Trinidad and Tobago-born film producer Jolene Mendes wanted to tell stories through film even before she knew exactly what film production was. Mendes who is now based in Los Angeles recently launched a production company, More Avenue, which pays homage to her roots.
"I launched it here in the US with the intention to branch out to TT, which I will be doing soon."
Mendes has worked on films including She Paradise, directed by TT's Maya Cozier, and
Bienvenidos a Los Angeles, directed by Lisa Cole – both of which received recognition at film festivals and awards. Mendes and two other female producers, Vivian Johnson and Cindy Lu, won the 2022 Toronto International Women's Film Festival award for best female producer for
Bienvenidos a Los Angeles.
She Paradise is a coming-of-age story with a Caribbean spin, about a quiet girl from a humble background in Port of Spain finding her inner voice through dance. It has been recognised by top-tier film festivals such as the Tribeca Film Festival of New York and AFI Fest in Los Angeles.
Explaining her role in film she said, "Look at each film as an individual company, which technically they are, and with that the film producer is the CEO and often the founder of each film."
At no point in her 29 years did Mendes see herself doing anything other than film. She's always wanted "to tell stories to elevate the voices of creators, by giving people from all avenues of life a chance to tell their story through film and music, whether it be through producing films or managing TT musical artiste Issa."
Asked how she got film production opportunities, Mendes said more often than not, it happens by word of mouth. "Sometimes someone sees a film or music video that I produced and feels like the work I do is in line with the projects they want to get off the ground. That happens too."
Becoming manager for TT-born artiste Issa, however, was a bit different.
She discovered his song Pictures as a recommended listen by streaming platform Spotify. "I heard and felt something very special and universal, not only in his talent but in the message he is putting out to the world through his music using his personal story, so I reached out to him to learn more about his story and goals in business and life. I really connected with his intentions so I felt a need to be a part of his journey and help elevate him as an artist."
As a teen she did not have a clear idea of what she wanted to do professionally. She thinks now that's because her heart was always set on film, but: "I just didn't see it as a career, or at least a reachable career, at the time."
[caption id="attachment_990183" align="alignnone" width="1024"] - Photo courtesy Jolene Mendes[/caption]
It wasn't until social media became part of mainstream culture that Mendes began paying attention to what can be done online, such as targeted ads and other features of social media connected to film production.
"Because I was consistently researching film and television – and the business of it – I started getting ads for f
