Tuesday 11 June 2024, Johannesburg. The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), an agency of the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture, lead a delegation of forty South African filmmakers in an unprecedented creative and cultural celebration of South Africa's 30-year democracy milestone.
In a historic moment for South African film, the NFVF, in collaboration with its key strategic partners the Industrial Development Corporation, Brand South Africa, Wesgro, the KZN Film Commission, the Durban Film Office and the Eastern Cape Development Corporation, lead a diverse cohort of practitioners who got the opportunity to network, engage and pitch their projects at the festival's key programmes.
Spearheaded by the Chairperson of the NFVF Council, Ms Tholoana Ncheke-Mahlaela, who boasts public and private sector legal and policy framework experience in the creative sector, the delegation consisted of 40 producers, supported by 16 delegates from the various partners. The Cannes Film Festival is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres. Outside of the meetings engaged on, during this year's edition the South African delegation participated in events and platforms held at the South African hub, country specific pavilions and the business film market, also known as the March du Film (March ).
It was an esteemed privilege to champion the South African delegation at the 77th International Film Festival where our strategic intention behind positioning South Africa as a production destination of choice was met in a manner which not only exceeded expectations, but also affirmed what we know to be true about or dynamic and incredible industry made so by its remarkable filmmakers. As we exit the local democratic elections and gear up to commemorate the June 16 Soweto Uprising which was one of the catalysts for South Africa's dawn of democracy, it was an honour to witness South Africa's finest storytellers representing the incredible strides our industry has made during the past 30 years of democracy, a decade of which was marked by the stewardship of Ambassador Nkosinathi Mthethwa, during his service as the Minister of Sport, Arts & Culture , says Ncheke-Mahlaela who delivered a keynote address at the Inauguration of the Bharat Pavilion, hosted by the Government of India.
The South African hub comprised of a multi-functional stand, a striking feature at the March , which was positioned optimally in clear view of BRICS country partners India and Brazil, with whom co-production engagements took place. For the first time, the NFVF hosted a one-on-one conversation between globally renowned South African Director, Mandlakayise Dube and South African Film & Television Award (SAFTA) winner, Bonko Khoza who discussed the experience of filming Netflix's Heart of the Hunter.
South Africa's presence was cemented at programmes which took place at the Producers Network, the Bistrot de L rins and Cannes Docs, the documentary hub. Facilitated by the NFVF, the team was led by the Acting Chief Executive Officer, Ms Thobela Mayinje, whose decade-long tenure at the NFVF comes with a strong background in human capital development in the creative sector.
The South African itinerary this year was intentionally robust to ensure that filmmakers and stand partners alike experienced the festival exceptionally well and to showcase how brilliantly the story we have to tell as South Africa, can come to life. Our presence at Cannes this year represents incredible growth in comparison to recent years, where continued development through the leveraging of more strategic platforms at Cannes is more possible now. I'm incredibly proud of the NFVF team that worked tirelessly for months to get partners on board and facilitate the presence of such a strong pool of practitioners and a captivating stand hub. We showed the world what it means to #LoveSAFilm and I could not be prouder and excited for the film practitioners who lived this experience through and through , says Mayinje.
On the co-production front, South Africa's jam-packed itinerary included a cocktail hosted by the Netherlands Film Fund (NFF) where the significant moment of the renewal of the NFF and NFVF Thuthuka Co-Development Initiative took place. Attended by the Netherlands Minister of Arts & Culture, Ms Fleur Gr per-van Koolwijk, this signing marked the extension of the agreement for another two years, as indicated by Mayinje during her opening remarks. Furthermore, a Brazil and South Africa meet-and-greet mixer for producers held in partnership with Brazilian counterparts Spcine, laid a foundation for the panel discussion which took place, which unpacked the experience of South African and Brazilian producers working on afro-diasporic projects and announced the Spcine and NFVF Development Fund Call which opens later this year.
Proud moments included the South African series by Gambit Films, Blood & Water, winning the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion award at the Global Production Awards, the screening of Spier Films' short film Spiral and the presence of South Africa's Encounters Film Festival at Cannes Docs as an official partner. Festival Director Ms Mandisa Zitha delivered a keynote address focused on 30 Years of Documentary filmmaking and threw forward to the up-coming Encounters Film Festival taking place in Cape Town and Johannesburg at the end of this month.
South Africa signed-off its presence through an intimate networking cocktail inaugurally held at the Bistrot de L rins where Ambassador Mthethwa's poignant address encouraged the South African delegation to keep making globally relevant films that keep the South African nation brand resilient.
ENDS.
For media requests, contact:
Lerato Mokopanele
Marketing and Communications Manager
National Film and Vide
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
01/05/2026
January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...
01/04/2026
January 4 2026, 18:00 (PST) DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION
Douyin Users Can Now Create And Share Videos With Stun...
21/01/2026
Wisycom, a global leader in advanced wireless RF solutions, launches its new wideband antenna matrix, MATF, which supports RF and fiber for demanding multi-zone...
21/01/2026
Grass Valley will demonstrate how it is powering scalable, future-ready live production at FOMEX 2026, taking place February 2 4 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Exhibi...
21/01/2026
BCNEXXT, the developers of the advanced playout platform Vipe, today announced that OKAST, the monetization-first OTT platform provider, is using BCNEXXT's ...
21/01/2026
Revamped design enables advanced capabilities, leading with powerful IP to HDMI conversion
Magewell, developer of innovative, high-performance video I/O and I...
21/01/2026
Jan 20th 2026, Changsha Kiloview today announced the launch of two major additions to its AV-over-IP ecosystem: the AVX24-4 Media HUB and KiloLink Station, ma...
21/01/2026
Latest version of enterprise-class Buttons brings simple, coherent control to more than 700 professional devices and applications
Bitfocus, the specialist in ...
21/01/2026
Clear-Com is pleased to announce the appointment of Kari Eythorsson as the new Regional Sales Manager (RSM) for Southeast Asia & Australia, based in Singapore,...
21/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Pinterest
Bluesky
Email...
21/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Pinterest
Bluesky
Email...
21/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Pinterest
Bluesky
Email...
21/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Pinterest
Bluesky
Email...
21/01/2026
RT News is pleased to announce the appointment of Jackie Fox as its new Washington Correspondent. Jackie is a multimedia journalist with RT News and has repor...
21/01/2026
From skilled trades to startups, AI's rapid expansion is the beginning of th...
20/01/2026
SVG Sit-Down: BitFire's Jim Akimchuk on the Future of Cloud, Remote, Softwar...
20/01/2026
From architecture to reality: What CBC's Milano Cortina 2026 workflows tell ...
20/01/2026
Milano Cortina 2026: Making the Winter Olympics and Paralympics workflow work fo...
20/01/2026
Countdown to Milano Cortina 2026: SVG Launches SportsTechLive Blog in Lead-up to...
20/01/2026
Grand finale: Rally Saudi Arabia pushes WRC to make the most of cameras and dron...
20/01/2026
State of Change: What's Happening in the Remote-Production Business?NEP Group, Game Creek Video, Dome Productions, Mobile TV Group, Program Productions exec...
20/01/2026
CFP National Championship 2026: A Look Back at SVG's Complete CoverageGo behind the scenes with ESPN, Game Creek Video, Van Wagner, and the champion Indiana...
20/01/2026
The Gotham, Film Independent, and Creators Coalition on AI Join Alliance
by Michelle Satter, Founding Senior Director, Sundance Institute's Artist Programs...
20/01/2026
The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), an agency of the Department of Sp...
20/01/2026
December, the first month of winter and the holiday season, has traditionally encouraged families to spend time together in front of the television. During this...
20/01/2026
During December, streaming's share of TV viewing in Mexico settled at 24.3%, an increase of 0.1 share points from the previous month.
Disclaimer: YUMI TV,...
20/01/2026
Christmas Day is Most-Streamed Day Ever with 55 Billion Viewing Minutes, led by...
20/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
20/01/2026
Disguise and ASB GlassFloor today announced a strategic partnership that turns the arena floor into a fully customizable interactive digital surface. This will ...
20/01/2026
Last summer, ITV celebrated the tenth anniversary of its popular reality dating show, Love Island. To ramp up the excitement of series 12 (launched in the UK on...
20/01/2026
Berklee's Mark Ethier Named One of SPIN's Most Influential People in Mus...
20/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
20/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
20/01/2026
Emergent, a provider of AI-powered media production solutions, today announced its presence at ISE 2026 in Barcelona, taking place February 3 6, where it will u...
20/01/2026
Back to All News
Netflix and Warner Bros. Discovery Amend Agreement to All-Cash Transaction
Business
20 January 2026
Global
Link copied to clipboard
All-C...
20/01/2026
Back to All News
Now You Can Play a Role in Our Live Events With Real-Time Voting
Elmar Nubbemeyer
VP, Member Product
Product
20 January 2026
Global
Link...
19/01/2026
CFP National Championship 2026: Indiana Football's Digital Crew Generate Hyp...
19/01/2026
CFP National Championship 2026: Van Wagner Relies on Experience for Indiana-Miam...
19/01/2026
CFP National Championship 2026: Game Creek Video Fields Premiere IP Compound for...
19/01/2026
CFP National Championship 2026: For a Slew of Studio Shows, ESPN Turns Hard Rock...
19/01/2026
CFP National Championship 2026: ESPN's Sweeping Live Game Production Leverag...
19/01/2026
The new L3Harris NOVA binocular system is the every-soldier goggle' - and the beginning of a new era for night-vison capability....
19/01/2026
The Majority of Those Surveyed Prefer to Buy Brands Who Advertise in Content Tha...
19/01/2026
Back to All News
Straight to Hell' Sets April 27 Premiere: Teaser Trailer,...
19/01/2026
New Workflow Enhancements for All Broadcast Pix Systems, Plus 4-Channel ISO Recording for Hybrid and Roadie Tyngsboro, Mass. - January 2025 - Broadcast Pix ann...
19/01/2026
Monday 19 January 2026
Sky News reinvents News at Ten for the modern audience with The Wrap
Sky News today announces The Wrap, a bold evolution of its 10pm ou...
19/01/2026
Back to All News
Netflix Announces the Series Nights & Days, Directed by Kamila...
Tuesday 11 June 2024, Johannesburg. The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), an agency of the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture, lead a delegation of forty South African filmmakers in an unprecedented creative and cultural celebration of South Africa's 30-year democracy milestone.
