Miami-Dade County and Commonwealth of The Bahamas sign partnership to boost film industry collaboration

Earlier this week, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava and representatives from the Commonwealth of The Bahamas signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) intended to strengthen their film industries and create more impactful film cooperation.

The MOU was forged by and through the Miami-Dade Office of Film and Entertainment and the Bahamas Film & Television Commission, a unit of the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments and Aviation. It creates the framework for a cooperative relationship in film education, promotion, and economic activities.

"This partnership marks a new chapter for the film industries of Miami-Dade County and the Bahamas, neighbor communities,” Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava. “By working together, we can foster creativity, expand opportunities, and strengthen the economic impact of film production in both our communities. This MOU is a testament to the power of collaboration and our shared commitment to supporting the arts and culture industries."

The Bahamas has been used as a film location for more than 100 years, and was the place that the first underwater film was shot in 1916.  The establishment of the Bahamas Film & Television Commission in 1984 attracted even more films and prestigious titles.

“The film industry in The Bahamas has had its share of historic days, and today is as historic as any other,” she Lisa Adderley-Anderson, Acting Permanent Secretary in the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation. “It is fitting that we strengthen film cooperation between The Bahamas and Miami-Dade in the 40^th anniversary year of the Bahamas Film Commission. We are certain that this will mean bigger and better things for The Bahamas and for Miami-Dade, and that includes more film business.”

“I am aware that it took many months of discussions and considerations to make today’s event happen,” said Hon. Ginger Moxey, Minister for Grand Bahama and official representative of The Bahamas and Caribbean to Sister Cities International. “I thank the staff of The Bahamas Film and Television Commission and the Miami-Dade Office of Film and Entertainment for their dedication. It is their perseverance that made this Memorandum of Understanding a reality.”

The event was attended by several dignitaries, including Congresswoman Frederica S. Wilson, representative for Florida’s 24^th Congressional District; Senator Rene Garcia, County Commissioner for District 13; Curt Hollingsworth, Consul General for The Bahamas in Miami, and state and county officials. Bahamian and Florida filmmakers also witnessed the historic signing.

Photos from the event can be found here.