The Jamaica Promotions Corporation (JAMPRO) has advised that the evaluation phase of the Government’s screen-based financing intervention, the Jamaica Screen Development Initiative (JSDI) is now underway. 

This comes after an extended validation of 406 applications, of which two-thirds advanced to the evaluation stage, across several categories.

The evaluation of all applications is being undertaken by a panel comprising global industry experts. The evaluators will assess applicants’ work history, project pitch, market potential, creative process, financial viability, market appeal and the overall benefit to the Jamaican economy.

To successfully advance to the evaluation phase of the JSDI, applicants must have submitted all required documentation in each category for which their project is seeking financing support. Where documentation is not provided for a specific category, the applicant may not qualify to advance in that category but will be evaluated for eligible categories.

The JSDI evaluation process is being directly overseen by the Jamaica Film Commission which falls within JAMPRO and follows an extensive framework. The commission said it is committed to transparency, ensuring that all projects are accessed using a standardised selection criterion spanning across all applications.

While acknowledging the concerns and feedback of applicants, the commission said it remains committed to providing timely updates as the process continues.

The Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce (MIIC), Senator Aubyn Hill indicated that he is pleased to see the review process progressing and has reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to the development of Jamaica’s screen-based industries.

“The government’s priority of providing our local creatives with the financial support needed to get their creative projects from concept to production and on to market has not shifted and the ministry, through JAMPRO, will continue to work with our stakeholders to ensure we build the environment for these projects to thrive,” he said.

JAMPRO President, Shullette Cox said, “While we are somewhat behind our original timelines due to the number and quality of applications, both of which were unexpected, it was important that JAMPRO be intentional and deliberate to ensure that as many applications as possible were validated, and ready for the current evaluation phase. We are also concurrently looking at the wider industry ecosystem to ensure that there are opportunities for partnerships and markets for projects to further deepen the potential success of the programme.”

Following the conclusion of the evaluation process, the Film Commission will formally announce all successful awardees and their respective projects.

In the interim, the Commission is advising creatives that rolling applications are now open for Film Festival & Market Attendance as well as Marketing and Distribution on the JAMPRO website. Additional information is also available to guide prospective applicants in the process related to Production Rebates.