The Cayman Islands is recruiting a film commissioner to help bolster the islands’ burgeoning movie industry and make it a ‘go-to’ location for filmmakers.
This recruitment is part of a continuing rollout of a film and TV incentive programme by the Ministry of Tourism and the Cayman Islands Film Commission, according to a government press release about the new role.
The release noted that the film commission is working with “the international film and television community to capitalize and promote our country through the unique exposure that comes from international productions utilizing the Cayman Islands as a premium film location”.
Among the new film commissioner’s duties will be promoting Cayman as a top-tier destination for production companies and studios; liaising with film or television projects that are approved to shoot on island; and coordinating the newly launched production incentive programme, which offers up to a 35% rebate on qualifying on-island expenditures.
The film commission, currently chaired by Caymanian filmmaker Frank E. Flowers, was set up in January 2009, as part of the Cayman Islands Investment Bureau, to develop and promote the development of a film industry, before being transferred to the Department of Tourism in 2014.
Part of its role is to facilitate movie and television productions with permitting and licensing, as well as providing creative input. It also liaises between film/photography producers and relevant government agencies.
Lucrative industry
In recent years, the commission has assisted with more than 20 film and television productions, which have contributed millions of dollars to the local economy and provided specialised employment and hands-on training for Caymanians in the field, the release noted.
Growing a movie industry in Cayman could prove lucrative to the local economy, as was evident during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Cayman Islands, because of its strict border controls, was one of the very few places in the world that was COVID-free for over a year. During that time, several film and TV production crews came to Cayman to film.
An analysis by PwC Cayman found that, during a six-month period in 2021, two production companies contributed an estimated $11.4 million to the economy, creating work for 80 Cayman residents and bringing 159 crew members to the island.
During that time, Canadian company Productivity Media shot scenes for four movies, and Los Angeles-based STX Productions filmed dating reality TV series FBoy Island.
Since then, other productions have been filmed in Cayman, including the HULU/Freeform/Disney+ series, ‘Grand Cayman: Secrets in Paradise’, featuring local personalities.
The Cayman Islands Film Commission has been marketing the islands as a destination for filmmakers, through promotions on ‘The Kelly Clarkson Show’, premium billboards in New York’s Times Square and Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles, and an “extensive marketing presence via social media and streaming service platforms”, the press release noted.
It added that the commission has also been promoting Cayman Airways’ direct flight from Los Angeles to Grand Cayman to influential members of the Hollywood entertainment industry, as well as fostering relationships in New York and the United Kingdom.
“The CIFC looks forward to the selected individual joining the efforts to grow the Cayman Islands as a ‘go to’ location within the international creative community and to cultivate
Caymanian talent for viable opportunities within the competitive industry,” the release said about the film commissioner’s role.
The job is advertised with a salary of between $64,056 and $84,036.
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