Ten teams of Caribbean filmmakers from nine different countries have been selected to attend the 2015 CaribbeanTales Incubator Program (CTI), taking place in Toronto, Canada, from September 8th to 13th.

The CTI, now in its sixth year, is a marketing and financing platform that offers selected Caribbean and Diaspora filmmakers an opportunity to hone their creative and business skills in the context of an international marketplace environment. The intensive six-week programme includes an intensive five-day workshop in Toronto, and culminates in a Caribbean Pitch Breakfast at the TIFF Bell Lightbox attended by high-profile industry delegates, The overall goal of the CTI is to increase the pool of strong, monetisable, world-class, indigenous film and television content from the Caribbean and its Diaspora, in order to build the region’s audio visual capacity.

The projects were selected from over 80 submissions from around the region by a panel of international industry specialists. Executive Producers are Nicole Brooks (Producer, Director), Dr. Rita Shelton Deverell (Producer, co-founder of Vision TV), Rodney V. Smith (Director, Producer, Author), Christopher Laird (Filmmaker, Producer, Co-Founder of Banyan Ltd and Gayelle: The Channel) and Floyd Kane (Writer, Producer).

This year the CTI is supported by funding from the Inter American Development Bankthrough its Regional Entrepreneurial Asset Commercialization Hub (REACH); Telefilm Canada; the French Consulate in Toronto, and the St. Lucia Tourism Board. The project is also a component of CaribbeanTales’ 3D prjoject, supported by a financial contribution from the European Union and the assistance of the ACP Group of States. 

Projects supported by REACH:

– "Plain Sight" (crime drama, 6 x 1 hr., Trinidad and Tobago) From leading producer/director/writer Danielle Dieffenthaller, best known for the successful long-running series “Westwood Park”

– "Taximan" (sitcom, 12 x 30 mins, Jamaica) From producer/director team Donna and Paul Noble of Mongoose Productions, represented by Carmen Franczyk, whose previous work includes international documentaries and commercials

– "Gippe’s Kingdom" (soap opera, 12 x 22mins, Bahamas) From Bahamian producer/cinematographer Travon Patton, and TV personality/producer Tracey-Ann Perpall. “Gippie’s Kingdom” has already enjoyed two successful seasons on local television, and is in development for a third season

– The Wonderful World of Myat"  (children’s animation series, 10 x 22 mins, Trinidad and Tobago) Created by animator and arts educator Omar Lewis whose children’s interactive adventure colouring book series of the same name has sold internationally

– "Abiola" (dramedy, web series, 6 x 15 min, Barbados) From Bajan wunderkind director/producer Rommel Hall, and producers Keren Hall and Shane Holford, creators of the popular Bajan series, “Keeping up with the Joneses”

– "Boukie" (drama, 6 x 1 hr, Haiti) From emerging writer/producer Natalie Holly in collaboration with Laurence Magloire, award-winning producer and founder of Haitian-based production company fastforward

– Life With the Ramsinghs" (soap opera, 24 x 30min, Trinidad and Tobago). From director/producer team Rampaul Banseelal and , whose production company, Sean MohanTotal Chaos Productions, is now working on the second season

Projects supported by Telefilm Canada:

– "Black Mariah" (action drama, 6 x 45min, Canada) Maureen Hill has teamed up with Michael Mosca, president and CEO of Montreal-based distribution and production company Equinoxe Films whose films include “Mambo Italiano” (2003) and “A Fish Story” (2013)

– "Poetry Saved me" (documentary, web series, 10 x 20min, Canada/St.Lucia)  From talented newcomer spoken-word artist Chevy Eugene  (Canada/ St Lucia). This project is also supported by the St. Lucia Tourism Board in Toronto

Supported by the French Consulate in Toronto:

– "French Girl in new York" (dramedy, web series, 24 x 10 min, Guadeloupe) From award winning filmmaker Mariette Monpierre, whose feature film “Elza” screened at numerous Film Festivals around the world, was a NYTimes Critics Pick, and won the Paul Robeson Award,, and the BAFTA Festival Choice and Festival Programmers’ Awards, PAFF/L.A. among others (Guadeloupe)

– For more information about the 2015 participants and their projects please visit:  http://www.caribbeantales.ca/CTI/2015-incubator/.