UK, Jamaica Co-Production Treaty announced
The UK and Jamaica have officially announced a film co-production treaty at the Broadcast Live 2007 event held in London. Later, addressing a press conference, the UK cabinet’s Parliamentary under secretary of state, Department of Culture, Media and Sport Shaun Woodward said, “Britain and Jamaica will now have an opportunity to strengthen cultural exchanges, as the film professionals from both countries collaborate and work together on projects.” Jamaican Prime Minister Portia Simpson-Miller and UK Minister of Sports Richard Caborn signed the treaty in Kingston in April.
Under the terms of the treaty, UK nationals co-producing films with Jamaican filmmakers will get access to UK film funding and tax breaks. Jamaica’s Film Commissioner Del Crooks said, “Local expenditure on film projects attracts incentives under the Motion Picture Encouragement Act, including a nine-year tax break on profits, duty waiver on imported equipment and bond waivers.” She added, “An important factor in a co-production agreement is the maintenance of balance in the filmmaking contributions of each co-producer, and in the cultural benefits to each country. The co-production treaty seeks to encourage the creation of a strategic and sustainable series of economic and cultural partnerships with the UK.”
The UK Film Council's Clare Wise, who was instrumental in pushing the treaty through from the UK side, gave an overview of what the treaty would entail, once ratified. When it comes into effect, the treaty should prove to be a shot in the arm for the Jamaican film industry that earned over £6.6 million in the financial year 2005-2006 from foreign production companies using Jamaica as a location and over £1.4 million from local productions.
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