A partnership forged at the 73rd Berlin International Film Festival between Women in Film and Television Jamaica (WIFTJA) President Nadean Rawlins and ScreenCraft Works co-directors Elizabeth McIntyre and Rebecca del Tulo has already born fruit just two months later.

Rawlins expressed her delight that five members of the professional organisation have been selected to participate in the ScreenCraft Works spring 2023 cross-border mentoring programme. This initiative supports marginalised or under-represented production and post-production talent over the course of nine months by pairing them with an established individual working in screen-based media.

“Our newest partnership with ScreenCraft Works stands on the shoulders of the WIFTJA mission to empower, connect and increase the visibility of our membership. ScreenCraft Works’ cross-border mentoring programme is a great opportunity for the participating WIFTJA members to hone their craft and develop their skills and can be a valuable sounding board for their film ideas,” Rawlins stated.

She added that she is pleased that this programme will help to connect the film-makers with industry contacts and other professionals, which will be vital in getting their film projects off the ground.

The spring 2023 cohort will come together for ScreenCraft Works’ third cross-border mentoring programme, designed to build transnational relationships and enrich local and international careers.

Del Tulo and McIntyre are also delighted to be partnering with WIFTJA for their cross-border mentoring, and conversations & networking programmes, designed to build transnational relationships and enrich local and international careers.

“At such an exciting time in Jamaica’s film and TV industry’s development, we are thrilled to welcome five inspiring Jamaican mentees to our spring 2023 mentoring programme, joining participants from 25 countries, for the exchange of knowledge, insights and cultural perspectives,” they said.

Twenty-eight mentees have been matched with volunteer mentors from another country, based on their career aspirations. With a focus on jobs that can be conducted remotely or in a hybrid setting, this group includes roles in editing, audio post-production, composing, production management, screenwriting, costume design and producing — as well as film-makers working across several roles.

Natasha Griffiths, one of the WIFTJA members in this mentorship cohort, hopes to complete the nine-month programme with a blueprint for taking her career as a writer-director to a new level.

“Hats off to WIFTJA for making these kinds of initiatives known and accessible to us,” Griffiths added. “I think the work they are doing to help us foster international relationships, broaden our knowledge and skill sets within the industry and increase global industry awareness of the work we are doing as a local industry is indelible,” she said.

The selected mentees and mentors are from the following 25 countries and/or nationalities — Bangladesh, Canada, Ecuador, England, France, Germany, India, Iran, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, the Netherlands, Northern Ireland, Pakistan, the Philippines, Poland, Rwanda, Scotland, Spain, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Uganda, USA, Vietnam.

Another WIFTJA member selected as a mentee, Stephanie Lyle, said,”the ScreenCraft Works mentorship cohort for this year will give me the exposure and sharpening of skills, particularly in screenwriting, that I have been craving and I’m excited to be among other talented WIFTJA members being mentored in this group”.

Jamaican mentee/mentor matches are:

Writer

Mentee: Rachel Chin, writer (Jamaica, Canada)

Mentor: Marie Hanhnhon Nguyen, writer (Vietnam, USA)

Writer-producer-director

Mentee: Ashley Dalley, writer, content creator (Jamaica)

Mentor: Nataylia Roni, social entrepreneur (UK)

Mentee: Cylindian Goodchild, production assistant (Jamaica)

Mentor: Gladys San Juan, producer (UK)

Mentee: Natasha Griffiths, writer, director, lecturer (Jamaica)

Mentor: Ewan Vinnicombe Wallis, executive producer (UK)

Mentee: Stephanie Hazle-Lyle, writer, director (Jamaica)

Mentor: Hannah Beaugeard, producer (UK)