Technology Business

The National Arts Council of South Africa has appointed Seelan Naidoo as its new Chief Executive Officer until March 2008. Announcing the appointment NAC Chairperson Nicholas Motsatse said, "We are confident that we have found the right person to lead the comprehensive change process that the new Council believes is necessary over the next year".

According to Studio Briefing, Viacom, owner of Paramount, DreamWorks, MTV, Nickelodeon and Comedy Central, among others, is suing Google for alleged "massive intentional copyright infringement'. The $1bm lawsuit includes YouTube, Google’s video-sharing subsidiary.

Three days following Pope Benedict XVI’s declaration that "much of what is transmitted in various forms to the homes of millions of families around the world is destructive', comes the news that the Vatican plans to launch an international satellite channel.

For the first time ever, South Africa has been invited to send representatives to attend the prestigious Giffoni Hollywood Festival, which has been dubbed the "Youth Oscars'

"Heartlines', the feature film from South African production company Curious Pictures, has been accepted to screen at five international film festivals on three continents.

In keeping with its vision of making Gauteng Africa’s film festival capital, the Gauteng Film Commission (GFC) invites partnership proposals from festival organisers and community-based organisations involved in the promotion of cinema within the Province.

According to the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), the global movie business outside America reached record levels last year, with a turnover of $25.8b. This is despite slow growth in America, which reached $9.49b.

The City of Cape Town and the Cape Film Commission (CFC) are working towards making Cape Town, the location for high profile international productions like "Blood Diamond' and "Goodbye Bafana', an even more film friendly environment than it already is.

In a significant development for the domestic music industry, the Southern African Music Rights Organisation (SAMRO) has entered into an historic agreement with the UK-based Mechanical Copyright Protection Society (MCPS).

Mobile media company Player X in co-operation with Universal Mobile Entertainment have expanded their strategic relationship by offering exclusive-for-mobile content from Hot Fuzz, the new hit comedy from the makers of Shaun Of The Dead. Player X is a mobile media company that specialises in games, video and TV.