ATFT Presents Export Accelerator Program

10 February, 2016 - 06:58

The Association for Transformation in Film and Television, as part of their ongoing work to develop and transform the South African film, television and digital media industires are hosting the first in its series of export accelerator programs for selected participants.

The first round of this program is currently taking place with international expert Mark Greenspan who has arrived in South Africa to interact with participants. Greenspan is the founder of nextMEDIA, Canada's most influential series of digital media conferences. He also created the digital programming at the Banff World Media Festival, The world's largest content market dedicated to the development of television content. He was also involved in launching the Rio Content Market, Latin America's largest content market. Through these initiatives he created business opportunities for thousands of media and advertising executives. As the founder of The Digital Growth Lab he works with incubators and accelerators around the world to build training, networking, business development programs.

I'm excited to leverage my experiences in the international film and television industry to support the growth of South African content companies. The level of creativity and entrepreneurialism that I've seen is inspiring and I look forward to support the growth of black owned television, film and digital media businesses through a world class program.

The ATFT accelerator program is a cohort-based program that includes mentorship in developing film, television and digital media projects for export. This program aims to increase the capacity of black-owned South African independent film and television production and distribution companies, to export their content and attract foreign direct investment (FDI).

The ATFT Accelerator program will address these challlenges with several combined long term development programs using local and international experts in various fields to make these companies and their products (content) ready for one or several particular export markets and conclude deals at those markets and generate sufficient ongoing revenue to sustain them.

Many of the experts and consultants that work with the ATFT by facilitating special intervention programs/ workshops for the delegations before they leave for markets have identified needs and areas of weakness that could be addressed through such a program.

Extensive consultation was done with experts who have developed and executed similar programs in other countries, especially emerging economies such as ours, with successful results. We aim to improve further on these proven programs and customize the program to the South African emerging black business and export environment.

Some of the challenges that will be addressed by the accelerator program include:

Getting local production companies market ready for international platforms

Developing viable business plans for the respective production companies

Development of content that can potentially be sold to various markets

Exploitation of content, resulting in sales

Project Outcomes

The export accelerator has the potential to level the playing field for black production companies in South Africa. The success of the accelerator would mean an increase of skills for our participants, the establishment of more black sustainable black production companies and an increase in sales for local content internationally.

The aim is to create a pool of black industrialists in the film and television sector that can independantly finance their content development and production and create jobs in the process.

Through the international and local experts and consultants we aim to use their expansive network to expand the international network for the companies being developed that they can continue to use after the program has concluded.

Contact Information

NEILOE WHITEHEAD (project manager)

Office: + 27 10 900 2180

Email: neiloe@filmandtvtransformation.org

Film Training Courses

Africa South Africa

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