Producers of South African films and TV programmes are invited to submit their entries for the 2012 South African Film and Television Awards (SAFTAS). The deadline for entries is Monday, 5 September 2011.
Entries need to have been produced and publicly exhibited or broadcast between 1 April 2010 and 31July 2011 to be eligible for competition.
Since its official launch in 2005, the SAFTAS have been successfully managed under the custodianship of the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF). Local broadcasters M-Net, e.tv, TopTV and SABC, as well as distributors Ster-Kinekor, Indigenous Film Distribution and Nu Metro play an important role in supporting the awards.
The SAFTAs are an industry initiative governed by a body of industry representatives drawn from the South African Screen Federation (SASFED), SABC, e.tv, M-Net and the NFVF. Creativity, freedom of expression, entrepreneurship and equitable redress characterise the essence of the awards.
Says NFVF acting CEO Karen Son: “The SAFTAS have truly become the premiere platform for recognising talent in the industry. Since inception the awards have grown from strength to strength attracting representatives from government, private sector and the industry. We encourage all eligible productions to participate in order to continue elevating the film and television status of our country.”
SAFTAS categories include: TV Non-fiction, TV Fiction, Feature Films, Short Films, Student Films and Animation. Special Lifetime achievement awards are presented to those esteemed individuals who have long served the industry in various categories.
As with the previous years the public will play a pivotal role in the Soapie category by voting for their best soapie. Previous winners of this category include Generations and 7de Laan.
Rules and entries can be found on the SAFTAS entries website – www.saftaregistration.co.za – or the NFVF website – www.nfvf.co.za. All entries must be registered online.
The judging panels will this year be made up of previous SAFTAS winners and nominees from the past five years. This is in a bid to begin the development of the South African Film & TV Academy. As with previous years, the judging process will be overseen and verified by independent auditors.
Winners will be presented with the official SAFTA trophy, the Golden Horn, at a glittering ceremony in February 2012 that will host the cream of South African talent, leading personalities, key government and private sector, VIP’s and media.
The SAFTAS honour, celebrate and promote the creativity, quality and excellence of local film and television talent and productions, and encourage entrepreneurship and the development of new talent within the industry.
