7 News Belize

Sri Lankans "Movie-Makers" Sent Home
posted (September 14, 2011)
Three weeks ago, we told you about 11 Sri Lankans who were here in Belize supposedly to make a movie.

Their arrival generated a flurry of scandal - as the group was rumoured to be human traffic - using Belize as a springboard to try and get to the United States.

But they bravely went on the news - and defended themselves - and boasted of their film-making credentials - saying they wanted to make a movie with the Belize Blue Hole as the back-drop.

But it seems their story was just that, a story. Today we received an email from a representative of Sri Lanka's Special Media Unit in that Country's who confirmed that they are NOT Sri Lankan moviemakers.

But, Belize's film Commission didn't need that disclaimer - after a few weeks of doing something close to nothing, and not coming up with any money to rent equipment or a helicopter to shoot that blue hole, the Commissioner has decided to send them back.

Film Commissioner Nigel Miguel told us that there's been no money forthcoming since they say the prices in Belize are too high. Miguel says his office has told the Department of Immigration that there's no point in them staying and that they should send them home.

He says all 11 are still here and accounted for, staying at the same hotel where they are not freely allowed to leave because they are considered a flight risk. They are expected to be repatriated to Sri Lanka by the end of this week...

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7 News Belize