Caribbean content, which remains one of the most sought after globally, will be showcased at an online film festival being planned by Real Vibez.

Caribbean content, which remains largely untapped, will be marketed and promoted at the inaugural online film festival, which is to take place this August.

RealVibez, the entertainment subsidiary of Blue Mahoe Capital, is spearheading the event which has been described as an innovative move.

Real Vibe assist Caribbean filmmakers in creating a series of sport/entertainment films geared at bringing additional global attention to the region.

The novelty of placing characters in stories flying/sailing to the Caribbean for a vacation will now have its own real-life imagery and scenes with its own talent showcased to the world.

Timing of the inaugural event is right

Already known for globally successful athletes (in several sporting disciplines), artistes and artists, “Jamaican films can become a source of excellence from Tropical Paradise,” declared Carole Beckford, senior vice president of Blue Mahoe Capital.

The former film commissioner of Jamaica thinks the timing is right as, with the current pandemic, creatives have been bursting at the seams with great ideas.

“Now is the time to bring the filmmakers out,” she noted.

The online festival will showcase, among other things, B2B meetings with film and content officials for additional exposure and distribution or even further development of films.

The festival is slated for the last week in August, to close with the awards ceremony on August 27. Early entries are set to be in by July 30. Application fees start at US$50.

Films should not be more than 11 minutes or less than seven minutes. The storyline should be placed in the Caribbean in the areas of sport and/or entertainment to include music, dance, theatre, art or publishing.

Stories could be fiction or non-fiction

Films must be produced, directed, edited, or written by a Caribbean national living in any of the countries in the region. The production teams may include only one Caribbean national based outside of the region.

Films submitted may only have been entered in one other film festival no longer ago than August 31, 2019. If there is a film in another language, it must include English subtitles or be dubbed in English.

At least one member of the team will be required to participate in the online festival.