The nation’s most celebrated film company, HAMAFilms, has begun production of its fifth motion picture, Deep Blue.
The film tells the tale of David Hamilton, the architect behind a proposed luxury resort, who falls in love with Maya Bazelin, an environmentalist hellbent on stopping the project, and the tragic showdown between the developers and the small fishing community leaving their fragile marine environment.
Directing and producing the film will be the filmmaking married couple, Howard and Mitzi Allen.
According to Howard, “This particular story is near and dear to our hearts, because it’s a story that resonates with people all over world and right here at home. We’ve seen this, with steps we’ve taken as a nation to outlaw the use of single-use plastic bags and Styrofoam containers and community efforts to clean up our beaches,” he said.
“The film’s message aligns beautifully with the fight to ensure our environment is safe and healthy for future generations.”
The film has an ambitious 25-day production schedule and will include underwater photography and stunt work.
It will feature a roster of international talent, including Barbados, Jamaica, Britain, the United States, and Canada.
Jamaican-Canadian Actor Peter Williams, notable for his role as Apophis, a primary antagonist in the sci-fi classic ‘Stargate SG-1’ and HAMAFilms Antigua’s ‘The Skin’, will star in the film. Also starring will be Canadian Gemini-Award winning actress Kim Huffman.
Supporting actors will include British actor Tom Pritchard from the Netflix series ‘the Crown’, Antiguan-British actress Julie Hewlett who performed in ‘The Sweetest Mango’, and Rhoma Spencer.
HAMAFilms is renowned for their previous films such as The Skin, The Sweetest Mango and Paradise View.
However, Howard and Mitzi Allen believe it is still an uphill battle to raise financing to tell stories that are reflective of our Caribbean experience.
“While things are better today than when we were breaking new ground with our first feature 20 years ago, indigenous filmmaking is still being made on a shoestring budget in the Caribbean, because we’re still lacking things like co-production deals, tax credits and the necessary infrastructure,” Howard said.
“It’s happening slowly, but regionally we have to recognize that filmmaking, creativity and the arts, in general, drive economic growth.”
Mitzi thanked the Tourism Authority and their partners for putting together a package for their cast and crew that has brought tremendous value to the production.
“Production of this film wouldn’t be possible without the support of the Ministry of Tourism. In fact, every one of the films we’ve made, they’ve been there to support,” she said.
The film will be shot across various locations on the island during the month of May and shooting will wrap up by May 30.
Deep Blue is slated to be released next spring.