Durban FilmMart Touts New Zealand Co-Production Link
by TIMOTHY M . GRAY
Execs from the New Zealand Film Commission have been meeting with producers at the FilmMart to research potential development and co-production opportunities .
At a breakfast , reps from NZFC and the National Film & Video Foundation spoke about the South Africa / New Zealand Co- Production Treaty , which was signed in 2011 .
“ I see my role as facilitating opportunities for our filmmakers and backing them up with technical advice , as well as meeting as many people as I can who might want to connect with the New Zealand Film industry ,” said Mladen Ivancic , deputy CEO of New Zealand Film Commission
“ We have a particularly good connection with South Africa , in a way that we possibly don ’ t have with some of the other treaty countries , as we share a common language , have a historical connection and there is a healthy S . A . migrant population in New Zealand .”
“ New Zealand has co-production agreements with 13 countries , and out of these , about 60 co-productions have been made , with a production budget value of around NZ $ 660 million ,” Ivancic continued . “ We have brought three producers and one film-maker to South Africa to start the process of co-production with this country .”
Toni Monty of the Durban FilmMart said , “ We are really pleased to report that already out of this session , two producers have been able to begin discussions on possible co-productions . We look forward to more delegates from New Zealand attending the FilmMart next year and we will be holding similar initiatives at future DFM ’ s against the backdrop of other coproduction
treaties that South Africa has in place .”
Terrence Khumalo , manager of film certification of the NFVF , said South Africa has also signed seven other treaties , with Australia , Canada , Germany , France , Ireland , Italy and the U . K . since 1997 . That translates into 95 projects of just under R5 billion in South Africa .
“ Treaties are government trade instruments whose main objective is to promote cultures of the countries and help filmmakers to access markets of their international counterparts ,” Khumalo said . “ They enable filmmakers to access finance , distribution and exhibition in co-producer ’ s territory . Treaties also serve to expose local talent to international markets .”.
ORIGINAL Publisher
Mladen Ivancic writersguildsa . org | 35