The SAFTAs, managed under the custodianship of the National Film and Video Foundation, are an industry initiative governed by the SAFTAS committee and the body of industry representatives comprising of the broadcasters, SASFED and other key stakeholders.
The basic guidelines for the eligibility of entries are as follows:
- For TV fiction, non-fiction, student films and TV animation, only South African films and television programmes that have been produced and publicly exhibited or broadcast between the 1st of August 2011 and the 12th of August 2012 are eligible to enter.
- For feature film and feature length animation, only South African films produced and publicly exhibited or broadcast between the 1st of January 2012 and the 31st of December 2012 are eligible to enter. Only productions that are entered will be eligible for consideration.
"We once again begin the most exciting journey in the film and television industry calendar. This is a time where the industry comes together with the aim of recognizing and celebrating the best of South African talent in film and television. As we commence this process leading to the industry's annual prestigious event, we call upon the industry to support every stage of the SAFTAs to ensure another successful event.
The SAFTAs have come a long way in the past six years and we look forward to working with the industry to grow the event further," says the NFVF CEO and SAFTAs Chairperson Zama Mkosi.
The SAFTAs has since its inception honoured individuals and productions in the following categories: TV Non-fiction, TV Fiction, Feature Films, Short Films, Student Films and Animation. The awards also honour the lifetime achievers with the Special Lifetime Achievement awards given to those esteemed individuals who have long served the industry in various categories.
This year the SAFTAS launches a new category called Best International Adaptations. This award will recognise the programmes originating from international formats. These would include shows like Survivor, SA Idols, So you think you can dance and SA's got Talents.
The system that the SAFTA Committee introduced last year of incorporating the previous SAFTA winners and nominees to the judging panels will be utilized again this year. This system was introduced with the aim of encouraging peer recognition within the industry and to ensure that there is transparency throughout the process.
As with the previous years, the public will also get the opportunity to vote for their Best Soapie.
For complete rules and guidelines of the SAFTAs, visit the NFVF website.
All the entries should be submitted through an online entry system which can be found on the SAFTA Entries website, click here to visit the SAFTA Entries website.
The closing date for entries is Thursday 20th of September 2012.
The glittering awards ceremony for the 7th annual SAFTAs will be held in March 2013 where all winners will be announced and will be presented with the official SAFTA trophy, the Golden Horn.
