
Call for medium-length documentary films
The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), is pleased to announce that the call for a collection of medium length documentary films on the impact of COVID-19 in South Africa, is open.
The outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic has seen South Africa face unprecedented challenges. While the full impact of the pandemic becomes more and more apparent, the time is now for documentary filmmakers to respond to these radical changes by playing witness and allowing audiences the opportunity to experience the world through a different lens.
The NFVF in partnership with the SABC and STEPS invite documentary filmmakers to submit proposals for 24-minute documentary films about Covid-19 and the impact the pandemic has had on South Africa.
The proposal for the film should show a creative, character-driven, narrative documentary story.
All story ideas are welcome and the best story ideas with a clear production plan will be considered.
Language: Any language spoken in South Africa.
Submission Requirements
List of required documents
Synopsis (half a page)
Detailed Outline
Treatment
Budget and Proposed production schedule
CVs of the key creative team (Producer, Director, DOP, editors) with showreel/portfolio of work
All applicants must submit the following compulsory documentation:
BBBEE certificate or Signed BBBEE Affidavit with a dated stamp (not older than one year)
Valid Tax Clearance Certificate or Tax Clearance Status Pin Document (not older than one year)
Recently Certified ID copy (dated certification stamp not older than six months)
Company Registration Documents
Opening date for submissions: 30 September 2020
Closing date for submissions: 26 October 2020
Development should begin in December 2020
Delivery at the end of May 2021
Applicants need to register and complete the online application form using the following link: https://nfvf.praxisgms.co.za/
Important notice:
Terms of Arrangement
The films will be made for broadcast initially on SABC3 with a duration of 24 minutes.
Distribution rights will be required, including online and secondary broadcast rights.
A budget will be provided for development, production, post-production and delivery of one stand-alone film. The budget should be cost-effective and adhere to industry norms for crew capacity and remuneration.
Safety
Productions will be required to follow industry protocols for health and safety on set, as per the guidelines outlined in the SASFED/ IPO Protocol for Film and TV Under Covid-19. Producers should ask themselves:-
Should I be filming at all?
This hinges on whether there is sufficient public interest to justify filming. Risk analysis should consider risk to the film team and those potentially affected such as protagonists, vulnerable communities, families of the film team.
What are the consequences of going ahead?
There is a need to think through the practical implications. What are the alternatives to physical travel to the filming location (high risk), remote filming (medium risk), the content generated by the subject (low risk), or not filming at all (no risk)?
What is the safest way to organize the shoot?
Team members should be trained about the importance of taking precautions and how they can protect themselves and those they come into contact with. This can be done in person or remotely. Ensure everyone involved is happy to continue filming and check on that daily.
Details of the SASFED/ IPO Protocols can be found HERE.
Please note that failure to submit the above-mentioned key and compulsory documentation will render the application incomplete and therefore disqualified.
No late applications will be accepted.
Application queries may be directed to applications@nfvf.co.za
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...
02/05/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
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...
20/03/2026
In this blog, Laura Rognoni reflects on key discussions from the Connected TV World Summit in London, where NAGRAVISION hosted a panel on content discovery and ...
20/03/2026
After a series of increases, February brought the first slowdown in time spent in front of TV sets in a long time. While traditional television was losing viewi...
20/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
20/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
20/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
20/03/2026
60 years of audio innovation, driven by the people who use it...
20/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
20/03/2026
Colombia's Icesi University and WSDG are proud to announce Ronald David Reyes as the recipient of the 2025 WSDG Excellence Scholarship, awarded to an outsta...
20/03/2026
Avid today celebrated the filmmakers, editors and sound teams that worked with Avid Media Composer and Pro Tools to create the vast majority of this year'...
20/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
20/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
20/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
20/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
20/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
20/03/2026
Real-time 9:16 AI-Generated Autocropping; Software-Defined Station in a Box; and Software Switcher with Unlimited Layering Are Among Show Highlights
For the fi...
20/03/2026
Signiant Showcases New Content Innovations Driving Visibility, Access, and Actio...
20/03/2026
Caffeine Relies on DaVinci Resolve Studio for End to End Post Workflow
Brie Clayton March 19, 2026
0 Comments
Blackmagic Cloud helps Mexican post faci...
20/03/2026
It's time to play The Money List! Baz Ashmawy is back at the helm as the qui...
19/03/2026
Live sports production increases complexity, with dynamic audio levels and an overall philosophy that encourages transient volume spikes
Fourteen years ago, Am...
19/03/2026
Advanced Systems Group, a technology and services provider for media creatives and content owners, announced the appointment of Peter Thordarson to the newly cr...
19/03/2026
For this senior from the Bay Area, the speed and pressure of live sports production play right into her strengths
In the live-sports-video industry, the future...
19/03/2026
Grass Valley has expanded its long-term partnership with University of Pittsburg...
19/03/2026
Audio-Technica has released the ATV-SG1 and ATV-SG1LE On-Camera Shotgun Microphones, designed for use with DSLR, mirrorless SLR, and other cameras.
The ATV-SG1...
19/03/2026
Harmonic (booth W2831) announces updates to its XOS Advanced Media Processor aim...
19/03/2026
DAZN and Top Rank have announced a multi-year partnership that will bring Top Ra...
19/03/2026
IHSE, a provider of KVM systems, has announced a partnership with Cyviz AS, a provider of technology solutions for collaboration and mission-critical operations...
19/03/2026
Net Insight has appointed Larissa G rner-Meeus as Chief Product Officer. She joins the company's executive management team.
G rner-Meeus holds a Dipl-Ing. ...
19/03/2026
Leader Electronics of Europe has appointed Rob Stanley as Regional Sales Manager for the UK and Northern Europe. In the role, he will manage key accounts and ha...
19/03/2026
FIFA has announced that YouTube will be a Preferred Platform for the FIFA World Cup 2026.
Under the agreement, FIFA's Media Partners will be able to publis...
19/03/2026
New features across mobile, connected devices, and automotive platforms undersco...
19/03/2026
PSSI Global Services has appointed Ben Bradshaw as Director of Product and Netwo...
19/03/2026
Cobalt Digital has announced its NAB 2026 product lineup, which includes additio...
19/03/2026
Sportradar has released a new report, Innovation in Sports Media: The Next Era of Sports Viewing, examining how the sports viewing experience in the U.S. is evo...
19/03/2026
Matrox Video has been awarded a three-year framework agreement to supply its Con...
19/03/2026
CBS Sports' Jason Cohen and TNT Sports' Chris Brown lead the charge on n...
19/03/2026
A1 Dave Grundtvig and his team deploy plenty of mics to capture the sounds and energy from the stands as well the court
March Madness is a tournament in which ...
19/03/2026
In 2021, we launched EQUAL, a program designed to address an industry reality that persists: Women artists, songwriters, and producers too often face fewer oppo...
19/03/2026
Latest EZKeys 2 expansion arrives
Toontrack's staggering collection of EZKeys 2 expansions has grown once again, and the latest instalment delivers a on...
19/03/2026
New generative AI plug-in due in May 2026
Roland have announced the upcoming launch of a new generative AI tool created in collaboration with Sony Computer ...
19/03/2026
Nick Williams updates users on insolvency process
Nick Williams, the CEO of Native Instruments, has released the following official statement regarding thei...
19/03/2026
Iconic Swedish mic manufacturer back in action
Legendary Swedish microphone manufacturer Milab have announced that production is now fully underway, and mic...
19/03/2026
Acclaimed saturation unit goes virtual
Freqport's Freqtube FT1 (reviewed here in SOS February 2023) offers a convenient way to integrate real valve-base...
19/03/2026
The discontinuation of loss-making business activities as part of the restructur...
19/03/2026
Silicon Valley satire The Audacity premieres 15 April on SBS and SBS On Demand
19 March, 2026
Media releases
From one of the writer/producers of Succession...
19/03/2026
SBS brings communities together at Bondi Pavilion for Harmony Week multilingual ...