Advisory team assembled for Jamaica Film Festival 2015

Preparations are underway for the Jamaica Film Festival, to run from July 7-11, 2015.

As part of those preparatory steps, Emmy nominated actress Tonya Lee Williams, actor Basil Wallace and media expert Bernard Stewart will be joined by six international film and media leaders to form a team of advisors for the film festival. 

Chosen for their experience in the film and music industries, Paula Madison, Althea Wolfe, Tonya Lee Williams, Basil Wallace, John Lynch, Brian St. Juste, Bernard Stewart, Horace Madison and Canadian High Commissioner Robert Ready "will shape multiple elements of the event through their combined experience with film and media production and management," said Jamaica Promotions Corporation (JAMPRO), in a statement released to the media on Friday.

According to JAMPRO, the advisors, selected by that agency, will provide logistics, technical and management support for the event and will assist local filmmakers with marketing and distributing their films locally and internationally.

The advisory team's responsibilities will include distribution of content created for the film festival, marketing of Jamaica and advising on speakers for workshops and management of the five-day film festival.

JAMPRO recently had a call for submissions to select production ready projects for the festival. Basil Dawkins, Leonie Forbes, Amba Chevannes, Sheila Graham and others reviewed more than 50 projects at pitch sessions held at JAMPRO’s Business Auditorium.  Professional development workshops are also scheduled to start this month, to engage persons in the Jamaican film industry and prepare them for creating content for widespread distribution.

Paula Madison, a retired journalist and filmmaker, and current CEO of Madison Media Management, responding to her selection as a member of the advisory body said it was "a wonderful opportunity," and pledged "to use my influence to help to make this event successful."

Mrs. Madison, an American with Jamaican ancestry, added that it was important to participate in this initiative to promote Jamaican films and refresh the country's film industry. 

For more information on Jamaica Film Festival, visit www.filmjamaica.com.