Content from the CaribbeanTales Incubator project will be making its way to regional set-top boxes as it enters a five-year partnership with Flow (Cable and Wireless Communications). Through the recently announced partnership, Flow and CaribbeanTales will work to fund selected projects, with potential to become long-running series, from idea to pilot.
In a release from CaribbeanTales, John Reid, President of C&W Consumer Group explained that the sponsorship agreement allows the communications company to marry its recognition of the region’s rich culture with desire of its customers to consume more local content.
“Our CaribbeanTales partnership is focused on bringing these two strands together - translating the inherent cultural richness of the Caribbean into compelling, must-watch audiovisual content for the benefit of both Flow’s customers, as well as developing the Caribbean audiovisual industry,”
CaribbeanTales has a growing catalogue of Caribbean content including dramas, documentaries, animations, comedies and short films.
“This wonderful partnership provides an injection of energy and resources into the region’s filmmaking process, and has the potential to be a game-changer for our emerging industry,” said Frances-Anne Solomon, CEO of CaribbeanTales.
Solomon pointed out that the partnership allowed for a constant mechanism to allow content from CaribbeanTales producers to reach regional audiences. “I am looking forward to working with Flow, and with producers and other partners to build on this important milestone in the establishment of a sustainable indigenous industry for the Caribbean,” Solomon said.
The CaribbeanTales Incubator project is a year-round television development and production initiative. The programme is open to filmmakers, producers, writers and animators from the Caribbean and the Diaspora. The project comprises the Market Incubator Programme which involves five (5) weeks of online training followed by a week of workshops in Toronto. The MIP culminates with the ‘Big Pitch’ at the TIFF Bell Lightbox during the Toronto International Film Festival. Projects will be selected from the ‘Big Pitch’ will participate in the 9-month CTI Production Support Programme and up to three projects will be selected for funding for the creation of a pilot.
Applications for the 2016 round are now open and close April 30, 2016.