JAFTA President Saeed Thomas talks collaborative film-making and paying it forward
When it comes to the cinema, the beauty of it is the ability to see a version of the world you don’t necessarily recognise, but instantly relate to. A great film can get you to empathise with the most foreign circumstance, but it can’t be denied that there’s something special in seeing the familiar on the big screen.
To that end, the Jamaican film community has a noble pursuit: to give voice to a culture that is so often the subject of mockery and inauthentic representation. It’s not an easy feat, and as the president of the Jamaica Film and Television Association (JAFTA), Saeed Thomas has the weight of great expectations on his shoulders.
“Generally speaking, authenticity is important. When it comes to telling your own stories, it needs to be,” Thomas told The Sunday Gleaner.
GETTING STARTED
Thomas’ film consumption growing up was vast, but when it comes to his inspiration to become a film-maker, he cites Caribbean literature as the culprit. “I was always attracted to Jamaican storytelling. From as early as us doing local literature or Caribbean literature in school. Young Warriors, Green Days By The River, A Cow Called Boy. As simple as those books were, there was always an attraction with the idea of hearing about your own culture, seeing your own self, even if you’re just imagining it,” he said.
Reading about a world he recognised was a gift in school, but to grow as a film-maker, Thomas found the education system to be wanting. “Because of our school culture, our education, we wouldn’t necessarily have been exposed to film-making as a career. And I think maybe if I were, I would have even chosen it from then.”
Without a direct path from the classroom to the film set, his education in the ways of production would be sought outside the confines of the school grounds.
“I used to do summer jobs, and I used to be on commercial sets. In-between that and learning about Jamaican plays, whether it be Trevor Rhone with Smile Orange, it’s just different avenues of content you’re able to make,” shared Thomas.
The influences are widespread, and with the tools he’s picked up along the way, Thomas has developed a portfolio of films and when asked, found it difficult to pick the one he’s most proud of.
“I don’t know if I can actually choose. I think different experiences have given me different types of exposure and different learning opportunities,” he said. “As a producer, I would say Kinto and Sugar Cake are up there for me. As an audio engineer, it would probably be Flight, mostly because of where it reached.”
The award-winning short film Flight, directed by Jamaican film-makers Kia Moses and Adrian McDonald, won several awards in 2019, one of which was a meeting with HBO executives, something that proved to be highly influential in Thomas’ journey.
“It made me able to go to HBO. It made me able to go to a post-production studio in New York. I was then able to develop my skills. I think at each step of the way, where a film made me gain more experience and taught me more, is where I would have enjoyed it the most.”
As for his proudest achievement? Thomas names the work he’s done to spread that knowledge to the Jamaican film community.
Whether it’s The Shot List, the festival of short films that brings together potential and experienced film-makers, or the JAFTA Propella programme, which funds the development of a selection of short films, or the experience gained by crew members who go on to their own careers, Thomas’ pride rests with the several opportunities that exist in the local film community.
With each year that passes, those opportunities give way to new films. As for this year’s Propella finalists, the bar has been significantly raised, with an emphasis on the writing process.
In comparing the productions to years past, Thomas fronts a more balanced offering. “Before, you would have the one or two standouts, but I think this year, most of them were just at a decent level... we’ve included the script editors who would have learned from previous years, as well as previous ‘Propellants’, who know and give back the knowledge they’ve gained; and, I think, [this] is just a true testament to the growth of an industry.”
As for the biggest limitation to film-making in Jamaica, Thomas’ answer was access, and it isn’t something he thinks is unique to the island.
“I think that’s something that’s specific to the global market. Access and funding [are] definitely, I think, the biggest limitations. What’s changing though is, I think, people’s appetite for different types of stories has grown. So now people want a little bit more diversity.”
At the most recent Academy Awards, two Indian-produced films won awards. The film Everything Everywhere All At Once, with a predominantly Chinese cast, won Best Picture and several other awards. In 2019, the Korean film Parasite won four Academy Awards, and Ruth E. Carter became the first African American woman to win two Academy Awards for her work on the Black Panther films, which are two of the most successful films of all time.
When asked about the potential to see a Jamaican film winning Best Picture, Thomas said, “Absolutely. Without a doubt.”