Hauto takes talent to big screen

Jamaican content creator Hauto is betting on the talent of his fellow social media personalities as he makes his film-making début with Rivalry , a crime drama that brings some familiar faces from TikTok into a new creative space. Officially released on Wednesday, October 28, the film follows rival gangs battling for control of Kingston, with drugs, guns, and the criminal underworld fuelling a power struggle that soon attracts the attention of law enforcement. But beyond the violence and high-stakes drama lies a bigger ambition for Hauto: To prove that the talent entertaining Jamaicans on their phone screens can make an equally compelling impression on film. The project, which features TikTok ers Swiiss Lee, Deeman, Emmy, Jakes, Jimbo Dee, and artiste Top Banks, among others, was initially conceived as a single full-length movie.

However, financial constraints forced production to stop midway, prompting Hauto to split the story into two parts. With the first instalment completed, the team is preparing to move into production on the second. TikToker Jakes takes on his role in the film Rivalry. Despite the change in plans, Hauto believes Rivalry offers something fresh to the local entertainment landscape. “Although some will say the topic and the themes are the same, you’ve never seen TikTok ers take on film like this. This is us coming together as a community to showcase our talent beyond social media. The vibes, the energy, won’t be anything the industry has seen before,” he told the Jamaica Observer ’s Splash. The first instalment establishes the day-to-day operations of the rival gangs and introduces the players in their dangerous world. In the second, the conflict is expected to intensify as the rivals begin taking more aggressive action against each other. For…