Jamaica’s burgeoning film and television sector stepped into the global spotlight last Friday, when local production company LAB Studios played host to SLATE | Jamaica on Screen — a high-profile industry showcase designed to highlight the island nation’s untapped potential as a leading hub for international content creation.
The one-night event drew a cross-section of key stakeholders, ranging from top Jamaican government officials and global studio executives to local creative talent, international investors, and industry insiders. Conversations across the evening centered on three core pillars: elevating authentic Jamaican storytelling, unlocking new avenues for foreign and domestic investment, and laying the groundwork for long-term industry growth.
Co-hosted at the Carib 5 cinema by LAB Studios in collaboration with Jamaica Promotions Corporation (Jampro) and the Jamaica Screen Development Initiative (JSDI), the event opened with an exclusive private screening of *Love Offside*, a feature-length film produced entirely in Jamaica. The movie stars a mixed lineup of local and Hollywood talent, including Judi Johnson, Mike Merril, Victoria Rowell, and Sundra Oakley.
Following the screening, attendees were treated to a dynamic fireside chat titled “Building the future: Jamaican stories on the global stage”, featuring LAB Studios CEO Kimala Bennett and Mika Pryce, Senior Vice President of Development and Production at Paramount Pictures. The pair unpacked shifting trends in global content, the growing importance of intellectual property (IP)-centered production ecosystems, and the once-in-a-generation opportunity for emerging markets like Jamaica to carve out a competitive space on the international entertainment landscape.
Pryce, whose industry credits include blockbuster and critical hits such as *Get Out*, *Good Boys*, *Little*, and *Pacific Rim: Uprising*, shared actionable insights into what major global studios prioritize when evaluating new projects: content that balances commercial appeal with authentic cultural resonance that connects with global audiences.
The evening also included the world premiere of first-look trailers for LAB Studios’ upcoming slate of original productions, including *Christmas in the Tropics*, *Jenna In Law*, *SEEN*, *Happily Ever Awkward*, and *The Marriage Clause*. The lineup of new projects underscores the company’s sustained commitment to developing original IP rooted in Caribbean stories and perspectives.
LAB Studios made history as one of the first production companies to secure funding through the JSDI, a government-backed program that has allocated $50 million in national film financing to support homegrown projects and grow the local screen industry. This forms part of the Jamaican government’s broader 1-billion-dollar commitment to expanding the island’s creative economy.
For Bennett, the SLATE event is far more than a launch pad for new original content. It marks a deliberate step toward repositioning Jamaica and the wider Caribbean as key players in the $2.8 trillion global content economy.
“The global media and entertainment industry is now valued at more than US$2.8 trillion, and as audiences continue searching for stories that feel authentic and emotionally connected, the opportunity for culturally-driven storytelling has never been greater,” Bennett explained in her remarks. “Few countries our size have had the cultural impact Jamaica has had globally, and the opportunity now is to build the infrastructure and production ecosystem needed to consistently bring Jamaican stories to international audiences while creating real economic value in the process. That is the opportunity we see at LAB Studios.”
She added: “We are grateful to our government partners for recognising the value of the creative economy and helping to position Jamaica as a global content hub.”
Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness delivered the event’s keynote address, reaffirming the government’s commitment to growing the screen sector as a core driver of future economic expansion. “This is the latest signal that Jamaica has the talent, the stories, the locations, and the cultural appeal to build a serious film industry,” Holness said. “Jamaica has long been globally recognised as a cultural superhub, but we have not always converted that cultural influence into structured economic opportunity. We need to have an unvarnished view of where we are in our development and be honest with ourselves about the things we need to improve… The Government sees film as part of Jamaica’s next frontier of economic growth.”
Jampro President Shullette Cox echoed calls for cross-sector collaboration to sustain the industry’s momentum, noting that the SLATE event perfectly embodies the core mission of the JSDI. “SLATE represents the embodiment of the vision of the JSDI: Supporting content creators in bringing their stories onto the screen,” Cox said. “We look forward to supporting more screenings such as this one in the future, as we continue to issue funding under the JSDI, and give support through the Jamaica Film Commission in an effort to ensure that Jamaican stories have visibility on the global stage.”