KZN Film Commission to host industry indaba

THE KwaZulu-Natal Film Commission (KZNFC) will host industry stakeholders in a two-day film industry indaba on 27 and 28 March at the Silver Room, Greyville Racecourse.

In a first of its kind for KZN, the indaba seeks to bring together filmmakers, government agencies, the media and other voices under one roof as a way to create opportunities for the industry to engage, interact on a strategic level, and to find solutions to the challenges it faces.

“We look forward to hosting the film fraternity, particularly at this critical time when, together with our stakeholders, we will share our strategies and discuss pertinent issues affecting the film industry. There are a number of new strategies being proposed and policies being reviewed at national and provincial level and therefore we felt the indaba is well timed for active engagement. We are grateful for the support provided by the Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs (EDTEA), in particular MEC Sihle Zikalala as we continue to transform the industry and position the province as the best global film destination,” said Carol Coetzee, CEO KZN Film Commission.

The indaba’s first day will be dedicated to strategic presentations from EDTEA, KZN Film Commission, the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), Department of Trade and Industry (the Dti), South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), Durban International Film Festival (DIFF) and South African Screen Federation (SASFED).

The launch of the new film cluster will take place on the evening of the first day, where KZNFC has invited participants to view the new facility which is now available to filmmakers and partners.

Day two of the proceedings will begin with an address by the MEC of EDTEA who has recently approved a new provincial film sector strategy, with the remainder of the day consisting of break-away discussions where issues such as transformation, infrastructure, audience development, industry co-ordination, funding and training institutions and quality assurance bodies will be tackled by a range of speakers from various organisations representing the film industry.

The day will end with a feedback session which will assist in mapping the way forward.

Since its establishment in 2010, the KZNFC has witnessed a plethora of achievements toward fulfilling its mandate of growing and transforming the provincial film industry by bringing about opportunities for the industry to interact and engage with the local and international markets. Over the years, the KZNFC has launched various skills development projects including but not limited to internship programmes, women and youth incubation programmes as well as bursary programmes.

“Part of hosting this indaba is to highlight the achievements mentioned, while also creating a platform to share knowledge and industry insights, and offer an opportunity for the voice of the industry leaders and experts to be heard,” added Coetzee. This indaba will then assist the KZNFC to enhance its support throughout the value chain to local film industry stakeholders, ultimately transforming and enriching the province’s film industry as a whole.