Too Long In The Wind: Whither Jamaican Feature Films?

reggae film festival 2012
Author

MICHAEL A. EDWARDS, EMX GROUP

Release Date

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Share


The preceding two years have been inarguably one of the most fertile periods for Jamaican feature films in quite some time. Between fully indigenous features, like Storm Saulter's "Betta Mus' Come" and Chris Brown's "Ghetta Life" and Jamaican- themed features made by expats, like Luciano Blotta's "Rise Up", "Out The Gate" and "A Dance For Grace" and those yet to come to wider public attention like "Bubblin'" one might be forgiven for believing that a revival is underway.

But as much as I congratulate the makers of the above films, the output is still paltry and more so when set against the near constant stream of commercials, music videos and sundry non-features, as well as the six decades or so of overall film making history in Jamaica. On the eve of our 50th anniversary of nationhood, and with the annual Reggae Film Festival appearing to find its footing, our scorecard in this, as in many other areas, simply doesn't make a great impression.

Why?

Easy question to pose, not so easy to answer. Sure, the boneheaded policies and lack of action on the part of successive Governments is a convenient and valid target, but propaganda notwithstanding, Governments don't make movies. Hollywood was essentially started by a bunch of wildcatters (a term I borrow from the oil industry), who went out and did what they believed in, making up the rules as they went along until the establishment caught up, and bought in. Of course, that was a century or so ago, and much has changed. But the underlying principles remain the same - the prize is there for those, like the above mentioned, who will risk all to take it. Simply put, there will be feature film industry when there are more Jamaicans making feature films.

Yes, cost is an issue, but these days, hardly an insurmountable one. The specific issue here is value -or the lack thereof. Corporate Jamaica has for many years done its best to pretend that Jamaican film doesn't exist, but ironically, the multinationals here have been quick to pursue commercial tie-ins with some of the big Hollywood blockbusters.. Of course, it's hardly surprising; they pretended for years that reggae and dancehall (yes, I separate the two) didn't exist also. Now, the biggest corporate entities are eager to draft reggae and dancehall artistes as shills for their brands.

Ghett'a Life was released with financing from the Pan Caribbean Financial Group in a widely trumpeted deal that is indeed a high-water mark in the field, but which in more sophisticated markets, is de rigeur. Not that independent film makers have an easy time of it North America, Europe, Australia or South Africa. But suffice to say that the rabid aversion displayed by our financiers to the creative industries is generally not shared in those metropoles.

But it's likely that their attitudes would change if confronted with a groundswell of indigenous feature productions - regardless of length. I understand that the lack of available funding presents a kind of Catch-22 to aspiring film makers, but our history confirms that we've never been the sort of people to be held back by a mere absence of formal support. The causes, factors and challenges are all there before us; the only thing that will change the situation is......action!

Maybe this recent spurt is but the spearhead; the first real wave of Jamaican cinema could be right around the corner. I sure hope so, and I support those as yet unseen, unheard Jamaican auteurs who are doing it on their steam, or with limited funding. Keep at it. You have a silent crowd of witnesses watching you and an audience - Jamaican and global - hungry for your stories and visions.

Photo Credit To Miss Gaza

Michael Edwards is a freelance contributor with MNI Alive and the CEO of EMX Group

{loadposition facebook}

Latest Stories