Government is seeking to expand the offerings of Barbados’ film sector.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office, Senator Dr Shantal Munro-Knight, said in three weeks following last Tuesday’s National Consultation on Film at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre, a policy paper will be presented to Cabinet for the development of a policy framework to shape the future of the local film industry.
Speaking at the opening of the consultation, Dr Munro-Knight said the policy framework will include an incentive regime to attract international investment and also to boost the development of the local sector.
“That policy framework that we intend to take, very much depends on the robustness of our discussions today, during this national consultation,” she said.
The minister said that while destinations like Barbados previously had to depend on a small niche in the film industry, there is now a growing potential that the island can become part of that mainstream hub for the establishment of production spaces.
She noted that one of the key initiatives that needs to be put in place to capitalize on the film industry, is the opening up of long-term investment in production.
“It means that we have greater opportunities in Barbados to explore the potential for the island to be the premier destination for film production, opening up opportunities for investment as well as further fostering an enabling environment for local content creation and distribution opportunities,” she said.
The central focus of the national stakeholder consultation on film will be to chart the way forward for the development of Barbados’ film sector, identify the key players to be engaged and position the Barbados film sector for a post-COVID economic growth and transformation.
During the consultation, stakeholders discussed the current status of the sector, the stage of its development and Barbados’ strengths in comparison to regional and international trends. The role of the National Film Commission in driving the development of the film sector in Barbados was also reviewed, in addition to examining current regional and international trends.
Dr Munro-Knight added that one intention of Government’s Reclaiming Our Atlantic Destiny (ROAD) project, is to say to Barbadians and the world that Barbados is in the moment of redefining the story of its history.
“One of the elements of that ROAD project is an Atlantic SoundStage. That Atlantic SoundStage is intended to provide the opportunity for our stories to be told. It is intended to provide an opportunity to build capacity within the sector, to make sure that our voices are projected globally, that our stories are redefined for ourselves globally as well.
“The sound stage will include recording studios for various different types of production. It is a commitment that the Government of Barbados is making to the sector that we will see the growth of this sound stage. We are actively talking to partners and seeking investment to ensure that this comes to a fruition,” she said. (AH)
