Local screenwriters, producers and script editors participating in a screenwriting programme spearheaded by the British Council, JAMPRO, and the Jamaica Film and Television Association (JAFTA) had high praises for the capacity-building initiative, designed to enhance the scriptwriting skills of Jamaicans in the film-making industry. 

Speaking at one of the workshop sessions held at the JAMPRO head office in Kingston on December 3, Imani McNair, script editor, said she was elated to be participating in the programme. 

“This is my first time entering a programme of this nature, which is a major stepping stone for my young career in film,” McNair noted, adding that “for me, as a very young person in the industry, it is important that I am exposed to this type of training to improve my craft”.

The sessions afforded participants the skillsets to improve their scriptwriting and their capacity to make a pitch to any kind of entity to secure funding. 

McNair believes these skills are critical for members of the film sector in Jamaica. 

“I think that more writers need to be exposed to advanced scriptwriting techniques to tell better the stories which are unique to us as Jamaicans,” she explained, saying that, at their core, professionals in the sector need to learn how to “captivate potential investors”.

She also lauded the organisers for bringing together creative talents in Jamaica and in the diaspora.

“I was able to meet and interact with other filmmakers, who have been operating in the industry,” McNair noted.

Kaleb D’Aguilar, a Jamaican writer and filmmaker, joined McNair in commending the initiative. 

“These workshops are timely and relevant to the needs of the Jamaican film market now,” D’Aguilar noted. “Trinidad and Tobago produces five times more film scripts each year than Jamaica.”

He believes more training opportunities for scriptwriting can help solve the problem. 

Meanwhile, Ornella Kelly, a British Council representative, said one of the core aims of the programme is to expand film training opportunities for local creatives.

“British Council is in partnership with JAMPRO and JAFTA to develop a film lab to bring Jamaican talent within the UK market, so we are developing their capacity, giving them an environment to interact with industry experts, and providing avenues for further growth,” Kelly explained.

“The film lab will act like an incubator so participants can develop their scripts and get feedback, so at the end of the programme, they should be able to produce a finished script.” 

For his part, UK film expert and programme trainer Ludo Smolski said he hopes that greater knowledge-sharing will emerge from these workshops.

“It is important that the participants take their knowledge and skills learnt here to the film community across Jamaica, so others within the industry can benefit too,” Smolski emphasised. 

He urged local filmmakers to “make stuff” with a “good story well told”.

Through the Film Lab and other Arts and Culture programmes, the British Council has undertaken partnerships with numerous stakeholders. The British Council’s investment in the film lab reflects its commitment to the further development of the local creative sector. Thus, this project contributes to British Council’s objective of developing the capacity of creative entrepreneurs and policy makers to support sustainable creative economies.