National Film and Video Foundation Press

The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) will be leading a delegation of South African filmmakers to the 22nd edition of the Zanzibar International Film Festival (ZIFF).

ZIFF is East Africa’s largest film and arts festival, and provides an important platform to profile Africa’s burgeoning film industry. The NFVF has formalised a relationship with ZIFF, through the signing of an MoU which will focus on training and development opportunities for young filmmakers as well as identifying co-production opportunities. As part of the partnership, the NFVF will also be hosting the South African pavilion and launching the first-ever student mentorship programme where six South African students will participate in a short film competition alongside Tanzania and Saudia Arabia. The programme is a skills exchange initiative which is meant to develop scriptwriting and production skills.

The 11 South African films in the ZIFF 2019 Official Selection:

• Deep End
• Someone to Blame – the Ahmed Timol Inquest
• Coming Home
• Our Albertina
• The Moon Falls Unconscious
• Whispering Truth to Power
• Not in My Neighbourhood
• Five Fingers for Marseilles
• Burkinabè Bounty: Agroecology in Burkina Faso
• Please Frog, just one sip!
• My Country

“The NFVF-ZIFF partnership will allow us the opportunity to grow our relationship with the festival as we continue on our quest to create more skills exchange and development
opportunities for South African filmmakers internationally. I particularly look forward to seeing what our students can produce and wish the films in competition the best of luck,” said Makhosazana Khanyile, CEO of the NFVF.

Now in its 72nd year, the Festival de Cannes is a key highlight on the global film festival calendar, bringing together filmmakers from across the globe to premiere new content. This year, the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), together with 15 other African nations, is launching the Pavillon Afriques. Taking place from 14 to 25 May 2019, the African delegation – at a dedicated exhibition stand – will showcase content that highlights the diversity and plurality of African film and television.

Festival de Cannes is the world’s biggest gathering of film industry professionals who come to sell films, find partners and expand their professional network. Focused on the business of film in Africa and within the African diaspora, Pavillon Afriques aims to leverage recent industry advancements that are shaping African storytelling and the continent’s motion-picture business. The NFVF’s delegation, led by the newly appointed CEO Makhosazana Khanyile, is proudly taking along 11 filmmakers – some of whom will be showcasing their films.

“The Festival de Cannes serves as a great platform to showcase not only South African content and talent, but to also raise awareness around what we, as the African continent, can offer the world. Pavillon Afriques is about showcasing the interconnectivity of the African experience. As a continental block, we recognise that real strength lies in collective bargaining, shared skills and collaboration,” says NFVF CEO, Makhosazana Khanyile.

This year the South African delegation will be co-led by the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC), a strategic partner of the NFVF, mandated with promoting sustainable industrial development and innovation for the benefit of South Africa and the rest of Africa.

“The film and television industry, in our view, has great potential to be a catalyst for substantive growth and development in South Africa. International festivals, like Cannes, provide the perfect platform to promote South Africa as a world-class filming and co-production destination,” says Maijang Mpherwane, head of the Media and Audio-visual Strategic Business Unit at the IDC.

South Africa will feature strongly in the documentary segment of the festival, with four films selected to be screened at ‘Doc Corner’, a dedicated venue and tailored programme honouring the essential role documentaries play in contemporary societies. The four documentaries selected include: The Rise, The Colonel’s Stray Dogs, African Warrior Queen, and Influence. “We are excited to share films that give the world a small window into the inner workings of South African society. In today’s fake news era, documentary films are a powerful tool for shining a light on – and driving debate around – important issues affecting the world,” concludes Khanyile.

One of only three films selected to be screened at Cannes is Lace, a short film produced by VIVA Pictures which follows Garvey, a man hopelessly in love, on the night he plans to propose to his girlfriend. However, what should be a night of excitement turns into a night of tragedy, which through technology, he relives over and over again. Lace represents a new wave in South African cinema; one in which more diverse genres and films styles are coming to the fore and achieving international acclaim. Kgosi Choene, director & writer of Lace said, “To place second overall, out of a total of 5000 global submissions was a massive confidence booster and proved that we could compete with the very best in the world. By telling compelling and uniquely African stories that resonate with international audiences, we realised that we could help change the way the world views Africa.”

South African filmmakers travelling to Cannes as part of the National Film and Video Foundation’s delegation:

• Bonolo Madisakwane
• David Kabale
• Dylan Voogt
• Kevin John Singh
• Khalid Shamis
• Kgosi Choene
• Jacintha Timothy
• John Barker
• Mary-Ann Mandishona
• Neo Ntlatleng
• Sara Blecher
• Neil Brandt
• Weaam William

In partnership with Refinery Cape Town and the South African Guild of Editors (SAGE), the Encounters South African International Documentary Festival invites South African filmmakers to submit their documentary films for the 2nd Encounters Rough Cut Lab (RCL) to be held in Cape Town from 29 to 31 May 2019.

A maximum of three South African projects, consisting of one director and one editor, whose films are in post-production, will be selected to spend three days working on their film with internationally experienced homegrown editors Megan Gill, Ronelle Loots and Khalid Shamis. Projects will receive world class expertise and insight on story and technical challenges.

Prizes will be generously awarded by The Refinery in the form of free days for Grade or Online.

This call is only open to projects with an assembled rough cut.

Submissions Details:

• A one-page synopsis maximum.
• A biography of the director and editor.
• A post-production schedule and predicted timeline for completion.
• An online screener link and password to the viewable rough cut.
• A one-page document from the director and another one-page document from the editor outlining the difficulties experienced with the film’s current structure and/or problematic areas in the story.
• A write up of what has been achieved up to this point. No less than five weeks must have been spent in edit prior to the lab.
• Films need to be independently produced, non-commissioned and feature-length – 70 mins or above.
• All available footage accessible on a USB 3, firewire or thunderbolt hard drives.
• Indicate software and software version used.

Send to: kamva@encounters.co.za with Rough Cut Lab in the subject line.

Submissions Deadline: On or before 4pm (South African time), Friday, 19 April 2019.

Any submissions that do not follow the strict submission details and page limitations will be disqualified.

The National Film & Video Foundation (NFVF) will provide travel and accommodation funding for RCL participants living outside of the Western Cape. Participants are responsible for applying for their own funding with the NFVF. SAGE will be available to assist the RCL participants with their applications process if need be.

The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) invites eligible production companies to submit proposals under the theme: The Next 25 Years of Democracy.

This year marks the 25th year of democracy in South Africa and the NFVF will be commissioning four companies to produce one documentary each, to celebrate our achievements as a nation. Reflecting on some of the defining moments that shaped us over the past two decades. The NFVF is looking for fully developed projects that create deep and lasting impressions through a fascinating story, character(s), or cinematic approach.

Documentaries have often been praised for their ability to reflect, enlighten, transform, provoke, and mobilise. With this in mind, the NFVF is looking for contemporary concepts that are solutions driven and reimagine the next 25 years of democracy in SA.

Funding

Funding to the value of R750,000 will be awarded for the production of one 48-minute documentary which falls under the theme of ‘The next 25 Years of Democracy’.

Proposals must demonstrate the preservation of South Africa’s history, and most importantly provide solutions to the next generation through a strong premise, critical thinking, and competing views.

Proposals must have a clear central idea, captivating and compelling story, inspiring character(s), a bold visual style and accurate representation of our nation.

The film that is produced out of this initiative will have to meet the NFVF’s requirements for content that informs, educates, entertains and offers unique perspectives of South Africa’s young democracy.

Selection Criteria for Projects

Stipulations:

• All proposals must have a strong, written concept for a stand-alone film with a clearly thought out premise or controlling idea;
• The film should NOT focus on profiling a specific political figure;
• Film concepts should aim for objectivity, while still presenting a clear point of view;
• The length of the film should be 48 minutes with the potential for a feature-length production;
• The film must have completed development or be in the early stages of pre-production in order to meet the deadline for September 2019 screenings/broadcast;
• Proposals must include knowledge of target audience;
• Films must have strong distribution potential both locally and internationally, and therefore must have a global appeal;
• The producer must have the ability to deliver on a realistic budget and have the ability to manage the budget;
• The producer must demonstrate a plan to complete and deliver the project by September 2019.

Eligibility

In order for a production company to be considered for this opportunity, the applicant must meet the following requirements:

• Producers must be South African citizens or a permanent resident of South Africa;
• The applying company must be tier 1 or 2 with a proven track record;
• Preference will be given to female-owned companies;
• 51% black-owned and managed companies with a unique proposal;
• Production company should demonstrate an understanding of packaging and marketing of documentary films;
• Producer or production company to have established relationships with local distributor(s) and/or international sales agent(s). 

Who Does Not Qualify

• Previous recipients of NFVF slate funding (animation slate, documentary slates, youth and female filmmaker project recipients are NOT eligible for this fund);
• Individuals and/or production companies that have four active NFVF funded projects across the value chain i.e. development, production, post-production, marketing and distribution, training and festival funding support.

Key Requirements

All applications must include:

• 1-page synopsis;
• Visual treatment;
• Detailed outline;
• Character bible/s;
• Consent forms (compulsory requirement);
• CVs of the key creative team (Producer, Director, Writer, DOP editors) with showreel/portfolio of work;
• Budget and proposed production schedule;
• Finance and recoupment plan (if the budget exceeds the allocated amount);
• Marketing and distribution strategy and plan;
• Chain of title documentation;
• Archive list (if applicable);
• BBBEE certificate;
• Original valid tax clearance certificate (valid for 3 months);
• Certified ID copy (valid for 3 months);
• Company registration document.

Failure to submit the above-mentioned documentation will render the application incomplete and therefore disqualified.

All applications must be submitted via the NFVF application portal.

Application queries may be directed to applications@nfvf.co.za

For all content related queries email Yolanda Ncokotwana at yolandan@nfvf.co.za

CLOSING DATE: 17 February 2019