Africa-Press – Seychelles. The Minister for Youth, Sports & Family, Marie-Celine Zialor, accompanied by youth and sports department PS Ralph Jean-Louis recently met with Franco-Seychellois actor and film director Nicolas Van Beveren to initiate a project targeting youths in the creative industry.
The project will facilitate exchanges and capacity building by foreign professionals for youth development, starting with cinematography.
The first movie production atelier is expected to take place this May with a group of voluntary professionals.
The main aim of this project is to develop local talents and know-how for both behind-the-scenes personnel and leading actors.
During the meeting, Mr Van Beveren reiterated his ambition to develop careers within this domain and ultimately produce the first Creole feature film on international platforms.
“I have connections with renowned streaming platforms such as Netflix and following the workshops, we should be able to produce a movie here with both local and international workforce. Another area to explore and exploit is our country’s breathtaking scenery being an ideal setting for filmmakers but we have to be prepared to accommodate the demands,” Mr Van Beveren said.
Minister Zialor conveyed the government’s support for this project as it is an area of interest for youth, citing the successful montage of the local series ‘Laflanm’ and the past sold-out theatrical events.
“With the interventions of professionals, we are optimistic that this industry will thrive here in Seychelles. Not only are we making dreams come true and creating job opportunities for families, but this project also synergizes with our ministry’s efforts towards reviving cultural tourism; thus producing films as promotional tools for the country,” Minister Zialor said.
She further solicited the support of the chargé d’affaires at the Seychelles embassy based in Paris, France, Ralph Agrippine, to assist Mr Van Beveren during his search for professionals on behalf of the country.
Locally, the Youth and Sports department will be the focal point of contact for this project and was assigned to ensure all relevant stakeholders are on board in time for the first atelier in May.
Mr Van Beveren left the country for France last week and will come back in mid-April to kick things off. Remarkably, though Mr Van Beveren is a popular figure on the French cinematography scene, he speaks fluent creole and takes pride in promoting Seychelles and his creole heritage. He started his career in cinematography at the age of 25 and has featured in films such as Wolf Call, Vikings and The Fighters (coming soon).
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