Benefits of Co-Production Treaty Promoted in UK

The benefits of the Co-production Treaty with the United Kingdom (UK), were actively promoted this week by Jamaica Trade and Invest, formerly JAMPRO.
Led by Trade Commissioner, Del Crooks, a Jamaica Trade and Invest team participated in the Broadcast Live Showcase in London, which is a premier business conference and exhibition for professionals working in all areas of video content, creation, management and delivery.
The Co-production Treaty, which will facilitate film production in Jamaica and the United Kingdom, was signed in April by Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller.
During the three-day event, the team hosted a news conference to highlight the Treaty. The UK Minister of Film, Shaun Woodward, welcomed the Treaty and said he hoped it would see the beginning of much more collaboration between Jamaica and the UK, as there were many stories to be told. Clair Wise of the UK Film Council, who also spoke at the news conference, said she hoped the Treaty would be ratified in the near future. The conference was also addressed by Jamaica’s Deputy High Commissioner to the UK, Sharon Saunders.
The Treaty, which is the first such agreement between the UK and any Caribbean country, includes provision that could boost direct and indirect employment within the industry. Jamaican and UK film makers could also enjoy similar incentives, including duty concessions.
Jamaica will also have access to the other countries that previously signed similar Treaties with the UK. The Co-production Treaty is in keeping with the Government’s development strategy for the local film industry that provides new incentives for using local film production services.
According to Jamaica Trade and Invest, the local film industry earned an estimated $1.2 billion during the last financial year and provided employment for more than 3,000 people.