Jamaican films search for international acclaim

Sadeke Brooks, Staff Reporter

With more mainstream presence locally and internationally in recent times, it seems the Jamaican film industry is starting to get the well-needed exposure it has been yearning.

Many films have been created but many of them go no further than film festivals.

However, Storm Saulter seems to have heralded a new era with the premiere of Better Mus' Come at Carib 5 in St Andrew earlier this month. Better Mus' Come is definitely being seen as a rebirth of the Jamaican film industry. People are very much encouraged," said director Storm Saulter.

He said this will not only lead to an increase in the quality of local films but also the frequency at which they are released.

According to Saulter, "the films we are making now are all poised to go international."

This, he said, is the case because filmmakers now have better technology which will allow them to produce work of a higher standard.

making strides

Already, the young filmmaker said Better Mus' Come has been making strides internationally, as overseas journalists who were at the premiere were "overwhelmingly positive".

He is also scheduled to do interviews on the film for Vibe and Billboard magazines.

"Our hope is that we can target these groups (overseas) and help to get the film to spill over into the wider population to make it a true success," Saulter told The Sunday Gleaner.

The international success of the film is even more likely, as Saulter has requests from on-demand cable stations. By early next year, he said, the movie will be shown in cinemas in Canada, North America, Europe and Japan. He predicted that the film will also take its place on regular cable stations later on.

But Saulter is not limiting himself, as he plans to also tackle other international film festivals, as well as the large Latin American market.

While the potential exists, filmmaker and co-founder of the Reggae News Corporation, Lloyd Laing, said "The viability of local films on the mainstream has had spotted success over the years."

"We have had many 'local' films produced by foreigners but, with the exception of Better Mus' Come, things have pretty much been the same for the last two years," he said

"However with burgeoning units such as Storm Saulter-led New Caribbean Cinema, I hope we can break the mould and see 100 per cent Jamaican-produced films hitting the international mainstream in five to seven years and shaking its indie-film youthfulness to become a dominant influence on the global circuit," he added.

Though completed long before Better Mus' Come, Shottas recently made a mark on the international scene.

Lately, the movie has been enjoying a long run on various STARZ channels.

One of the main characters in the film, dancehall artiste Spragga Benz, said he was pleased with the reception the 2001-released work has been getting.

"I am happy about it. Shottas being on STARZ has helped the music and the Jamaican film industry to be looked at as a serious entity. Hopefully, it will open doors for new films," he said, noting that the movie has also appeared on other cable stations.

"I am not sure to what extent it is getting into the mainstream, but it is getting there and a lot of people see it and identify it as a Jamaican film, and it has sold more than a million copies."

premiere

Another film, RiseUp, will premiere at local theatres next week. That film has already earned some level of international recognition. The movie, which features artistes such as Sizzla, Daddigon, Sly & Robbie, Richie Spice and Turbulence, toured the world for 18 months as an officially selected festival and special-event film, screening in more than 20 countries and winning awards such as the 2009 AFI-Discovery Channel Silverdocs Best Music Documentary Award.

Earlier this year, RiseUp was chosen by New York's Lincoln Center Film Society to celebrate Black History Month and a one-hour version of the film was broadcast by many television networks worldwide, including the BBC.

Executive producer for RiseUp, Mark Hart, said Jamaican audiences have been craving for local movies.

"I think Jamaicans have been deprived of local films. So I think there is a great demand for Jamaican films that are based on Jamaican stories," he told The Sunday Gleaner.

"I think every Jamaican should see this film (RiseUp). It is truly a masterpiece. We are happy to share it with everybody."

According to Hart, the type of progress taking place in the industry was hampered in the past because film training was lacking.

"There were just not that many people in Jamaica who were trained in the art of filmmaking. A true film school would go a far way to developing the talent required," he said.

He said people need good scripts in order to get financing. In addition, he said government could offer incentives, like taxbreaks, which would encourage companies to invest in the industry.

Director-producer-writer for the film 'Better Mus' Come', Storm Saulter (right) hangs out with his leading star, 'Ricky', Sheldon Shepherd during a limited premiere of the movie at The Carib on Thursday.