Call for proposals: Female Filmmaker Project Facilitating Company
The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) would like to invite Tier 2 production companies to submit an application to facilitate the Female Filmmaker Project for a 3-year period in an effort to assist in carrying out its mandate with respect to providing opportunities for female entrants within the industry.
Background
Female Filmmaker project is a valuable intervention by the NFVF to provide female entrants, particularly those from historically disadvantaged backgrounds, with an opportunity to produce a short film in collaboration with other female writers and directors. It is a skills development programme which seeks to upskill female filmmakers and mentor them through their short film. The female filmmaker project is targeted at emerging filmmakers who aspire to be great directors/writers and who have not had the opportunity to make a commercial film either for television or cinema. The successful production company must manage, execute and deliver 10 films each year, over a period of three years, of which each must be made by a team of mostly female filmmakers and females in all key creative roles.
Objectives
The aim of the female filmmaker project is:
- To nurture, support and promote female filmmakers in South Africa through strategically developed training and workshops;
- To seek remarkable storytellers and develop regionally based filmmaking talent, which will bring new perspective to South Africa and ultimately the African global audience.
The successful fascilitating production company will be responsible for but not limited to, the following activities in relation to the programme:
- Selection of writer/director candidates;
- Identifying appropriate mentors who will impart knowledge and assist candidates in developing their concepts to final script phase;
- Identifying appropriate mentors who will impart knowledge to candidates about production principals;
- Organising a production team to carry out the production of the films;
- Delivery of films and marketing collateral;
- Indentifying marketing and distribution channels for completed films;
Programme
The successful production company will be required to manage, execute and deliver all 10 films over a period of 3 years, each of which must be made, as completely as possible, by a team of female filmmakers. The overall funding awarded will be R15 000 000 over 3 years, R5 000 000 will be disbursed each year.
The Company must select a team of filmmakers in accordance with a call for submissions, which must be approved by the NFVF prior to being published and must include (not exclusively) the following criteria for submissions:
– Female applicants with a minimum of two years’ experience in the industry in any department;
– Preference given to females who have not had an opportunity to make a film;
– Female individuals may both write and direct.
The Company in collaboration with the NFVF will agree on the stories to go into development, which development process will be managed by the Company
Upon completion of the development of the scripts, the Company and the NFVF will select the best scripts for production.
The Company will then work with Tier 2 Filmmakers in the production of the films from pre-production to post production until delivery of the films.
The company will facilitate the programme in it.
Who Qualifies to Apply
Production Company
To be eligible for selection to manage, execute and deliver the films, the production company must:
- producer/s must be South African citizens
- previous recipients of slate or project funding (e.g. female and youth projects) from the organisation are not eligible
- company must be 51% owned and managed by a Black Female
- have at least three years of long form development and production experience
- Tier 2 Production Company. This is defined in the NFVF Funding Policy as “Filmmakers with limited experience in the film industry, but who have developed and produced 1-2 feature-length films, television fiction and/or, 2-3 documentary short films seeking to venture into featurefilm or documentary development and production”.
- comply with BBBEE requirements (BBBEE Certificates must be supplied)
- have 100% female ownership and control
- have females in all the key decision making positions within their company
- have some demonstrable mentorship experience in the industry
- applicants who have four active NFVF funded projects across the value chain in one funding cycle are also not eligible
Film Project
The Company must be able to commit and adhere to the following terms of the NFVF brief:
- Develop and produce 10 short films, length of which may not exceed 24 minutes and not be less than 22 minutes in length.
- Be able to produce the films at the stated budget of R500 000 each.
- Any budget excess will not be funded by the NFVF.
- Any additional funding raised towards the production of the films is exclusive of the NFVF’s contribution and the NFVF will not be held responsible for the raising of any additional funding.
APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS
All applicants should provide the following documentation:
- 1 – 2 page motivation
- Project plan/roll-out (envisaged structure of programme)
- Production company executive summary with detailed company experience
- Producer and key management team’s CVs with filmography
- Mentorship experience
- Proposed development schedule and budget
- Proposed production schedule and budget
- Finance plan (where proposed budget exceeds overall project allocation R5 000 000 per annum)
- Marketing and distribution strategy and plan
- Recently Certified ID copy (dated certification stamp not older than six months)
- Company registration documents
- BBBEE certificate of company
- Valid Tax Clearance Certificate or Tax Clearance Status Pin Document (not older than one year)
FAILURE TO COMPLY WILL RESULT IN DISQUALIFICATION
DELIVERABLES
1st Quarter:
Final development schedule and budget
Call for filmmakers
Key mentor team CVs
2nd Quarter:
Final filmmaker selection with profiles
Synopses of final film selections
Progress report on development schedule
3rd Quarter:
Final scripts
Final production schedule and budget
Proof of additional financing (where applicable)
4th Quarter:
Final crew list
Final cast list
Shooting schedule
Post Production schedule
Final delivery of films
Opening Date: 18th June 2021
Closing date : 16th July 2021.
LATE APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.
Applicants need to register and complete the online application form using the following link: https://nfvf.praxisgms.co.za/
Any queries maybe directed to Refiloe Hlabioa at refiloeh@nfvf.co.za
About NFVF
The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), an agency of the Department of Arts and Culture, was mandated to ensure the equitable growth of the South African film and video industry. The NFVF does this by providing funding for the development, production, marketing and distribution of films and also the training and development of filmmakers. In addition, the NFVF commissions research and produces industry statistics that provide both the public and stakeholders with valuable insights into the South African film industry.