Sheryl Lee RalphKingston: THE Jamerican Film and Music Festival, which opens this week in Montego Bay, is getting the cold shoulder from members of the local film industry, who claim the cost to attend the November 15 to 19 event is too high.
Mark Gentles, Managing Director of the Kingston-based Vidquip Limited, says that while the festival is a positive for Jamaica's struggling film industry, he believes the prices should be lowered to attract budding Jamaican producers and writers.
"If they're going to encourage people, they're going to have to bring the prices down," he said.
Del Crooks, film commissioner at Jamaica Promotions (JAMPRO), promoters of the Jamerican Film and Music Festival, is not surprised at the reaction.
But she said promoting the show has put a financial strain on the government agency.
"I'm sure that concerns over the cost will be expressed again," said Crooks.
"But the people who are coming here are not doing so for free. "It's of great cost to us," she explained.
It will cost US$350 to attend the festival and an additional US$175 to participate in the actors and writers workshops. Though organisers declared last year that rates would be lowered to accommodate students from the University of the West Indies, the sign-up rate for scholars is US$275.
In 1999, it cost US$125 to attend the workshops.
There will be several workshops throughout the festival which is in its second year.
The brainchild of actress Sheryl Lee Ralph, it has attracted leading North American movie and television studios including Warner Bros, Home Box Office (HBO) and E! Television, which will premiere its first feature movie, Murder At The Cannes Film Festival on November 16.
Despite the lukewarm response from locals, the Jamerican Film and Music Festival will be attended by Hollywood celebrities including actress Lynn Whitfield and actor Richard Roundtree.
