Caribbean not realising full potential of film industry

By Michelle Nurse Last updated Dec 11, 2014

Long Island, The Bahamas. The Bahamas was one of the Caribbean countries where the movie, Pirates of the Caribbean, was filmed. Other Caribbean film locations were Dominica, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Haiti and the Dominican Republic — **Long Island, The Bahamas.** The Bahamas was one of the Caribbean countries where the movie, Pirates of the Caribbean, was filmed. Other Caribbean film locations were Dominica, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

From as early as the 1960s, it became obvious the Caribbean would be an amazing location for visually stimulating films and not just a place where tourists enjoyed hanging out. Hollywood film crews found their way here too. Whether it’s James Bond, Jack Sparrow or Red and Andy from The Shawshank Redemption, many of our favourite movie characters have set foot in the West Indies.

However, according to Dr Bernard Frampton, filmmaker and communications specialist, islands in the Caribbean region have failed to capitalise on the direct and indirect economic and other benefits from their association with local and international film interests. “Film policy in the Caribbean is more focused on enticing and accommodating foreign film production and does very little to encourage and support indigenous film making,” Frampton said in an interview with The Gleaner.