Diavallan Fearon

'I submitted it to Carib theatre because this film is for the people, and I believe they should be able to see it in the cinema like any other international movie. The quality is good and it's a reflection of our society.'

Jamaican producer and film director Diavallan Fearon is set to release his debut film called 'Blind Shotta'. According to the director, the film is a dream that has become reality.

"This film is a way of providing employment for much of the youth in the inner city, and as a child I have always wanted to make a movie," he said.

According to the director, he wants Jamaicans to seriously consider his film because he spent 15 years learning the art of film directing.

I started at Kingston Technical then I read books on LYND.com, then I enrolled myself into a series of tutorials on how to make proper film at an affordable price. Overall, that is about 15 years of practice," he said.

According to Fearon, the movie, though locally produced, is of good quality and is fit to be screened in local cinema.

"I submitted it to Carib theatre because this film is for the people, and I believe they should be able to see it in the cinema like any other international movie. The quality is good and it's a reflection of our society," he said.

Blind Shotta reflects life in the Grants Pen community, marred by violence and poverty. "The story is about a blind man who was conned by an artiste who sold him old shoes and other junk because he could not see. This made him angry and he hired a hit man to get the artiste and an entire conflict and drama unfolds," Fearon said.

Personal experience

Actors in Blind Shotta

The film dabbles with themes of humour, aggression and humility and, according to Fearon, it's based on personal experience.

"Growing up in Grants Pen, I was raised by a good father who taught me to avoid violence. However, there are certain experiences that I lived and saw and some of them are reflected in the movie," he said.

The film was shot at various locations in Kingston such as Waterhouse, Grants Pen, Half-Way Tree and Constant Spring Road. The main actors are Rayon Walker, Phillip Lee King, Raneal Onfroy and John Maffia.

An official release date for the film is not yet decided.

Fearon cited that the release date would depend on Carib's acceptance of the movie.

"I don't want to set a date as yet because I'm waiting on Carib to respond. However, we will be doing an extensive island tour and guerrilla marketing to ensure that we reach everybody," he said.

- Diavallan Fearon