Filmmaker Rae Wiltshire has successfully set a foundation for himself in Guyana’s film industry. Though, it has only been a few years since he started making short films, Rae hopes to take the local industry to higher heights. Though he has faced a few roadblocks in his filmmaking journey, his strong will and determination have propelled him forward.
In a recent interview, Rae said it was always his dream to become a filmmaker but acquiring the necessary equipment was a major challenge. It was theatre that paved the way for him to kickstart his filmmaking career. “I started doing theatre first, then I put on my first play [Creative Burial Ground] in 2013 and I won best production. I won some money and that’s what I used to buy my first camera,” he explained.
By practicing consistently and using online tools like YouTube, Rae was able to teach himself necessary filmmaking skills and in 2016 he started implementing them in the creation of short films. In 2020, his career was given a huge boost when an opportunity opened for him to participate in the Commonwealth Shorts, Caribbean Voices film project.
Rae shared that in 2021, the Commonwealth Foundation provided him with a grant, which funded his film, “Eating Papaw on the Seawall.” The film, based on the love story and struggles of an LGBTQ+ couple, has recently been accepted into the Silicon Valley African Film Festival in California.
Work is already progressing on another major project being spearheaded by Rae – the Georgetown Film Festival. The Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport’s Cultural and Creative Industries grant has afforded Rae and 18 other filmmakers the opportunity to collectively work on the film festival to be held in late 2023.
The festival is expected to showcase at least a dozen Guyanese films of varying genres like comedy, drama, horror, science fiction and fantasy. Rae said that production has commenced on the first film which will be a portrayal of Indo-Guyanese culture. The film, he shared, is based on a woman who is conflicted over whether or not to put her father, who has Alzheimer’s disease, in a nursing home.
The local filmmaker is excited to see what the future of Guyana’s film industry will be like. “These films are gonna be showing in places like America and Kenya, and to me that’s a good sign. It shows that I’m doing something right,” he said. He further stressed that he sees the film industry growing over the next few years because the plan is to build film infrastructure here in Guyana. He hopes that the first Georgetown Film Festival will attract more international attention and show others that “we can make quality content right here in Guyana.”
Rae said that for a project of this scale support in any form is always appreciated. Persons can reach out to show their support to Rae and his team on 592-626-3139 or via email at georgetownfilmfestival@gmail.com.
