National Film Indaba
sets ambitious course
for industry growth
Innovative measures to support funding for
local content, collaboration to maximise limited
resources and strategic government interventions
were some of the critical issues raised at the
Fourth National Film Indaba in Johannesburg in
November 2013
The deliberations on November 14 - 15 were part of Indaba to
inform the NFVF’s long-term macro strategy for the film industry
as a response to the National Development Plan and the Revised
White Paper on Arts, Culture and Heritage.
These recommendations, which will inform the final strategy,
include:
• Strengthening current funding models;
• Providing more money for development of product and
audience;
• Improved intellectual property protection in term of
licensing deals, similar to that of the French broadcast
model;
• Introducing innovative ways to expand audiences including
partnering with local government to promote a movie-going
culture and a state-funded distribution agency;
• Distribution incentives including loyalty cards for local
films; and,
• The creation of a transformation charter and values
statement from all stakeholders.
Opening the conference, Arts and Culture Minister Paul
Mashatile said the sector was critical to economic development:
“As we have gathered here for this Indaba, we are emboldened
by the reality that our sector, the cultural and creative industries,
including film, now occupies the center stage in ongoing efforts
to foster social cohesion and nation building as well as the
economic empowerment of the people of South Africa,” he said.
seen as a nice-to-have addition to the ongoing work of socioeconomic transformation. It is now firmly at the core of this
work,” said Minister Mashatile.
The Minister noted that South Africa was on the verge of rolling
out digital terrestrial broadcasting.
“This will create numerous opportunities for local content
developers, which the industry needs to take full advantage
of. Equally, the industry needs to take advantage of the
opportunities made possible by advancements in Information
and Communications Technology,” he said.
Minister Mashatile urged the industry to confront challenges
such as the slow pace of transformation across the industry
value chain, insufficient skills and enterprise development within
the sector as well as the skewed distribution of film production
and exhibition opportunities and infrastructure.
The Indaba included an announcement of a new partnership
between the NFVF and Department of Women, Children &
People with Disabilities. The partnership will provide funding
for documentaries produced by film-makers with disabilities;
provide sign language at NFVF training programmes and award
bursaries for people with disabilities to enroll for film related
studies at South African tertiary institutions.
“This is just one of our efforts to ensure that we create an
enabling environment for South Africans to tell their own stories
in their own languages,” said NFVF Council Chairperson Ms
Mmabatho Ramagoshi
“We have had rigorous debates and discussions over the past
two days,” said NFVF CEO Zama Mkosi. “We have listened and
taken on board the passions, concerns and insights tabled at
this National Film Indaba and we are determined to define a
strategy that is inclusive of the voices of the industry.”
“These contributions, as well as written contributions submitted
by November 30, will help articulate the policy going forward
and inform our response to the new policy environment we
operate in,” said Mkosi.
“Indeed we have met at a time when our sector is no longer
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