With not one, but two studio Hollywood films examining the lives of South African leaders and activists Winnie and Nelson Mandela, Winnie Mandela and Mandela: A Long Walk to Freedom, respectively, the spotlight is certainly on South Africa these days.
Still, from Cape Town to Tinseltown, South Africa is blossoming as a prominent film-making destination with the likes of such studio productions as Safe House, Invictus, and Blood Diamond. For this reason, South African Consul-General Cyril Ndaba spearheaded a five-day, entertainment fact-finding mission for a delegation of dignitaries and senior executives within the cultural community of South Africa's province of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) to see the inner workings of the film industry.
The delegation included Mmabatho Ramagoshi, chairperson of the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) and Welcome Msomi, chairperson of the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Film Commission -- all sent on behalf of the Honorable Mike Mabuyakhulu, the minister for economic development and tourism. The delegation landed in Los Angeles just in time for the private reception and opening of the inaugural South African Film Festival held on October 4, 2013 in downtown Los Angeles. The delegation was led by filmmaker Joe Brown, working in conjunction with the South African Consul-General, whose office is based in Los Angeles. The delegation included:
Consul-General Cyril S Ndaba -- South African Consulate-General in Los Angeles;
Mmabatho Ramagoshi -- chairperson of the national film and video foundation (NFVF);
Welcome Msomi -- chairperson of the KZN Film Commission;
Carol Coetzee -- CEO of the KZN Film Commission and
Sibongile Mdena -- consul of trade and socio-economic at the South African Consulate-General in Los Angeles.
During the five-day guided tour, the delegation met with studio executives, agents, tastemakers and filmmakers to get a better understanding of Hollywood's filmmaking industry. Highlights of the tour included meetings with representatives from Columbia Pictures/Sony, the Weinstein Company, the Africa Channel, and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) as well as meetings with William Morris-Endeavor (WME) and entertainment attorneys from the Bobbitt & Roberts law firm.
Besides a handful of business cards, members of the delegation walked away from meetings with enthusiastic plans, new Hollywood connections and feelings of a successful trip. It's been a great and fantastic trip, said Welcome Msomi, chairperson of the KZN Film Commission. We've been able to meet with the right people who can partner with us, and look at opportunities from a producers' and directors' point of view.
Also, with South African directors like Gavin Hood ( Tsotsi, X-men Origins: Wolverine ) and Neill Blomkamp ( District 9 and Elysium ) helming big-budget films, Msomi said it's very important to nurture the young, up-and-coming filmmakers. It's critical to have young people involved because they are the future, he said. Also, when you have to deal with technology, they are much ahead of us, and they're able to make use of the technology to tell their stories
Although Nollywood - i.e. the film-making industry in Nigeria - is the second largest film industry behind Hollywood, clearly South Africa is boosting its position as a preferred locale for film making. Plus, it wants to be a global player in the production and distribution of television and film as well as online and home video content on a domestic and international level.
A QUICK Q & A
With General Consul Cyril Ndaba of South Africa:
Why was it important for a South African delegation to visit Hollywood and meet with the powerbrokers of the entertainment industry?
Hollywood is the leader in the film industry. Everyone in the world looks up to Hollywood.
What is the ultimate goal for the meetings and Hollywood connections made by the South African delegation?
To understand the inner workings of the film industry and get to know the real power players in the industry.
Why do you feel South Africa is becoming a preferred destination for such Hollywood productions as Safe House, Invictus, and Blood Diamond.
South Africa is the whole world in one country. From the icy mountainous Drakensberg area, to the semi-desert Northern Cape plains, to the cradle of mankind in Northwest, to the sunny and hot-fruit producing Limpopo, to the 1,000 hills of KwaZulu-Natal to its battlefields, to the golden beaches on the Durban coastline, to the Cape of Good Hope where the cold water of the Atlantic Ocean meets the warm waters of the Indian Ocean. Plus, the English language is spoken throughout the country.
Do you feel there's any competition with Nollywood, and the productions coming out of Nigeria?
There is no competition with Nigeria. South Africa works with both the Bollywood and Nollywood film industries. There is a market for Bollywood and Nollywood in South Africa, as there is a market for South African productions in both Nigeria and India.
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With not one, but two studio Hollywood films examining the lives of South African leaders and activists Winnie and Nelson Mandela, Winnie Mandela and Mandela: A Long Walk to Freedom, respectively, the spotlight is certainly on South Africa these days. 
