New York, USA – Some of Jamaica’s major ecotourism resorts and attractions will be showcased to the world in new and dramatic ways when the feature film A Dance For Grace hits the big screen in the next few months.

Tower Isle Productions of New York have just completed two weeks location shooting for the film in Jamaica, utilising an array of locales that underline the island’s commitment to preserving wildlife and the environment while catering to the varying tastes of the tourism market.

The Black River Safari, Boone Hall Estate, Dolphin Cove and Mystic Mountain were among the attractions that opened their doors to the filmmakers, who are elated at the footage that has emerged and the value that the authentic Jamaican locations will add to the final product.

“The shoot here in Jamaica has, to put it mildly, been just phenomenal,” says local production manager for the film, Joan Edwards.

For Jamaican-born screenwriter and director Junior Powell, an environmentalist at heart, bringing his vision for the film alive in the land of his birth while showcasing the ecotourism aspect of our island is a dream come true.

“The idea has always been that we at Tower Isle wanted to promote and highlight some of the rich ecotourism offerings that exist here in Jamaica and that are so often overlooked.”

Co-producer and lead actor for the film Orville Matherson acknowledges that the experience of filming in these locations was inspiring and educational.

“It was almost religious for me, because God’s blessings on our island are so evident in a place like Mystic Mountain.”

The cast and crew, most of whom had never visited Jamaica before, were equally dazzled by the award-winning Black River Safari tour, where the crocodiles preserved in their natural habitat were seen “up close and personal” by the actors.

In A Dance For Grace, Matherson plays a dance tutor named Rick Myers, who brings a group of mostly white student dancers from a small US town to Jamaica, to help them prepare for a dance competition in which they will perform a dancehall routine.

While in Jamaica the dancers get familiar with local dancehall culture and explore many aspects of Jamaica – with hilarious and touching results.

The film is slated for release later this year.

Filming in Jamaica was made possible with the co-operation of Air Jamaica, Phase 3 Productions, Starfish Resort, Jamaica Trade and Invest (JTI), Island Car Rentals, The Hilton Kingston and WATA.