The 31st edition of the Durban International Film Festival (DIFF) takes place at the back of a very proud experience of a successful hosting of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The film sector participated immensely in this world event, with film commissions offering support to international broadcasters. We hope this move has assisted in positioning the country as a film destination of choice, and anticipate more international companies utilising our country for their films.
The previous year was a challenge for the film sector; local production houses experienced a huge decline in commissioned projects. This resulted in most production houses closing down or letting go of staff members. The NFVF however continued its support to filmmakers by either grants and/or providing training programmes.
Against those challenges the industry still welcomed a new broadcaster, TopTv to level the playing field in the broadcasting arena. The launch of Mzansi Magic channel by Multichoice also came as a relief to the ailing industry.
We are excited about the launch of both Toptv and Mzansi Magic, which promise procurement of local productions and to give a platform to locally produced titles.
The NFVF’s presence at DIFF is and will always be more than just a sponsorship. We will continue to function as an adviser and a shoulder to cry on, and together with DIFF will host various workshops and training programmes that strengthen and contribute to the growth of the sector. The NFVF will share its expertise at events including; the Talent Campus' Meet the Experts; Pitching sessions; DFM Finance Forum and strategies for film distribution. All these events will be accessible to filmmakers.
Our agenda for the festival includes a conference aimed at filmmakers and the media scheduled for Saturday 24th of July at the Royal Hotel's conference room. The conference will serve as an information sharing session where NFVF management will do presentations to enlighten the delegates about the NFVF programmes. Information on the recently signed SA-French and SA/Australia co-production treaties will be shared with the delegates.
We are excited that this year's programme has been structured to extract the most value from the African and international films. We have been informed that the delegates can expect films that excite, thrill and raise awareness. As the NFVF we are thrilled that the programme speaks directly to our moral imperative "creating platforms for ordinary South Africans to bear influence in the expression of their own images, thereby deepening democracy and creating prosperity."
The NFVF welcomes the launch of the 1st FilmMart which will facilitate financing and co-production opportunities for African film projects. We believe that both the FilmMart and the NFVF's International Financing Programme launched a year ago can address the challenges faced by both emerging and advanced filmmakers. It is our wish and indeed the whole film community that the FilmMart and the festival work much much closer together in the interest of film development in the city and the Province. It should not be, that at some point in time, as funders and supporters of both programmes find ourselves in a fix of whether we should fund or support this or the other project. We believe, through workshops, seminars and training programmes, DIFF has continued to ensure that NFVF’s strategy of developing the local film industry throughout the country is realized.
The NFVF will also support the Durban Short Film Challenge through its production and development department, where young filmmakers will be required to compete writing a five-minute script. The NFVF is proud to confirm that the winners will get an opportunity to attend the Sediba/Spark programme, where mentors in scriptwriting will be on hand to sharpen their skills.
As a way of extending South Africa’s hospitality to the local and international guests, the NFVF will host a delegates' networking party at the Zulu Lounge. This event, will provide the local delegates and their counterparts from other countries an opportunity to network and share knowledge in a relaxed atmosphere.
The NFVF would like to re-affirm its commitment to ensuring the growth and development of the film industry in the KwaZulu-Natal Province . Through the DIFF initiatives and the support of all the partners and experts, local filmmakers continue to be a force to be reckoned with globally. The NFVF would like to thank the Economic Development Department of the KwaZulu-Natal Province and the City of Durban for their continued support of the festival, therefore ensuring the development of film in the region. It is NFVF’s wish that this festival and the FilmMart form the core of Arts and Culture programmes of both the City and the Province. We would like to see more visible and active involvement in all the processes of the development of the festival to ensure that it is aligned to the government imperatives in this part of our country.
As you might be aware, the Minister of Arts and Culture during her budget speech in June, announced the allocation of R10million Rand towards the development of digital screens around the country. I am pleased to say that, when you enter the Ekhaya Community Arts Centre in KwaMashu tomorrow, you will see the fruits of this initiative.
The NFVF congratulates the team behind the festival, filmmakers, stakeholders and other sponsors that have continued to be part of this world class event. We wish all visitors to the city and participants at the Durban International Film Festival a pleasant film experience.
In closing, in our quest to mobilise more resources for the industry, we have engaged the National Treasury to allocate more funds to the industry. On Monday 19th we made a presentation which was well received and I am glad to note that we have a lot of supporters for a vibrant film industry in that department.
I thank you.
