Jamaican film-maker picks local talent for new movie

Fresh off premiering her film ' Love After Holidays' at the Carib 5 cinema in February, Jamaica-born actress and film-maker Jacinth Headlam is currently in the island filming scenes for another movie, titled ' Redeemed'.

She said the film was conceptulised by Dr Otis Manning, pastor of God's Family Ministry International, and features a powerful cast, including prominent Hollywood actor Malik Yoba.

"This is a movie about betrayal, healing, forgiveness and transformation, and no matter what your situation is, your past does not define you. Everything that you do is redeemable, and my character, Julia, showcases that. She comes from a family that has many secrets and is a victim of deep betrayal. She, however, turns her life around and forgives and finds herself again," she said.

Headlam said that the movie is based on a true story, and that upon hearing Manning's storyline for the film, she flew to Jamaica to cast local talents.

"Pastor Manning reached out to me and wanted me to help him with his vision for Redeemed, and when I heard the concept, I got on it right away and we got the story started. We then started casting earlier this year, and I flew to Jamaica for that because I wanted authentic Jamaican talent, and so on. I just wanted to showcase us, and the rest is history. Here we are, filming," Headlam said.

In addition to Headlam and Yoba, Redeemed also stars Jamaican actor Cornelius Grant, social media personality Julie Mango, among other local talents.

"We have a really powerful cast and I am really excited to work with them. Malik Yoba and I worked on Love After Holidays and I want to thank him for trusting me and joining this cast with me. We have a lot of great actors on set and they are all really, really talented," she said.

'This film is going to be meet people where they are. Whether you are on the opposite side of the law or someone who is trying to do good and live within the law but falls short. It is also a love story as well, so you have a little bit of everything happening in this film. I am expecting it to have a global reach, and I hope that persons' lives will be redeemed after the film," Headlam added.

Headlam said although the film was low-budget, it still proved a struggle to get adequate funding, but added that Manning made it happen in the end.

"The budget is ultra-low, but if I have a vision I am not going to let funding stopped me. I am going to find a way, even if I have to lap arms with a few friends and put our heads together, and that is what Dr Otis Manning did. A lot of the budget is self-funding, so I really respect him for his drive. This movie is also independently filmed and is not backed by a major studio, but we are still making it happen," she said.

Redeemed is slated to be released in 2026.