By: CS Global Partners
March 30, 2021
“One Year Off,” a comedy feature film, will be shot on the island of Nevis, a safe haven for filming during the coronavirus pandemic. The stringent COVID-19 guidelines for the Federation of St Kitts and Nevis under Prime Minister Timothy Harris’ leadership have helped the islands become a COVID-19 safe zone. The star-studded British cast and crew of about 50 people have already arrived in Nevis under strict protective measures.
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Harris announced that the filming would create more opportunities and jobs for people in St Kitts and Nevis. The production company is projected to contribute about $1 million to the nation’s economy every four months. Sales firm MSR Media also revealed the creation of an education programme to train local people in various on-set roles to boost the island’s production infrastructure. A plan to create an acting academy on the island is also underway.
Honourable Mark Brantley, the Premier of Nevis, and other officials welcomed the delegation of crew and actors to commence production. “In a world now beset with the COVID-19 pandemic, Nevis continues to be one of the safest places in the world with very few cases, no community spread and to date no COVID related deaths,” he said.
“As you travel our beautiful island, you will be struck by our authenticity, rooted in our flourishing culture and exemplified by our warm, genuine people,” said the Minister of Tourism, the Honourable Lindsay Grant. The Minister also noted that the dual island nation has a strong infrastructure presence that can accommodate modern business opportunities, such as the airport, which can land the largest jets from North America and the daily service of FedEx.
As waves of the pandemic carve out harsher borders between nations and prolong working from home practices, many business people have resorted to investing in second citizenship to escape cold weather and lockdowns. As the pioneer of the concept of Citizenship by Investment, St Kitts and Nevis, under its extended limited time offer, allows families of up to four who contribute $150,000 citizenship for life, enabling them to work from paradise for as long as they need.
Interestingly, the premise of “One Year Off” also has a similar concept. It is a human-interest story about what happens when a family takes off and travels the globe, temporarily putting their “regular life” on hold to rest and explore the world.
St Kitts and Nevis citizenship also allows visa-free and visa-on-arrival travel to over 156 different destinations globally. These mobility benefits save investors time, stress and money as they can go about business without worrying about travel restrictions. Additionally, the programme does not require one to visit the country during the application process or live in the country for any number of days to keep citizenship.
The film will be the first of a two-movie production deal between UK production and MSR Media and the Nevis Island Administration (NIA).