Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands– She may only be 10-years old but actress Saniyya Sidney has worked with some of the best in the business already, and this weekend she will attend the CayFilm International Film Festival. Sidney is probably best known for playing Taraji P. Henson’s daughter in the 2016 Oscar-nominated film “Hidden Figures”. She was also handpicked by Denzel Washington to play the character of Raynell in another Oscar-nominated film “Fences” which he directed and starred in, and for which Viola Davis won Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role.
Before those breakout performances, Sidney was “Young Kizzy” in the new adaptation of Alex Haley’s “Roots”, which was directed by actor Mario Van Peeples. She is now awaiting the release of her comedy debut where she plays comedian Kevin Hart’s daughter in the film “Kevin Hart’s Guide to Black History”. She was also cast as Lila in the feature “Fast Color” starring Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Lorraine Toussaint. Her next project is the lead role of ‘Amy’ in the Rigley Scott’s project “The Passage.” The FOX pilot is based on the bestselling books of the same name.
“We are so delighted that Saniyya is able to join us this weekend. She’s a busy little girl and actually filming while she’s here in Cayman so we really appreciate her taking the time to join us,” said Festival Director Tony Mark. “What she has accomplished in such a short time is remarkable and we can’t wait to see what else life has in store for her.” Sidney will be presenting the CayFilm Lifetime Achievement Award to Pixar founder Loren Carpenter as well as the CayFilm Award for Best Animated Film.
The CayFilm Cayman International Film Festival takes place from June 30th to July 3rd, and includes daily film screenings, question and answer sessions with filmmakers, panel discussions, workshops, a celebrity gala event and an awards ceremony. Both VIP and General Admission tickets are on sale and available at Cathy Church’s Photo Centre and online at cayfilm.com.
CayFilm 2017 is sponsored by Audi Cayman, Ministry of Tourism, Department of Tourism and is made possible with a grant from the Cayman National Cultural Foundation. ends About CayFilm Cayman International Film Festival CayFilm Cayman International Film Festival is an annual mult
i-day spectacular event designed to create new interest and excitement about the Cayman Islands as a world-class filming destination. Included in the festival will be daily film screenings, question and answer sessions with filmmakers, panel discussions, workshops, exclusive premiere screenings, and two celebrity gala events.
It is our vision to open up the Cayman Islands to the film industry around the world whilst opening up the world to Cayman’s young and aspiring filmmakers. The Festival team is also working to develop the Cayman Media Academy (CMA) under the CayFilm umbrella to educate Cayman’s youth by offering classes and qualifications relating to different career fields within the industry. This will be run throughout the year with the eventual goal of having a full-time degree programme available at our own purpose-built facility. Young children will have their own specially designed programmes to inspire and give confidence about their own unique abilities as filmmakers.
