The filmmaking industry within The Bahamas is set to boom, due to international investments and the exposure of this multi-billion dollar industry to world-wide affluent contributors. However, more focus on upcoming Bahamian filmmakers is still needed.
President of The Bahamas Film Festival said at a press conference recently, that he feels the future of the movie industry within The Bahamas is very bright.
"Regardless of what one says at the end of the day, one of the world's top black actors came out of The Bahamas. So I always tell people that there are many more [Oscar worthy artists] right here in The Bahamas.
However, he said that there has never been a constant structure in place to build and recruit artists for the industry.
He added that most times, upcoming filmmakers who have a dream and a vision for what they want to portray, need assistance in finding film equipment.
"I don't think we need to get to the point where we are financing someone's movie, but I think of it like sports. If a guy wants to play basketball or tennis, he should at least have a basketball or [a way of accessing] a tennis racket." "I don't think that any industry pays like entertainment and when you look at the raw materials needed to make a movie, most times, you don't need the most expensive equipment to make a movie."
He said that the film industry is changing and that things that would have cost lots of money in the past, can be done cheaply nowadays. As an example of this, he spoke of how films in the past depended on the theatrical release to generate its gross, when today, most of the money from movies are made from DVD releases. He said such industry is still in its infancy stages and that is why a focus on young artists is vital.
Mr Moss said that the festival is seeking to promote more Bahamian filmmakers within the industry because no one knows The Bahamas better than Bahamians.
"This is why I wanted us to do something different. To develop a five-year, ten-year plan and as a result, you would see Sidney Poitier's "Dropping Like Rain", so to speak."
He said that more films with true Bahamian content are needed in the industry and this means that Bahamian filmmakers must rise to the occasion and meet the demands in these times.
By: VIRAJ PERPALL, The Nassau Guardian
