The authorised Bob Marley documentary will still premiere in Germany for Marley's 65th birthday amidst reports that production was stalled due to changes in directors.

"It is in the post-production stages and shall premiere at the Berlin Film Festival next February," Janice Allen, film manager at Jamaica Trade and Invest (JTI), told the Observer. "We are still in discussion as to when it will be premiered in Jamaica."

JTI had facilitated the acquisition of documentation needed to commence filming on the island, including licences, and permits Allen said.

The Berlin Festival is one of the world's leading film festivals. Founded in 1951, the festival has been celebrated annually in February since 1978.

US media reports last month stated that Silence of the Lambs director Jonathan Demme was the second major director to leave the project, following Martin Scorsese. Scorsese directed the iconic Bob Dylan documentary.

"I am not aware of that," stated Allen, who was briefed by Cinecom, the local arm of the production team.

US producer Steve Bing has been working closely with the Marley family in order to portray the life of the reggae legend, who is referred to as the Che Guevara of music.

Allen said that the documentary was important not only to the Marley family but to Jamaica as it would "tell how he impacted the world".

JTI helped facilitate the 99 films made in Jamaica over the 2008/9 fiscal year, which was a 20 per cent decrease over the previous year. Even with the reduction, these projects earned six per cent more at $480 million. Indeed, more money was made from fewer films but many projects were foreign-based and their profits would have been repatriated. The number of persons employed remained stable at some 2,000 persons.

Film projects include feature films, television commercials, television productions, music videos, documentaries, television series, concerts, festivals and special events.

Source: The Jamaica Observer