Krista Henry, Staff Reporter
Cover art for the 'Dancehall Queen' DVD. - Contributed
The Jamaican film industry will be finally getting the assistance needed to help boost it worldwide, with the creation of the Jamaican Film Academy.
Created during 'Reggae Month' in February, the Jamaican Film Academy is an initiative that falls under the Ministry of Information, Culture, Youth and Sports.
Presentations were made during the Reggae Film Festival, which was held from February 20-22.
According to Andrew Clunis, director of communication in the Ministry of Information, Culture, Youth and Sports, "The film academy was set up to follow Jamaica's proud film history. It is an aspect of our culture that has not been recognised in a formal way locally."
Six inductees
Six greats in the Jamaican filmmaking business were inducted into the newly created Jamaican Film Academy. They include the late Perry Henzell, who is the director of The Harder They Come, and Franklyn 'Chappie' St Juste, a cinemato-grapher and current lecturer at the Caribbean Institute of Media and Communication.
Also inducted is documentarian Cynthia Wilmot; Chris Blackwell, producer and funder of many Jamaican films; screenwriter Trevor Rhone, and actor Carl Bradshaw.
Develop talent
Clunis stated that St Juste, Wilmot, Blackwell, Rhone and Bradshaw will assist in guiding the development of the film industry, as they will act as an advisory board.
"They are all pioneers in the field and speak to the richness of the film industry," he said.
Clunis told The Sunday Gleaner that one of the specific goals of the film academy is to bring the Jamaican film industry to a standard that is acceptable internationally.
He said they were working towards several goals, including funding for various film projects.
Jamaica's film industry is small, but turns out top-quality, thought-provoking productions, such as The Harder They Come and Dancehall Queen, both of which had a favourable impact.
Yet, the industry has been slow in developing.
However, with the help of the film academy, it is hoped that it will develop in the future.
