Paul Campbell wants to see more local films

One could listen all day and not be bored as Jamaica-born actor Paul Campbell speaks about his love and passion for the film industry.

As he sat in THE STAR offices earlier this week, he said his greatest wish is for the island to have a full field of filmmakers and producers.

"I have seen local actors branching off and making a name for themselves and I love that, and I wish I could see more and more doing that. There are many here in the diaspora like the producer for this film (referring to Jacinth Headlam, whose film Love After Holidays he is featured in). I want to see more of this. I wish to see Jamaica as the place where all of the actors are and I wish to see our film industry thriving," he said.

Last year, the Government set up the $1-billion Jamaica Screen Fund. The money will be provided over two years and is to help with stimulating the push of local content by offering creatives greater access to financing, in order to properly develop projects.

"I am truly anticipating to see what comes of that billion dollars. I am sure most people in the business of filmmaking are waiting for all these wonderful films. I am thankful to the Government who sees the needs and put up this billion dollars," Campbell said. He encouraged up-and-coming filmmakers not to halt when things seem difficult. He said he is also hoping to see more mentors for them.

"We need people to teach acting and we need people to have these students experience what it is like. I have an initiative called 'Shoot for the camera and not with the gun'. What I do is, I go into schools and I take kids who are interested in making this a reality for themselves. I bring them in and we tell a story and we write a story and we shoot it. The best part of it is when those kids sit down, and two days later we are showing this film, and you see their faces and they can't believe it's them. It is the beginning of something for them," he said.

Campbell is undoubtedly one of Jamaica's most prominent actors. He has had leading roles in films such as Dancehall Queen, The Lunatic, Third World Cop, Shottas and Out the Gate. He is known for his 'bad boy' or 'rough cop' characters, but in Love After Holidays, the 66-year-old shows off a more subtle side.

"The producer Jacinth Headlam asked me if I would play the role of her dad and I jumped at the opportunity. People are not used to me playing the good guy and I wanted people to get a chance to see the good guy. There are a lot of Jamaican stories about fathers who are not in their children's lives and this is pretty much what Mr Lawrence (his character) was. It's a pivotal part of the film that I am glad I got the chance to put down," he said.

"We far past tallawah and there are many little girls like Jacinth here in Jamaica and they just want the opportunity to show that. I never want to think that there is just one Paul Campbell. I want 10 million actors in calibre as Paul Campbell. The profession is a big thing. There is a check coming in for every old Hollywood actor, so if you are ready to tell your own stories, don't give up on yourself ," Campbell added.