Nevis’ Summer Movie Festival brings final big screen movie experience on the weekend
CHARLESTOWN, NEVIS, August 23, 2021 (MMS-SKN) — Three movies are on the card this weekend as Nevis’ Convergence Entertainment brings down curtains on this year’s Summer Movie Festival (SMF) big screen experience at the Nevis Performing Arts Centre (NEPAC) in Pinney’s Industrial Site.
The Summer Movie Festival, which is the brainchild of Mr Jermaine Stapleton, CEO of Convergence Entertainment, has given the people of Nevis an opportunity to watch big screen movies following the country’s near shutdown of the entertainment activities as a result of the Covid pandemic.
“We have three movies that will be screened at NEPAC’s Michael Herald Sutton Auditorium this weekend,” said Mr Stapleton. “The movies are Minions, Prey, and Jurassic World. On Saturday August 27, we will show all the three movies, starting at 3:00 p.m. with Minions. Two movies will be screened on Sunday August 28, starting with Minions at 3:30 p.m., followed by Jurassic World at 6:00 p.m.”
However, Convergence Entertainment was launched in December 2019, and according to Mr Stapleton, the idea was to give the residents of Nevis an opportunity to watch movies on the big screen and also to give them the opportunity to socialise as opposed to one watching movies on the TV or on tablets at home alone or with only members of the immediate family.
For a period of three month, before Covid-19 pandemic paralysed all forms of large scale entertainment, Convergence Entertainment would under the brand ‘Movies at NEPAC’ brought blockbuster films to the island’s residents, creating a place for friends and family to socialise and enjoy the thrill and joyous experience of going to the movies.
“The reception prior to Covid was really good,” stated Mr Stapleton. “Since Covid we have had to build back our audience. I guess there are other entertainment options, but the economy was still a little bit tough for a lot of people, and so we have been able to be consistent every month since we re-launched under the brand ‘Summer Movie Festival’ with some help from our partners and marketing partners as well and so we are grateful for that.”
The ‘Summer Movie Festival’ brand, according to Mr Stapleton, is a celebration of summer and enjoying summer and having fun with movies. The first event under that brand was on Saturday July 9 at the Malcolm Guishard Recreational Park.
On Thursday July 14, at NEPAC’s Michael Herald Sutton Auditorium, ‘Summer Movie Festival’ partnered with MSR Media SKN and the Department of Social Services in the Nevis Island Administration to show a film made on Nevis, ‘A Week in Paradise’, to the seniors of the island.
Subsequent to the successful screening of the popular ‘A Week in Paradise’ movie, the following day on Friday July 15 they partnered with the Department of Community Development to show a film to the children attending summer camps across various communities in Nevis. On the same day (Friday) they also screened a film in collaboration with the Department of Youth for school leavers.
After this weekend’s Summer Movie Festival brand shows, Convergence Entertainment will revert back to the weekend Movies at NEPAC brand. But Mr Stapleton has hinted to the fact that all next year’s movies under the Summer Movie Festival will be screened at the Malcolm Guishard Recreational Park to give movie goers a great sense of outdoor outing.
The CEO of Convergence Entertainment thanks his mother, Mrs Viana Stapleton-Powell, who handles all the foods and beverages. He noted that she is one of the key supporters and drivers of the business, ever since it started.
He has also thanked the many partners of Convergence Entertainment who have sponsored him since the venture was launched. In conclusion Mr Stapleton said: “This weekend’s showing has Watch & Win Giveaway promotion where movie goers can win prizes from our sponsors, Red Ibis, Sassy V Collectables, and Carib Breweries.”
