T&T Film Industry shows “an incredible, wide range...”

2011 PASD PROGRAMME DELIVERS

TTFC CEO, Carla Foderingham briefs the 2011 PASD 

Production Jury - on her right, Stephanie St. James and 

Janine Mendes-Franco; on her left Brian St. Juste and 

Norman de Palm

Co-Head Juror, Norman de Palm of Curacao in an interview with the press remarked that he hadn’t “seen this type of organization of the film industry” elsewhere in the Caribbean and that the “scope [of the T&T Film Industry] is an incredible, wide range."

de Palm was referring to the (140) odd applications (including over (50) for scripts and (80) for productions) for this year’s Production Assistance & Script Development Programme call. This overwhelming response demonstrates there is increasing interest in filmmaking as a sustainable and rewarding career.

Co-judge Stephanie James remarked that “[one] may have the money but not the capacity” and this is why the PASD represents both a financial and capacity building opportunity for filmmakers as they also receive constructive guidance from a team of ‘monitors’ who offer objective critiques and suggestions for making the production stronger - thereby challenging the filmmakers to strive for international competitiveness.

The 2011 Production Jury was visited by noted local writer Earl Lovelace.

The annual programme was launched in 2005 out of strategic planning of the stakeholders who knew the only way to meet the national objective of helping to diversify the economy through the development of a local film industry was to provide film practitioners with the means to lay the foundation for the industry.

In 2011 the TTFC maintains its commitment to assist the professional development of local talent and has even earmarked projects which will receive funding at the next call due to budgetary constraints this year.

THE PASD - “A THRUST TO...GOOD FILMS”

Inset to right: 2011 

Script Jury locked in deliberations - 

from the left: Prof. Funso Aiyejina, 

Marina Salandy and Raoul Pantin

So says noted writer Raoul Pantin of the PASD Programme. As a ‘Script’ Juror, Pantin supported head judge Marina Salandy in her call for T&T to “talk about ourselves [and] our own history...” as this would produce unique and strong scripts and productions as the script applicants demonstrated a “high degree of creativity” according to Prof. Aiyejina who also noted that many adopted a “novel way of approaching topics...”

This year, ‘newcomers’ were considered alongside ‘veterans’ and T&T can look forward to a a wide array of documentaries, animations, television series and dramatic productions. The 2012 call is expected to be opened in December 2011. For more information on the Programme and to see the complete list of PASD scripts and productions please visit www.trinidadandtobagofilm.com/PASD.asp

In this PASD part-funded Production,
Tracy Assing redefines our history and
seeks to demystify and educate.