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......