Following the recent announcement by the Cape Film Commission (CFC) that it will cease business as from 12 February this year, WESGRO, the official tourism, trade and investment promotion agency for Cape Town and the Western Cape, confirmed that they intend fulfilling their commitments to the media sector in the province.
“We remain focused on our mandate to promote film and media in the province and with the support of the Department of Economic Development and Tourism and the City of Cape Town we will continue to collaborate in a strategic and sustainable manner to further this important sector of the economy,’ says WESGRO CEO Tim Harris.
The team will be headed by Monica Rorvik and the focus will be on promoting WESGRO key services to the industry. These include assisting local and international companies looking to either produce or find distribution and co-production parties in the Western Cape, assisting business-to-business interactions, inbound mission hosting, project mentoring and more.
How did it come about that South Africa’s only film commission accredited by the Association of Film Commissioners International (AFCI) is no longer operational?
Appointed in 2010, Denis Lillie, who holds a master’s degree in Film and Television, took over the reins from previous incumbent Laurence Mitchell. Funded by both the City of Cape Town and the Western Cape Provincial Government and using the AFCI in Los Angeles as its model, the CFC operated successfully and achieved its mandate of attracting and facilitating business to the province. This is borne out by observations from the industry.
ZenHQ Films producer Chris Roland observes: “We used the CFC regularly to address questions specific to a variety of issues, such as locations, permits and visas and facilitating critical introductions. The CFC also provided guidance and direction to other agencies for queries which it did not handle. We relied on the CFC’s newsletters for staying informed on industry matters, such as changes in regulations, indabas, road closures, etc. We were part of CFC outgoing missions to international markets and events such as Sundance and the International Emmys, which led to introductions that closed deals with international distributors and brought business back into the country.’
Says Lillie: “The structure was fine but following a suggestion from the MEC for Economic Development that an agency be created which would include “special purpose’ vehicles such as the CFC, things did not go as planned. I was tasked to ready the CFC to merge into this entity and we had to disband the board of directors. In the end the organisation consisted of me, the chairman and representatives from the city and province.
“The merge however was cancelled and we were asked to continue just as we were. Rather than rebuild the board we decided to create an advisory board involving institutions related to our industry. Although before I arrived there was a communication from provincial government saying that they would continue supporting the CFC until 2015. In late March 2012 we were advised that this funding had been switched to WESGRO.
“We had made commitments which we were unable to keep, but fortunately we have formed relationships with both MICT SETA and the National Lottery Commission (NLC), both of which gave us project funding which allowed us to cover our overheads between that point and today.’
The funding from both MICT SETA and the NLC could have continued for the next three years but because Lillie had entered into litigation with both the city and provincial government for failure to honour their commitments, he felt he could no longer continue to accept further funding from these organisations. According to Lillie due to poor communications with all parties including WESGRO, the NFVF and the dti as well as a “slow wheels turning’ syndrome, nothing has been resolved and as a result the final cut-off date for the CFC came and went with no resolution. The CFC proposed arbitration between the City and the Province in an effort to resolve the outstanding matters which has, to dare, been declined by both.
“I am still busy, however, as I need to go through files and archives to determine what needs to be retained for the next five years for legal reasons and required by SARS.’ adds Lillie. “It is tragic that an organisation which is 15 years old and is respected internationally for its efforts, has archives of information and is a well-known brand has to cease to function.
“I just wish that the industry in the Western Cape would pull together and work cohesively. There are a lot of factions and politics and I believe if we all worked together we would be a top international film country and reap the benefits thereof.’
Brigid Olen of DO productions observes: “First prize is a neutral and apolitical body that networks and stimulates opportunities, creates workshops, industry get-togethers, smooth visas – permits and licenses. One which could seek out sales and distribution opportunities and coerce regional and government agencies to support all individuals and projects in the related industries. The process should be smooth – a formality not a strangulation.
“I am inclined towards the business concept of eliminating the red tape and fast forwarding to the red carpet. This should be the basic step that offers a benefit to all media related industries whether facilitating or growing our own content.’
The last word from ZenHQ Films’ Roland: “Perception is everything, and the combination of closing the CFC’s doors and not having a film commission for international companies to reach out to tarnishes the industry. The Cape is currently not represented internationally by an informed authority that understands the intricacies of our industry. There is a need for another film commission. The question is, why start a new one when one was already operational?’
Written by Andy Stead
