepreneurs and the non-profit sector in the Caribbean for more than five years. Its flagship brand is trulycaribbean.net, which is a web portal that celebrates the work of Caribbean people, and provides information and resources to boost spirit, mind and body.

ENDS

Photo captions:

(1)   Entertainment and Intellectual Property lawyer Warren Cassell from Montserrat will speak on the importance of intellectual property protection on Monday afternoon at the ICT Roadshow on St. Maarten.

(2)   Cassell is also the author of O’Habits: 40 Success Habits of Oprah Winfrey

]]> http://www.gmedia.trulycaribbean.net/?feed=rss2&p=93 0 http://www.gmedia.trulycaribbean.net/?p=71 http://www.gmedia.trulycaribbean.net/?p=71#comments Wed, 30 Jun 2010 16:21:31 +0000 admin http://www.gmedia.trulycaribbean.net/?p=71 You got to love Google and YouTube.  I am loving this SearchStories Channel, where you get to create your own short story. I just did one about goldenmedia Montserrat.

Take a look.

“We are blessed,” says Mitzi Allen, Producer and General Manager for HAMAfilms Antigua and one half of the husband and wife duo behind The Sweetest Mango. “What’s amazing to us is that this movie is 10 years old and we get asked to screen it all the time.”

The romantic comedy is playing until June 30^th as part of the Island Hopping Film Fest organized by the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival.

Earlier this month the Antigua & Barbuda Association in Atlanta Georgia hosted a screening for the movie which received rave reviews from attendees. “We thoroughly enjoyed The Sweetest Mango and look forward to seeing more of your productions. You represent Antigua/Barbuda well,” said Dean Benta, one of the organizers on the HAMAfilms Antigua Facebook profile.

Directed by Howard Allen, the movie tells the story of how he and his wife Mizi met. “The idea for the movie came about after I read Howard the entry from my diary about when he gave me the grafted mango. It was called “The Sweetest Mango” and Howard said he thought it would make a great story for a film,” remembers Mitzi. “Fast forward two years and we decided to take the EC$50,000 we had saved to build our dream home and make the movie. The project eventually cost $350,000 including the marketing. Looking back we sometimes think we must have been crazy because we did so much of it ourselves. We produced documentaries, commercials and other TV shows to cover the cost of making this movie.”

Antiguan author D. Gisele Isaac wrote the script and the movie was produced with a local cast comprising of Centelia Browne, Denise Francis, Janil Greenaway, Julie Hewlett, Berni Isaac, Jermilla Kirwan, Omar Mathurin, and Mervyn Richard. Jermilla Kirwan played Lovelyanne Davies, a national returning from Canada, just like Mitzi had done shortly before meeting Howard. Omar Mathurin plays her love interest Richard Warren, a graphics designer by day with big dreams of being a recording artist.

Unprecedented for movies made in the region, the movie continues to bring attention to the filmmakers and the island of Antigua. It has since played on regional and international film festivals and aired on the Caribvision cable channel seen around the region and in the US on Direct TV.

“Howard and Mitzi Allen have not stuck to anyone’s script but their own,” says Nerissa Golden, a media strategist and family friend. “They want to tell stories from a Caribbean perspective about Caribbean people and that is what they continue to do. Their style resonates around the world because Caribbean people are everywhere and the people of the world love the Caribbean. It’s a winning formula for movie making.”

Ten years later, the filmmakers have four films under their belt. No Seed (2002) a political drama, and Diablesse (2005), a mystical thriller followed The Sweetest Mango (2000). The Skin, their latest project is presently in post production.

No Seed” (2002) will be showing in Atlanta, Georgia on Wednesday June 30th as part of Caribbean American Heritage Month. The screening will be at the Atlanta/Fulton public library on Margaret Mitchell Square from 6 p.m.

“Congratulations!! Wonderful! You set a great example for Jamaican and Caribbean film makers,” comments Barbara Blake Hannah, a filmmaker and founder of the Reggae Film Festival in Jamaica on Facebook.

“The film for us is successful because we inspired a generation of young filmmakers and made dreams come true for all those involved and opened the door to numerous possibilities,” says Mitzi. “In the future we want to help others tell their Caribbean stories as well.”

You can learn more about The Sweetest Mango, and their newest project, The Skin at http://theskinahamafilm.wordpress.com.

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Caption:

(1)Original movie posted for The Sweetest Mango

(2) Howard and Mitzi Allen, say they are blessed to be able to leave their dream every day and make movies for and about Caribbean people. The Sweetest Mango is celebrating 10 years and is still a film festival favourite.

During the film’s production last June, WINAIR carried the lead actors, production crew and equipment to Barbuda for some on location shooting.

“Our partnership with WINAIR was a crucial part of the film production. The airline transported the cast, crew and equipment to Barbuda where we spent two days shooting several scenes. There were 12 of us on the aircraft. It was an adventure for the US crew who I think up until that point had never been on a small plane,” explained Mitzi Allen.

Schena Drew, WINAIR’s Station Manager for Antigua, Barbuda and Montserrat said “Winair is very pleased to be associated with the production of THE SKIN by HAMAfilms. This was an ultimate opportunity for us to transport the production crew and equipment to our sister island Barbuda, one of our newest additions to our routes.”

The movie, which stars Jamaican film star Carl Bradshaw, Jeff Stewart of The Bill and Peter Williams, along with Antiguan leads Brent Simon and Aisha Ralph is the fourth feature film for the husband and wife duo behind HAMAfilms Antigua, Howard and Mitzi Allen.

THE SKIN, which was written and directed by Howard Allen, tells the story of a young couple who discover an ancient artifact which changes their lives and unleashes a soucayant.

WINAIR also received some screen time and is clearly visible in the first trailer released for the movie. View the trailer on the TrulyCaribbean YouTube channel.

“When it came time to get shots of the plane landing and taking off the pilots proved to be real pros. No re-takes needed. We can’t thank them enough for being so gracious in supporting an industry that is in its infancy in Antigua & Barbuda,” the producer said.

Drew says WINAIR would benefit from the additional exposure as a result of providing strategic support for the production. “This move will bring more heightened awareness to our service. We are a leading safe, viable and reliable regional carrier and with the intended viewership across the Caribbean, this is an ideal way to promote our destinations and our company. I was very happy to have met a few of the cast and Howard and Mitzi. I wish them every success in their endeavors.”

THE SKIN is expected to debut in cinemas around the Caribbean this summer. Visit the movie blog at http://theskinahamafilm.wordpress.com for pictures, and read production notes on the movie.

HAMAfilms Antigua received international attention for their first and most profitable film The Sweetest Mango, followed by No Seed and Diablesse. The company also recently produced and released the drama series Paradise View, which can now be seen across the Caribbean and in the US on Caribvision.

View the trailer on the TrulyCaribbean YouTube channel.

WINAIR provides air services to the Northeast Caribbean including St Barth’s, Saba, St Eustatius, Nevis, Montserrat, Barbuda, St Maarten and Antigua. Winair will also be introducing more routes to Tortola, Dominica, St. Lucia and Barbados in the near future.

About goldenmedia Montserrat

goldenmedia Montserrat is a public and media relations firm that has been working with young entrepreneurs and the non-profit sector in the Caribbean for more than five years. Its flagship brand is trulycaribbean.net, which is a web portal that celebrates the work of Caribbean people, and provides information and resources to boost spirit, mind and body.

ENDS

Photo captions:

(1) Windward Islands Airways (WINAIR) uses 19-seater Twin Otter aircrafts to service the Northeastern Caribbean. The airline was a strategic partner during the production of THE SKIN, the fourth feature film by HAMAfilms Antigua coming to theatres in July 2010.

(2) The crew captures Aisha Ralph on Barbuda’s pink sand beach for THE SKIN, coming to theatres in July 2010.

“I have learned that you can do what you love and earn an income from it. Your love for baking, fashion, photography, computers, numbers, organizing are all potential moneymakers,” said Golden. “Your passion is the thing you do and would do without thinking about being paid for it. However, that passion has value and it is the best foundation on which to build a successful business.”

The seminars will be held twice monthly with the first on Saturday, May 8 at the Grand View Bed & Breakfast in Baker Hill. They will run from 8:30am to noon and will only cater to 20 persons at a time. “My vision is to teach the principles that have enabled me to start several successful ventures, including an alternative learning school and also how to overcome the fears that usually stop us from fulfilling our dreams of owning a business,” explained the author of The Making of a Caribbeanpreneur: Strategies for Overcoming Fear and Building Wealth.

“Many times our biggest obstacle isn’t finances, it’s our own fears and this seminar tackles those issues head on. There are a lot of classes that teach about writing a business plan and marketing but before we even get to the plan we must recognize what we ultimately want to do and deal with the roadblocks that often times we put in our own way.”

Golden has been a featured speaker for the Cayman Islands Investment Bureau’s Inspiring Women Entrepreneurs Forum, the Barbados Youth Business Trust, and the Caribbean Young Entrepreneurs Symposiums (YES). She is the owner of goldenmedia Montserrat, a public and media relations firm that has been working with young entrepreneurs and the non-profit sector in the Caribbean for more than five years. Its flagship brand is trulycaribbean.net, which is a web portal that celebrates the work of Caribbean people, and provides information and resources to boost spirit, mind and body.

Each seminar cost EC$ 100 and interested persons must register in advance. Call Tel: 495-4420 to register or email: info@trulycaribbean.net.

Photo caption: Nerissa Golden will host the Work Your Passion Montserrat seminar on Saturday May 8th and May 22, 2010 at the Grand View Bed & Breakfast in Baker Hill.

Antigua’s Aisha Ralph on set of THE SKIN, coming this summer 2010 to theatres.

ST. JOHNS, Antigua – HAMAfilms Antigua has released the first trailer for its latest movie project THE SKIN.

View the trailer on the TrulyCaribbean YouTube channel.

Mitzi Allen, the producer of the movie launched the film on their Facebook fan page on Saturday morning and the reviews have already begun to pour in.

“We want to make this project viral,” Allen said. “By time the movie hits theatres this summer we want the entire Caribbean and the world to be buzzing about THE SKIN.”

THE SKIN tells the story of a young couple who discover an ancient artifact which changes their lives and unleashes a soucayant.

The movie stars Jamaican film icon, Carl Bradshaw of Third World Cop and The Harder They Come; The Bill’s Jeff Stewart, Peter Williams of Stargate SG1 and A Winter Tale, and features Antigua’s Brent Simon and Aisha Ralph as the lead characters. Veron Stoute and Latisha Greene make their film debut in the new movie.

Work on the film began last June, which was written and directed by Howard Allen. Principal cinematography was done by S. Torriano Berry, an accomplished scholar and award-winning filmmaker.

“This is our fourth film and our most ambitious project to date, bringing together folks from the US/UK/Canada and Jamaica,” says Mitzi Allen. “It feels more like a real collaboration of talent. We will be submitting THE SKIN to as many film festivals as possible and we will also have special screenings across the Caribbean so when we say ‘coming soon to a theatre near you’, we mean it!”

THE SKIN is expected to debut in cinemas around the Caribbean this summer. Visit the movie blog at http://theskinahamafilm.wordpress.com for pictures, and read production notes on the movie.

The project is produced by HAMAfilms Antigua with support from the private sector and the Antigua & Barbuda Ministry of Tourism. HAMAfilms Antigua received international attention for their first and most profitable film The Sweetest Mango, followed by No Seed and Diablesse. The company also recently produced and released the drama series Paradise View, which can now be seen across the Caribbean and in the US on Caribvision.

View the trailer on the TrulyCaribbean YouTube channel.

About goldenmedia Montserrat

goldenmedia Montserrat is a public and media relations firm that has been working with young entrepreneurs and the non-profit sector in the Caribbean for more than five years. Its flagship brand is trulycaribbean.net, which is a web portal that celebrates the work of Caribbean people, and provides information and resources to boost spirit, mind and body.