CineGuyana launch hears appeal for copyright law, funding

CineGuyana was officially launched on Thursday at Caribbean Cinemas in the Giftland Mall at Liliendaal, East Coast of Demerara.

The organisation has been making strides for the past five years during which it has produced 11 short films, eight of which were shown internationally. The company selected its first board of directors in June.

Playwright, Dr. Paloma Mohamed, said CineGuyana hopes to bring the re-birth of film-making in Guyana.

“I see this event as a launch of an industry, though with humble beginnings there is great potential and promise. Which is why I am willing to demonstrate my belief in the importance of this sector and the abilities of the CineGuyana,” Mohamed said.

Mohamed said film is a powerful storytelling tool that also informs its audience. She said the films by local filmmakers, Kojo McPherson, Errol Chan, Mosa Telford and Mike James tend to reflect Guyana’s social conditions. “Films can educate and project the ideas of how we want our lives,” Mohamed said.

She said the films of Smolana Varzwyk, Phillip Williams, Noel Harlequin and Shaundel Phillips are examples of this, she noted that the films of Yaphet Jackman, Russell Lancaster, Richard Pitman and Margaret Lawrence are good at preserving our culture.

Mohamed said Guyana is in desperate need of copyright laws and artists’ work needs to be protected. She said because copyright is an issue in Guyana, CineGuyana has never shown their films on national television.

Mohamed said foreign filmmakers are thinking of shooting in Guyana but there is no institutional structure that can handle licensing and protection of rights. She said this could be a form of revenue for Guyana but it is stagnated.

She added that Guyanese are in need of training because filmmaking is very technical. Mohamed said Guyana has two local filmmakers, McPherson and Chan, who recently wrote CAPE Cinematic Studies and expressed the hope that having paper certification will allow them to teach in schools and other institutions.

She cautioned that no matter how well trained and how good a story is, films need funding if they are going to be produced.

Mohamed said Guyana’s film industry needs governmental support, as well as support from the private sector.

“A direct grant to CineGuyana annually will support their developmental work and ensure one film a year comes out of Guyana,” Mohamed said. She added that support from private citizens is also important and noted that many films have been made by friends and family.

Mohamed expressed gratitude to Denis Ward, Brian Zham, Professor Vibert Cambridge, Eric Williams, Simone Dowding, Dennis Harris and Pitman.

CineGuyana’s President, Phillip Williams had said the company would like to put on a feature film in the future that will push Guyanese culture. Williams said he would like the world to see what makes Guyana unique and showcase the different races in Guyana and how they relate with each other. He said the cultural heritage will complement good storytelling.

CineGuyana was officially incorporated on January 29th, 2015. The company started in 2010 as part of an initiative of the University of Guyana Centre for Communication Studies, Ohio University and the President’s Film Endowment Project under the leadership of Mohamed.

More details about CineGuyana can be found on their website and Facebook page.