Jacmel: Plans Underway to Revive Haiti’s Only Film School

Over the past decade, the Ciné Institute of Jacmel has contributed to the training of hundreds of audiovisual professionals in the country

Around 10 former Ciné Institute graduates are working to relaunch the Ciné Institute. Until registrations came to a stop in 2015, this school in Jacmel trained several hundred professionals in the audiovisual professions.

But the structure’s eight years of operation, as the only cinema training institution in the country, were mainly financed by foreign donors.

Students from the Ciné Institute School in Jacmel. | ©artist institute haiti

These donors have disengaged, and widespread insecurity prevents teachers from the United States, France, Spain, or Canada from coming to teach in the South-East of the country.

Despite everything, the former students remain determined. “We are ready to put our knowledge at the service of the school to continue training young talents in the [audiovisual field],” said Berline Charles, graduate of the penultimate class in 2015, who went on to continue their studies in Cuba, at the Escuela Internacional de Cine y TV (EICTV).

A student from the Ciné Institute School filming. | ©artist institute haiti

Charles is the founder of Kino Lakay, a film organization dedicated to mentoring young talent. She also works on film projects in Latin America. Alumni of the institute are looking for between $300,000 and $600,000, the budget needed for the overall functioning of the institution. This amount includes logistical support and support for the teachers who teach the courses.

These donors have disengaged, and widespread insecurity prevents teachers from the United States, France, Spain, or Canada from coming to teach in the South-East of the country.

Ciné Institute does not benefit from any state funding. And the revenues from its commercial arm, Ciné Services, are not enough to finance the initiative.

Keziah Jean was one of the school’s first graduates. A renowned director and cameraman in Haiti, she continued her studies at the School of Arts Cinema in Los Angeles. Currently based in Jacmel, Jean speaks of the relaunch of the “prestigious” school as a “necessity”.

Co-founder of « Kreye » – an initiative aimed at promoting women in cinema in Haiti – Jean has already organized several training sessions for students at the Ciné Institute.

We are ready to put our knowledge at the service of the school to continue to train young talents in the [audiovisual field]

Zach Niles managed the institution from its founding in 2008, before leading the Audio Institute section between 2015 and 2016. “It is a school to which I have given all my energy and my heart, and which I love deeply, just like the country of Haiti,” Niles tells AyiboPost.

Students from the Ciné Institute School. ©artist institute haiti

This American discovered Haiti in 2006, during the screening of his documentary at the Jacmel Film Festival. For the filmmaker, music producer and manager of the Haitian group Lakou Mizik, based in the United States, the involvement of former beneficiaries, who have become accomplished professionals, is “essential to guarantee the continuance of activities.”

The Haitian group Lakou Mizik and Ciné Institute. | ©artist institute haiti

The history of Ciné Institute begins in 2004, during the commemoration of the bicentennial of Haiti.

David Belle, American director, Patrick Boucard, Haitian artist, and Andrew Bigosinski & Paula Hyppolite, filmmakers, collaborated to organize a film festival called “Festival Film Jakmèl”.

“During the festival, we organized workshops on cinema for young people, and they showed a real interest in these activities,” Paula Hyppolite, co-founder and current director of Ciné Institute, explains to AyiboPost.

The formal school was born in June 2008, after the last edition of the festival two years before, with strong support from the Artists for Peace organization. The initiative took on a new dimension with the creation of the Artists Institute, which included the Ciné Institute and the Audio Institute, after the devastating earthquake of 2010.

The institute, located by the sea, on the coast of Mazarin, in the town of Meyer, is equipped with recording studios, editing rooms, production offices, classrooms and magnificent gardens.

“The objective was to expand the training offer to support not only the cinema industry, but also the music industry,” says Hyppolite.

Ciné Institute enjoyed resounding success from its first years.

Young people from all regions of the country learned audiovisual production techniques, editing, and scriptwriting. “Each year, we welcome 36 audio students and 36 cinema students. »

“Hundreds of young people have trained in cinema and audio professions. It was a enitrely free two-year training course,” says Hyppolite.

The objective was to expand the training offer to support not only the cinema industry, but also the music industry.

– Hyppolite

For many, this school represents a real heritage.

This is what Yves-Mary Barjon thinks, who was not only a student at the school between 2011 and 2013, but was also one of its service providers from 2016 to 2023. “It is thanks to my time at this establishment that many doors opened for me, particularly for collaborations with other artists in Haiti and abroad,” testifies Barjon, former manager and chief producer of Ciné Services, a branch of the Ciné Institute.

By Lucnise Duquereste

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