 
Film-makers without borders
Dr. Bruce Paddington and Dr. Christopher Meir, both Lecturers in Film at The UWI, St. Augustine participated in the recent CARIFORUM talks in Jamaica on the development of a model audiovisual co-production treaty for CARIFORUM states.
The talks, which were funded by the European Development Fund, brought together film-makers, film commissioners and experts in international trade from throughout the Caribbean. The event was part of CARIFORUM’s implementation of the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) signed with the European Union in the region and was the culmination of months of consultation. The meeting itself was concerned with finalizing a model treaty for CARIFORUM states to utilize in their attempts to foster audiovisual co-production across national borders.
Dr. Paddington, who co-founded the UWI Film Programme and is one of the world’s leading experts on Caribbean cinema, worked as the lead consultant on the project, compiling data on the audiovisual industries of the CARIFORUM states. He also represented the Trinidad and Tobago Film Festival – one of the region’s most important cinematic institutions – of which he is founder and director. Dr. Meir was invited by the event’s organizers as an expert on the subject of international co-production. Both also represented the Film Programme at UWI, which is itself a major stakeholder in the region’s audiovisual industry.
The meetings took place in May in Kingston and resulted in the drafting of the model treaty as well as a strategic roadmap for the overall development of the region’s audiovisual sector.
Discussing the talks and the UWI Film Programme’s role in the development of the region’s audiovisual industry generally, Dr. Meir said, “It was a great honour to be asked to participate in these talks which will go some ways towards improving working conditions for film-makers and consumers in the region. The commitment to assisting in the development of the region’s audiovisual sector is a crucial part of our mission in the UWI Film Programme.”
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