Alison Saunders has been an audio-visual writer/director/producer for over 25 years and is the founder of Blue Waters Productions, a company committed to the production of world class audio-visual content.  Alison holds a Masters degree in Television Production and Public Relations from Syracuse University and an MBA from the UWI, Cave Hill.

                  

She is the Writer-Director-Executive Producer of the award-winning,Hit For Six!, the first film to be commercially exported from Barbados, which was released in cinemas and on television around the Caribbean.  Together with her BWP team, she raised over BDS$1.4m in cash and kind contributions for the production of this landmark film.  It has been selected for numerous film festivals in the United States, the Caribbean, Canada, Europe, India, South Africa and has won several awards.  Hit For Six has been listed among the “Top Cricket Movies” of all time worldwide by SBS (TV Network) Australia and Top Ten Movies Based on Cricket by the premier global website for film professionals, IMDB.  Alison had the distinction of being the first Barbadian filmmaker to screen a film at the home of the American Film Institute – the prestigious Silver Theatre in Maryland. Hit For Six! has also been shown on  the popular MNET TV channel in South Africa.

 

In 2005, Alison  wrote, produced and directed on location in London a prelude to Hit For Six, Second Innings, a 13-minute drama which was screened in London  and then at the African Caribbean Film Festival in Barbados.

 

Alison is also Creator, Executive Producer and Director the highly acclaimed and popular reality show for entrepreneurs, Bank on ME which was shown on television in Barbados and regionally last year and is now in production for Season 2 for regional and international distribution.  She has been able to attract prestigious companies, individuals and organizations to the project as sponsors, investors, advertisers, judges and mentors. These include Scotiabank who have returned for a second season as presenting sponsor, Caribbean Export Development Agency who have provided funding on two occasions, Barbados Yellow Pages, Barbados Investment and Development Corporation (BIDC), National Initiative for Service Excellence (NISE), Fund Access and the Youth Entrepreneurship Scheme (YES), and Williams Industries who invested in the winner of Season 1.

 

A former head of Broadcasting at the Barbados Government Information Service,   Alison has produced countless documentaries, public service announcements, ads and programmes for that institution and for a wide range companies, not-for-profit agencies and government entities.    Alison also hosted a TV show on CBC TV8 called Legally Speaking for three seasons.

 

She has written another dramatic script, The White Bench, that is to be produced next year and is currently working on a documentary on the Barbadian workers on the Panama Canal and their descendents.

 

She is a Founder and former Vice President of the Barbados Film and Video Association and has been a tireless advocate for the local film industry over the last six years.  She was presented witih the Barbados Music, Film and Fashion Award of Merit in 2014 for her achievement in film and television.