Jamaican creatives off to South Africa

Jamaica's Film Commission, through the Jamaica Promotions Corporation (JAMPRO), will lead a delegation of eight film-makers and animators to Cape Town, South Africa, for MIP Africa/FAME Week from September 1-5.

Regarded as the premier event for African creatives, MIP Africa/FAME Week offers a vital platform for showcasing talent, stories, and culture. This significant event, supported by JAMPRO, the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, and the CHASE Fund, highlights Jamaica's commitment to international collaboration and global talent showcasing.

Jackie Jackson, film commissioner, emphasised the significance of the mission in accessing new collaborative opportunities.

"South Africa's growing film market presents untapped potential. This initiative represents a major step in our creative efforts, with South Africa's market reaching 60 million people, and 1.4 billion across the continent," she said.

Locally produced screen projects have been benefiting from the Government's Jamaica Screen Development Initiative, which invests $1 billion to support and advance film-making.

JAMPRO President Shullette Cox emphasised the mission's alignment with supporting local content creators and enhancing global visibility.

"This aligns with the Government's aim of supporting our local content creators and storytellers to not only complete their projects, but also produce commercially viable content for the global stage. Our authentic, Jamaican stories deserve to be told, both in traditional and untraditional markets, and we remain optimistic that the participants will benefit tremendously from this event," Cox said.

The delegation to South Africa includes Horane Henry, Wentworth Kelly and Sosiessia Nixon Kelly from Ikon Media; Tanya Batson Savage and Analisa Chapman from Have a Bawl Productions; Tashara-Lee Johnson from The LAB; Orville Matherson from YaadBoiiz Film Productions; producer and location manager Joel Thyme; and film-maker Mykal Kushnie.

They aim is to forge international connections, secure distribution deals, and explore co-productions.

Additionally, representatives from Goal Post, a new post-production house offering advanced services like colour grading and sound mixing, will attend.