Members of the Barbados Film and Video Association (BFVA) assembled on December 11, 2019 to elect Kirk Dawson as their new President for the year 2020. Dawson, a 16 year veteran to the local and regional film industry, replaced Damien Pinder who served for the last 3 years and was not eligible for a fourth term in accordance with the association’s by-laws.

In his inaugural speech to members, Dawson thanked them for their confidence and assured them that the main goals during his tenure are to work with his new board to improve the local sector’s viability through regional and international partnerships, along with increasing visibility of local video productions.

He believes that the mixture of youthful and experienced creatives on the board can develop the needed impact overall. Dawson also thanked the outgoing President and his board for their dedication and efforts, and welcomed their continued collaboration and support as general members.

The new BFVA board comprises of Andrea Allan (1st Vice President), Romario Hunte (2nd Vice President), Andrea King (Secretary), Curtis Padmore (Membership Officer), Charlette Thomas (Public Relations Officer) and Lorna Garner, Roger Moore and Penelope Hynam as Floor Members.

They will have their first strategic planning meeting on December 18th with a focus on engaging members, obtaining new members, and their annual Film Festival held in the month of October.