Production Assistance Script Development Programme Second Sitting 2008

“Pictured from left to right: Ms. Natalie Thompson - Juror, Ms. Carla Foderingham –
CEO TTFC, Mr. Norman de Palm – Juror, and Ms. Marina Brown-Salandy Chairperson

MEDIA RELEASE

The second sitting in 2008 of the Jury for the Trinidad and Tobago Film Company’s (TTFC’s) Production Assistance Script Development Programme (PASD) took place from August 8 – 10th. The Jury reviewed the work of 65 script and production developers with a view to providing financial assistance to bring the most promising projects to life.

The PASD was implemented in 2005 and has funded a total of 73 scripts, feature films, dramas and documentaries to-date. Historically, the programme has been run only once per year, but it has become quite apparent that there is a wealth of talent out there, waiting to be discovered and assisted with the financial challenges of bringing creativity to life. The TTFC therefore decided to host a second sitting of the PASD evaluation committee.

The Jury comprised Ms. Marina Brown-Salandy, Chairperson, Ms. Natalie Thompson - Jamaica, Producer and Director, and Mr. Norman de Palm - Curacao, Writer and Producer, came together to review and evaluate the work of the 65 applicants. The Jury noted that the level of submissions was improved and that the programme has developed significantly. In the words of the Chairperson:

“I am really thrilled and encouraged with the second call this year and there is a marked improvement in the depth and breadth of the submissions. What is nice is among filmmakers and industry professionals, the validity of the scheme has really penetrated and the quality of the films is much better. Judging criteria is quite stringent and we’re getting more from industry professionals.”

The Chairperson’s remarks were endorsed by juror Natalie Thompson who added:

“I think we have the seed of a very good set of productions that come out of T&T. I think producers need help to make productions happen. There are seeds here for good productions.”

At the end of the day’s proceedings, Mr. Norman de Palm closed off by saying:

“I think there is a broad range of film productions other than previous years. Different types of productions, all encouraging. The name of the TTFC programme is being known among professionals. The level is higher and broader. There are more productions, so again that is a sign that there is a lot of activity in this field which is promising. There were more animation projects than before and I liked that. In the feature film category we saw new writers emerging and established writers coming back.”

The TTFC will continue to work with applicants to ensure that all PASD projects reflect high production value to ensure that these films can be screened in regional and international markets.

 

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