Program Notes

“Going Global” Symposium

1. Size, Structure & Economic Potential of the Caribbean Audiovisual Industry

This paper will describe the current state of the Caribbean AV Industry. It will present data on:

1. The number of companies operating in the space
2. Capabilities: creative, pre-production, photography, post-production, distribution
3. Capacity: number of productions which can be produced annually
4. Current sources of funding for production
5. Current government support for the industry (incentives, funding, etc.)

The paper will make an attempt to measure the current contribution of the industry to employment, output, and foreign exchange earnings, as well as the social and cultural contribution of the industry.

2. Financing the Caribbean Audiovisual Industry

This contribution will seek to determine how Caribbean governments, private sector and other stakeholders may find ways and means of supporting a Caribbean Fund for the AV industry.

3. How Commercial Banks Can Assist in Financing Film & Television Productions

This contribution will discuss the constraints commercial banks face in providing loan financing to support audiovisual productions and how the credit quality of loans to this industry might be improved beyond guarantees from third-party development agencies.

4. Co-Producing with the US, EU and Africa

This contribution will explore the possibilities of international partnerships. What kind of relationships can regional producers have with the US-based industry, and how do we get there?

5. Making the EPA Work for Us

The European Partnership Agreement (EPA) is in place but little or nothing has been done to explore co-productions with European producers. We need to understand how this can be done.

6. Going Global: Distribution & Agenda for Action

The final contributions of the day will be moving the agenda for action forward. The day ends with a plenary session and discussion of the way forward.