PM Launches Jamaica Screen Development Initiative

Locally made screen productions are now able to benefit from financial support under a new programme dubbed the Jamaica Screen Development Initiative (JSDI).

The major project was launched by Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, at the Office of the Prime Minister on Wednesday (January 31).

It is being made possible through a budgetary allocation of $1 billion by the Government to support film and film-making in Jamaica.

Through the JSDI, creators of all genres of feature films and short films, animated shorts, web series/episodics and miniseries, reality and/or unscripted content, can apply to benefit from grants or loans at different stages of production.

Overall, the initiative, which is being managed by the Jamaica Promotions Corporation (JAMPRO), is expected to be a key pillar in the growth of the local film industry.

Prime Minister Holness, in his address, said: “Jamaica has an incredible history of film that not many other countries can claim. We have a voice that is amplified on the world stage. No other country of our size and stage of development has that story or access to this world platform.

“We’re going to expand our ability to generate more revenues and then we’re going to use those increased revenues to focus on the development of our people and our culture, because it is the productivity of our people and our culture that will lead to peace and [will] lead to prosperity,” he noted.

For his part, Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Senator the Hon. Aubyn Hill, hailed Jamaica’s film industry as a “growth industry”.

“Jamaica is well known for its vibrant culture, rich history, athletics, music, dance, hospitality, tourism and, most recently, for the best in class, internationally recognised managers of a well-run economy and country… [and] the film industry is a part of [that],” the Minister said.

Providing an overview of the JSDI, JAMPRO President, Shullette Cox, said, “We want to see an industry that allows for the creation of high quality, commercially-viable content not just for domestic markets but for global markets.”

“Ultimately, we want to inject expenditure in the economy, we want to grow Jamaican jobs and we want to increase the technical capacity of Jamaicans to produce commercial opportunities in film entertainment,” she added.

Applicants for the JSDI must be Jamaican, 18 years or older.

Companies must be registered in Jamaica with at least 51 per cent Jamaican ownership. They must also be national registry of entertainment and creative industries practitioners and must be tax compliant at disbursement. Significantly, applicants must have rights to the content being developed.

Music videos, advertisements and commercials, news, sports or dailies, work that captures another art form, podcasts, livestream and influencer content are not allowed.

Applications for the JSDI open online on March 18 and clarification and sensitisation sessions will take place on February 28 and March 2.

Applications close and verification and evaluation begins on April 28.

Awardees will be notified on August 15.

For more information on the JSDI, persons can visit dobusinessjamaica.com.