Jamaica's Film Industry to Benefit from Local Production Fund

Alison Latchman (center)  organiser of the Animae Caribe Festival, Kim Marie Spence (second left)  Film Commissioner at JAMPRO , and Michael Look Tong (second right) Director of Media Services at Flow, are flanked by  Kristin Solid (left) Senior Animator on Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End and James Parris (right) Oscar Award Winning     animator on The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.  The animators were specially invited guests at the Animae Caribe Festival held at JAMPRO on Saturday November 19.

Jamaica’s film production industry stands to benefit from increased funding for local productions if the recommendation of the Broadcasting Commission for the establishment of a local Content Production Fund is accepted and the new regulations are implemented.  This facility, complemented by government support, could play an important role in the further development of the industry by generating additional employment and creating other opportunities to increase the capacity and capabilities of the sector.

These points were reiterated by presenters at the recent Anime Caribe Film Festival which was held in Kingston. James Parris, a member of the Academy Award winning visual effects team for feature film The Curious Case of Benjamin Button believes that Government support can play an important role in the development of the industry. Pointing to Vancouver in Canada he said  “Vancouver currently rivals Los Angeles in film production.  That city’s film industry was built largely through extensive government grant support.”  Vancouver in British Columbia, Canada, is part of what is referred to as Hollywood North. The Government of British Columbia started providing direct assistance to the industry in 1985. Today total direct and indirect full time equivalent jobs generated by film and TV production in B.C. are estimated at over 36,000.

Michael Look Tong, Director of Media Services at Flow, highlighted the importance of a local production fund for the film industry.  “Flow recognizes the immense challenge that local film and television producers face in bringing their creative ideas for productions to the screen due to the lack of financing,” he said. “This challenge could be overcome with the implementation of the new broadcasting regulations which calls for the establishment of a well needed local production fund that would be financed by the new revenue streams that would be generated once local cable companies are able to sell advertising to local businesses on the international cable channels that we carry.”

Since the announcement by Chairman of the Broadcasting Commission Dr. Hopeton Dunn of the recommendation to set up the local production fund, filmmakers are yet to enjoy the advantages of this facility. The delay in the introduction of the new Jamaica Broadcast Media Policy is a major factor in this regard. The recommendations call for the introduction of new revenue streams for the Broadcasting Commission, a percentage of which would be used to finance the local production fund.  Without the implementation of the recommendations, the revenues and the resulting fund continue to elude the key stakeholders.

The revenues intended to support the local production fund include earnings from substituted advertising by cable operators, the annual license fees collected by the Broadcasting Commission from all broadcasters and fines collected from proposed new financial sanctions. Currently substituted advertising by cable operators is not permitted and free-to-air broadcasters are not required to pay the same license fees for broadcasting as are required from the cable operators. This is a presents an imbalance since cable operators are unable to accept paid advertising yet are required to pay license fees, while free-to-air broadcasters can accept advertising revenue and do not pay the same  license fees.

Despite the difficulties faced by local producers, Flow, Jamaica’s triple-play service provider since 2005, continues to provide another option for local content producers to broadcast their creative materials in a manner that is cost effective and profitable to them.

In August, Flow changed their information Channel 100 to Flow TV which is now a content driven channel featuring a variety of  local programming such as the Lauren O Lauren Show, Pree Dis, Glamour Zone, Vibes Cuisine and Business Suite. In 2010, Flow also launched Jamaica’s first video onDemand service which provides not only a broadcast channel for local programming but significantly,  opportunity for local producers to earn revenue from their productions.  Cabbie Chronicles Jamaica’s biggest success story in the animated film production sector,  is currently one of the most popular local features on Flow onDemand.  The producers of that programme earn a share of the revenue generated from onDemand viewership.