Independent filmmaker Elijah Anatole, founder of Artlas Studios in Saint Lucia, has initiated a crowdfunding initiative through Greenlit to secure $15,000 in production funding for his upcoming short film ‘Letters From Ava.’ This move comes as his recently acclaimed project ‘Omyra’ continues to receive international recognition through film festival circuits.
Anatole’s decision to pursue community-funded financing stems from what he describes as systemic lack of support for cinematic arts within Saint Lucia. Despite approaching numerous corporate entities and government agencies, the filmmaker reported that 99% of potential sponsors declined to provide assistance for distribution and festival participation costs.
‘There isn’t any substantial support mechanism for filmmakers in Saint Lucia,’ Anatole revealed to St. Lucia Times, highlighting that previous projects including ‘Me’ and the feature-length ‘Heartfall’ were primarily self-funded despite some collaborative partnerships.
The new project, ‘Letters From Ava,’ will explore deeply human themes of familial bonds, mortality, and the grieving process through the intimate story of two sisters. Anatole emphasizes that the film remains intrinsically connected to Saint Lucian cultural context while addressing universal emotional experiences.
Through the Greenlit campaign page, Anatole positions the funding drive as more than financial support: ‘You’re contributing to storytelling that values emotional honesty and reflection over spectacle. You’re supporting independent filmmaking from Saint Lucia and helping ensure Caribbean stories reach global audiences.’
The filmmaker intends to leverage the international film festival circuit to showcase Caribbean narratives worldwide, viewing the project as an opportunity to strengthen the region’s presence in global cinematic discourse.