UK magazine spotlights J’can talent
NORMALLY, IT is the featured who celebrates being a magazine cover star. However, in the case of local film-maker Kia Moses propped atop a high iron chair on the cover of the United Kingdombased publication Pitch, it’s the editor-in-chief Sherry Collins who rejoices at the chance to finally spotlight Jamaica and its film industry in the best way she can.
Collins spent her first 10 years in Concord district, St Ann, and has sustained a connection with her birthplace, despite hopping nations to settle in the UK. “I’m always thinking of how I can give back to the island in some way, maybe go back with my family to live or go support local schools, or something like that. In my head, I always thought at some point in my future life, that I’d help to give back to the island,” she told The Gleaner.
So four and a half years ago, Collins launched her own magazine, Published four times a year, with limited copies for sale, the magazine is distributed to a targeted list of brands, agencies, production companies and studios.
PITCH COOL
Last year, Collins introduced the Pitch Cool issues, the first publication in the UK showcasing all black talent. The latest Pitch Cool issue was launched to coincide with UK Black History Month, featuring talent from Africa and the African diaspora. In previous issues, Collins focused on
UK talent, but for the latest, she searched for talent all over the world,
“the ones that are coming up that are doing amazing work”, she specified.
“All along I’ve been looking at Jamaica and it’s still growing, it’s still young. Obviously, we’ve had a couple big films – and everyone sort of keeps going back to these films, like The Harder They Come.”
In all its youthfulness, the local film industry was still vibrant enough to catch Collins’ attention. Including Moses, featured for her accomplished debut short, Flight, Pitch Cool’s latest issue also features Storm Saulter, for his extensive résumé and recent feature,
Sprinter, and a throwback to Teeqs’ (very) mini series starring In.Digg.Nation affiliate, Sevana –
Losing Patience.
The issue also includes Spike Lee’s protégé, US film-maker Stefon Bristol, who directed the sci-fi film for Netflix, See You Yesterday, Maya Cozier, a much-celebrated director from Trinidad and Tobago; Comfort Arthur, the award-winning animation director from the UK and Ghana; and many others.
Collins asserted that the energy she gives for Pitch Cool issues is to celebrate black talent and culture. “Hopefully, this issue helps to create connections for Jamaican filmmakers, to potential partners across the globe. I just wanted to champion black talent – and I kept going to these creative spaces, and they keep asking me where are the black talent. Even though it’s London, which is a very diverse capital, there are few black people in the creative space. But there’s a wave that’s happening where everyone needs to make sure we need to get more black people, or ‘people of colour’ – like they’re really trying to make an effort now only because they realise that they need to make some money. And they need fresh, original ideas.”
She continued: “Well, if you’re looking for talent to work with, here they are. And Jamaican talent, without a doubt, on the cover. Pitch Cool is distributed to 18 advertising agencies and brands, so I finally, in a way, go to do what I’ve always intended to do – promote Jamaica in some way, in any way that I can.”