The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) in partnership with the KwaZulu Natal Film commission (KZNFC), Durban Film Office (DFO) and WESGRO represented South Africa effectively at the Cannes International Film Festival, which ran from 14 to 25 May in France.
A number of promising meetings took place putting potential deals in the pipeline for South African production companies. Comedian and filmmaker David Kau signed a deal with US company Archstone pictures to produce and distribute his movie Sekwankwetla, while Afrikaans-language film Pad na jou Hart has been selected for release in Australia. SA producer Greig Buckle of Enigma Pictures will co-produce the film One, with Main Street Films, an independent film production, financing and sales distribution company in the US; MK Create, an extension of Australian film company M2 Entertainment; and Kent Smith, producer for the Kojo Group. UK and US distribution companies also showed interest in the African dance film, Hear me Move and will continue with discussions around a distribution deal over the next few months.
In keeping with the key message of Attracting New Markets and Investment, the NFVF organised a number of activations which highlighted South Africa’s 20 years of freedom. This included orchestrating co-production forums with Brazil, Canada and the UK as well as presenting screenings of iNumber Number, Nelson Mandela: The Myth and Me, Miners Shot Down and One Humanity.
Creative Minds, a Cannes film programme which gives emerging filmmakers the opportunity to showcase their work and connect with influential companies, put five South African filmmakers through a valuable producer’s programme. The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) also funded a group of young South African filmmakers selected by the Association for Transformation in Film and TV (ATFT) to participate at the festival.
