The Callsheet Issue 05 2018 by Film & Event Media

ISSUE 05 | 2018

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CONTENTS / 01

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02. Training for All

09 16 20 24

CAPE TOWN AND WESTERN CAPE OPEN FOR BUSINESS

We ask you to join this #watersmart movement and help us create meaningful change.

04. The Norval

Foundation: A Space that will Leave a Legacy

07. Netflix is

Catching Feelings

09. The Western Cape is Open for Business

10. The SA Presence at Cannes Film

INTERNATIONAL CLIENT TESTIMONIALS Clients divulge why shooting in sunny South Africa is the best.

12. Success in Film

Service and Film Production

16. Film Client

Testimonials

20. SA’s Award-

Winning Crew

AWARD-WINNING AFRICAN CREW

South African crews are very much in demand on international sets, despite limited training opportunities.

22. Unpacking

Filmmakers’ Finance Options in South Africa

24. South Africa’s Film Hubs

33. NFVF’s Cycle 3

Funding Approvals

SOUTH AFRICA’S FILM HUBS

Natasha Skoryk investigates why the tip of Africa is such an appealing destination for international productions.

36. Events to Diarise 38. Associations News 40. Directory of Advertisers

02 / SPOTLIGHT

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GIVING BACK THROUGH

TRAINING

Dynamic young filmmakers return from UK internship, where they worked for leading drama specialist Kudos on the hit show Humans.

WE ARE PRIVILEGED TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE A VITAL WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY – AND A BRIDGE - ACROSS THE YAWNING GAP BETWEEN EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT LOOMING LARGE IN MANY PEOPLES’ LIVES. Storm Solomons

wo dynamic young South African women, Sne Ndlovu from Durban and Storm Solomons from Johannesburg, arrived back in South Africa recently after a remarkable 7-week internship run by UK production company, Kudos. The internship saw Sne and Storm joining the production team of series 3 of Kudos’ hit sci-ﬁ show Humans produced for Channel 4 in the UK and AMC in the US. Designed to build on their existing skills and experience, the intern programme included time spent working with Kudos’ both development and production teams to build new skills that will help them progress their careers back in South Africa. The internship was the idea of Kudos and Film Afrika and was a direct consequence of the positive experience Kudos and its sister company, Wild Mercury,

Sne Ndlovu

had making Troy – Fall of City (BBC/Netflix) in South Africa in 2017. In partnership with Film Afrika Worldwide and the SA FILM Academy, Sne and Storm were picked after a detailed selection process designed to find the two candidates who would benefit most from the intern experience. Now they have returned to South Africa - enriched with newfound skills and experience – and ready to take on new projects. As a coordinated, industry skills development platform, the SA FILM Academy’s aim is to make film-industry transformation and growth a reality through creating inservice training and career opportunities specifically targeted at those previously excluded from the industry. The objective is to increase the pool of a diverse, representative, globally competitive, local film

industry crew and heads of departments. The internship with a UK production like Humans 3 was a vital step in the growth and development of their careers and the industry. CEO of the SA FILM Academy, Seton Bailey, observed: “We are privileged to be able to provide a vital window of opportunity – and a bridge - across the yawning gap between education and employment looming large in many peoples’ lives, particularly black ﬁlmmakers. We’d like to take the opportunity to thank everyone who made this international internship possible. In doing so, you’re forging futures and changing lives”. Martin Haines, Chief Operating Oﬃcer of Kudos said “As an international production company shooting all over the world it’s important that we give back to the industries and communities where we work and

who give us so much, and this initiative is part of philosophy. Having Sne and Storm with us for these seven weeks has been joyful and energizing and we wish them every future success.” Breathless and exhausted from seven weeks of intense exposure, Storm Solomons had this to say: “It was an amazing and nerve-racking experience. But no one can take away what I have learnt and how much I have grown from this incredible experience.” Sne Ndlovu added that: “Since returning from London, a ﬁre has been ignited in me that encourages me to pursue my desires and ambitions further; to be a writer, director, and producer in the near future.” For more information call SA FILM Academy on 021 461 7950 or visit www.ﬁlmsa.co.za

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04 / THE NORVAL FOUNDATION

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A SPACE THAT WILL LEAVE

A LEGACY

The Norval Foundation is a new centre for art and cultural expression, yet is far more than a museum, and far more than a mere venue - it is already an in-demand destination for local and international location scouts and filmmakers.

Elana Brundyn, Executive Director at the Norval Foundation.

t comprises state-of-theart facilities and gallery spaces, as well as a sculpture garden, an intimate amphitheatre and a world-class restaurant, all enhanced by a design that is guided by the fundamentals of light and air. To visit the Norval Foundation is to understand elegance in its most natural form, an adapti ve space that, through architectural expression, puts culture ﬁrst. Elana Brundyn is the Executi ve Director at the Norval Foundation and serves as a trustee of the Gerard Sekoto Foundation. From 2014 to 2017 she was Director of Institutional Advancement and External Aﬀ airs at Zeitz MOCAA (Cape Town), part of the inaugural team to launch the institution in September 2017. Brundyn’s career in the contemporary art industry spans 20 years as a consultant and advisor to corporate and academic collections, charity art auctions

and commercial galleries with a strong focus on philanthropic projects and fundraising.

capital donations will be used to secure the foundation for future generations.

WHAT IS THE OVERARCHING PURPOSE OF THE NORVAL FOUNDATION?

WHAT KIND OF EVENTS IS THE NORVAL FOUNDATION SUITED TO?

We aim to create high quality exhibitions and public programming to broaden our understanding of the visual arts. The Norval Foundationis honoured to be the custodians of the Gerard Sekoto Foundation, Edoardo Villa Estate Collection, and the Alexis Preller Archive. We believe that art has the power to enrich our lives and that artists contribute to or communities in a profound way. The Norval family are the founders and initial funders of the Norval Foundation, through which they aim to make art widely accessible to local and international visitors. The proceeds from

The Norval Foundation was designed to be a ﬂexible space that can be adapted to suit the needs of the event, therefore we are not limited to the kinds of events that can be held here. Smaller spaces such as the library are perfect for smaller gatherings, such as C-suite meetings. The foyer is an elegant space, with the Serge Alain Nitegeka sculpture as its focal point, and I envision cocktail functions taking place within it. The larger halls are ideal for cultural exhibitions, while the amphitheatre is perfect for intimate performances. I am certain the restaurant will be popular for fun, informal foodie events. The most important feature of the centre is not the spaces that

comprise it – it is the artwork that provides the essence. Above all, the art will ultimately provide the complement or counterpoint to the event.

HOW WILL THE NORVAL FOUNDATION SERVE THE FILM INDUSTRY?

The location adds something new to the roster of ﬁlming destinations in the Western Cape. It combines innovati ve architectural design with an appreciation of the region’s natural beauty. We are certainly open to explore potential synergies with ﬁlmmakers. For more information please mail events@norvalfoundation.org or call us on +27 (0) 76 476 1299

06 / SCREENER COPY

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SCREENER COPY GET FILMS TO PROFIT FASTER The movie industry has a piracy problem. Almost 60% of movies are leaked before they’ve been in the cinema for two weeks. What’s worse: pre-release piracy, according to research from Carnegie Mellon University, reduces the lifetime profit of the pirated film by 19% on average. In an industry where second chances are scarce, you can’t afford to wait to protect yourself from piracy until after you become a victim. Screener Copy uses cutting-edge blockchain and forensic watermarking technology to help filmmakers and distributors distribute and secure their content. Whether you only want to send out a couple of screeners to reviewers, or are marketing thousands of copies daily, Screener Copy is the seamless video distribution soft ware you’ve been waiting for.

SEND SECURE SCREENERS • FORENSIC WATERMARKING: Specially developed watermarking technology embeds an imperceptible blockchain-based tracer into each copy of a video that is sent out, allowing identiﬁcation of the source of any leaked content. • TIERED DETECTION: Screener Copy uses cryptocurrency bounties to incentivise a global network of bounty hunters and online pirates to rat on one another, aﬀording us unparalleled speed and breadth of detection - even if your content is leaked on the dark web. • DISTRIBUTION AND MANAGEMENT: Filmmakers and distributors all over the world are using Screener Copy to market and protect their content, relying on our patented blockchain protection technology to protect themselves against piracy.

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SHARE PROTECTED VIDEO CONTENT AT SCALE Although Screener Copy protection can integrate easily with existing workﬂows, a cloud-based distribution and recipient management platform is available that can be customised and branded to your needs. Enterprise product features include: • Multiple language support • Customisable branding • Third-party uploads • Bulk content and meta data uploads • Advanced analytics and real-time insights Partner with Screener Copy, powered by Custos Media Technologies, and make a statement about your commitment to content protection in an age of digital distribution. Visit screenercopy.com to request a free trial invite, or chat to us about a custom-built enterprise solution.

MEET THE TEAM

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Jon Roth Content Protection

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NEWS / 07

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‘BORN A CRIME’ SNAGS SA-BORN DIRECTOR

Trevor Noah’s autobiographical film Born a Crime will shoot in SA with a local director.

outh African born Liesl Tommy has come on board as the director of Trevor Noah’s upcoming ﬁlm Born a Crime. The ﬁlm – based on Noah’s bestselling book of the same name – follows his misadventures

growing up in a world where he was never supposed to exist. Lupita Nyong’o is att ached to star as Noah’s mother, and will serve as the executi ve producer. Tommy previously directed Nyong’o in her Broadway

debut, playing The Girl in the critically acclaimed drama Eclipsed. Tommy became the ﬁrst woman of colour to be nominated for ‘Best Direction of a Play’ at the Tonys, whilst Nyong’o scored a nod for ‘Best Actress in a Play’.

After being announced as director, Tommy revealed the ﬁlm would shoot on location in South Africa: “I’ve spent many years working all over the world, to ﬁnally get to come home to South Africa to shoot a project like this is a dream come true.”

NETFLIX IS

CATCHING FEELINGS

Romantic comedy Catching Feelings becomes the first SA film to stream on Netflix South Africa.

outh African romantic comedy, Catching Feelings, will become the ﬁrst local ﬁlm to stream on Netf lix South Africa, once its cinematic run is complete. While Netf lix acquired the rights to

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stream Inxeba earlier in the year, the ﬁlm was not released on the South African site. Catching Feelings, was written, directed and stars Kagiso Lediga. Lediga plays an English literature academic in Johannesburg,

who ﬁnds his life irrevocably transformed after an older, hedonistic writer (played by Andrew Buckland) moves in with him. Pearl Thusi, Akin Omotoso and Loyisa Gola co-star. The ﬁlm’s cinematic run

has been met with excellent reviews, with many praising its originality and beautiful shots of Johannesburg. As such, South Africans should look forward to watching it on the small screen in the comfort of their homes soon.

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08 / SPOTLIGHT

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INTRODUCING ZAP

ZAP represents the skills of a creative group of directors, cinematographers, grips, engineers and SFX specialising in high speed cinematography, focusing on food, table top, beauty and lifestyle.

ooted in the days of ﬁlm when ‘high-speed photography’ was deﬁned as a frame rate of 69 frames per second or greater, these skills make the manipulation of frame rates an exciting new tool in the hands of the director. Today the viewer can experience action too fast for the eye to see or watch actions that take minutes or hours to unfold compressed into an engaging few seconds of air time. From one frame every 10 seconds to 2 000 frames every second, Z AP is all about speed, from very slow to very fast camera frame rates, integrating the speed and path of camera movement to follow the action under the dictates of natural.

To add predictable camera movement, Z AP uses internationally acclaimed robotic camera platforms. Robotic rigs carry a range of cameras, and while the Phantom is the high-speed camera of choice, there exists a range of effects that can be achieved with digital film and even DSLR cameras. Off board mechanical or electrical events such as synchronising of falling objects through frame or the triggering of explosions or lighting effects become repeatable events that can be fine-tuned in rehearsal to produce the exact shot that is required. High-speed and time-lapse photography were often seen

as a dark art, with time slice adding to the mix, freezing and moving through time. The advances in technology have made the use of these methods practical for commercials, and ZAP has the equipment and skills to offer animation, stop-motion, go-motion, time lapse and time slice. The predictability of the motion and the ability of the control soft ware to output information that can be used to integrate with CG further extends what is possible to create effects normally reserved for high-budget feature films. High-speed shoots always need a lot of expensive light, and the higher the frame rate the more light. Determining the optimum frame rate and not needlessly over-cranking

is part of the ZAP service. This experience and the luxury of testing various effects in ZAP’s permanent studio has developed expertise that is available to the client. In addition, our vast experience of rigging in the many different environments can shortcut many of the problems encountered when undertaking the unusual. ZAP operators are artists as well as engineers and this passion makes their expertise available at preproduction time and thus save on expensive set time. ZAP is available to provide a quotation on any related special effect you may require for your next production. Contact us on info@zapspeed.tv or logon to zapspeed.tv to view our work.

WESGRO / 09

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CAPE TOWN AND THE WESTERN CAPE ARE OPEN FOR BUSINESS

he people of Cape Town and the Western Cape are leading the way globally in lowering their water footprint. This is in response to the drought being experienced over the last few years. In doing so, we are building a resilient economy that will be stronger now and into the future. We ask you to join this #watersmart movement and help us create meaningful change.

HELP US BUILD A SUSTAINABLE, WATER-SMART PRODUCTION DESTINATION

that we will have water available for your needs, but we ask you to be part of our efforts to build Cape Town and the Western a sustainable destination that Cape needs film businesses to uses water responsibly. This is boost economic growth and help the new-normal, that should be a create jobs for those who are concern for productions globally. unemployed. That is why it remains Indeed, we are not alone. important that productions Climate change is a reality for continue at our destination. You many places around the world, can be confident in choosing our including major film destinations, region to shoot your production and practising new, sustainable techniques is an investment for the future. It requires being conscious of the new-normal, and doing what is necessary to help save water, while enjoying our world-class film and media production economy. We are ready to welcome you to our resilient city and province, a truly inspiring a greatdesti place toon create nati to create.

WE ARE BUILDING A RESILIENT ECONOMY THAT WILL BE STRONGER NOW AND INTO THE FUTURE. WE ASK YOU TO JOIN THIS #WATERSMART MOVEMENT AND HELP US CREATE MEANINGFUL CHANGE.

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For more information on the drought being experienced in the Cape, and how your business could join in our efforts to build a sustainable, water-smart destination, please email us at water@wesgro.co.za. You can also view our dedicated website: www.waterwesterncape.co.za. Email: film@wesgro.co.za Tel: +27 21 487 8600 www.wesgro.co.za/film #wesgrofilm

2017/03/07 10:56 AM

10 / SPOTLIGHT

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AFRICAN PRESENCE AT CANNES FILM

Natasha Skoryk chats to a few of the top African creatives who will be present at the 71st edition of the iconic Cannes Film Festival.

“

Steven Markowitz

Justin Cohen

that it’s the ﬁrst Kenyan feature ﬁlm selected for Cannes.” Steven Markowitz, CEO & Producer Big World Cinema

e have a film selected in Official Selection at Cannes this year. It’s called Rafiki, it’s a Kenyan feature film that we coproduced with Kenya, Germany, France, Lebanon, Norway and Holland. We’re very happy that it’s been selected. So a lot of our work at Cannes will be about promoting the film, getting distributors and buyers and festi val programmers to see the film and to celebrate the fact

Ernest Napoleon

“We will be there raising ﬁnance for a ﬁlm we are co-producing called The Elephant Whisperer, which will be directed by Robin Goode. We will also be promoting and working on our full slate of in-development productions, which include Oliver Hermanus’s new feature, The

Queen of Azania and Dark of Day, a thriller based on a novel by Hanlie Retief, with screenplay by Terence Hammond. Depending on how far along we are with each project, we hope to have meetings with potential partners.” Justin Cohen, Producer & Co-Founder Picturescope “I attend the Festi val de Cannes every year. This is going to be my seventh visit. I feel very

privileged to be a part of this celebration of world cinema in the most beautiful setting, with all the red carpets, and the celebrities that we keep seeing on the big screen and learn to admire. To have them so close – at an arm’s length distance – is a very exciting time of the year. I like it better than Christmas. “I’m there this year on a few missions. Firstly, I’m going to be presenting a case study of The Wound within the framework

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SPOTLIGHT / 11

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Elias Ribiero | Image credit: Pierre de Villiers

I’M RETURNING AS ONE OF THE GUEST SPEAKERS WHERE WE ARE GOING TO GIVE AN X-RAY OF THE PROCESS AND OF THE FINANCING OF THE WOUND. I AM ALSO UNVEILING THE SELECTION OF THE 2018 REALNESS RESIDENCY PARTICIPANTS.

of La Fabrique des Cinémas du Monde, an initiati ve developed by the Institut Français, that the The Wound was a ﬁlm project of in 2014. Four years later, I’m returning as one of the guest speakers where we are going to give an X-ray of the process and of the ﬁnancing of The Wound. I am also unveiling the selection of the 2018 Realness Residency participants. This is our Pan-African creati ve writing residency, hosted yearly by the Nirox Foundation at the Cradle

of Humankind. We receive an average of 150 projects per year during the Call for Submission and with the help of an international committee of readers that have stakes in the African continent we select the top ﬁve projects to participate. Also, I’m presenting the audience-design strategy for The Wound because the project received ﬁnancing from the Audience Design Fund from the Torino Film Lab. Apart from that, I’m a Guest of Honour at

the Producers Network. I am going to be interviewed about the making and the commercial life of The Wound within the framework of the Marché du Film Producers Network. “Those are the moments where I have a microphone in my hand in Cannes, but the vast majority of the time there is spent on meetings with my international partners, co-producers, financiers, broadcasters, and festi val programmers to discuss either projects that we are currently financing or a film that is in post-production looking for a home for its world premiere, which is the case with our co-production with Brazil. It’s called Luna and we are wrapping in the next three weeks and will then start submitting to the festi vals. Apart from that we are closing financing on a South African film which is called The Tree. We are 80% financed and looking for the last 20% needed to green-light production.” Elias Ribiero, Founder & Producer Urucu Media “Cannes has always been one of the most important events in a calendar year for film professionals. There are always certain targets and goals that one has to plan to achieve. You meet people who you wouldn’t meet otherwise for one reason or another. But I always leave room for surprises. I have made a lot of friends at Cannes by just talking to people during the screening

lines or at the bar and we have stayed friends for years. Some of them have become collaborators who I am still working with today. “I am taking a few projects to Cannes this year as part of our company slate such as Let No Man Know, which is the true tale of Tom Molineaux and evolves from the unparalleled brutality of a southern American tobacco plantation to the aristocratic decadence of 19 th century London, and Karma, a story about two loyal friends who are offered the chance to compete in the UFC, an opportunity that tears them apart and ultimately shows them what is really worth fighting for. I am also part of a Scandinavian actors’ group which will be promoted by the Swedish Film Commission this year in Cannes as well. “Being that the world is now a global village, it is very important to take advantage of various opportunities around the world whether it is for co-productions, talent scouting, diversification of stories and promotion of local films to an international audience. I think our African audience has become very savvy and watches films from around the world, so it is only natural for us to also stay competi ti ve for their attention and that requires us to branch out. South Africa, for example, is a very exciting market for me and I am excited about many projects that I am developing in South Africa.” Ernest Napoleon, Producer & Director, Rayzor Edge Films

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12 / FEATURE

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Five Fingers For Marseilles © Graham Bartholomew

THE SOUTH AFRICAN

SUCCESS STORY

South Africa has become home to a massive, thriving film and film production service industry; Natasha Skoryk reports.

ver the course of the last two decades, South Africa has become one of the world’s leading film service destinations. There are many reasons for this: the climate is moderate, there is solid infrastructure, the exchange rate favours international currencies, English is a widely spoken language, and the government provides a number of lucrative financial incentives for filmmakers. In just the last year or two, Hollywood blockbuster films including Tomb Raider, Maze Runner: The Death Cure and The Dark Tower have been filmed and serviced in South Africa. Other major films, like Girl Soldier starring Uma Thurman,

and Katherine Hepburn biopic Kate are in various stages of production around the country. While the partial resumé above attests to South Africa’s reputation as a film service destination, the recent bout of critically and commercially acclaimed films coming out by local filmmakers has perhaps surprised the world. Clarien Luttig, a lecturer in the University of Cape Town’s Centre for Film and Media Studies, says that the “younger generation of filmmakers [is] moving away from archaic expectations around what a South African film should be”. Furthermore, she states that “globalisation [is] broadening the options for international coproductions” in South Africa. This

“experimentation with alternative funding models”, in the form of international co-productions, has led to many of the internationally acclaimed South African films in the last decade, such as Necktie Youth, Four Corners, Of Good Report, and Shirley Adams. In the last year, this trend towards gritty, complex and original films has culminated in Inxeba (The Wound), a claustrophobic drama dealing with tradition, masculinities and sexualities and Five Fingers For Marseilles, South Africa’s first home-grown western. Both films are international co-productions – the funding model Luttig highlights as indicative of the future – and are redefining what

a South African movie can, or should, look like. “I think it’s probably the most exciting time for South African film that I can remember, definitely since we’ve been working,” says Sean Drummond, the screenwriter and producer for Five Fingers. Of course, previous international co-productions filmed in South Africa have also been critically and commercially successful. Gavin Hood’s Tsotsi (2005) won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. Tsotsi was a British-South African co-production. Neill Blomkamp’s District 9 (2009) was nominated for four Academy Awards – it was a co-production of South Africa, New Zealand

FEATURE / 13

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Tomb Raider

Five Fingers For Marseilles © Graham Bartholomew

and the United States (US). Coproductions with the US aren’t covered by any Co-Production Treaty, but often end up happening anyway due to the abundance of US production companies and their sizeable budgets. Five Fingers is just such a co-production – a joint venture between South African and US production companies. Drummond makes the distinction, and what it implies for production, quite clear. “We were a company coproduction, rather than a treaty compromise on so many creative co-production,” he says, “which I elements, like crew and cast.” This think was actually a big blessing for is because international treaty cous, because one of the downsides productions Refinery_Callsheet_May_2018.pdf 1 2018-04-11 02:16:21 PM require films to have with the international treaty coproportional talent involvement productions is that you’ve got to relative to the amount invested

ONE OF THE DOWNSIDES WITH THE INTERNATIONAL TREATY CO-PRODUCTIONS IS THAT YOU’VE GOT TO COMPROMISE ON SO MANY CREATIVE ELEMENTS, LIKE CREW AND CAST. THIS IS BECAUSE INTERNATIONAL TREATY CO-PRODUCTIONS REQUIRE FILMS TO HAVE PROPORTIONAL TALENT INVOLVEMENT RELATIVE TO THE AMOUNT INVESTED INTO THE BUDGET.

into the budget. By opting out of such an arrangement, Five Fingers was able to have a fully South African cast and crew. The film follows freedom-fighterturned-outlaw Tau, as he returns

to his hometown of Marseilles in search of a quiet life, only to find himself drawn into a brand new fight for the town. Five Fingers was released in South Africa on 6 April 2018

14 / FEATURE

(where it earned more than R500 000 on its opening weekend – outperforming past local successes like Noem My Skollie and iNumber Number), and will be released in the US, France, Japan, Scandinavia and several other European countries over the course of the year. “We need to be making films that will travel outside of South Africa, just because the marketplace in South Africa doesn’t justify the sorts of spend on projects that meet the level of production, and ambition, and scale, needed to travel a lot of the time,” Drummond says. Luttig echoes this sentiment: “too many of [our high-quality films] tend to receive more awards and attention at international film festivals than they do at home”. In Drummond’s opinion, one of the challenges faced by local filmmakers is that South African audiences are often wary of locally produced content. “We’re all still figuring out the South African audience and the South African market,” he says. But he stresses the importance of figuring that market and audience out – fast – in order for the local film industry to keep growing. Drummond believes it vital to supply high-quality content that engages local South African audiences and encourages them

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to go out and support the film. Dylan Voogt, a co-producer of Five Fingers and the owner of Stage 5 Films, summarises the goals of this rising brand of South African filmmakers: “[U]ltimately it’s not just commercial success that drives us […] it’s a passion for storytelling. [South Africa] is a great place to do that and the rest of the world knows it, we [now] need [more] self-belief and local support to really start capitalising.” In a country where international films continue to dominate at the box office, filmmakers can’t rely only on potential profits – but rather on the impact their story will have. “The biggest improvement creatively has been the screenwriting and our ability to tell good stories,” Voogt continues. “It all starts with the script.” Luttig credits the rising number of film school programmes for the increase in successful, high-quality South African films. Inxeba (The Wound) is one of the most critically acclaimed South African films of all time, having scored 26 wins and 9 nominations at a range of festivals and award ceremonies around the world. Elias Ribiero, the film’s producer and founder of Urucu Media explains that they also struggled to secure funding. “The project was turned down by the National

Maze Runner: The Death Cure © 20 th Century Fox, Out of Africa Entertainment, Unit and Special Still Photography by Joe Alblas | African Photo Productions

Film and Video Foundation a few times,” he says. Fortunately for South African cinema, that didn’t deter the producers and filmmakers, who shopped the project out to international markets extensively. “[I]n 2014 we finally secured a development grant from The Hubert Bals Fund in the Netherlands,” Ribiero recalls. “2014 was the same year that [Inxeba] participated at La Fabrique des Cinemas du Monde, a coproduction market for emerging directors and producers from the Southern hemisphere. [… There] we had the opportunity to meet with a number of international producers, international sales agents, distributors, financiers, festival programmers, over the course of ten days at the heart of the Marché du Film

the Festival of Cannes. During that co-production market, we secured the Dutch, the French and the German co-producers.” The film takes place in a rural mountain area where a group of teenage Xhosa boys are undergoing initiation, overseen by a posse of adult caretakers. Two of the caretakers have a complex sexual relationship – when an initiate discovers it, the film hurtles towards an unsettling conclusion. Inxeba was briefly banned from South African cinemas – under the guise of an X18 pornographic rating – following outcry from the Congress Of Traditional Leaders (Contralesa) and members of the general public. The scandal that has surrounded the film highlights the ways in which local audience values and sensitivities don’t

WE NEED TO BE MAKING FILMS THAT WILL TRAVEL OUTSIDE OF SOUTH AFRICA, JUST BECAUSE THE MARKETPLACE IN SOUTH AFRICA DOESN’T JUSTIFY THE SORTS OF SPEND ON PROJECTS THAT MEET THE LEVEL OF PRODUCTION, AND AMBITION, AND SCALE, NEEDED TO TRAVEL A LOT OF THE TIME.

Five Fingers For Marseilles © Graham Bartholomew

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always line up with international tastes or preferences. “We were fully aware that the film was controversial and we prepared ourselves to deal with that controversy by surrounding the core creative team by true Xhosa collaborators and that took place in multiple aspects of the production chain that started during development in the partnership that was formed between John [Trengrove], Thando [Mqgolozona] and Malusi [Bengu] on the screenplay,” Ribiero says, “We employed a cultural consultant to be in charge of culturally sensitive themes throughout the production on set. We made our actors, our very large cast, our biggest contributors by allowing them to drive and improvise and offer their own personal accounts to this film. So I feel that all in all, we strived to tell an authentic story and we succeeded. The film has a heart that beats and the audience’s heart has really connected with the film’s heart.” Urucu Media’s willingness to take major creative risks on Inxeba is reflective of an overarching trend in the industry – a trend that stems from a move towards a globalised cinema. “I feel like there has been a shift in the producers’ appetite for risk-taking

Five Fingers For Marseilles © Graham Bartholomew

in South Africa since I arrived in this country almost eight years ago,” Ribiero says. The prolific producer is Brazilian, but has been living in South Africa since 2010. He remembers: “[When I arrived] I encountered a system that kind of catered to the National Film Fund’s needs and mandate and at that time the National Film Fund was very preoccupied with commercial viability of the projects that they supported and audience engagement. And this has never really been my sensibility as a filmmaker. I believe in cinema as a tool to change the world that we live in; as a platform to ask questions, not really offer exact answers.” This latter sentiment may as well be the motto for what Luttig dubbed “a younger generation of filmmakers”, who are telling multifaceted stories in new and unexpected ways. The risks taken by this new wave of filmmakers also suggests a greater self-confidence and increased self-belief amongst South African creative and film-industry professionals. After all, the successes of Five Fingers and Inxeba aptly demonstrate the talent of local creatives and, perhaps even more importantly, local crews, whose vast technical expertise translates

to high-quality productions, even on limited budgets. “We successfully serviced productions for the rest of the world for two decades or more and that [has] led to a huge amount of skills transfer,” says Voogt. This skills transfer does not only refer to improved technical capabilities, which Voogt insists were already there, but also to the increased self-assurance, self-confidence and better understanding of international production standards mentioned above. With that said, self-assurance amongst filmmakers certainly translates to improved standards within the service industry as well. “Our standards of filmmaking are world class,” Voogt elaborates. “We understand how to work with most parts of the world, each region has its own way of making films and we know [each of] those systems.” After all, South Africa is not simply Hollywoodlite. Many of the international productions serviced here aren’t from the US, although those do tend to hog much of the public and media’s attention. China, India, Europe and South America have all sent productions to South Africa. Luttig mentions that “[South African filmmakers are] thankfully letting go of the tendency to attempt imitating

mainstream Hollywood models”. Perhaps the exposure to the world – all parts of it – is contributing to the rise of a distinctly South African voice, which is only strengthening annually. Another contributing factor to the rising quality of South African films is the increase in modern, high-grade studios and post-production facilities. Cape Town Film Studios – booked up past 2020 – has redefined the level of service that productions can expect in South Africa. Its main competitor is the Silverline 360 Group, which owns a host of production, post-production, digital service and equipment facilities, including Refinery and Silverline Studios. Both Cape Town Film Studios and Silverline’s entities service international productions – from Tomb Raider and Maze Runner: The Death Cure to The Dark Tower and Mad Max: Fury Road – but also avail themselves to local filmmakers. Inxeba and Five Fingers both had post-production work done at Refinery, just like their bigbudget international brethren. As the service industry grows, local filmmaking will only grow alongside it and Drummond’s claim that we are living through the most exciting time in South African film history rings incredibly true.

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INTERNATIONAL

CLIENT TESTIMONIALS If the client is always right, then there really is no better place to shoot than sunny South Africa.

KATE BEYDA

U.S. Producer, Facilitated by Moonlighting

“In terms of technology, South Africa is actually ahead of the curve in many respects. Those sound stages at Cape Town Film Studios are incredibly advanced, and beyond anything I have seen before.”

“I just want to say thank you so much for everything. Once again it was a wonderfully smooth and thorough shoot. Jony was so thrilled with the production and team that you put together for us. I truly don’t want to shoot with anyone but Moonlighting.”

Senior Vice-President of Physical Production, Warner Bros

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KAROLINE LETH

CHRIS SYMES

“I’ve just produced a mini drama series in South Africa (Johannesburg/Pretoria). The series is called Liberty and is produced for DR, Public Service Television Broadcaster Denmark. The series contains five hours of fiction, all shot in SA. I spent more than 20 weeks in SA in 2017. My experience was life changing in the very best way. I think our journey of making Liberty consists of highlights. Working late nights and early mornings, I’m also thinking of the landscapes of South Africa - all our wonderful locations that added so much into both the characters and the story of our TV series. Stage 5 is a film production company that you normally only dream of working with. I feel lucky to have worked with Stage 5 because they are really and truly filmmakers that are aiming and fighting for the absolute best for our story. I felt like I’ve found my best partners ever in another continent of the world. This is special, and I know it because I’ve been filming in many parts of the world. “Stage 5 are highly professional and deeply dedicated to the series and to the ambition of the filmmakers, which makes it easy and inspiring working with them. Everything is possible – and all work is characterized by pure kindness. Above all – I always felt in safe and very competent hands concerning every step of our production from early research to preparation of shoot, to actual shooting, and all accountings and post flow. I’m grateful and I’m a fan of Stage5 – only wishing to be able to do another production together with these gifted and competent people.”

“The South African film industry is entering a bit of a golden period. One of the reasons to come here is the weather. Technically, it’s a very proficient place to come and shoot. Complexes like Cape Town Film Studios are a magnet for production because they provide infrastructure that big projects need. It’s a huge country. It’s spectacular. It’s interesting. If [Black Sails] needed locations, we always found them and they’re very accessible, they’re not difficult to manage. But that’s not what Black Sails was. It’s a studio and backlot-based show. From a production management point of view the bottom line of the budget is enormously important. Price-wise, it’s a very competitive place to shoot.”

Danish Producer, Facilitated by Stage 5 Films

Black Sails Executive Producer

U.S. Producer, Facilitated by Moonlighting

“Great selected crew on all posts with lots of good energy as always! I cannot even imagine how this production would have ended if we have shot this in one of the other options of location... It was the right choice to come back to Cape Town and work with you. Once again thanks for all professional support and arrangement in such a short pre-production.”

JERRY STIFELMAN

Creative Director, Quaker City Mercantile

“Tulips & Chimneys combine ingenious originality and meticulous craft with quirky professionalism and endless patience — with an uncanny ability to transform challenges and obstacles into creative opportunities. They are absolute “artists of wonder”. We would climb mountains and cross oceans for the opportunity to work with them again.”

Black Sails

Free State

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SOUTH AFRICA’S FILM SERVICE AND PRODUCTION COMPANIES

South Africa has a myriad of film service and production companies that can cater to every need that might arise during the course of production. Natasha Skoryk rounds up some of these award-winning firms. COMPANY NAME DESCRIPTION

NOTABLE PROJECTS

WEBSITE

Be Phat Motel

Boutique production house specialising in highend conceptual narrative and documentary films, TV dramas and short films

Five Fingers For Marseilles, Apocalypse Now Now

www.bephatmotel.com

Big World Cinema

Production house and distributor specialising in documentaries and feature films

Winnie, Silas, Visa/Vie, Love the One You Love, Beats of Antonov

bigworldcinema.com

Born Free Media

Award-winning producer of film and television content for local, regional and international markets

The Number, 90 Plein Street

www.bornfreemedia.co.za

Boomtown Films

Full service production company specialising in commercials, documentaries and feature films

Samson, The Perfect Wave, The Parlotones documentary, Springbok Nude Girls documentary

boomtownfilms.co.za

CM Productions

Full service production house specialising in live events, broadcast, feature films, documentaries and commercials

Broken Vows, Ashes to Ashes, 50/50, The Shores

www.cmproductions.co.za

Coal Stove Pictures

Afro-centric film and television drama production company, which also offers brand integration opportunities for corporates

Thula’s Vine, Guilt, Hear Me Move, Remix

www.coalstove.co.za

Creative Film Management

Producers of film, television content, with a focus on conceptual ideas and facilitation

The Pinotage Story, TyreLok, Formula Run, Western Reining in South Africa

www.cfm-za.com

Dirk Mostert Camera Productions

DMCP covers a wide range of services from preproduction, production & post production

You Must Be Joking 2, O Shucks It's Schuster, Millennium Menace

www.dmcp.net

Do Productions

Full service production company working in both film and television industries

Lion Girl, My Sister Kids, Young Ones

www.doproductions.com

Enigma Pictures

International, cost conscious co-producer and production service provider of choice in South Africa, Seychelles and Mauritius

The Fix, Phoenix Wilde & the Great Elephant Adventure Lifetime’s Back to School Mom, Holby City

www.enigmapictures.co.za

Film Afrika

Africa’s premier production company and SA’s most prolific producer and co-producer of films for the international market

Outlander, Black Sails, Roots, Troy: Fall of a City, 24 Hours to Live, Mandel: a Long Walk to Freedom

www.filmafrika.com

Fireworx Media

An integrated production and distribution company

Hustle, Keeping Score, The Devil’s Lair, The Chemo Club, Faces of Africa

fireworxmedia.co.za

Giant Films

Entertainment production company producing award winning feature films, commercials, music videos and content

Four Corners, Forgiveness

www.giantfilms.tv

Imageworks

An award-winning video and multimedia production company

Boda Border, Tony Cox, Tales in the Grass

www.imageworks.co.za

Kalahari Pictures

Cape Town-based film production company that co-produces and services international feature films seeking to film in Southern Africa

Dredd, District 9, Thirteen Hours

www.kalaharipictures.com

KwaZulu Films

Full-scale production house that produces and facilitates film, commercial and stills productions in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

Tamara Drewe, Destination Antarctica, Mr Bones

www.kzf.co.za

Let It Rain Films

A collective passionate about producing highquality commercials, feature films, television content and documentaries

Hansie, The Amazing Race, Survivor South Africa

www.letitrainfilms.com

Lion Mountain Media

Premier wildlife production company with over 10,000 hours stock footage in HD, 2K, 4K and 8K resolution

Africa’s Deadliest, Rhino Wars

www.lionmountain.co.za

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COMPANY NAME DESCRIPTION

NOTABLE PROJECTS

WEBSITE

Light and Dark Films

Light and Dark Films is an award-winning film production company, specialising in producing and financing prestige feature films for the international market

The Forgiven, Master Harold and the Boys, Skeem, Confessions of a Gambler

www.lightanddarkfilms.com

Lobster Tree

Boutique production company specialising in feature films, stills, and commercials

Monsieur Papa, Hitman, Zulu

www.lobstertree.com

Mannequin Pictures & Film Group

Production house servicing international production companies looking for highest standards of film in South Africa

Orange, Singam 2, Umkhungo, Clarissa's Secret, Romeo

www.mannequinfilms.co.za

Moonlighting Film Production Services

One of the premier production companies in southern Africa for production services, coproductions and structured financing with over 20 years’ experience

Avengers: Age of Ultron, Tomb Raider, The Mummy, The Dark Tower, Queen of Katwe, Resident Evil, Black Mirror, The Young Pope, The Crown, Locked up Abroad - Fast & Furious

www.moonlighting.co.za

Ochre Moving Pictures

OMP is one of South Africa’s leading producers of high-quality entertainment and educational television, with an award-winning track record

Greed & Desire, No Borders, Ekse, Made in SA, Harvest, The Alliance

www.ochre.tv

Off The Fence South Africa

Production company specialising in non-fiction programming for the international market

Wildest Survival, Naledi: A Baby Elephant's Tale, Little Giant

www.offthefence.com

Okuhle Media

An award-winning media and production company specialising in television content

Charly’s Cake Angels, Signal High, The Ultimate Braai Master, Sarah Graham’s Food Safari

www.okuhle.co.za

Out of Africa

Full service production company working with international clients

Maze Runner: The Death Cure, The Red Sea Diving Resort, Doctor Who, Good Omens

www.outofafrica.info

Penguin Films

Production company specialising in feature films, long form television drama, comedy and reality TV

Disney Cookout, Madam & Eve, Ring of Lies, Korota, Felix

www.penguinfilms.co.za

Peu Communications Solutions

Film and TV production company based in Johannesburg. Its services cover idea generation and script development, through to live-action filming, motion graphics, animation, editing and distribution

Skeem Saam, 2020 Orlando East, Sebolelo

www.peucommunications.co.za

Quizzical Pictures

Award-winning film and television production company

Lucky Specials, iNumber Number, Masterchef SA, Easy Money

www.quizzical.co.za

Rapid Blue

Rapid Blue is a boutique, pioneering production company known for developing original concepts and executing international formats

Four Weddings, Come Dine with Me SA, SA’s Got Talent, Pawn Stars SA, Strictly Come Dancing, The X Factor SA, Dragon’s Den

www.rapidblue.com

Roguestar Films

An award-winning, maverick company dedicated to the production and distribution of independent films

Spud, Story of an African Farm

www.roguestarfilms.com

ShootAway Production

Facilitating productions anywhere in SA to international standards

The Bachelor Suomi, BaitBall, The Amazing Race Asia

www.shootawayproduction.com

Spier Films

Spier Films is an award winning production and finance company with offices in Cape Town, London, and Reykjavik

Young Ones, The Salvation, Of Good Report, Master Harold and the Boys

www.spierfilms.com

Stage 5 Films

Award-winning production house specialising in feature films, television and documentaries with extensive experience in international coproductions

Five Fingers for Marseeiles, Noem My Skollie

www.stage5films.com

Talking Pictures

A specialist production company focusing on natural history, cultural and wildlife related productions

Nature On Track, The Whole Story, Young and Wild, Nature’s Babies

www.talkingpics.com

Triggerfish Studios

Africa’s leading animation studios

Khumba, Adventures in Zambezia, The Highway Rat, Revolting Rhymes

www.triggerfishstudios.com

Two Oceans Productions

Production company geared at producing content for the European market

Northmen: A Viking Saga, Big Friend Little Friend, On the Run

www.topproduction.de

Urucu Media

Multi-award winning production company, focused on producing feature films that resonate with local audiences

The Wound, Necktie Youth, The Train of Salt and Sugar

www.urucumedia.com

VideoVision Entertainment

SA's leading film and television production company

Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, Sarafina, Cry The Beloved Country, Mr Bones I & II, Mama Jack, Who Wants to be a Millionaire SA

www.videovision.co.za

Disclaimer: Please note that although there are many production and service companies operating in South Africa, due to limited space in The Callsheet, we are unable to include them all. We have done our best to cover all major companies in the industry and apologise if your organisation has not been mentioned.

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AWARD-WINNING

AFRICAN CREW

Despite limited training opportunities, South African crews are very much in demand on international sets; Natasha Skoryk explains.

ccording to a 2017 study on the economic impact of the South African film industry, as commissioned by the National Film and Video Foundation, the film industry in South Africa supplies 21 656 jobs to the economy. With many of the creatives and much of the on-screen talent coming from abroad, the bulk of these jobs are technical crew positions. These local crews are highly skilled and widely commended by the international clients serviced in South Africa. Karoline Leth, a Danish producer who shot the television series Liberty for DR, the Public Service Television Broadcaster in Demark, in South Africa over the course of 20 busy weeks in 2017, had this to say: “I’ve only met committed and professional

attitudes from everybody – and even when we were under a heavy time pressure […] I always got the best of the best from the South African crew.” And while Leth was predictably blown away by the landscapes and friendliness that the country showed her and her small Danish team, the crew stood out: “I think our journey of making Liberty consist[s] of highlights. I must say that the crew behind and in front of the camera is in my mind in all highlights […] I can recommend South Africa as a film country because of its truly dedicated and highly professional film crew.” South African crews have found international critical acclaim. Netflix’s Black Mirror episode ‘San Junipero’ won the award for ‘Outstanding Television Movie’ at the 2017

Primetime Emmy Awards. The episode was filmed on location in Cape Town, where production was serviced by Moonlighting Films. Much of the crew was local. So when considering the range of awards received by the episode – for both creative and technical achievements – one can’t wholly disregard the role played by local professionals, like Wendy Alport, the first assistant director on the production, or supervising art directors Shane Bunce and Greg Cleaver. Location managers Deon Du Preez and Robert Bentley were nominated for ‘Outstanding Locations in a Contemporary Television Series’ at the 2015 Location Managers Guild International Awards for their work on Season 4 of Showtime’s Homeland. Production required

the men to transform Cape Town into Pakistan. At one stage, they closed off three full blocks in order to create a street-market-filled scene with almost 1 000 extras on-set. On another occasion, Artscape Theatre Centre, a performing arts complex in Cape Town’s Foreshore district, was transformed into the American Embassy in Islamabad. Adam Bentley was nominated for a Camerimage award in 2016 for his work on Modder en Bloed, despite the film’s tiny budget. Still, challenges persist in the industry, especially when it comes to getting opportunities for sufficient training. Younger professionals, especially, find themselves struggling with the scale of the challenges they face on international

Chris Murray © Unsplash

THE SOUTH AFRICAN FILM INDUSTRY, AS COMMISSIONED BY THE NATIONAL FILM AND VIDEO FOUNDATION, THE FILM INDUSTRY IN SOUTH AFRICA SUPPLIES 21 656 JOBS TO THE ECONOMY.

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Chris Murray © Unsplash Chris Murray © Unsplash

production sets. “Studies at [the University of Cape Town] did not really prepare me for the size of the sets that come with international production as we were not afforded the opportunity to go onto a large set while studying,” says Megan Oehley, a Production Coordinator with Navigator Films. An experienced freelance cinematographer, whose resume includes a number of bigbudget international projects (several of Moonlighting’s US blockbuster co-productions), but who preferred to remain anonymous so as not to offend his alma mater echoes Oehley’s sentiment: “I thought I felt prepared and equipped for the international service industry in a technical position in Cape Town when I finished up my Honour’s film degree […] but I very quickly realized that there was still a heck of a lot to learn about the real world.” He explains the unfortunate predicament that many graduates find themselves in: “The reality of studying through the local film schools is that they do not guarantee you income-earning positions, especially not on the international service level.” The problem is that South African film schools tend to focus on the creative aspects of filmmaking rather than providing graduates with technical knowledge and skills, which are far more in demand commercially. “Coming out of a local film school, I don’t think that anyone would ever immediately feel prepared or even given the opportunity to step into a creative and high-level position in the international industry,” my source tells me. “These are positions that are built up through years of experience and relationships and are mostly developed in the countries from which the work originates.” So how do young professionals overcome the dearth of training to become as in-demand and successful as the people mentioned earlier

in the article? “[T]ons of crew don’t ever study,” says Oehley. “You don’t necessarily need it apart from possibly helping you with that first foot in the door.” As debates rage internationally around the value of formal tertiary education, it seems that in South Africa, at least, the technical skills required by big-budget productions aren’t learned in a classroom, but through a baptism by fire on the set. Crews learn through trial and error – and the more opportunities they get to practice their craft, the more refined their skills become. Fortunately, given the vast number of international

productions serviced in South Africa, the opportunities to grow and develop professionally come along all the time. Oehley reiterates that local South African crews are highly skilled. “I’ve always had compliments on the crew we book to use on international shoots,” she says. “HODs especially are always complimented on their knowledge and expertise by the international directors and cinematographers.” Another problem, as identified by Saskia Stuart-Clark of Krewkut, is that “people think that they don’t need to

fork out more money and that films can be made by paying crew very low rates”. She feels the ingenuity of local crews is often taken advantage of. But perhaps the situation is best summed up by Leth: “The Danish crew and I have learned so much by working in SA. As I see it, I’ve worked together with highly professional and very open-minded and dedicated film people in SA. My experience is that everything is possible for the production and that there is a sweetness that I’ve never met in this form [in] the other countries that I’ve shot in before [including] Thailand, India and Greenland.”

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UNPACKING FILMMAKERS’

FINANCE OPTIONS IN SOUTH AFRICA

The financial side of the film world can seem incredibly complicated; Natasha Skoryk breaks it down.

spiring filmmakers are often thwarted from achieving their creative vision due to limited funds. Fortunately, the South African government has identified the film industry as a key building block towards economic growth and so offers a number of programmes aimed at encouraging local and international productions.

GOVERNMENT REBATES

The Department of Trade and Industry (dti) offers both production and post-production incentives on films, episodic television dramas, tele-movies, documentaries and animations. Elias Ribiero, award-winning

independent producer and founder of Urucu Media, says: “The big pillar of the audiovisual industry in South Africa is the Department of Trade and Industry’s tax rebate. I believe it would be very difficult to produce in South Africa without the support of the dti.” South African productions which spend a minimum of 50% of the principal photography schedule in the country (at least two consecutive weeks) will receive a rebate of 35% of the first R6-million of the Qualifying South African Production Expenditure (QSAPE) and 25% of anything thereafter. The minimum production budget required

to qualify for this incentive is R2.5-million; however, there is no cap for the incentive. Black-owned South African productions may be eligible for the SA Emerging Black Film Incentive. This applies to any Special Purpose Corporate Vehicle, incorporated for the sole purpose of producing the project, where 75% of the shareholders are black South Africans. The applicant will have to have been involved in the film industry prior to the application for a minimum of six months, and have produced a short film or 10-minute trailblazer. The SA Emerging Black Film Incentive offers a rebate of up to 50% for the first R6-million of the QSAPE

and 25% thereafter. To qualify for the rebate, a production budget of R1-million is necessary. No cap exists for the incentive. Finally, foreign productions are also eligible for rebates. Productions with a QSAPE of R12-million and above are eligible for a 20% rebate provided that at least 50% of the principal photography schedule is filmed on location in South Africa for a minimum of four weeks. Should the filmmakers choose to undertake post-production work of at least R1.5-million, but not more than R3-million, an additional 2.5% rebate will apply. Spending more than R3-million on post-production in South Africa will up the incentive by an additional 2.5%; the cumulative rebate would then total 25%. Unfortunately, a cap of R50-million applies. Ribiero elaborates on the importance of the rebate programme: “I think it’s very important that our politicians and decision-makers are aware that this incentive is basically what keeps the engine turning – and without that subsidy the small industry that we have would collapse.”

FILM COMMISSION FUNDING

Regional film commissions often have funding available. In South Africa, the Gauteng Film Commission and the KwaZuluNatal Film Commission both have sizeable budgets that can be

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allocated towards films shot on location in the region. KZN Film Commission CEO Carol Coetzee explains: “[W]e fund up to a maximum of R1.5m for feature films […] with the condition that 70% of the production budget must be spent in KZN, failing which 25% rebate on KZN spend.” 2017’s smash hit Keeping Up With the Kandasamys was funded in part by the KZN Film Commission. The film ended up generating over R16-million (± $1 327 000) in box office sales, making history as South Africa’s most commercially successful local film.

INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION FUNDING

The Industrial Development Corporation (IDC), a national development finance institution run by the Department of Economic Development, also plays a major role in creating a sustainable and prolific film industry in South Africa. Both new and established film companies can apply for and secure funding of up to R1-billion, through a complex mixture of debt/equity, quasiequity, bridging finance and venture capital. Additionally, the IDC offers non-financial support to filmmakers through its business support unit, both in the pre- and post-approval phases. Triggerfish Animation, Africa’s leading animation studio, has had three of its projects funded by the IDC. Its CEO, Stuart Forrest, believes that “their

money is good and [t]hey’re terrific as hands-off partners, trusting the creative team to make all the creative decisions.” The only downsides he sees are the bureaucracy that filmmakers must deal with in order to secure funding, and the fact that the IDC is “institutionally risk-averse, so budgets are aggressively reduced to match conservative estimations – which can mean that films [end up] underfunded”.

NATIONAL FILM AND VIDEO FOUNDATION FUNDING

The Department of Arts and Culture also plays a role in funding South African filmmakers, through their National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF). They offer capped funding in the form of grants for the development, production, post-production, and marketing and distribution costs. The caps vary depending on the kind of funding that is being sought. Funding is tiered to ensure filmmakers benefit equitably depending on the stage of their career (from emerging to established). Productions where more than 50% of the budget and talent are foreign are not eligible for NFVF funding, except where the production has been approved by the Minister of Arts and Culture as an Official Treaty Co-Production.

INTERNATIONAL COPRODUCTION TREATIES

Projects that have been approved as Official Treaty Co-Productions are not only eligible for NFVF

FUNDING IS TIERED TO ENSURE FILMMAKERS BENEFIT EQUITABLY DEPENDING ON THE STAGE OF THEIR CAREER (FROM EMERGING TO ESTABLISHED). PRODUCTIONS WHERE MORE THAN 50% OF THE BUDGET AND TALENT ARE FOREIGN ARE NOT ELIGIBLE FOR NFVF FUNDING.

grants, but for the same rebates as South African productions (so 35% of first R6-million and 25% thereafter, with no cap in place). Each co-producer needs to have contributed at least 20% of the budget, and the project must have a minimum overall budget of R2.5-million. South Africa has entered into strategic co-production treaties with the following nine countries: • Canada, 1997 • Italy, 2003 • Germany, 2004 • United Kingdom, 2007 • France, 2010 • Australia, 2010 • New Zealand, 2011 • Ireland, 2012 • Netherlands 2015 Inxeba, the controversial film that has been energetically vying for the accolade of ‘most awarded South African movie ever made’ was a co-production between South Africa, Germany, the Netherlands and France. It was not, however, made as a Treaty Co-Production, as the Netherlands treaty had not yet been signed. Ribiero explains: “The criteria that we didn’t meet is that neither France nor Germany had raised 20% [of the film’s budget].” The film did qualify for the dti rebate anyway, though, given more than 50% of its budget and creatives were South African.

INTERNATIONAL COMPANY CO-PRODUCTIONS

After spending close to a decade in development, Five Fingers For Marseilles, South Africa’s first western, ended up being a company co-production between South African (Be Phat Motel and Stage 5 Films) and U.S. companies (Game 7 Films and Above the Clouds). Despite the abundance of experienced US production houses, which have significant budgets available, no treaties exist. Sean Drummond, the writer and one of the producers of the film,

says that “one of the downsides with the International Treaty Co-Productions is that you’ve got to compromise on so many creative elements, like crew and cast.” Drummond adds: “Of course, the benefit of international co-productions is that there’s so little money available in South Africa, especially equity.” Five Fingers received the dti rebate and NFVF funding outlined earlier in this article, and also managed to secure some local equity investment over the course of a difficult seven-year period. “Most of our equity in the film came in through private American money,” Drummond explains. While this can be frustrating to filmmakers trying to stay true to their local visions, Drummond notes that his American partners respected the vision of a fully African western. The coproduction proved successful, with positive reviews pouring in, a solid opening weekend in South African cinemas and a US release scheduled for September.

THE BOTTOM LINE

While many South African filmmakers continue to struggle for sufficient funds to execute their visions fully, the availability of loans and grants, and especially the government rebates, make the destination attractive from a financial standpoint. “I think it would even be interesting to look at ways to make the conditions for international productions even more attractive,” Ribiero says, as that would bring additional employment and job security for South African technical crews and other industry professionals. “An incentive that is more favourable of minority co-productions where South Africa isn’t the majority stakeholder but still maybe is servicing the production would be a way to heat up the service industry,” he suggests.

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SOUTH AFRICA’S

FILM HUBS

Natasha Skoryk investigates why the tip of Africa is such an appealing destination for international productions.

he tip of Africa has served as a stand-in for many parts of the world. On the small screen, it has served as Kenya, Australia and Tonga in Netflix’s The Crown, the Caribbean in Season 3 of Starz’s Outlander, Afghanistan in Season 4 of Homeland and a range of dystopias in Netflix’s Black Mirror. Its big-screen presence has been even more prolific. In just the last year or so, it has represented the dystopian world of Maze Runner: The Death Cure, the Middle East as seen in biblical times in Samson and a range of Asian locales in Tomb Raider. How can South Africa fulfil such a vast range of requirements? The country offers a multitude of landscapes: from vast savannahs, opulent

vineyards and sweeping deserts to imposing skyscrapers, gritty inner cities and well-maintained historical buildings. There are other advantages to filming in South Africa. The crews, creative talent and film-service industry are top-notch, and general infrastructure is welldeveloped around the major film hubs. There are several major international airports, good roads, solid telecoms, excellent hotels, opportunities for once-in-a-lifetime experiences and a general air of friendliness, hospitality and professionalism… Not to mention the exchange rate, which is very forgiving to productions budgets compiled in Euros, Dollars and Pounds! But financial incentives alone

aren’t the reason for South Africa’s rousing success in the film-service industry. Many parts of the world offer financial incentives and some have cheaper location fees than South Africa. But few can match the huge diversity of landscapes and talent that can be found here. Dylan Voogt, an independent producer and owner of Stage 5 Films, sums it up well: “you would be hard pressed to find a more suitable place to shoot and then holiday at the beach or [on] safari straight after!”

CAPE TOWN, WESTERN CAPE By far the biggest film hub in South Africa, Cape Town is home to the biggest studio in the country – Cape Town Film

Studios – which has hosted numerous international productions. These have included Academy Award winner Mad Max: Fury Road, Starz’s Black Sails (and on the very same lot, Outlander) and, most recently, Tomb Raider. The studios are fully booked up past 2020 – which attests to the quality of the work produced here, and reiterates how Cape Town has become one of the filmservice capitals of the world. While Cape Town Film Studios is situated about 30km outside of Cape Town itself, on the road to the Western Cape’s famous Wineland region, Silverline Studios is positioned in the very centre of the city at the stunning

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THE WESTERN CAPE HAS OVER 1000KM OF COASTLINE, WITH LANDSCAPES ALONG THIS LENGTH RANGING FROM SANDY GOLDEN BEACHES TO INTIMIDATING, ROCKY VISTAS. THERE ARE ALSO STUNNING MOUNTAINS – WITHIN CAPE TOWN’S CITY LIMITS ALONE.

V&A Waterfront. This state-ofthe-art facility recently hosted production for The Maze Runner, Strike Back and Scorpion King 5. The number of quality studio facilities in the city accounts partly for the appeal of the city as a production destination. However, it is location shooting in Cape Town – which offers almost endless versatility – that has cemented the city’s place as a leading filming locale. The Western Cape has over 1 000km of coastline, with landscapes along this length ranging from sandy golden beaches to intimidating, rocky vistas. There are also stunning mountains – within Cape Town’s city limits alone, there are 70 peaks… The mountains and beaches along Cape Town’s Atlantic Seaboard featured in the Emmy-award winning episode of Black Mirror, ‘San Junipero’ – and once you know that’s where the technologically assisted afterlife takes place, it’s impossible to unsee the Twelve Apostles! The rest of the Western Cape offers filmmakers even more diversity, as indicated by the growing film hubs in George (where the Garden

Route Studios opened earlier in 2018) and Kleinmond (which has recently become home to the Overberg Film Studios). There are vineyards, plains, valleys, small towns and, of course, the thriving Cape Town city centre. The built-up city centre can also be used as a stand-in for a number of places in the world. 2012’s sci-fi thriller Chronicle managed to transform Cape Town into the iconic urban landscape of Seattle! Homeland used the Artscape Theatre Centre – Cape Town’s biggest theatre complex, which was built in the industrial style of the 1960s – as the American Embassy in Islamabad. On another occasion, Deon du Preez, a location manager for the show, recalls an occasion

where production took “three full blocks [in Woodstock and] dressed it as Pakistan, with street markets, [and] filled [the area] with people […] it was probably close to 1 000 extras!” The abundance of extras is another perk to shooting in South Africa, which has an ethnically and racially diverse population, most of whom are proficient in English. Many productions have used Cape Town’s highway to nowhere (its less poetic – if official – name is the Foreshore Freeway Bridge) as filming on the long stretch of highway does not require shutting down traffic. Bryce Dallas Howard’s character in the Black Mirror episode ‘Nosedive’ can clearly be seen wandering along this stretch of road. The University of Cape Town

campus, which is modelled on its elite European counterparts, was featured heavily in 2008’s Disgrace and has since become a popular filming destination. The climate is Mediterranean, and characterised by warm, dry summers and mild, rainy winters. While ‘the season’ often refers to the summer months, production can take place here year round.

JOHANNESBURG, GAUTENG

Johannesburg is South Africa’s economic centre, and the infrastructure here reflects that with well-kept roads, widespread fibre connections, and a range of familiar international franchises. The ‘City of Gold’, as it has been known since the Gold Rush in the 19 th Century, was depicted extensively on screen

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CAROL COETZEE, THE CEO OF THE KWAZULUNATAL FILM COMMISSION SAYS THAT A MAJOR REASON TO FILM IN THE PROVINCE IS PRECISELY THESE “[U]NIQUE UNSPOILED “NEVERFILMED-BEFORE” LOCATIONS WHICH ARE EASILY ACCESSIBLE. A scenic aerial view of the Durban beachfront in the morning.

in Academy Award nominee and box-office phenomenon District 9. The gritty inner city, and its sprawling townships, were seen onscreen in 2009’s sci-fi thriller. Johannesburg’s urban backdrops have also been used to build the complex worlds of Dredd, Avengers: Age of Ultron and most recently Revolt. For Avengers, the production team managed to shut down 20 city blocks in the centre of the city for one of the film’s major battles! While its modern cityscapes have become renowned on screen, Johannesburg and its surrounds offer quite a few additional filming locations. These include historic mining towns and attached decommissioned mines, safari bush, geological formations and caves in the Magaliesberg area (which is known as the Cradle of Civilisation, due to the fossils found here), precolonial settlements, wetlands, lakes, and much more. Finally, Johannesburg is home to quite a few world-class studios and post-production facilities, ensuring that filming here is always a breeze. The Salvation, a 2014 Danish film starring Mads Mikkelsen and Eva Green, dressed up Nash’s Farm on the outskirts of Johannesburg as the Wild West.

“It looked amazing,” recalls Du Preez. “They built full villages and everything else out there.” Another unexpected landscape that can be repurposed in the Gauteng area is Aloe Ridge. “On the one side [of the river] you can shoot African landscapes with rhino and game and everything else,” Du Preez says. “Then you turn your camera the other way and you climb onto a river and you can be anywhere in Vietnam.” Aloe Ridge has come in particularly handy for military-

themed movies, which Du Preez has worked on in the area. Johannesburg has a subtropical highland climate, and is well-known for its clear skies. The weather is temperate all year round due to the city’s high elevation.

DURBAN, KWAZULU-NATAL

Durban should already be familiar to those in the film industry due to the Durban International Film Festival, which takes place here annually. Situated on South

Boomslang walkway through Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens.

Africa’s East Coast, it is a fastgrowing metropolis, famed for its balmy weather and lovingly caressed by the Indian Ocean. Filmmakers can find beaches, bush, rural villages, tropical forests and the urban sprawl of Durban city itself. The Drakensberg mountain range, about an hour’s drive from the city, has achieved World Heritage Status due to its massive collection of well-preserved San Bushman cave paintings – and this

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is just one of the province’s two World Heritage Sites! In the winter months, it snows in the Drakensberg, adding variety to the possible climates South Africa can portray. Carol Coetzee, the CEO of the KwaZulu-Natal Film Commission says that a major reason to film in the province is precisely these “[u]nique unspoiled “never-filmed-before” locations which are easily accessible and most are within a two-hour radius of the [international] airport”. Additionally, there is a wealth of natural wildlife. The area tends to be underutilised by international filmmakers. That said, the 2006 thriller Blood Diamond was partially filmed in Port Edward, a coastal town in the province. Additionally, many local films have been filmed in KwaZuluNatal, including 2017’s wildly beloved commercial success Keeping Up With the Kandasamys. The smash-hit comedy was shot almost entirely in Chatsworth, a large, historically Indian suburb near Durban South. The Number, Khalo Matabane’s disarming thriller based on Johnny Steinberg’s award-winning expose of the same name, was also filmed in the province. The KwaZulu-Natal Film Commission has a significant amount of funding available for projects undertaken on-location in the area – making it a particularly appealing destination for aspiring and emergent filmmakers. International films shot here have included the biopic The Journey Is the Destination, Chinese blockbuster Wolf Warrior 2 and episodes of Top Gear. KwaZulu-Natal will stand in for Somalia and Israel in Gideon Raff’s upcoming historical drama The Red Sea Diving Resort.

ELSEWHERE IN SOUTHERN AFRICA

While Marvel’s Black Panther was not shot anywhere in Africa, drone footage of the Golden Gate Highlands National Park, captured by Johannesburg-based

Namibia

Durban © Diriye Amey

company Timeslice, was used to depict the rolling landscapes of Wakanda. The footage was then digitally edited in the U.S., where the futuristic cities of Wakanda were added in. The base for Wakanda, however, was in the gorgeous Maluti Mountains. While it’s true that South Africa can double for almost anywhere on the planet, there are, of course, certain kinds of landscapes that can’t easily be simulated here. Take for instance the dusty post-apocalyptic dystopia of Mad Max: Fury Road, which was filmed in the Namibian desert. While there

are deserts in South Africa, none are as empty and desolate as the dunes in the Namib Desert. Namibia was also used for 2017’s The Mummy. The Matthew McConaughey and Anne Hathaway vehicle Serenity was recently filmed on the tropical island of Mauritius. Many of these productions make use of South African film-service companies, crews and post-production facilities, as South Africa has a far more developed film-service industry – and more gratifying incentives and rebates – than its neighbours do.

SOUTH AFRICA CAN DOUBLE FOR ALMOST ANYWHERE ON THE PLANET, THERE ARE, OF COURSE, CERTAIN KINDS OF LANDSCAPES THAT CAN’T EASILY BE SIMULATED HERE.

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ANIMAL TAILS

By choosing to work with Animal Tails, you’re choosing to work with professional animal wranglers. Our team of wranglers are all fully licenced under the new PAPA regulations, with our head trainer working in the industry since 1997. We have a vast understanding of camera techniques and what is required from us to help you achieve your shots. Our database comprises insects to camels, dogs to birds, cats to bunnies and everything in between! We specialise in international commercials and cover all the logistics to make a successful ﬁlm shoot. We’ve successfully worked with most production companies in Cape Town and have good standing relations with them and animal welfare organisations. Our temperate climate allows us to work all year round whether it be for ﬁlm, stills, or on stage!

Nicole Jennings Cell: +27 82 445 7656 Email: animaltails@zsd.co.za Website: www.animaltails.co.za

MOUNTAINSTAR INSURANCE

MountainStar has been at the forefront of innovative risk management since being founded in 2002. By partnering with leading insurers and underwriters, we are able to offer a broad range of insurance products and solutions to the film and entertainment industry. Insurance solutions include bespoke film production packages, personal accident and employers liability, public liability and motor vehicle cover. Our clients include producers, production companies, event organisers, equipment hire companies and service providers to the film and entertainment industry such as crew, set/stage builders, drone operators, and many others. MountainStar prides itself on building strong, lasting relationships with our clients.

David Sternberg Short Term Insurance Advisor Cell: +27 83 340 5669 Email: david@mountainstar.co.za Licensed FSP: 35680

30 / ANNECY

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ANNECY INTERNATIONAL ANIMATION FILM FESTIVAL 11-16 June 2018, Annecy, France

nnecy International Animation Film Festival is a must-attend event for animation fans and industry professionals. Over the years it has become the biggest animation gathering in the world, supporting transformation and keeping its finger on the pulse of world production. The Festival attracts some 10 000 participants, more than 85 countries are represented and around 500 films are screened. The Festival also has a number of world sneak previews, personalities, Work in Progress sessions, conferences, signing sessions and exhibitions, daring programmes and much more besides, like encounters of the most unexpected and wonderful kind. This year, Annecy International Animation Film Festival will shake with the rhythm of Brazil! Brazilian animation will be honoured throughout the week as a way of highlighting the cultural energy of Brazil, particularly from a cinematographic perspective. “We want to show how this major territory is a powerful spring of creativity, to show how Brazilian animators have drunk deep from these waters to establish an unusual and striking expression.” Marcel Jean, Artistic Director As well, music and animated movies will be a special guest star! There were many directors who tried their hand at sound films following its advent, of whom Oskar Fischinger (Hungarian Rhapsody, An Optical Poem) was the most famous, but Norman McLaren, Bruno Bozetto, Alexandre Alexeïeff, Mickael

Dudok de Wit, and Georges Schwizgebel among many others should also be mentioned, as well as the composers who put their music together with animation, such as Bruno Coulais, Hans Zimmer, Arthur Honegger, and Alexandre Desplat. The great Disney classics owe their fame to these songs. This is why Annecy have decided to shine a light on these classic animated musical films during the programme of the Festival. Brazilian animation plus music in animated films – the two were just made to tango!

THE FESTIVAL: THE WORLD’S TOP REFERENCE FOR ANIMATION FILMS

Check out the latest animated gems, find out about current and future trends, meet up with your favourite film directors and up-and-coming talents, track down new associates and partners... in the fun and friendly atmosphere of the Annecy International Animation Film Festival. There are a number of theatres in and around Annecy screening Festival films. Each evening at 10:15 pm, there is also a screening on the giant screen on the Pâquier lawn, in front of the Annecy Lake (free to all).

MEETINGS

Exchanging ideas about all aspects of a film; either how it was made or distributed and talking about the creative, technical or business side of the process. Three types of Conferences are offered, along with Masterclasses,

Making of sessions, Keynote speeches, Work in Progress and Studio Focus sessions!

THE INTERNATIONAL ANIMATION FILM MARKET (MIFA)

Don’t miss the animation industry’s foremost showcase in terms of co-producing, purchasing, selling, financing and distributing animation content for all broadcasting platforms. The Mifa, which celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2015, is held in over 4 300 m² of exhibition space and welcomes over 660 international exhibiting companies. → The Mifa Pitches and Mifa Recruitment are exceptional moments of exchange between animation professionals and future talents.

RECORD-BREAKING FIGURES FOR 2018!

Based on the first figures released, the 2018 Annecy Festival and Market is already promising to be exceptional! The Annecy International Animation Film Festival and Mifa recently closed their different appeals for projects and submissions for films. Based on these figures, the 2018

Festival is going to break the records set in previous years! • Films: 3 078 films have been submitted, compared to 2 800 in 2017. Call for projects for Mifa Pitches: • 468 projects have been submitted, compared to 325 in 2017. • 121 of these projects were submitted to the Animation du Monde category • 4 countries submitted projects to Animation du Monde for the first time: Jamaica, Guatemala, Nigeria and Montenegro. The inaugural Shoot the Book Anim’: • More than 50 projects were submitted. Consider getting accreditation online to take part in the upcoming Annecy International Animation Film Festival, taking place from 11th to 16th June 2018 and the International Animation Film Market, from 12th to 15th June 2018! For more info: www.annecy.org +33 (0)4 50 10 09 00 Social networks: @annecyfestival

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FUNDING APPROVALS The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), is pleased to announce the following funding approvals for funding cycle 3.

APPROVED PROJECTS – CYCLE 3 – FY 2017/18 FESTIVAL HOSTING PROJECT NAME

APPLICANT’S NAME

PRODUCTION COMPANY

APPROVED AMOUNT

Nature Environment and Wildlife Filmmakers Congress

Noel Kok

Nature Environment and Wildlife Conservation Trust

R1 200 000.00

SA Varsity Film Festival

Lehlogonolo Sello

Afro Polite Productions

R250 000.00

Joburg Film Festival

Tim Mangwedi

Enable Media

R1 500 000.00

The One Africa Monthly Film Screening and Workshops (PE)

Nomakhomazi Dewavrin

One Blood Sound

R400 000.00

DEVELOPMENT – DOCUMENTARIES PROJECT NAME

APPLICANT’S NAME

PRODUCTION COMPANY

APPROVED AMOUNT

Agents of Influence

Neil Brandt

Fireworx Media

R150 000.00

Jumping the Line

Thami Nakasa

Native of Nowhere Film Productions

R150 000.00

DEVELOPMENT – SHORT DOCUMENTARIES PROJECT NAME APPLICANT’S NAME

PRODUCTION COMPANY

APPROVED AMOUNT

Banned: Joe Bullet

Nonofo Bogacwi

Trail by Media

R100 000.00

Beyond the Cliché

Peter Maleta

Home Grown Solutions

R99 600.00

Black Women and Sex

Godisamang Khunou

Mogale Pictures

R100 000.00

Blend

Ashleigh da Silva

AG Picture

R99 700.00

Identity

Namhla Duma

NSS Media

R100 000.00

Mambo Kazi

Mary-Ann Mandishona

Matriarch Films

R100 000.00

Most Potent Weapon: Selby Semela

Thabo Afitlhile

Innvexx Consulting

R100 000.00

Starving Artist

Ntuthuko Mkhabela

Durban Media House

R100 000.00

Sustained Discourse: Re Gana go Buswa!

Tharollo Seatlholo

Ditike Business Enterprise

R100 000.00

NON-FICTION PROJECTS

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DEVELOPMENT – SHORT DOCUMENTARIES PROJECT NAME APPLICANT’S NAME

PRODUCTION COMPANY

APPROVED AMOUNT

The Dump is Mine

Tshililo Muzila

Masanani Productions

R100 000.00

World of Trophies

Victoria Wigzell

News From Home

R95 600.00

Umajola - The Immortal Snake

Thandiswa Twecu

N/A

R100 000.00

Uncovering the Lost City

Sandra Roberts

Frayintermedia

R100 000.00

PRODUCTION – DOCUMENTARIES PROJECT NAME

APPLICANT’S NAME

PRODUCTION COMPANY

APPROVED AMOUNT

Umkhusane

Martha Qumba

Matambara Films

R350 000.00

DEVELOPMENT – ANIMATION PROJECT NAME

APPLICANT’S NAME

PRODUCTION COMPANY

APPROVED AMOUNT

Late Night Bark

Adam Behr

Adam Behr (Pty)

R250 000.00

DEVELOPMENT – FEATURE LENGTH PROJECT NAME

APPLICANT’S NAME

PRODUCTION COMPANY

APPROVED AMOUNT

Che Guevara in the Congo

Khalo Matabane

Certelle NPC

R200 000.00

The Immaculate Room

Mukunda Dewil

Incognito Films

R200 000.00

Taxiing

Alan Shelley

Benchfilms

R200 000.00

The Blessed Girl

Michael Lee

Indigo Montoya CS

R200 000.00

The Silverton Siege

Walter Ayres

The Silverton Siege (Pty) Ltd

R200 000.00

The Weekend

Akona Matyila

Mulatto Films

R185 000.00

Tselane and Dimo

Teboho Mahlatsi

The Bomb Shelter

R200 000.00

DEVELOPMENT – SHORT FILM PROJECT NAME

APPLICANT’S NAME

PRODUCTION COMPANY

APPROVED AMOUNT

A Sudden Twist

Andrew Manzini

N/A

R100 000.00

Half a Cup

Shannan Taylor

Muse and Doodle (Pty) Ltd

R100 000.00

Love On Fire

Unique Shabangu

Chaotic films production

R100 000.00

My Bizarre And Wondrous Life So Far

Carmichelle Yates III

N/A

R100 000.00

"Na Trane" After Tears

Mikale Barry

In Motion Media & Arts Projects

R45 500.00

FICTION PROJECTS

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DEVELOPMENT – SHORT FILM PROJECT NAME

APPLICANT’S NAME

PRODUCTION COMPANY

APPROVED AMOUNT

PALEHO--thella he!

Ms Lebo Leisa

Thope Produxions

R100 000.00

Son in Law

Rankgo Andries Lankey Manong

N/A

R100 000.00

Tab

Zamo Mkhwanazi

Kude Media

R100 000.00

The Calling

Cynthia Mohoto

N/A

R100 000.00

The Orphan Club

Jane Folodi

N/A

R100 000.00

PRODUCTION – FEATURE LENGTH PROJECT NAME

APPLICANT’S NAME

PRODUCTION COMPANY

APPROVED AMOUNT

Indemnity

Benjamin Overmeyer

Indemnity Feature (Pty) Ltd

R1 000 000.00

Uncovered

Zuko Nodada

The final chapter

R1 100 000.00

PRODUCTION – SHORT FILM PROJECT NAME

APPLICANT’S NAME

PRODUCTION COMPANY

APPROVED AMOUNT

Happy To Serve You

David Franciscus

Protagonist Films

R200 000.00

The story of a baked brownie

Hisham Samie

Benchfilms

R198 800.00

Two Hues

Weaam Williams

Tribal Alchemy

R200 000.00

3AM

Johannes Mzwandile Spirit

BunduzBoi Pictures PTY Ltd

R150 000.00

A Mother, A Father & Their Son

Mlungiseleli Godola

Tostri Media

R150 000.00

Before Today

Ndamu Farisani

Farisani Creations

R150 000.00

Identity Crisis

Mthokozisi Ndhlovu

Piction Films

R150 000.00

The Award Ceremony

Mmabatho Montsho

Mmonday Pictures

R150 000.00

TRAINING PROVIDERS PROJECT NAME

ATV Graduate Programme: Blacknation Collaboration

Water is Life - Creative Youth Campaign: 2x Training Video Productions

APPLICANT’S NAME

Mocke Jansen van Veuren

Seton Bailey

TRAINING PROVIDER

Academy of Sound Engineering / Academy of Television & Screen Arts

FILM MENTORSHIP & TRAINING T/A The SA Film Academy

APPROVED AMOUNT

R 147 000.00

R 349 429.00

MEDIA CONTACT PERSON: Peter Kwele Head Marketing and Communications Tel: 011 483 0880 Email: peterk@nfvf.co.za / xolelwan@nfvf.co.za Website: www.nfvf.co.za Social Media: @nfvfsa

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MAY JUNE

MARYLAND FILM FESTIVAL 2–6 Maryland, USA

BROOKLYN FILM FESTIVAL 1 – 10 New York, USA

BRAND FILM FESTIVAL 3 New York, USA NICE INTERNATIONAL FILM MAKER FESTIVAL 5 – 12 Nice, France OXFORD INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 11 – 13 Oxford, United Kingdom FESTIVAL DE CANNES 8 – 19 Cannes, France SEATTLE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 17 – 10 June Seatt le, USA MAMMOTH LAKES FILM FESTIVAL 23 – 27 California, USA MOUNTAINFILMFESTIVAL 25 – 28 Telluride, USA

SYDNEY FILM FESTIVAL 6 – 17 Sydney, Australia KRAKOW FILM FESTIVAL 27 – 3 June Krakow, Poland

SHEFFIELD DOC/FEST 7 – 12 Sheﬃeld, United Kingdom

DISCOP AFRICA ABIDJAN 29 – 31 Abidjan, Ivory Coast

DANCES WITH FILMS 7 – 17 Hollywood, USA

ILLUMINATE FILM FESTIVAL 30 – 3 June Sedona, Arizona

THE BANFF WORLD MEDIA FESTIVAL 10 – 13 Banﬀ, Canada

NEW YORK SHORTS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 31 – 3 June New York, USA ENCOUNTERS SOUTH AFRICAN INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY FESTIVAL 31 – 10 Cape Town and Johannesburg, South Africa

ANNECY INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL AND MARKET 11 – 16 Annecy, France PROVINCETOWN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 13 – 17 Provincetown, USA

AMERICAN BLACK FILM FESTIVAL 13 – 17 Miami, USA MIDNIGHT SUN FILM FESTIVAL 13 – 17 Sodankyla, Finland SAN FRANCISCO INTERNATIONAL LGBTQ FILM FESTIVAL 14 – 24 San Francisco, USA RIVER FILM FESTIVAL 15 – 30 Padua, Italy NEW MEDIA FILM FESTIVAL 16 – 17 Los Angeles, USA SHANGHAI INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 16 – 25 Shanghai, China

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JULY

INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF CREATIVITY (CANNES LIONS) 18 – 22 Cannes, France

ZANZIBAR INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 7 – 15 Zanzibar City, Tanzania

NANTUCKET FILM FESTIVAL 20 – 25 Nantucket, USA EDINBURGH INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 20 – 1 July Edinburgh, Scotland SERIESFEST SEASON THREE 22 – 27 Denver, USA

BERLIN SHORT FILM FESTIVAL 28 – 1 July Berlin, Germany

TAIPEI FILM FESTIVAL 28 – 14 July Taipei, China CAYMAN ISLAND INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 29 – 2 July The Cayman Islands KARLOVY VARY INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 29 – 7 July Prague, Czech Republic

PLETT FOOD FILM FESTIVAL 9 – 11 Plettenberg Bay, South Africa DURBAN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 13 – 23 Durban, South Africa

SAN FRANCISCO FROZEN FILM FESTIVAL 19 – 22 San Francisco, USA PERIPHERY OF EMPIRE SHORT FILM FESTIVAL 23 – 29 Sessa Aurunca, Italy

DURBAN FILMMART 20 – 23 Durban, South Africa

GUANAJUATO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 25 – 29 Guanajuato, Mexico

ODESA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 13 – 21 Odessa, Ukraine

TRAVERSE CITY FILM FESTIVAL 31 – 5 August Traverse City, USA

Photo by Ning Li on Unsplash

SUNNY SIDE OF THE DOC 25 – 28 La Rochelle, France

NATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL 28 – 8 July Grahamstown, South Africa

MADRID INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 21 – 28 Madrid, Spain

MAINE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 13 – 22 Maine, USA

38 / ASSOCIATIONS NEWS

MASTERCLASS ON WRITING FOR CHILDREN

ADVERTISING TALENT ON SHOW

Sisters Working in Film and Television (SWIFT) collaborated with Natasje van Niekerk of The Storyteller Pod to host a masterclass at the National Film and Video Foundation’s (NFVF) ofﬁces in Johannesburg on 6 April 2018. Van Niekerk is a veteran writer for animations and television productions. She brought her wealth of knowledge and experience to a dynamic class on writing for children’s animated television shows, which went beyond writing tips to offer an overview of the ﬁeld, with emphasis placed on logistics such as costs, buyers and possible markets. The event shows the potential for collaboration between different industry stakeholders, and places a spotlight on SWIFT’s continuing partnership with the NFVF.

On 10 April 2018, the ﬁrst Ciclope Africa event was held at the Zeitz MOCAA in Cape Town. The event celebrated excellence in advertising from across the African continent. The following members of the Commercial Producers Association of South Africa (CPASA) were honoured for their excellence: • Romance Films • The Star Film Company • Groundglass • Gatehouse • They • Carbon Films • Bioscope Films • Ola Films • Moonlighting Commercials • The Bomb Shelter • Figment Films

For more info visit www.nfvf.co.za or ﬁnd SWIFT on social media networks.

For more information on the CPASA visit www.cpasa.tv.

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EASTERN CAPE FILM INDABA

Pascale Lamche’s awardwinning documentary ‘Winnie’, a riveting exploration of the life and times of anti-apartheid stalwart Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, premiered on eNCA on Wednesday, 11 April, at 9pm. It was then made available for broadcast to all South Africans on e.tv and OpenView. The documentary includes extensive archival footage, as well as exclusive interviews with Winnie, her daughter, and her many enemies. South African Twitter was set alight after the premiere, with #Winnie trending for hours afterwards, as South Africans tweeted their appreciation for the struggle hero.

East London hosted a Film Indaba from 11-12 April, under the theme of ‘Sustainable thriving film industry’. The event comprised presentations by government representatives and industry stakeholders, as well as discussion groups. It was well attended by local filmmakers, and had a significant presence of representatives from across the country. A number of issues were discussed, most pertaining to the future of the industry in the province. Plans were announced to establish a film commission and film fund, as well as to finalise by-laws for film production and film policy. The latter would elevate the sector as a provincial priority and allow filmmakers to lobby for a budget, which is crucial given that film was identified as one of the strategic cultural and economic growth areas by the Eastern Cape government as far back as 2001.

For more information on documentary ﬁlmmaking in South Africa, visit the Documentary Filmmakers Association at www.docﬁlmsa.com.

More information is available from the Independent Producers Organisation at www.ipo.org.za.

Photo by Kashif Robinson on Unsplash

WINNIE DOCUMENTARY AIRED

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