BASSETERRE, St. Kitts –- THE glitz, glamour and red carpet that fashion Hollywood may soon be in St. Kitts as the St. Kitts Investment Promotion Agency (SKIPA) is working to have movies produced locally.
In an exclusive interview with SKNVibes Business, SKIPA’s Chief Executive Officer Ambassador Rosalyn Hazelle stated that her agency is currently in discussion with a producer to have several movies produced in St. Kitts.
She stated that the promotion agency would be collaborating with a “son of the soil”, popular producer Rudy Langlais.
“He has a long history of film production in Hollywood and he is willing to work with us so that we are not a one off film, Ambassador Hazelle said.
She explained that over the next “five years we are looking at about six different films, starting with one about a book”, which is an adaption from a book called “Unburnable”.
The Ambassador is of the view that within several years the industry might be a fledging one, drawing inspiration from a previous locally produced film.
“We are not looking at being a one off thing. You know a film was produced here before, ‘Missing in Action’, and that was a very long time ago. What we want is to create St. Kitts as the film hub for the Caribbean, where we develop a film industry, where we would be doing several films over a continued programme.”
She declared that the local office for the industry will be housed within SKIPA and it is expected to cater to all the things that go on behind the scenes.
“Inside SKIPA, we are planning to have a film office. That would be the local office that would assist in the preparation and getting all the permits, working with all the police, working with customs, etc.”
Filming within the St. Kitts market could bring a great economic cushion for local businesses in particular, and the Federation as a whole.
The private sector stands to benefit with film producers and companies expending on accommodation, travel and other auxiliaries, which can rake in millions.
She noted that the agency’s main aim is to make “St. Kitts the Caribbean’s A-one film industry location”.
