Marcia Rowe, Gleaner Writer

Andrew Pritchard, author and producer of the upcoming movie 'Urban Smuggler', signs a copy of his book for Ambassador Stewart Stephenson, at a reception held in the gardens of The Jamaica Pegasus hotel, last Sunday. - Contributed

The Jamaica Pegasus hotel's garden was the venue for the launch of the upcoming movie, Urban Smuggler.

It saw the screening of the movie's trailer, as well as reading of three extracts from Andrew Pritchard's book Urban Smuggler, from which the movie was adapted.

With a US$20m budget, Urban Smuggler is the first feature film made under the Co-Production Agreement between Jamaica and the United Kingdom, which film producers from both countries can share financial, technical and creative resources.The Jamaican scenes will be shot in 2009.

Based on a true story, the movie covers four decades and is set in England and Jamaica.

England-born Pritchard - whose mother is Jamaican - said his life provided material for the book and movie, and hoped that "Jamaica will take life and put it in a positive way."

In demonstrating how serious he is about giving back to Jamaica, Pritchard has pledged $100,000 to the Mustard Seed Communities.

The film promises to be "tremendously successful", said local co-producer Paul Samuda, who agreed that the movie will bring job opportunities to Jamaica.

Kirk Kennedy of Jamaican Trade and Invest (JTI) noted that Urban Smuggler is a "story of choices" and that JTI is behind the production of the film.

Bond flick

Paul Tucker, whose résumé includes the 1973 Bond flick Live and Let Die (shot partly in Jamaica), worked as a producer for Urban Smuggler.

He said that after two weeks of preliminary search, most of the movie's Jamaica locations have been identified.

In an interview with Pritchard, Tucker and Samuda, The Gleaner learned that Julia Lananaman will be responsible for local casting.

The producers have also talked to Ashley Pearce, known for directing popular television drama Poirot, as a potential director for Urban Smuggler.

To sceptics who think that a movie that deals with illegal drugs will further sully Jamaica's image internationally, Prichard disagrees.

"Urban Smuggler will reinforce the beauty of Jamaica and show corruption and turn the focus on the real source of the problem," he said.