Ekurhuleni International Film Festival (EIFF) 2022 was hosted at the Dumisani Masilela Theatre in Germiston from November 24 to 26.

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With the theme ‘Innovation, where new and imaginative ideas, concepts, and scripts develops into a film reality’, the festival is a creative and innovative programme of excellence hosted by City of Ekurhuleni.

The fourth EIFF was held in partnership between the City of Ekurhuleni, SABC and Rhythm Cycles.

The EIFF was presented at the theatre, which is named in honour of the late actor Dumisani Masilela who was killed in a botched hijacking in 2017.

“The EIFF presented workshops, seminars, and masterclasses educated participants on filmmaking processes and the different roles involved in the creation of films while providing young people from disadvantaged areas with an opportunity to network with major industry players,” said the manager of Creative Industries, Hannelie Swart.

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Masterclasses included film and TV, networking, documentary filmmaking, TV content, and post-production, along with a Gauteng Enterprise Propeller workshop. An Advertiser Funded Productions and also a Future of Distribution seminar were held.

“The CoE covers an extensive area in the eastern side of Gauteng. The economy in the region is larger and more diverse than that of many small countries in Africa.

“It accounts for nearly a quarter of Gauteng’s economy, which in turn contributes over a third of the national gross domestic product. Many of the factories for the production of goods and commodities are in Ekurhuleni, often referred to as Africa’s workshop. It is also the home to OR Tambo International Airport.

“The film industry forms part of the development of creative industries in the City.

The Ekurhuleni film industry plays a vital role in growing a ‘smart’ economy, a creative economy that not only attracts cultural workers and quality jobs but also contributes to economic growth and social development.

“The Ekurhuleni audiovisual industry encompasses a range of creative production activities including film, TV and documentary production, animation, commercials, still photography and multimedia,” said Swart.

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“The EIFF was officially launched at the OR Tambo Cultural Precinct in in June 2016. The festival originated because of the Siyafunda Programme, which is an initiative by Rhythm Cycle Trading Projects in partnership with the Department of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture.

“The purpose of the programme was to empower the unemployed youth economically and provide them with vital filmmaking skills. It also intends to promote the local businesses in the film industry, social cohesion and mainstream youth development,” she said.

“This year the EIFF received 603 entries from the BRICS countries that included 73 from South Africa, 259 from China, nine from Russia and 189 from India.

“Dostievsky Intercontinental, directed by Ivan Zakharenko, was entered in the fourth annual Ekurhuleni International Film Festival.

“Previously, all the jury members, who were in Moscow, Yakutsk, Yekaterinburg, and Istanbul awarded Dostoevsky Intercontinental with the National Unity International Film Festival Grand Prix Award,” said Swart.