Nneka Luke, General Manager of FilmTT, congratulates Animae Caribe on 15 years of their Animation and Digital Media Festival in Trinidad and Tobago. FilmTT has supported the festival for several years and recognizes the value of animation in developing the film industry. FilmTT also supported the Animated Ideas Bootcamp to mentor animators and help them create world-class productions and access international markets. Going forward, FilmTT will create a strategic plan to develop the local film industry and rebuild regional and international networks to create opportunities for local creators.

1. Address by:
Nneka Luke, General Manager, FilmTT
Opening Night | Animae Caribe Animation and Digital Media Festival
Tuesday 25th
October, 2016

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Good evening to you all.
It is indeed a pleasure to be here this evening as we celebrate
the 15th
anniversary of the Animae Caribe Animation and
Digital Media Festival in Trinidad and Tobago. This is truly an
amazing accomplishment, not only for animators and
filmmakers but for the country as a whole, and FilmTT is proud
to have been a sponsor of this Festival for several years.
At the beginning of our support, the film company was a small
department within the Tourism and Industrial Development
Company Limited (TIDCO). As recently-appointed General
Manager, I am pleased that the company’s leadership at that
time had the foresight and understanding to recognise the
value of the animation sector as an integral component of a

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successful film industry. This Festival is a cornerstone in the
sector’s development, and we at CreativeTT and FilmTT are
honoured to recognise and participate in this event today; we
congratulate the team at Animae Caribe on their perseverance
and dedication over the years.
In our role as the state company responsible for the strategic
development of the audio-visual and film industry, setting a
firm foundation is critical to drive success for all. In that vein,
FilmTT’s focus on industry development meant that we
directed our support to the Animated Ideas Bootcamp, which
took place yesterday. This was a type of creative incubator
where aspiring and established animators had the opportunity
to be mentored by leading, international animators in the

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areas of idea creation, story construction, environment and
design, and to pitch their projects for further feedback.
Programmes such as the Bootcamp not only add to the ever-
increasing bank of local film content, but also equip aspiring
animation entrepreneurs with the knowledge, tools and
techniques to create world-class productions that could
potentially invite both local and foreign investment AND
penetrate international markets, both essential to long-term
economic sustainability.
As you know, diversification continues to be crucial to the
evolution of our national economy, and for us at CreativeTT,
the creative genius of our citizens in the areas of film, fashion
and music, is at the heart of our efforts.

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Today I attended the media launch of Youth Business
Trinidad and Tobago’s hosting of Global Entrepreneurship
Week, taking place November 14-20. Global
Entrepreneurship Week is an annual event that takes place in
160 countries, intended to inspire millions to engage in
entrepreneurial activity, while connecting them to potential
collaborators, mentors and even investors. For the 6th
year,
Youth Business T&T has taken up the challenge to host the
event here, exploring and encouraging entrepreneurship in
ICT, agri-business, and more. The organisers indicate that for
their symposium on November 18 focused on Creative
Industries, the interest and excitement from potential
attendees around this field is quite high. This speaks to the
potential for more content creators and creative
administrators to enter the market, and the continued need

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for us to work together to strategically build viable sectors
with strong foundations so that the content can find
audiences, and create income.
In the coming year, FilmTT will continue to facilitate the
development of the local film industry through a tight
programme of activities. This includes the creation of a 5 – 10-
year strategic action plan for the industry that will assess
where we are now, set a vision for where we want it to go, and
establish action plans for how to get there.
Key to our work will also be rebuilding Trinidad and Tobago’s
regional and international film industry network as a means of
facilitating new opportunities and access for local content
creators. Through these and other plans, FilmTT’s goal is to
ensure that Trinidad and Tobago’s audio-visual and film

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industry becomes a commercially viable, long-term
contributor to national wealth.
So on behalf of CreativeTT and FilmTT, congratulations once
again to Animae Caribe for spearheading the growth of the
animation sector in Trinidad and Tobago, and best wishes for
a successful Festival.
Thank you.