National Film Commission to be established soon

St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) will soon establish a National Film Commission as the Ministry of Tourism, Civil Aviation, Sustainable Development, and Culture expands its offerings with a view to attracting more movie and reality television production sets to the destination.

Tourism Minister, Carlos James announced the plans for the proposed film commission and a number of other measures to drive production and growth within the various sectors of his ministry while delivering the inaugural State of the Tourism Industry address at the Cruise Ship Terminal on Tuesday, January 23.

Minister James said the revamped National Cultural Foundation will work closely with the Ministry of Tourism, the Department of Culture, and the SVG Tourism Authority to facilitate the development of the regulatory framework and incentives to attract greater interest in the destination as a suitable location for motion picture production.

The motion picture industry, which comprises the technological and commercial institutions of film making, is expected to reach a valuation of US$ 45.9 billion by 2027.

SVG had a small bite of the motion picture business when, in 2003, the Walt Disney blockbuster movie Pirates of the Caribbean – The Curse of the Black Pearl was filmed at Wallilabou.

St. Vincent and the Grenadines has in the recent past received international recognition in cinematography with representations at the Berlin Film Festival, also referred to as the Berlinale, by Vincentian film maker Aiko Roudette who also showcased the work of other creatives (API).