NFVF on a miion to strengen co-productions opportunities for SA Companies

The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) will embark on a fact-finding mission at the Berlin International Film Festival from the 6th until the 16th of February 2014. The purpose of this mission is to investigate the relevance of the festival to the local film industry and to determine whether the country requires an official participation at the festival.

NFVF CEO Zama Mkosi and Head of Production and Development Clarence Hamilton will attend the festival where they are scheduled to take part in various strategic engagements with relevant stakeholders during the festival. On Monday the 10th of February 2014, Mkosi will take part in the Germany-South Africa Co-productions Roundtable discussion. The purpose of the discussion is to take a closer look at co-productions between the two countries and to give filmmakers from both countries an opportunity to network. Although the treaty between South Africa and Germany produces the highest number of annual co-productions since 2008, the NFVF would like open up opportunities for other South African companies to co-produce with German companies.

Another objective is to unpack the broad legal framework within which co-productions between SA and Germany as well as discussing funding opportunities from both countries. Other speakers at the roundtable include Dr. Nonceba Mashalaba, Chief Director and Acting Deputy Director General at the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Dv8 Films CEO Jeremy Nathan and Dr. Teresa H fert de Tur gano from the Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg. The event will be opened by His Excellency Makhenkesi Stofile, South African Ambassador in Germany.

The South African Embassy in Berlin together with the DTI will also host the SA-Germany Networking Reception on Monday evening. Furthermore, the DTI will host stand at the European Film Market where ranking delegation of local film professionals will provide information on the South African industry.

We are very excited to be embarking on this mission which will inform our approach to the festival moving forward. There is no doubt that the festival is one of biggest international film festivals; however, it is important that we first understand the its offering and determine how our industry can best position itself and benefit from this platform. We are happy that already there is some degree of participation at the European Film Market thanks to the DTI and other stakeholders that they have partnered with us. We will be observing the participation with an aim of, among other things, identifying where we can add value in the future, says Mkosi.

Mkosi and Hamilton will also be meeting representatives from the German Federal Film Board, the NFVF equivalent body in Germany. They will also meet with representatives from the New Zealand Film Commission for discussions around possible actions for the South Africa /New Zealand co-production treaty.

http://nfvf.co.za

LINK:	http://www.filmcontact.com/africa/south-africa/nfvf-mission-strengthen...
	See more stories from filmcontact

Most recent headlines