Less money spent on marketing and promoting film industry, says JTI

EMPLOYMENT from creative industry projects within film, TV, photography, radio and music --facilitated through government --declined by two-thirds to 770 persons whilst capital spend declined over one-third to $292.6 million, during the fiscal year ending March 2010 compared with the prior fiscal year.

Jamaica Trade and Invest (JTI), which is the facilitating or administering agency, blamed the "global economic downturn" and "less money on marketing and promotion" for the decline but expects improvement in the ensuing fiscal year.

JTI head of communication Mark Thomas in a written statement added: "The dependence on investment from overseas productions resulted in the economic downturn being felt more acutely in our industry. Consequently, we are examining ways to further expand and strengthen our local film industry."Part of that strategy involved the recent hiring of former Rhode Scholar, academic and music promoter Kim-Marie Spence as film commissioner. The administration of projects, especially for film, means that JTI offers tax and other incentives to film-makers and the attendant support services through the Film Commission at JTI.

The downturn occurred despite the filming in February of Knight & Day (20th Century Fox) starring US actors Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz. It earned the country US$1.5 million ($134.2 million) during just a week of filming in Portland. Other noted projects in 2009 included: Music Nomad, National Geographic; Bigga, Liquid Light Digital; Going Back, Ricochet Films; Nasuba Bank (French West Africa); In The Dance, 21 Home Entertainment; Dance for Grace, Tower Isle; and Small Island, Television Ruby Limited.

The appeal of Jamaica as a film destination has arguably waned, with most of the island's big budget films shot years ago, including How Stella Got Her Groove Back, starring Angela Bassett; The Blue Lagoon, starring Brooke Shields; and The Harder They Come, starring Jamaican-born Jimmy Cliff. Last week, respected Jamaican actor Paul Campbell told the Observer that his formal suggestions to fortify the film industry have not been implemented.

"The time is right to move the film industry forward, and in Jamaica we have so many stories to tell - the White Witch of Rose Hall, the Morant Bay Rebellion, Lovers' Leap -- great stories ...stories about the ghettos. We shouldn't have to wait until Palm Pictures or some foreign company comes in and decides to do a film and use Jamaica for the backdrop," he told Splash last week. "If Jamaica's film industry gets up and is on the run, there are so many jobs that can be created. We owe it to the next generation."

In the 2008/9 fiscal year capital expenditure and employment associated with creative industry projects amounted to $470.2 million and 2,155 persons. It dropped in 2009/10 fiscal year to $292.6 million and 770 persons.

JTI said it has planned promotional activities "geared towards positioning Jamaica as the most diverse location in the Caribbean" and expects to see an "improvement in the sector for the ongoing fiscal year. Among the existing incentives offered to attract film-makers are a GCT rebate of 17.5 per cent on all goods and services purchased in Jamaica, a 70 per cent investment allowance for expenditure on production facility; and tax-free dividends to shareholders in Recognised Motion Picture (RMP) production companies according to JTI.