--
Film commissions push cooperation and collaboration at DFM 2015 --
Mon, 20 Jul 2015 00:57
--
On the first day of the Durban FilmMart (DFM) 2015, four film commissions from South Africa and Namibia presented their leaders, policies and services to the annual gathering of industry professionals. In the third session of the morning, the Namibian Film Commission (NFC) introduced itself with a view to establishing and explaining its place within the southern African film industry and across the continent. In the following session, a joint discussion presented by film commissions representing South Africa s three wealthiest, most developed and most populous provinces Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and Western Cape presented their functions and objectives, both common and separate.
An industry-led commission
According to NFC chairperson Obed Emvula, the commission was set up when the Namibian government recognised that it should provide some manner of support to the industry. It was decided that filmmakers themselves would spearhead the direction of the industry and, as a result, the commission is headed by professional filmmakers working in a part-time capacity. Although the commission does have measures in place to support the local film industry, the small size and low level of development of Namibia s film sector will require a high degree of interaction with regional partners, particularly South Africa.
It was clear from the beginning of the NFC session that the biggest selling point pushed by the commission when addressing foreign industry professionals is its unique, pristine landscapes. The session opened with a promotional video that consisted entirely of wildlife footage and breathtaking desert vistas. The discussion naturally touched upon the production of Mad Max: Fury Road, which was shot in Namibia last year. So it appeared that the biggest selling point would be Namibia s ability to provide shooting locations for international film units.
This was not entirely the case, however; two of the NFC representatives, Vickson Hangula and Oshosheni Hiveluah, work on a sub-committee of the NFC called the Industry Development Committee, aimed at empowering local filmmakers. With regard to skills development, the NFC is negotiating partnerships with a number of South African tertiary institutions to provide training for up and coming Namibian industry professionals. Even on the locations side, Namibia does not confine itself to promoting only its deserts and rural areas. Hiveluah also made mention of the city settings of Windhoek and Swakopmund.
Also present at the discussion was Namibian filmmaker Richard Pakleppa, whose documentary feature, Paths to Freedom is being screened at the Durban International Film Festival. Emvula mentioned Pakleppa as an example of how Namibia is seen as ranking among the best states in the world when it comes to media freedom. Despite Pakleppa s controversial subject matter he was allowed to work and pursue his enquiries undisturbed. Pakleppa himself added: I was never harassed but I wasn t exactly applauded either.
According to Emvula, due its comparative size, the Namibian film industry actively pursues interaction and collaboration with its counterparts around the continent and particularly in its giant neighbor to the south. One of the first things we realised is that, alone, we could never be able to make films and build audiences for them. So what we are looking at is regional cooperation, regional integration, as well as collaboration with the rest of the continent, said Emvula.
The NFC is not entirely without controversy: several Namibian filmmakers, particularly members of an independent group called the Filmmakers Association of Namibia (FAN) accuse the commission of not doing enough to develop the local industry while placing too much emphasis on the country as a shooting location for foreign film crews. A highly contentious policy proposal recently put forward by the Namibian government, which would transform the NFC into a state-owned film regulatory body, has also drawn criticism from the sector.
Team South Africa
Collaboration was also on the agenda of the three South African film commissions. Andile Mbeki, CEO of the Gauteng Film Commission (GFC), outlined his vision of Team South Africa , which would see the provincial film commissions, as well as the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) and other national organisations, uniting in the provision of services and funding and in a common vision for the promotion of South Africa as a filmmaking hub. We, as government agencies, shouldn t be competing, he said.
With regard to the GFC s work within the borders of its own province, Mbeki said that, while the commission doesn t have the funding to offer the kind of financial support to productions that other commissions do, it will bend over backward to add value in terms of those services that are not funding-related. If you need to bring Johannesburg to a standstill for your production, we will do that, he said. Looking at the GFC s place in the broader context of the South African film industry, Mbeki says that Gauteng holds three very significant attractions to filmmakers: firstly, it is the gateway to South Africa. Foreign visitors generally arrive in and depart from the country via Johannesburg. Secondly, Gauteng is the home of several of the country s major post-production facilities and thus becomes the hub for editing and finishing of projects, even if shooting takes place elsewhere. Thirdly, Gauteng has its own unique set of filmmaking locations to offer.
The GFC seeks to shoulder some of the administrative burden that film producers face when coordinating their projects particularly applications for filming permits, closing down of roads, etc. You shouldn t have to deal with government, Mbeki said. W
Most recent headlines
30/12/2024
Digital Domain Creates Groundbreaking VFX for Venom: The Last Dance, Bringing ...
30/12/2024
Internet Giant GMP Builds Tokyo Virtual Event Space with URSA Broadcast G2
Brie Clayton December 30, 2024
0 Comments
Blackmagic URSA Broadcast G2 and ...
30/12/2024
Renderboxes launches Photon, a no-compromise transportable high-performance work...
30/12/2024
Shinobi II Monitor Supports Canon, Sony, Nikon - Touch to Focus with New Feature...
30/12/2024
The pace of technology innovation has accelerated in the past year, most dramati...
29/12/2024
Gyeongnam Culture and Arts Foundation (GCAF), an active promotor of cultural and artistic diversity, has chosen Ikegami UHK-X700 camera chains for integration i...
27/12/2024
After starting 2024 with hopes that the transition to streaming might finally produce a more stable, profitable businesses, the media and entertainment industry...
27/12/2024
Broadcasters ended the year with hopes and fears about how the federal government will regulate the TV industry in 2025. While the incoming Trump administration...
27/12/2024
NVIDIA's AI Podcast gives listeners the inside scoop on the ways AI is transforming nearly every industry. Since the show's debut in 2016, it's gar...
26/12/2024
Talking about artificial intelligence in 2024 is akin to talking about the internet in 1994 everyone's excited about it and thinks it will have an enormous ...
26/12/2024
Back to All News
Netflix NFL Christmas Gameday Reaches 65 Million US Viewers
Entertainment
26 December 2024
GlobalUnited States
Link copied to clipboard
N...
26/12/2024
Back to All News
Check Out All the Must-See Trailers From Netflix's NFL Chr...
26/12/2024
Back to All News
Beyonc Delivers Epic Gift of a Halftime Performance "Beyonc...
26/12/2024
Back to All News
Get in the Game With Squid Game' Season 2 Complete Coverage Guide
Entertainment
26 December 2024
Global
Link copied to clipboard
Are...
26/12/2024
This GFN Thursday wraps up another incredible year for cloud gaming. Take a look back at the top games and new features that made 2024 a standout for GeForce NO...
24/12/2024
The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) is calling for applications from South African film and television filmmakers to be part of the NFVF's delegat...
24/12/2024
WASHINGTON, D.C. The Federal Communications Commission Enforcement Bureau said Paramount Global is being fined $244,952 for violations of emergency alerting rul...
24/12/2024
NEW YORK Carnegie Hall's video-streaming channel, Carnegie Hall+, said it will celebrate the holiday season by offering a wide selection of holiday-themed o...
24/12/2024
LOS ANGELES PlayersTV, an athlete and fan-owned media company, has announced the acquisition of Cloud Media Center, an AI-driven sports adtech and media distrib...
24/12/2024
The Best Playlists of 2024 The top playlists we created in 2024, from dad rock to dembow.
By
Tara Bellucci
December 23, 2024
Image by Kelly Davidson
Tak...
24/12/2024
Editor's note: This post is part of the AI Decoded series, which demystifies AI by making the technology more accessible, and showcases new hardware, softwa...
23/12/2024
At IBC2024, Grass Valley CTO Ian Fletcher told attendees at GV Forum that broadcast is now an IT industry. During our discussions at the show, TVBEurope heard v...
23/12/2024
According to co-director Nick Park, the production team embraced technology to help create the iconic duos latest adventure
By Jenny Priestley
Published: Dec...
23/12/2024
VFX house Lux Aeterna used wave height data from the National Oceanic & Atmosphe...
23/12/2024
We are committed to supporting and investing in Foxtel's television and streaming services, across both sports and entertainment, using our world-leading te...
23/12/2024
From AI to IP, the cloud to virtual production, key industry executives take a look back at some of the biggest trends that impacted the media and entertainment...
23/12/2024
Boost Graphics, the specialist international graphics and virtual production subsidiary of EMG / Gravity Media, the leading force in production and content & me...
23/12/2024
LucidLink, the leading storage collaboration platform revolutionizing how global teams work, proudly announces its achievement of the prestigious Trusted Partne...
23/12/2024
Mediagenix, a leader in software solutions for content strategy, content value management, and content scheduling, announces the appointment of Bruno Langlais a...
23/12/2024
WCTEPublic Media Venture Group (PMVG) has announced that it is now providing real-time translation of closed captioning from English to Spanish on PMVG's Ne...
23/12/2024
Deltatre, the tech company behind the media and sporting moments that matter, has appointed Charlie Mitchell as Head of Sports for the Americas. Charlie will sp...
23/12/2024
Media Excel, a global leader in real-time video solutions, proudly announces the appointment of Matthew Goldman to its Technical Advisory Board. A distinguished...
23/12/2024
Disguise the company behind the virtual production technology used on commercials for Apple Music and Lenovo, as well as feature film Daddio starring Sean Pen...
23/12/2024
Leading AI and video search company Moments Lab is pleased to announce its integration with Bitcentral. The integration enables Bitcentral Oasis MAM users to en...
23/12/2024
Amagi, the global leader in cloud-based SaaS technology for broadcast and connected TV (CTV), today announced that ABC Commercial has partnered with Amagi to la...
23/12/2024
Digital Alert Systems, the global leader in emergency communications solutions for media providers, today announced that Ed Czarnecki, the company's vice pr...
23/12/2024
Matthews Studio Equipment, known for the heftiest hardware, has a new solution to simplify mounting live production moving lights to standard grip equipment. Th...
23/12/2024
Matthews Studio Equipment expands its trusted Road-line with the launch of RoadBags, durable fillable sandbags available in three sizes. Whether in the studio o...
23/12/2024
Sport Lisboa e Benfica, one of Portugal's most prestigious football clubs, has partnered with Clear-Com to upgrade the communications system at the Est dio...
23/12/2024
At stand B6.734, Black Box will showcase its Emerald KVM-over-IP solution, which enables smarter studio control with secure remote access from anywhere, along...
23/12/2024
OOONA, a leading provider of professional management and production tools for the media localization industry, announced today a partnership with Audio Descript...
23/12/2024
Dunk The Halls: ESPN Refines Animated Altcast Tech and Ops with a Helping Hand F...
23/12/2024
With the holiday season in full swing, we are delighted to bring you a special digital event, Leading Through Change with Technicolor Group's Chief People O...
23/12/2024
Netflix Kicks Off NFL Christmas Games: Behind the Scenes With the Streaming Gian...
23/12/2024
Friendly Confines Go Frozen: TNT Sports Augments 2024 NHL Winter Classic Coverag...
23/12/2024
ESPN's Tina Thornton on Producing The Simpsons Funday Football, Upcoming Dun...
23/12/2024
Dunk The Halls: ESPN Refine Animated Altcast Tech and Ops with a Helping Hand Fr...
23/12/2024
Back to All News
NFL Christmas Gameday Live Comes to Netflix With Blimps, Hot C...
22/12/2024
News Corp Announces Agreement to Sell Foxtel to DAZN for Enterprise Value of A$3...
-- 
