Thankyou and Goodnight

And on that note, our Film Industry Review process is now complete (bar the shouting) so the Durban Film Partnership blogspot also draws to a close. Over the past few months we've linked to 150 stories on training opportunities, festivals seeking African product, local successes, and interesting news about industry trends that will affect the way you produce in the future. It's shown almost daily that Durban Filmmakers are not in fact in the vacuum you fear you are, and that your connection to the outside world is more important than ever. So now it's over to you to pick up where I'm leaving off, and run with it.

Thanks for reading. And Happy Filmmaking in Durban - South Africa's future capital of indie film.

Cape Winelands Film Festival Call for Entires

Since the first edition the Cape Winelands Film Festival (CWFF) has significantly grown in size and international participation. More than 70 features, documentaries and short films from over 35 countries were in competition during 2009. More than130 productions formed part of the festival programme, in total 62 featues, 27 documentaries and 44 shorts from more than 35 countries. The 2nd edition of the festival had 32 international guests. The festival had more than 300 screenings in March 2009.



Now the 3rd edition of what's become one of South Africa's largest film festivals has announced its call for entries. Entry forms are available on the official website of the festival: http://films-for-africa.co.za/ The festival will take place from 17 - 27 March 2010 in Cape Town and Stellenbosch.

And incidentally, if you want to see Facebook in action as a marketing and promotional tool, then join the festival's Facebook group; these guys are really leading the way in profiling their films and their festival using this totally free medium.

SATV CHANNEL LAUNCHES IN DURBAN

In case you missed this in the press, Durban is now the proud host to an online tv station all of its own. Welcome to the future, and congratulations to everyone involved: now it's your turn to get on board: visit SATV Channel and upload your projects for free.

International Black DocuFest 2009

Saturday 25th July is the last day for submissions to the International Black DocuFest (IBDF)in Atlanta, Georgia.



IBDF's mission is to showcase the most innovative and compelling documentary films on the lives of people of African descent. Through a series of screenings, workshops and facilitated panel discussions, the International Black DocuFest explores the creative ways in which documentaries capture and chronicle the diverse experiences of black life from around the globe.

In other words, they want YOUR stories. The 3rd annual International Black DocuFest ™ will be hosted at Atlanta’s celebrated High Museum of Art on September 17 th – 19th, 2009. So jump to it.

Lisbon Docs 2009

Calling all Documentary Makers - Lisbon Docs 2009 is calling for proposals

Lisbon Docs is a documentary pitching session consisting of:
- a pitching session and workshop
- screenings of new films
- master classes on international aspects of documentary making



The workshop takes place on October 20-22. In the intense working atmosphere of the pitching workshop, 21 documentary projects are discussed, developed and turned upside down by colleagues and a tutor team of six internationally experienced professionals. Then on October 23 and 24 all projects are pitched to a panel of 10-12 Commissioning Editors from leading international co-production TV-channels.

For further information on how to apply, participation fees and other details please take a look at the EDN site about Lisbon Docs or contact EDN Network Manager Hanne Skjødt at hanne@edn.dk

Deadline for applying is September 4.

Two Seas SA TV

Two Seas TV, a production company in Cape Town, has set up an online social network dedicated to film and TV production in South Africa.



It offers a number of tools to help you to stay in touch with other members and increase your online presence:

· Advertise your company
· Promote your film
· Drive traffic to your site
· Share ideas
· Brainstorm concepts
· Meet potential partners
· Read news & reviews
· Watch clips

It’s also FREE and easy to sign up, so go to: http://twoseas.socialgo.com/ and try it out, see if this kind of thing can work for us in KZN.

DIFF Film Finance Session

On Saturday 25 July DIFF will host a session entitled 'Solutions To Film Finance'.

With panellists from the Africa Carribean Pacific (ACP), the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), and the NFVF, represented by Clarence Hamilton, the session will address some of the options for funding available to local filmmakers.



15h00 – 16h30 at the ROYAL-GAR(B)

13 Durban-distributed Films at DIFF

It's good to see Durban companies working to support Durban initiatives. Videovision Entertainment for instance has been a long-time supporter of the Durban International Film Festival and in 2009 is looking local to present a really magnificent slate of movies including African premieres of films such as Looking For Eric, London River, An Education, Samson & Delilah and Whatever Works." That's film partnership for you.



DIFF starts on the 23rd. Be there.

IndieVillage SA Short Film Competition

Independent filmmakers from across South Africa are invited to submit their work for entry into The IndieVillage South African Short Film Competition.



The goal of this festival is to support independent South African filmmakers by bringing their names, faces and artistic works to new audiences.

Films announced as part of the finals will be selected by panel and screened at the IndieVillage South African Film Festival scheduled to take place 27th May to 30th May 2010 in Toronto. All finalists will also become eligible to win one of the following prizes:

Grand Prize- R 10 000
1st Runner Up- R 3 000
2nd Runner Up- R2 000

So what can I say? This is a festival about you, and for you. Best you get applying. For more information and submission requirements, click here

NFVF Survey

Given your isolation from the SA film & tv hub of Johannesburg, I thought you might be interested in this. The NFVF is currently conducting a research for the South African entertainment industry and would be very appreciative if you would participate in the survey – link below, which should take no longer than 5 minutes. Your response will be kept strictly confidential and will be used solely for this project.



The objectives of the survey are to determine the perception of the public regarding the NFVF and also gauge the level of understanding of the NFVF activities from beneficiaries, while at the same time it should help us in assessing if there is need for a film publication. So here's your chance to tell them what you think.....

The survey will be opened to receive your response up until Friday the 24th of July 2009 at 12h00.Click on the below to take part in the survey.

South African Entertainment Industry Survey

Monetising Digital

Some interesting stuff at Slate.com on the difficulties of monetising digital media. So, what are your chances of achieving YouTube stardom? Chris Wilson crunched the numbers to find out what percentage of YouTube videos hit it big, cracking even 10,000 or 100,000 views......

The results: here


(believe it or not, the fourth most viewed on You Tube???)

KZN Sharks Board Video - Call for Expressions of Interest

A local opportunity: The KZN Sharks Board has called for Expressions of Interest for the production of a 30 minute audio-visual film of its activities along the KZN coast. The bid reference number is: KZNSB5/07/2009.



So if you are really (really?) serious about getting into the water with the above, armed with nothing more than your camera, the deadline for submissions is 17th July. For more information contact Mrs. D. Hargreaves on 031 566 0431

PLURAL+ Film Festival Call for Entries

In collaboration with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and other international partners, the UN Alliance Of Civilizations is launching a youth video festival exploring themes related to migration and diversity.

PLURAL+ is aimed at involving youth in addressing the key issues in their community related to migrant integration, inclusiveness, identity, diversity, human rights and social cohesiveness.



The project invites anyone aged 9-25 to submit short videos on their thoughts, experiences, opinions, questions and suggestions on how to promote harmonious yet diverse societies.

Submissions will be accepted from 1 June-30 September 2009. A prestigious international jury will announce the winners at an awards ceremony at New York's Paley Center for Media on 18 December 2009, coinciding with International Migrants Day. More from the NFVF

Young Durban Success Story

At the CIAK Junior Film Festival Awards in Italy last month, a 14 year old Durban girl, Amber-Jay van Rooyen, won 'Best Actor/Actress' and the overall 'Best Film' as well as the UNESCO Fellini Medal awarded to the film that best embodied the spirit and culture of its country.


She has now been snapped up to take part in the 2009 Durban International Film Festival, in the Short Film Category. This will be the first public airing of her film 'Coming Home', a story telling about a young city girl who moves to the farm and battles to settle in. It is on the farm that she meets an old Zulu Sangoma who teaches her three important life lessons and is based on Amber-Jay's own experiences.

More on this local success story here.

DIFF Indigenous Language Screenwriting Course

With the 30th anniversary landmark edition of the Durban International Film Festival just around the corner, DIFF has announced an exciting call for indigenous language writers to apply for participation in a free writing and scriptwriting workshop. The workshop, run by SA's leading screenwriter Mtutuzeli Matshoba, will accommodate all the indigenous languages if required, (although a reading level of English comprehension will be helpful.)


To be considered for the workshop, please send:

• a one page “treatment” of your life (a creative CV) (in any of the official languages)
• a one page treatment of one of your scripts. (in any of the official languages)
• a covering letter, in English or Zulu, containing your name, contact details and a declaration that you are free and available to attend the workshop between 29 th July to August 1 st from 09h00 to 17h00.

Applications (or requests for more info) are to be sent to diff @ukzn.ac.za or by fax to 0865490221. Closing Date for applications is 10 July.

Comment Requested on ICASA's Draft Regulations

The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa has published draft regulations and the Position Paper on the commissioning of independently produced South African programming. The draft regulations and the Position Paper follow the publication of the Discussion Document and the holding of public hearings on Commissioning of Independently Produced South African Programming.



The Authority has now invited interested parties who wish to make written representations on the draft regulations (but not the Position Paper) to submit such representations to ICASA by no later than 16h00 on 04th AUGUST 2009. So this affects you directly.

For more information, visit the ICASA website.

CNN - The Screening Room in Africa

CNN's The Screening Room has a three part special on the African Film Industry, including Kenya, Cape Town and Nigeria. You can watch all three episodes online here.

Camera Assistants Course - Cape Town

I'm starting to notice something of a pattern emerging and it's not pretty - here's the latest next great learning opportunity to bypass KZN entirely:

Now in it's 13th year, the 2009 Camera Assistants Course is a mainstay of the South African film industry and has a reputation for supplying thorough, dedicated, committed and professional camera assistants, primarily due to it's intensive bootcamp-style structure. Also known for it's ability to stay up to date with emerging technology, the course also includes an intensive Digital-module which takes up 5 days of the 12 day course.



The Cape Town leg is from the 6th-18th July. Media Film Service plays host, and bookings / enquiries can be directed to Blaise at Media CPT on 021 511 3300.

So: of course I'd love to see KZN film folk taking up this great opportunity. But does anyone else want to enquire if they're coming to Durban next year? Perhaps they think we don't have enough potential camera assistants? I suppose the next challenge from the industry therefore is - do we?? And if we do, HOW DO WE FIND YOU??? In the meantime, here are a couple of Teach Yourself sites and applications.

Durban Film Office at Cannes Lions

From our research we've come up with some estimated but nevertheless informed figures that the TV Commercial sector is currently contributing around R71 million per annum to the KZN economy. Cross referenced to the CPA's annual reports, the average number of production days per commercial during our reporting period was 1.99 days per commercial, meaning that Durban hosted 111.44 tv commercial production days and the average number of freelance crew for a commercial was 46, suggesting a total possible employment in KZN of 5126.24 person days for the year in question.

At just under 30% of the entire turnover of the KZN film sector, TV commercials obviously play an important role in building the industry. That's why the Durban Film Office is attending the world's premier TV commercial production event, the Cannes Lions Advertising Festival. Cost-effectively pooling resources, the DFO is attending as part of a joint Cape Film Commission / Gauteng Film Commission / Durban Film Office initiative, under the banner "South Africa Yes"



PS - breaking news: SA just won two Grand Prix in radio and outdoor advertising.....

Television and Music

Senegalese master-musician Baaba Maal will release his new multi-lingual album, Television, on September 15, a groundbreaking successor to 2001's Missing You.

The title-track refers to that African phenomenon - ubiquitous TV screens. "The television set is like a stranger you didn't ask for coming into your living-room," explains Baaba. "You don't care about who he is: he just seems to come from nowhere and gives you information."

Now we just need to get KZN product onto those screens.....



Television is a collaboration primarily between Baaba Maal and singer Sabina Sciubba and keyboardist Didi Gutman, both members of New York's Brazilian Girls. The result is a stunningly beautiful and diverse record that meshes two genres, generally unfamiliar to each other, to produce an eclectic and romantic sound.

District 9 Movie and its Viral Campaign

Re. Digital (again) - here's something to look out for - the online viral marketing campaign for the new SA Sci-Fi movie District 9. It's produced by Peter Jackson (yes, he of Lord of the Rings fame) and has a clever but also quite relevant story about the integration of aliens. In this case, alien aliens, but there's a lot of apartheid in there, and a lot about the attacks on refugees last year. It looks like it might be the kind of SA tale that works without a lot of finger wagging and point scoring.....



So visit www.d-9.com and play around with the very cool interface and various websites that have been setup to give you an introduction to the origins, look and hardware/technology on the "non-human" aliens that are the focus of Neill Blomkamp's film.

And how does Viral Marketing work? well, just like this actually; I see something I like and send it on to all my friends. It's the kind of word-of-mouth advertising that money can't buy......

SABC responds to TVEIC

Also on ScreenAfrica is the SABC's formal response to the Memorandum of Demands presented to it by the TV Industry Emergency Coalition (TVIEC) at the national protest action on 4 June

Amongst the claims of support for the Local Industry, SABC claims to have increased the local content budget from R230million to R1.1 billion, and increased the ratios of international to local production from 60:40 to 30:70. It also claims a role in the growth of an independent production sector from 20 companies 2004 to 408 in 2009.



Here's the kicker though: "To ensure diversification of companies doing business with SABC, the SABC is preferentially procuring in the regions other than Gauteng, Kwa-Zulu Natal and Western Cape."

Wow. So they are diverting commission AWAY from KZN?? Wouldn't that kind of assume that KZN was receiving a bumper crop of productions in the first place???? Read the whole response here and let me know what you think.

Screen Africa Talent and Technology Conference

Make a note: the 6th Screen Africa Talent & Technology Conference will take place on 23 July 2009 alongside the Mediatech Africa exhibition.

Dedicated to the business of broadcast, film, new media and communications media in South Africa and Africa, the Talent and Technology Conference represents an excellent platform for learning and sharing experiences in the fields of technology developments and trends as well as content creation, management and delivery.



With a strong focus on 2010 and Low Budget Production, the conference highlights include panel discussions on 2010 Preparations, New Media, Digital Terrestrial TV, Doing Business in Africa, Film Financing, New Technologies and Platforms, Funding Update and Broadband Internet Opportunities. You know what I'm going to say: will there be a bus from KZN??

For more information visit www.screenafrica.com

The Onion

A whacky but digitally pertinent spoof from the wickedly funny The Onion



"I am a block buster customber called Kathy. Two times a week I drive six miles to hire and return videos"

KZN Music Imbizo

If you want to see a grass-roots movement building opportunities and economic growth - the kind of movement we're going to have to pull off if we want to exploit the benefits of digital media - then sign up for the KwaZulu-Natal Music Imbizo, a fully fledged music conference and exhibition aimed at boosting the SA music industry. The event runs in Durban from September 26th - 28th 2009.



The KwaZulu-Natal Music Imbizo aims at revealing how the industry can create new revenue streams, build loyalty with current customers, tap into new markets, benefit from the film industry, remain competitive, protect its work amongst other vital requirements needed to ensure growth in the South African music industry. (sounds familiar, no??)

The registration process has already begun. For more information, contact Sphe Mbhele: sphe@creativelead.co.za /031 201 6343 or visit the website.

KAFF 2009 Call For Entries

The 6th edition of KAFF (KwaMashu African Film Festival 2009) is calling for submissions of films made in SA, KZN, Africa, and Africa Diaspora – as well as and unique world cinema films that highlight issues about Africa and that can be a reference for industry growth in KZN.

The films (short, feature, docs) must have been produced after October 2008 and must be submitted to KAFF before September 30th, 2009. Organised by K-CAP, the 6th edition of KAFF will be held from December 4th – 13th, 2009.



For more information contact: kcap@mweb.co.za or tel: 0027 31 504 6970 - or read more here.

The Perfect Storm for a Digital Revolution

PriceWaterhouseCoopers have announced expectations that, inspite of recession, the global entertainment media market will grow at a compound annual growth rate of 2.7% over the next five years, to reach $1.6 trillion in 2013. The firm projects a decline of 3.9% for 2009, followed by growth of just 0.4% in 2010, before regaining strength and reaching 7.1% in 2013.

Driving the survival is Digital Media. Marcel Fenez, Global Leader Entertainment & Media practice, PricewaterhouseCoopers, said:

“In some ways this could be called “the perfect storm”. Inside every cloud is a silver lining and in this case, a digital one. Companies who grasp the opportunities which are appearing in this fast changing marketplace and are agile enough to adapt their business models will be able to take full advantage of the potential and new revenue models as they emerge.”

The title of their report?: No Place to Hide from the Digital Revolution

Website becomes TV Show

As if to reiterate the convergence between digital and tv, in the USA, Prometheus Entertainmenthas signed a deal with website Axelist.com, a site that highlights users' complaints, to create a half-hour TV show.

Launched in September 2008, Axelist includes users' rants about employers, neighbors, businesses and other entities. Each episode will reportedly focus on a single complaint, and attempt to reach a resolution.



More at Variety.

Real Change - Digital Style

If there is ANY doubt left in your mind about how the digital era is going to democratize and revolutionise our lives then take a brief squizz at the electrifying and exhilirating coverage of the Iranian crisis at AndrewSullivan.com. Sullivan's become one of my "must-read" daily fixes and he blends news, first-hard tweets, photo-journalism and really insightful comment from a variety of sources in a way that the mainstream media can only dream of.



The Digital Era offers us a total transformation of media in South Africa - what we make, what we see, how and when we see it. Things will never be the same again.

Another Training Opportunity NOT Coming to A Venue Near You

A 2-day course for Independent and aspiring filmmakers, writers, directors and producers, exploring the craft of filmmaking and the art of being a film director is being run in Cape Town on June 13/14 and in Joburg on June 27/28.

The blurb claims it's a great training ground for candidate film directors, actors and screenwriters who want to pursue a career in filmmaking, and that it "also gives scholars and students the opportunity to make a competent choice in a career decision in the film and television industries; and to develop their independent film projects."

Again, I'm asking why this isn't happening in KZN? I can't help but feel its because these course organisers feel there simply aren't enough of you to make it worthwhile. Mobilization - that's the key.

Stakeholder Meetings

Just back from 2 days of stakeholder meetings in Durban / KZN. It always amazes me that I meet new people each and every time I'm in town. WHERE HAVE Y'ALL BEEN? Keeping tabs on who is doing what and where in the province is one of the biggest challenges moving forward.

Having said that, there was a commitment from the Province to take the Film & Media Strategy to government for approval and adoption, and the KZN Department of Arts & Culture, Sport & Recreation also outlined its programme that really allows young film makers to experiment and play.

Also good news from the Durban International Film Festival: DIFF 2009 will open with a Durban-made move (My Secret Sky) and the Short Film Screenings include the work of some 17 local filmmakers.

More Awards for Izulu Lami

Izulu Lami (My Secret Sky), the first feature film directed by Durbanite Madoda Ncayiyana, has won the coveted AUDIENCE prize at the recent 2009 Tarifa International Pan African Film Festival, held in Tarifa, Spain. 11 year old actress Sobahle Mkhabase, who plays the character Thembi, won BEST ACTRESS.

Here for more information

The World's Most Loved Movies

Box-office records aren't the preserve of Hollywood blockbusters. The Guardian asked its contributing writers around the world to tell them about their countries' biggest homegrown hits

Guess who was top of the list????

TV Industry Emergency Coalition (TVIEC)

One of the interesting findings of our research programme has been that the SABC and its commissioning processes really do no favours to Producers generally, and to Producers in Durban / KZN in particular. And it's coming to light that the way the SABC does business (sllooooowwwww payments) is potentially prejudicial to the development of South African content AND South African production capabilities.



In response, the TV Industry Emergency Coalition (TVIEC) will be holding manned protests at the SABC offices in JHB and Cape Town today - June 4th. However, you can still get involved in KZN, by simply sending an SMS. Says the TVEIC:

We will be calling on South Africa to send an SMS that tells the SABC what people think of the current crisis. We will collate these comments and deliver them to the powers that be as well as the media. The number to send to: 31970. Your SMS must start with the word TV. SMS’s are charged at 50 cents.

Have your say. But make sure you include KZN in the text!

SAFTA Opens for Entries

As noted last week, the South African Film and Television Awards have opened for entry - click here for the entry details.

White Wedding Pirated.

Interesting that the Times would file this story under "Entertainment". Surely it should be under "Crime"?

Pirated Film on Sale for R50.00

It turns out that locally-produced hit movie White Wedding was been pirated within a month of its release. Illegal copies of the film, which was only released on April 29, have for been on sale on the streets of Johannesburg and Cape Town for a fortnight already - for a mere R50.



To put this in perspective: the amount of copies seized in a raid this week would account for R250000 in DVD sales which would have taken away up to 15 percent from box office receipts from the film.

Piracy is such a quaint term; images of Johnny Depp and blue Caribbean seas abound. But it's neither sweet nor romantic, it's theft - and it's your livelihood they are stealing.

Mtuzini - Broadband Heaven

According to Toby Shapshak in this morning's Times, the small KZN town of Mtunzini is the "most wired place in South Africa right now."



Why? Because it's where the new Seacom underwater broadband cable hits land. At 1.2 terrabits a second, the Seacom cable brings 10 times more bandwidth than its existing rival, and therefore offers to radically reduce the cost of internet and improve its speed and functionality.

Says Shapshak: "I’ve often been asked why South Africa doesn’t produce Google, Facebook, Twitter or any other of the new breed of Internet companies and entrepeneurs. Simple — no broadband. No cheap broadband. But not for much longer....."

Of course, the opportunities this opens up for tv producers and other film sector entrepreneurs are simply unlimited. And these opportunities are coming first to KZN........

NFVF Film Student Open Day

The National Film and Video Foundation will host its 4th annual Student Open Day on Saturday 06 June 2009 at Nu Metro, Hyde Park from 11:00 until 15:30. The aim of the Student Open Day is to familiarise students with the industry, affording them the opportunity to be informed and motivated by industry professionals. Says Pretty Mthiyane, NFVF Training Coordinator:

"Education and training are instrumental to the viability, growth and sustainability of the industry. Driven by these reasons, our objective is to stimulate training and development by making it more accessible for previously disadvantaged individuals and those with financial difficulties to enter the film & television industry."

More on the event can be found here.
Now a couple of things strike me about this invaluable kind of indaba:

1. When is the bus from Durban leaving for the event on June 6th?
2. When can we expect the same kind of event to be facilitated in KZN?

In KZN, we are out of the main stream of South African film and tv production, and we have to fight to get ourselves involved - it's not going to be meekly offered. It's time to get mobilised, people......... will someone please come up with a plan to get a group of students to Joburg next weekend?

SAFTAs - Prepare for Entry

The NFVF has called for South African projects to prepare themselves for entry into the South African Film and Television Awards - the SAFTAs - which open for entry shortly.

Since its inception the SAFTAs has honoured individuals and productions in the following categories: Television including TV fiction: TV Comedy, TV drama, and TV soap as well as TV non fiction including Magazine shows, News and Actuality, Wildlife, Children, Variety and Reality programmes; Feature Film, Student Film, Short film, Documentary and Animation.



Driven by the values of Creativity, Freedom of expression, Entrepreneurship and Equitable redress, it would be great to see KZN entries in every single category..... So get planning. Last years award winners are listed here.

Twitter on Reality TV

TV, New Media and social networking: the future of communication?

Variety reports that microblogging service Twitter has partnered with production companies Reveille and Brillstein Entertainment to develop a reality TV series that will "put ordinary people on the trail of celebrities in a revolutionary competitive format."



However, less than 24 hours after the news broke, the New York Daily News reported that Twitterverse is up in arms about the deal. Protest was spurred by speculative reports - including one in particular on Examiner.com that was later amended - that the show might involve celebrity stalking.

Details about the show are scarce, but a statement from producers did say that "ordinary people" will be "put on the trail of celebrities in a competitive format."

Paperfoam Green DVD trays

Start building your green procurement plan today - here's a new alternative to the standard plastic DVD and CD tray.

The Paperfoam tray is 100% biodegradeable and can be recycled as paper or composted to biodegrade. And besides being environmentally friendly, PaperFoam comes in a range of colours and is lightweight.......



Paperfoam has already been adopted abroad by Universal Music, Sony Music, And EMi for several releases. It is acknowledged as the first successful environmentally friendly alternative to plastic.

For more information or orders please contact: Nicki Becker - nicki@paperfoam.co.za

Music Film Cross-Over

I've been saying for as long as anyone can be bothered to listen that the Music Industry stands to be the biggest unintended beneficiary of the Soccer World Cup. 2 billion people will be watching their edited highlights to an African beat - and then hopefully they'll go on line to try to find more of that South African music for themselves.

And so how can film benefit from this cross over? Very easily apparently. Check out these black cab sessions: load up a couple of musos in the back of a London cab, get them to perform live and unplugged and then post it on You Tube. It's great theatre!

Video Gaming Outperforms Movie-going

A report released by market research firm NPD Group shows that the percentage of American video game players (63%) now outnumbers those who have gone out to the movies in the past six months (53%).



According to DMW, the the survey found that one in three gamers bought a console or portable game over the past 12 months -- up 7% on the prior year, while 10% of U.S. consumers played video games on a social network, and 5% paid to download a video game from the Web -- up 2% from last year. Video games now account for one-third of the average monthly consumer spending in the U.S. for core entertainment content, including music, video, games. And while sales of physical gaming products still account for the bulk of consumer spending on video games, digital downloads and other delivery and game-play formats are also rising in popularity.

Big Fish Digital Training Course

The Big Fish School of Digital Filmmaking in Gauteng is offering a five day short course in Film & TV Production that will encompass:

• Pre, Production and Post
• Roles and responsibilities
• Legal aspects
• Script breakdown and logistics for both fiction and non-fiction
• Budgets



The course runs from Monday 29 June 2009 to Friday 3rd July 2009, the application deadline is Friday 5th June 2009.

For more information contact Connie Mosegedi on 011 482 5599 or mosegedic@bigfish.org.za.

More Than Just A Game

Another Durban success story: More Than Just A Game, the inspirational film about organized football played among prisoners on Robben Island, had a screening at Britain's House Of Lords in London on May 12th, hosted by Baroness Jan Royall, the Leader of the House, and Chief Whip Lord Bassett.



Baroness Royall is a senior member of the Labour Party which strongly supported the struggle against apartheid and the sports boycott against South Africa. The screening of the film was also a tribute to the anti-apartheid movement and the many activists who made huge personal sacrifices in their fight against apartheid, especially those who were incarcerated on Robben Island.

The film, which was directed by Durbanite Junaid Ahmed, and produced by Videovision, and stars Presley Chweneyagae (Tsotsi), Wright Ngubeni (Generations), Tshepo Maseko (Isidingo) met with "thunderous applause."

New Media

The Financial Times of London has a fascinating article on attempts to monetise digital content.

For well over a decade, the prevailing orthodoxy of the internet has been that information wants to be free. Publishers, broadcasters and games developers alike are beginning to discover, however, that advertising alone is not providing the sustainable digital business model they expected for their expensively produced content...... The biggest uncertainty holding back media owners remains the worry that customers have been schooled not to pay for content online.

....A migration from free to fee has worked before, when cable operators introduced a subscription model to television. But pay-television took off because it offered a dramatic expansion of the content on offer, from Hollywood films to live sports. Consumers are now overwhelmed by choice on multiple media.

Bioskope

Also announced in Cannes: movie star Juliet Binoche and the Cannes Film Festival President Giles Jacob both wrote cheques to the value of R58,400 and handed them to the Mali filmmaker Abderrehmane Sissako for the purpose of reopening the iconic Soudan Cinema in Bamako. Binoche co-heads a group that plans to revive cinemas across the African continent. Coming to a bioskope near you?


Scene from Sissako's "Waiting for Happiness"

Green Film London

This morning I attended a presentation by Film London on their new Green Screen Programme. Green Screen identifies key action areas that are likely to have the greatest impact in dramatically decreasing the environmental impact of screen production - both on location and in the studio. Film London has shrewdly realised that going green not only saves money, it's also a huge marketing opportunity.....



As well as providing a user-friendly and practical guide to going green, The Film London site also offers productions a way to identify how much carbon and waste they produce, and where best to make reductions. Cross reference with this Guardian story about the mobile phone application that also helps you measure your carbon footprint. Cool, really......

Why this interest? Well, given that much of KZN's production comes because of its natural locations - and wildlife - I've included a strong environmental thrust in the Strategic Plan.

One step forward, One step backwards

One of the biggest challenges when trying to build a film-friendly environment is when departments or agencies come up with unilateral decisions or declarations that prevent access to valuable locations. This is usually done without any consultation with the sector, or any consideration of possible management plans we might come up with.

Transnet Freight Rail is the latest. It has confirmed that it has placed restrictions on all filming on its railway tracks due to "safety reasons." The filming of trains will only be allowed if they do not adversely interfere with the company’s day to day operations. These restrictions apply countrywide.

It's ridiculously backward-thinking - as if the industry itself has not considered safety as a major priority!! Furthermore, it flies in the face of every incentive, rebate or support that the government has come up with to promote the industry. Frankly, we all need to be vigilant of this kind of nonsense.



Transnet Freight Rail is not responsible for train stations as the company does not operate passenger services. Such requests have to be forwarded to the relevant passenger operating services.

No One Knows About Persian Cats

Just in case you ever think that the South African government is unfriendly to filmmakers, remember Bahman Ghobadi - the Iranian whose movie "No One Knows About Persian Cats" screen at the Cannes Film Festival yesterday. 

Shot covertly in Tehran just 17 days, without permission from the authorities, "Cats" looks at the risk of censorship - including prison terms - faced by Iranian musicians and artists. Scouting was done using two or three motorbikes and the scenes had to be shot at high speed, so the police couldn't spot them. The crew was arrested twice during the shoot. The co-writer - his fiancee American Iranian Roxana Saberi (below)  - has famously been incarcerated (though just released) in Iran for spying.

Ghobadi's films are available only as bootleg DVDs in Iran, and he began "Cats" after the government refused him permission to start a long-planned project. The film also was partly inspired by the arrest of more than 200 music fans at a rock concert near Tehran in 2007. A local prosecutor at the time described the music as "satanic." 

Despite his growing international acclaim, Ghobadi says, "I'm 100 percent sure this film won't be released in Iran."

Avalon hits 70

This year, KZN's very own Avalon Group celebrates its seventieth anniversary - and also marks several other major milestones, including a ten-year relationship with the National Film and Video Foundation of South Africa, a thirty-year association with the Durban International Film Festival and fifteen years of democracy in South Africa.



Congratulations to a truly local success story - and best wishes for another 70 years.

For more information on this story visit www.nfvf.co.za

NFVF at Cannes

This year, as well as the first rate SA Pavilion, the NFVF will commemorate the 10th Anniversary of its attendance at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival with a conference themed "South Africa, your co-production partner of choice, and content on offer". To be held at the Eden Hotel in Cannes on Monday 18 May, the conference will include the NFVF and its partners the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Arts and Culture (DAC), and Durban's own Avalon Group, as well as international buyers, industry colleagues and producers from other filmmaking countries.

"One of our objectives in hosting this event is to present some of South Africa's best projects to the international market," said Eddie Mbalo, NFVF CEO. Projects that will be presented at the conference include 31 Million Reasons, Izulu Lami (My Secret Sky), In the Shadow of a Saint, Otello Burning, Skin (pictured), Khumba and The Consequence.

The Cannes Film Festival is scheduled to take place from Wednesday 13 until Sunday 24 May 2009.

Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon

Following on from my earlier post on viral marketing, the BBC has an apparently unrelated story that is both fun and really quite fascinating. It notes that for decades, scientists have tried to prove that the world is made up of social networks that are ultimately interconnected. The theory that there were "six degrees of separation" between everyone - with each degree being a person they knew - entered the mainstream with a play, a Will Smith film, and a party game called Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon.



Now however, scientists for instance, used data from the Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon game to see if there was actually a mathematical basis for this complex set of relationships. They discovered a formula for the invisible links that make the big world small. Other scientists examined the importance of hubs in how these kinds of networks evolved. A new discipline - network science - was established and other scientists gladly applied these universal laws to other kinds of networks, such as the world-wide web, the growth of cities, global travel, sexual relations between people, wealth and property distribution, and protein molecules in cells.

What's my point? Well, I'm really reporting this because a) it's kind of fun and b) if everyone in the world is just six handshakes away, what opportunities might that mean for marketing and promoting African films in a new digital age?

No to Product Placement?

Again the challenge of how to retain control and monetise digital media: YouTube is apparently reminding the producers of some of its most populat videos that, according to the YouTube terms and conditions, product placement is not allowed.

"We have a policy, and if we discover they are embedding stuff we will definitely let them know," Tom Pickett, YouTube's director of online sales and operations, told Mediaweek.

Google (which owns YouTube) itself sells advertising against the videos uploaded to YouTube, and therefore views Product Placement - or "user-secured form of advertising" as competition......

Canadian Talent leading the way?

Canadian actors and independent producers have unveiled a new multiyear labour deal to send Hollywood a signal of industry stability.

The Independent Production Agreement, which covers a three-year period that kicks off December 31, is between ACTRA and the Canadian Film and Television Production Association (CFTPA), which represents independent producers, and its Quebec counterpart, l'Association des producteurs de films et de television du Quebec. The new IPA differs little from the current deal beyond giving performers a 2 percent rate increase in each of the three years as well as offering a rate increase for new-media residuals. And like the current agreement, the 2010-12 IPA will permit both sides to reopen the new-media provisions one year before the next IPA's expiry on December 31, 2012.

The new deal is designed to bring stability to an industry keen to draw Hollywood producers to Canada for location shoots.Both sides also said they looked at the bigger picture -- a Canadian film and TV production sector beset by a recession and a steep drop in U.S. location shooting -- before they reached a new deal.