The Caribbean film industry is for the first time in its history being promoted at one of the sector’s most important international markets with a dedicated stand at the European Film Market (EFM).
The UNESCO program Transcultura: Integrating Cuba, the Caribbean and the European Union through Culture and Creativity, funded by the European Union, is funding the region’s participation at the Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale) which ends February 22. The festival will attract more than 10,000 representatives of the international film and media industries from over 100 countries.
“The Caribbean is a place rich in cultures, traditions and mutual influences, which makes it an endless reservoir for creativity and innovation. UNESCO, through the Transcultura program, is committed to supporting the region’s cultural and creative industries and making their stories accessible to the world,’ said Alessandra Borchi, Transcultura program coordinator.
Under the slogan ‘Meet the creative impulse of diversity’, Transcultura’s ‘Cinema from the Caribbean’ stand will offer a promotional display window to institutions and festivals from ten countries in the region, including the International Havana Film Festival, the production house Collectif 2004 Images from Haiti and the National Film Commission of Barbados.
These, in turn, will particularly focus on promoting the work of young filmmakers from their countries.
Transcultura is also supporting the participation of five young Caribbean producers in the EFM’s Toolbox programs. With projects ranging from an LGTBI+ documentary in Jamaica to a feature film about motherhood in Trinidad and Tobago, the young producing filmmakers will attend a three-week professional mentoring program aimed at providing business, marketing and networking tools to underrepresented groups in the film industry.
In addition, the talent development program Berlinale Talents welcomes a female filmmaker from St. Lucia for the first time. Transcultura supports the participation of Zenzii Michelle Serieux in these training workshops to boost her project ‘Imagine Caribbean’ which promotes young filmmaking in the rural community of Mamiku in her country.
With the financial support of Euros15 million (One Euro=US$1.29 cents) from the European Union, Transcultura represents UNESCO’s most ambitious cooperation initiative in the Latin American and the Caribbean region.
It aims at creating professional opportunities for young people in the cultural and creative industries through exchange and cooperation in the Caribbean.
The 17 beneficiary countries of Transcultura are: Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago.
To date, around 3,000 people have participated in the activities organized by the program.
CMC
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