Encounters 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, with lots of stories to tell but also a pool of talent to tell those stories.
The NFVF is proud to witness as Encounters continues to grow, this year bringing together the best of local and international films to entertain, challenge, and excite our audiences. This year the festival has put together a line-up of 50 films that reflect South Africa’s originality and dynamism, including international award winners and World Premiers.
Since its inception, Encounters has without doubt demonstrated that, even with limited resources, it is a festival that can be sustainable for many years to come.
The quality of films selected and the excellent work by the organizers and volunteers continue to build this festival as one of the flagships of the local film industry. As the NFVF we are always encouraged by the level of enthusiasm and commitment shown by industry participants who continuously produce good quality films, develop and enhance their talents through workshops and training programmes offered by these festivals.
As we are all aware, the previous year was a challenge for the film sector; the local production houses experienced a huge decline in commissioned work and a lot of festivals lost sponsorship. This resulted in most production houses closing down or letting go of staff, and festivals had to reposition themselves with sometimes a reduction on the valuable impact they have on the society. Even under these circumstances, the NFVF has continued its support without a reduction in the amount it provides to festivals and filmmakers even though also working on tight budgets.
Against all these challenges, the industry welcomed a new broadcaster, TopTV to level the playing field in the broadcasting arena. The launch of the 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 a platform to locally produced titles. Another project that we urge delegates to embrace and support is the new independent theatre; The Bioscope, which in the previous week highlighted films by one of South Africa’s rising stars in filmmaking, Khalo Matabane.
The NFVF’s presence at Encounters is and will always be more than just a sponsorship. We will continue to function as an adviser and a shoulder to cry on.
Tomorrow the NFVF will host a session aimed at filmmakers and the media with the aim of sharing information and enlighten the Western Cape film community on NFVF programmes.
All participants are invited to attend, as we will treat this as a Q&A session allowing for a more conversational approach rather than a talking to one. Clarence and myself will attempt to respond to every question and hopefully we will clarify issues around strategy and the programmes we are running.
We are excited that this year's programme has been structured to extract the most value from the South African and international offerings, and also offer world-class expertise. Included in the programme are NFVF supported documentaries, including The Cradock Four by David Forbes that scooped the Best South African Documentary at the recently held 31st Durban International Film Festival as well as Rehad Desai’s The Battle for Johannesburg which was also well received there. The NFVF is 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 would like to re-affirm its commitment to ensuring the growth and development of the film industry in this country. Through the festival initiatives and the support of all the partners and experts, local filmmakers continue to be a force to be reckoned with globally. It is NFVF’s wish that this festival forms the core of Arts and Culture programmes of both the City and the Province. We would like to see more visible and active involvement and support 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 towards the development of digital screens around the country. We would like to create pilot sites in previously under serviced areas and one of those sites has to be in one of the townships of Cape Town.
In our quest to mobilise more resources for the industry, we have been able to engage the National Treasury for the allocation of more funds to the industry. On July 19th, we made a compelling case, which was well received. I am glad to note that we have a lot of supporters for a vibrant film industry in that department. We just need to cross our fingers and hope that during these difficult times, some money could be found to stimulate our industry.
The NFVF congratulates the team behind the festival, filmmakers, stakeholders and other sponsors that have continued to be part of this event. We wish all visitors to the city and participants a pleasant documentary film experience.
I thank you.
