New film industry, major support for creatives part of ‘grand’ 60th Independence Anniversary celebrations – President

In the year 2026, Guyana will observe its 60th anniversary as an independent nation, and President Dr Irfaan Ali on Tuesday told reporters that grand celebrations are planned throughout the year.

Alongside those celebrations, he said, will be a major focus on supporting local creatives and fully embracing Guyana’s culture— deploying that local asset at a scale never seen before in the Caribbean.

“We are going to invest heavily in creating a film industry here (and) in creating entertainment hubs,” President Ali announced, adding that there will be new initiatives to guarantee that local artistes have a “structured form of income.”

Support for local creatives and the cultural sector is part of the government’s focus on developing the orange economy. This orange economy, or creative economy, refers to all economic activities related to creativity, culture, and innovation. And President Ali said he will encourage the local private sector to support ventures in this regard, particularly as his government hopes to harness local talent for the 60th anniversary celebrations.

Beyond the orange economy, the President said there will be a “grand homecoming” and tons of activities and events planned throughout the year for the anniversary celebrations.

Beautification of the capital city, Georgetown, and the development of spaces all across the country are also ventures the government will be focused heavily on. The President also said he wants more major cruise lines to come to Guyana.