04 SAFTAs celebrates 0 years of freedom

The eighth annual South African Film and Television Awards (SAFTAs) was held in Johannesburg on Friday, 4 and Saturday, 5 April. Prominent officials and entertainment industry leaders gathered to celebrate 20 years of Film and Television in line with the 20 Years of Freedom celebrations that are building up in the country.

The SAFTA nominees and winners got together to honour all those whove contributed to building the industry. The showcase unfolded in a glamorous awards event where guests were taken on the journey South Africa has travelled in the industry in order to arrive at landmark achievements that changed the course of the industry for the better.

It has been inspiring to see the SAFTAs, as our industrys flagship event, growing from strength to strength, says minister of Arts and Culture, Paul Mashatile, who was a guest of honour at the SAFTAs ceremony. This year is one of the most significant in our democratic history as we celebrate 20 Years of Freedom. The film and television industry, like most sectors in our society, has a good story to tell. The industry has evolved in so many respects - from a development point of view, to our state of the art production facilities, through to the diversity of platforms showcasing these productions. The entire value chain has truly evolved to be where we are today.

The 2014 SAFTAs were an opportunity to reflect on the impressive South African film and television journey, and re-living some of the major industry highlights over the past 20 years. From the broadcast of the first episode of Generations in 1994 to the signing of the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) Act in 1997, to the introduction of new TV channels in the early 90s which redefined the landscape of local television. Most notably, hand-in-hand with the additional TV platforms, was the commitment to creating diversity in the industry and to utilising more local talent. And on the big screen, who could forget the groundbreaking moment when Tsotsi won an Oscar in 2005? This was the same year as that the South African Film and Television Awards were established.

With the recognition of Tsotsi on the Academy Award stage, South Africas film industry became more visible as a global partner. It was a very defining moment for the country and the industry, says NFVF CEO and Chairperson of the SAFTAs Committee, Zama Mkosi. Tsotsis success also created the space for the development of films like Jerusalema and Hijack Stories. Doors were opened for South African actors, including Terry Pheto, who went on to win supporting roles in Hollywood TV productions such as The Bold and the Beautiful. It all started with Tsotsi's success.

These pivotal TV and cinematic moments form part of the unique industry story that will inspire future generations of South African writers, producers, actors and directors. When asked about industry plans going forward, Mkosi continues, We remain totally committed to the ongoing journey of transformation and to improving access to finance. That said; we are enjoying looking back at our 20 Years of Freedom and all the milestones weve achieved. I am in awe of talent that the SAFTAs give us an opportunity to honour. I know the hard work and the sacrifice that many of this years winners have gone through, and I salute the talent, creativity and hard work that keeps our industry so dynamic. Asked what some of her key moments in South African movie history are, Mkosi says, They would have to include Cry, the Beloved Country (1995), Mr Bones (2001), Drum (2004), Yesterday (2004) and Tsotsi (2005).

Over 60 Golden Horn statuettes were awarded to the cr me de la cr me of South Africas film and television industry at the SAFTAs in 2014 and the ceremonies were attended by celebrities and entertainment industry leaders as well as the Saturday evening being screened live on SABC3. The event lived up to its democratic theme of 20 Years of Freedom as the TV audience engaged all evening via Twitter, using #SAFTAs2014, and commented on Facebook throughout the show.

The celebratory atmosphere was also translated into the design of the awards set. Genna Lewis, creative producer from Clive Morris Productions, explains how they translated the 20 Years of Freedom theme into an epic audio-visual story, We created an open and all-surrounding approach to the stage design. Celebrating two decades of freedom means the opportunity to bring film and television to life on stage - celebrating 20 years of the industry's achievement through every aspect of the show - from the script to the entertainment. This year the SAFTAs celebrated the nominees and winners as one community with the show becoming part of the audience space, the audience surrounding the work and the work celebrated on screen.

The minister of Arts and Culture sums up the mood of the moment, The industry looks bright, particularly in light of our committed focus on supporting the commissioning of more local content on different local platforms. This is how we see the future of the industry growing. South Africans have incredible stories to tell, about our 20 Years of Freedom and our future.

LINK:	http://www.filmcontact.com/africa/south-africa/2014-saftas-celebrates-...
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