NFVF supports Nature, Environment, and Wildlife Filmmakers Congress
The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) is an agency of the Department of Arts and Culture that was created to ensure the equitable growth of South Africa’s film and video industry. The NFVF has, for the first time, supported the Nature, Environment, and Wildlife Filmmakers Congress (NEWF) that will be taking place from the 16 – 18 July 2018 at the Durban Botanic Gardens.
In its role as the national film funding body, it is important for the NFVF to be at the center of conversations and initiatives pertaining to the film industry. NEWF is the hub where wildlife and adventure filmmakers, photographers, scientists and conservationists in Africa converge to have robust conversations about how films can be effectively utilised in natural resource conservation. The congress offers best practice sharing opportunities, a skills transfer platform, and a space to marvel and recognise excellence in the wildlife genre.
The NFVF and NEWF share a common objective of growing content in the film and television industry, particularly content that tells unique African narratives. Extending support to NEWF is part of the NFVF’s plans to ensure that all South African filmmakers have an opportunity to penetrate all spheres of the film and TV industry. Transformation is the salient and overriding objective for the NFVF’s programmes.
“Our mandate is clear; it is to afford people who did not previously have access to the film industry an opportunity to participate in the industry. The wildlife genre has many barriers to entry for an average South African filmmaker, and it is our responsibility as a national film body to engage with experts in this field, understand its challenges, potential, and gaps in order to make the necessary strategic interventions to change and develop it. “Said Shadrack Bokaba, Acting NFVF CEO
A group of emerging filmmakers and film students has been given an opportunity to attend this congress with the hope of nourishing their interest in wildlife filmmaking. The NEWF programme offers a stimulating variety in topics, focusing on current trends, the future and placing the spotlight on award-winning South African productions, one of which being a SAFTAs 12 winner.
NEWF anchors all conversations from an African gaze, in an attempt to create a single and uniform African voice. The full programme can be found on the following link: http://www.newf.co.za/assets/programme-2018—web.pdf