March 29, 2004
By Tammy O'Reilly
LOCAL and international filmmakers will soon recognise Gauteng as the premier location for filming in South Africa, not just for the scenery, but also because of the abundance of filmmaking resources available.
The Gauteng Film Office, in conjunction with Gauteng premier, Mbhazima Shilowa and MEC for finance and economic affairs, Jabu Moleketi, recently hosted a two-day film indaba at the Johannesburg council chambers in Braamfontein aimed at exploring avenues for making the film industry lucrative to both local and international filmmakers.
The indaba addressed the challenges facing Gauteng and South Africa's film industry, such as encouraging and promoting local filmmakers and actors, upgrading the skills of filmmakers, and marketing South African films so they appeal to an international audience.
The Gauteng Film Office looked at ways to involve all tiers of government, communities and key players in the film industry to build a film-friendly province through marketing Gauteng as a film destination, and to create a sustainable film industry.
A skilled workforce, world-class digital and post production facilities, state of the art rental equipment and knowledgeable people in all sectors of the industry are just some of the reasons that Gauteng is suitable for filmmaking.
"Gauteng's attributes are endless, from its soft currency, diverse cultures and locations, skills pool, world-class infrastructure and technological offerings to the high altitude, dry air, and close proximity to wildlife," said Gauteng Film Office CEO, Themaba Sibeko.
"The aim of the indaba is to build capacity and identify strategic links within government, the public and private sector through a provincial action plan," added Sibeko.
A tangible outcome of the indaba was the formation of six commissions to deal with marketing, service delivery, training and development, finance and funding, investment facilitation and transformation related to black economic empowerment.
Addressing the 200 delegates on day one of the indaba, Shilowa acknowledged growth of the local film industry. "More than 70 percent of the filming and television industry in South Africa are based in Gauteng, mainly in Johannesburg. All of South Africa's television broadcasters are based in Johannesburg. Footage for most commercials comes from our province," he said.
The indisputable potential of the film industry on South Africa's economy has recently become evident with the international filming of Hotel Rwanda in Gauteng. According to the Gauteng Film Office, more than 10 000 jobs were created within the space of eight weeks.
"The moving image is a powerful tool. We need to highlight the diversity of our cultures and exploit and showcase South Africa today, as opposed to 10 years ago, in a cinematic context, and for that to happen we need to galvanise the industry, and gain investment and skills from foreign productions," said Sibeko.
For information about filming in Johannesburg and surrounds contact the Gauteng Film Office on tel: 011 833 8750/4 or fax: 011 833 8930 or log on to http://www.gfo.co.za/
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