PRIMER FORO SOBRE LOS SERVICIOS AUDIOVISUALES EN EL EPA:
OPORTUNIDADES Y RETOS DEL SECTOR NACIONAL
Jueves 29 de Julio del 2010
2010, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
Strategic Vision-Film Trinidad and Tobago
 establish Trinidad and Tobago as a
premier film and television production
centre
 generate new opportunities for cultural
and social expression
 create opportunities for youth with new
skills, training and learning exchanges
 create programmes that empower,
enhance, improve lives – establish the
arts as a viable industry of the region
growing the Trinidad and Tobago film
industry
 a diversification process underway to
move away from oil and gas
 more support for the arts, film
entertainment from government
 incentives in law and dedicated agency
to manage the audiovisual industry’s
development created
 Incentives to encourage private sector
involvement in the audiovisual industry
a perfect location
 on-location in T&T, 2006-2009
UK Chef Gary Rhodes – Caribbean Cuisine
Contract Killers
Hit for Six
on Location in Trinidad and Tobago
 1999-2009 approximately 350 crews
selected Trinidad and Tobago as a
preferred location, creating expenditure
on goods and services.
 Fiscal incentives introduced in 2007 to
attract more productions. 4 features
from US and Europe to date and 2
expected within coming months.
Location Statistics
 Employment of Local Crew/Cast –
3,000.
 Spend on Local Goods and Services –
US$15M-n
 Multiplier effect of tourism promotion of
from films – screenings of local films at
Toronto Film Festival, New York,
Moscow, Norwegian Film Festival,
Portobello, Edinburgh Festivals.
GRANT FILM PROGRAMMES
Production Assistance and Script
Development
 Grant funded programme designed as
incubator programme.
 Grants of US$2,000 – US$15,000
awarded to first time script-writers and
film-makers.
 Project partnerships encouraged
between experienced and emerging
film-makers, supported by
public/private partnerships and funding
 Monitoring and Evaluation critical.
content development programs
developing capacity
Production / Script
Development
97
No of Scripts
30
No of Productions
67
Employment Generated 805
Feature Film / Shorts
Equity
10
PASD 2004-2008
Production Genre
Production Genre
No. of Productions
Documentaries
28
TV Series
26
Features
5
Animation
4
Marketing and Distribution
1
Educational Interactive
1
Production Booklet
1
DVD Production
1
EQUITY FILM PROGRAMMES
Feature Film Programme
 “Rose, Calypso Diva” is the first equity FFP film in production
scheduled for completion in December 2010. TTFC invested
US$150,000 in “Rose, Calypso Diva” a T&T-French co-production
which has generated positive interest among international buyers and
distributors. The Feature Film model an example of public - private
partnerships with national and international capital.
Short Drama Series / Linked Feature
Model – developing capacity
 Call for Short Dramas made in 2009.
TTFC invested approximately US$35,000
in three 30 minute shorts
 Shorts will be distributed individually
and film-makers will share in profits.
 TTFC to provide additional investment to
edit the 3 into a feature length film and
for marketing and distribution.
 T&T Film Festival 2010 – 1st screening
prior to sales and distribution.
INTERNSHIPS
Encouraging Competitiveness
 TTFC supports placement of interns on
all productions filming in T&T.
 Interns understudy in technical areas
such as camera, lighting, continuity
 Production Directory Database
developed – AV personnel encouraged
to become registered businesses
 Support to BA Film programme, UWI, St
Augustine; regional training needed
 EPA offers technical assistance
DISTRIBUTION
Screening Content -TV
 There are 11 TV stations in T&T – the
majority of stations show mainly US film
content.
 One station that makes a difference is
Gayelle-the Channel
Screening Local Content - Cinema
The Caribbean
 The promotion of local and regional cultural
content not valued in the Caribbean.
 There are
288 screens across the region
(no figures for Cuba, Grenada, French
Guinea, Curacao, St. Vincent and St. Barts.
 Trinidad and Tobago has 2 Cineplex's and 2
cinemas. No cinemas based in rural areas.
 Very few local / regional films shown on
Caribbean screens
Screening content – community
 Taking CINEMA to the people! Rural
communities suffer most cinemas in urban
areas.
 To develop appetite for local films,
and to promote content, film
screenings started in 2010
 Each month local films are screened in
different areas within Trinidad and Tobago
Integrating the cultural dimension,
promoting cultural diversity
 Cinemas throughout the Caribbean are
shrinking in number, and those that
remain are satellites of Hollywood
 Can the Caribbean know itself though the
Hollywood looking glass?
 Is there audience appreciation for local
and regional content?
 Co-productions one opportunity for the
region
FESTIVALS
TV film festival … ..
.
 2008 – broadcasters refused air time.
TTTF was required to pay about
US$75,000.00 to screen one-week of films
on 6 stations
 2010 – broadcasters offered FREE air
time, TTFC paid the producers and created
a marketing campaign in support of the
Festival
film and animation festivals
 the Trinidad and Tobago film
festival celebrates its 5th year 2010
 the Animae Caribe Festival
celebrates 9 years in 2010.
 ACP Film Exchanges - the TTFC
joined hands with BFM UK and
Zambia’s View Images Festival to
screen local films through the ACP
Film programme in 2010
T&T Diaspora Film Festivals
 Carrying local films to the diaspora!
 In 2010, TTFC began to screen films
to the wider diaspora community
 New York was the first stop in June 2010
and we will present at other diaspora cities
of Toronto, Miami, London and Atlanta
Inclusion of Regional Films
 Many films from the Dominican
Republic, Jamaica, Venezuela, Cuba,
Antigua are screened at the annual
Trinidad and Tobago film festivals.
 TTFF – 22 September–05 October
 Animae Caribe – November 2010
THE FUTURE
Creating a regional film industry
 Diaspora Festivals – creating our own
platforms - Muestra Caribe – one
platform for regional films
 CAN – the regional platform is forming
 What regional models can be
adapted to promote production and
exchange of cultural goods and
services.
expanding possibilities
 EPA – the Economic Partnership Agreement
seeks to integrate the cultural dimension
at all levels of development cooperation.
 EPA – is the region ready to enhance
exchange opportunities for cultural goods
 CARIFORUM – will regional governments,
act to place the cultural industries at the
front and center of new development
models?
THE TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO
FILM COMPANY
THANK YOU