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WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE MINISTER FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BY DEPUTY G.C.L. BAUDAINS OF ST. CLEMENT
ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON TUESDAY 29th APRIL 2014
Question
Could the Minister confirm whether the prime reason for granting £200,000 to Canbedone productions was for adjustments to the film so that at least part of it could be filmed in Jersey?
Would the Minister advise how many proposed filming dates have now passed and, in light of the recent admission by the film's director, would the Minister agree that it now seems unlikely the film will ever be made?
Furthermore, in light of the foregoing and also the changes of company and film title, will the Minister state whether, and at which point, he will activate the contract's claw-back clause?
Would the Minister advise how much officer time and resources have been dedicated to this matter and whether his department intends spending any more time and resources on the project in the future?
Answer
The grant of £200,000 was advanced to Canbedone Productions to support pre-production activity in Jersey. This is distinct from funding film production, or to use the common vernacular "filming" in the island. The grant was awarded and utilised to cover expenditure incurred in connection with the costs arising from the logistical planning, re-writing and general re-organising of the location schedule in order that the film could be undertaken significantly in Jersey.
The grant funding and pre-production process led to the development of a new original screenplay, The Crystal Island, a children's adventure set in ancient times. Furthermore, The Crystal Island was designed specifically to be shot entirely in Jersey, fully utilising all Jersey has to offer. The objective of the grant was to maximise the potential for filming to be undertaken in Jersey as other competitor jurisdictions offer significant incentives to film both pre-production and production activity. EDD has been provided with both a finished script and full production schedule and will continue to work with the producers to allow production to commence. In light of this, there is no basis for exercising the claw back' clause in the grant agreement. Whilst the script and associated documents comprise intellectual property owned by the production company, we have obtained approval to review the complete documents with any States Member in the Economic Development Department offices.
Independent film production is a complex undertaking and it is not unusual for significant delays to be incurred between pre-production and production phases. I would hope that, along with EDD, all parties with an interest in seeing the development of a creative industry sector in Jersey will support the producers in their efforts to commence film production.