The Callsheet Africa Issue 2 - 2020

ISSUE 02 | 2020

+ SHOOT YOUR FILM IN

SUNNY SOUTH AFRICA

Why South Africa Remains a Top

Film Service Destination

+ A LIVING LEGEND

KZNFC’s Jackie Motsepe on Her Career Highs

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CONTENTS / 01

02. Oliver Hermanus

Talks Moffie

06

10

18

FILM DISTRIBUTION

Benjamin Crowley of Gravel Road talks

all things distribution.

SHOOT IN

SOUTH AFRICA

Katie Reynolds-Da Silva explores why SA Is still

number one in Africa for service work.

THE SNAIL AND

THE WHALE

Director Daniel Snaddon shares his experience

working on Triggerfish’s latest short for BBC.

04. Exclusive with

BBC Producer

Jonny Keeling

06. Ben Crowley weighs

in on Distribution

08. Industry Snapshot

Special: COVID-19

and Film

10. Why Shoot Your

Next Production in

South Africa

16. Film Incentives on

the African Continent

17. South African

Co-Productions 101

18. Daniel Snaddon

Unpacks The Snail

and the Whale

20. Film Tourism:

Leveraging

Opportunities

24. Nelson Ikeja:

Filmmaking Despite

Great Odds

26

look

JACKIE MOTSEPE

In out inaugural Living Legends segment, we

at the career of KZNFC’s COO.

26. Living Legends:

Jackie Motsepe

28. Location Spotlight

on Namibia

30. Association News

32. Directory of

Advertisers

02 / LOCAL CONTENT www.thecallsheet.co.za

OLIVER HERMANUS

TALKS MOFFIE

Director Oliver Hermanus sits down with Zubenathi Malothana to talk about his

new film Moffie, an Apartheid period piece, which was released in early March.

Director Oliver Hermanus surrounded by troops during the shoot of Moffie.

Kai Luke Brummer portrays Nicholas van der Swart in Moffie.

A

film that tells the story

of a young gay man

drafted into South

Africa’s military, Moffie

has already received much

critical acclaim on the festival

circuit. After he was approached

by the producers to find out

what he thought of adapting

the memoirs of Andre Carl van

der Merwe, he began exploring

SA’s conscription history, met

the author, and the rest as

they say is history. He sits

down with Callsheet Africa to

discuss the film in more detail.

What was it like cowriting

the screenplay

with Jack Sidey?

We were not the first

screenwriters originally, there

were others. But when we

decided to take on the writing,

we had spent almost two years

working on Moffie. So, we

started to solidify what the film

should be about. I live in a small

town (in South Africa) and Jack

lives in London, he came to South

Africa and we spent a lot of time

together and I think we share

the same artistic and creative

ideas, so the process was easy.

There are so many layers to

Moffie – tell us about why you

told the story in this way.

This is the first film I’ve made

that’s a period piece, it’s in a

time before I was born and that

was a challenge. I have never

made a film about Apartheid

before, so there was an interest

in exploring that world. When I

realised that the film was very

much going to be about shame

and how shame is a weapon –

and that’s why the film is called

Moffie – I realised that theme

of shame is something that is

part of Apartheid for all South

Africans and it became a very

natural setting for this film.

How long did it take

to film, and what were

some of the challenges?

The elements were a big

challenge for this film and

the actors had to have a

very thick skin. We decided

to shoot the film in the

summer because the story

takes place during this time

along the Namibian border,

so one of the biggest

challenges was that it was

extremely hot. We were

shooting in temperatures

higher than 40 degrees

Celsius, we had a lot of

night shoots which offered

up gale-force winds, and we

did a lot of ocean shoots –

and the ocean was freezing!

We also shot around Cape

Town in an 80-100km

radius and it’s amazing

what you can do there.

Principal photography

took just over five weeks.

Tell us about Moffie’s reception

at its Venice Film Festival

world premier last year.

Film festivals like Venice and

Cannes are very stressful. It

looks all fun and glamorous and

in essence it is, but it’s because

you’re showing something to

the world for the very first time

and it’s a very public space – all

of the world’s most important

press agencies for film are there.

So, you are very aware that the

work that you’ve just made is

going to be weighed, measured

and judged, so you are very

nervous as a film director going

into that context. But Moffie’s

reception was very good, the

film received an overwhelmingly

positive response and it’s an

amazing feeling for the team.

It’s a nice feeling to have your

work celebrated. All our actors

are new, they’ve never made

movies before, so it was a

wonderful experience for them.

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04 / SPOTLIGHT www.thecallsheet.co.za

EXTRAORDINARY ANIMALS IN

BBC’S SEVEN WORLDS

Seven Worlds One Planet is BBC Earth’s latest show – and it is incredible, with one

particular episode focussing solely on the African continent. Scott Alexander,

Series Producer, and Jonny Keeling, Executive Producer, share their thoughts on

this breath-taking new series.

Rhinos

Asian Monkeys

BBC Earth’s content is

synonymous with raw,

natural beauty. We’ve

all been awe-struck by

the Blue Planet and Planet Earth

series and their fellow mates,

but Seven Worlds One Planet is a

breath of fresh air. Not only does

it change the format to focus

on a different continent in each

episode, but the footage and

stories told are both captivating

and extraordinary, almost beyond

belief. We hear more from Series

Producer Scott Alexander and

Exec Producer Jonny Keeling.

What’s the idea behind

Seven Worlds, One Planet?

Scott Alexander: This is the

first time we’ve done a series

based on the seven continents

at a time when the biodiversity

of each of the continents is

at its greatest. It comes at a

pivotal moment because we

could be entering biodiversity’s

fastest decline – the sixth

extinction. Normally we’ve

broken up the natural world by

habitat: this is an entirely new

way to look at the planet.

It consists of seven standalone

films because each continent

has its own identity, its own

characteristics and its own

unique wildlife. This is first and

foremost a wildlife behavioural

show. We went out looking for

the newest and latest stories,

new species, and new behaviours.

Even where we show animals

that you’ve seen before hopefully

they will be doing things you

haven’t seen them doing before.

Jonny Keeling: The other

thing that’s really important

is that we want people to

relate to the animals, to feel

for the animal, fall in love with

it, and watch a characterbased

story and experience

a full range of emotions.

Would you give us an

example of this?

Scott: A classic example comes

in the Africa episode. The one I

really like is the elephant story.

Everyone’s seen elephants but

we’ve shown two particular

elephants that have learnt to

stand up on their back feet and

balance so they can reach higher

up into the trees and get those

last bits of fruit that no other

elephants can reach. That’s

very helpful in times of drought

and it’s astonishing to see.

Take us through running

a production of this

magnitude. How long does

it take to put it together?

Jonny: The whole production

takes about four years – generally

it’s about a year to dig up stories

and leads, then about two years

filming, and about a year in the

edits. Then we bring in David

Attenborough to do the narration,

Hans Zimmer to do the music, so

the quality of it is high because

the people who work on it are

at the top of their game.

We all come from a wildlife

background – I have a PhD and

have worked with animals for

30 years – and we’re working

with 1 500 people around the

world who have expertise and

knowledge for shoots, which

are generally five or six weeks

long. And although all of these

are planned out, what’s lovely

about the natural world is that

something always happens

that you’d never expect.

We film somewhere

approaching 2 000 hours of

footage or maybe more, and for

each episode it’s about

300 hours of footage so it’s a

huge undertaking. We’re on

location for about 1 700 or

1 800 days, which is crammed

into two years. At any one

time, we would have four or

five shoots out on location.

How has wildlife filmmaking

changed in the last decade?

Scott: All the big talk is about

the technological advances. You

go from film to Beta, you go to

HD then you go to 4K and on

this series we’ve been shooting

in 8K. But actually I think that

where we’ve really evolved is

in our storytelling and how we

characterise our stories. I think

we’re making the big advances

by improving on our storytelling.


MOTIF STUDIOS / 05

MOTIF STUDIOS

ABOUT THE COMPANY

Founded upon a desire to tell and realise stories that go beyond the

norm, Director Craig Hunter Parker and Producer Jacques Bock have

been forging the path for Motif Studios into its ninth successful year.

With a lean in-house team of talented 3D and VFX artists, animators

and directors, Motif has produced award-winning work for big brands

in advertising, motion graphics, TV channels and, primarily, visual

effects work for both local and international features. We have a

strong collective of artists with whom we work both locally and

abroad to scale up for various projects.

SERVICES OFFERED

Owing to our background in advertising, design and illustration,

one of our strong-suits is being able to creatively collaborate

with directors in realising their vision. It’s a skillset that’s a bit of

an open secret when it comes to adding to the many offerings

that we’re usually approached for. Some of which include: VFX

supervision, 3D & 2D design, modelling, character animation,

motion graphics, compositing and directing. From title

sequences to music videos, short films to blockbuster features,

Motif endeavours to deliver work of international standard.

WHAT WE DO

Having cut our teeth working on countless commercials and contentbranding,

we’ve moved into more narrative-based work since working

on film and television series. To date, we have completed over 25

features and series in the short time that we’ve been operating. We

pride ourselves in being key players in the local film industry and have

helped on numerous local features and proof of concepts to get the

spotlight on the multitude of talent South Africa has to offer. We are

also developers of original content and are always looking to get more

projects in front of the world.

MEET THE TEAM

CV OF CLIENTS

• Warner Brothers

• Sony Pictures

• Universal Pictures

• Paramount Pictures

• 20th Century Fox

• Netflix

• HBO

• Fox

• BBC

• SyFy Channel

• Showtime

• Starz

• National Geographic

Craig Hunter Parker

Director

Jacques Bock

Producer

CONTACT US

Tel: +27 110 0848 | Cell: +27 61 266 9062 / +27 71 203 8815

Email: craig@motifstudios.co.za | jacques@motifstudios.co.za

info@motifstudios.co.za | Website: www.motifstudios.co.za

06 / DISTRIBUTION SPOTLIGHT www.thecallsheet.co.za

BEN CROWLEY

ON CONTENT DISTRIBUTION

Benjamin Crowley, Founder and CEO of Gravel Road Distribution Group,

shares his insights into the distribution game in South Africa and beyond.

A

Cape Town-based

entertainment company

that focusses on sales

and distribution across

all market channels and in all

territories, Gravel Road has

been growing its offering year

on year. Founder and CEO

Ben Crowley takes us through

their highlights, the challenges

of audience development,

and the risks distributors take

when signing a product.

First things first: what’s the

latest from Gravel Road?

We have been fortunate in that

our business has had year on year

growth. It goes without saying

that we have not been immune to

challenges and obstacles – not one

release is the same as another – so

we are kept on our toes all the

time. Our highlights have been

releasing Apocalypse Now: Final

Cut - this was one of my favourite

films of all time and when I saw

there was a new cut, I immediately

went after it. Then there was

Pavarotti, the biographical

documentary by Academy Award

winner Ron Howard, which ended

up in being the third highest

grossing documentary in SA of

all time, and more recently the

acquisition of the multi Academy

Award winning film Parasite.

What are your thoughts on SA’s

film and television sector from

a distribution standpoint?

The industry is certainly on the up,

but I think the biggest challenge

is that of audience development.

We can produce the best films in

the world, but without a paying

audience, we have no business.

Solving this is not an easy one,

as it involves the entire industry

coming together. It still perplexes

me how there can be incentives to

produce films, yet the benefit of

these do not extend to marketing,

distribution and exhibition. In

France, for example, I can get

match funding for my P&A on

French films that I release in SA

from the French government. If

exhibitors and distributors worldwide

are given some support (i.e.

the risk for them to release is

reduced), then I believe our films

will reach bigger audiences, which

in turn generates greater revenue.

When it comes to distribution,

what are some of the

challenges that the local

industry struggles with?

There is no science to distribution,

there is a lot of market data, risk

mitigation and then some luck. I

get the sense that often filmmakers

think that their distributors are

failing them, but when the reality

is that the distributor cannot

guarantee the success in a film.

They can play a big part in it, but

if you produce a film that no one

wants to watch, then there is

nothing the distributor can do to

change this. Filmmakers need to

work from audience backward,

i.e. identify the audience and

market trends, then develop

and produce the product, and

then release the film. Not the

other way around, if you want to

increase your chances of success.

What of COVID-19 – how

are you dealing with

this as a company?

This is certainly having an impact

on our business, as it is on all

businesses. The biggest effect

it will have is on the theatrical

window, and then the knock-on

to PayTV. In many cases, the

PayTV license is determined by

the box office performance, so

when this is down, so is the price

we are able to fetch further

down the line. The marketing a

theatrical release gets is also a

big driver on product awareness

which impacts EST and TVOD

sales further down the line. So,

in the immediate future, we

have to look at how this impacts

our planed releases, and we are

working with all the stakeholders

to find interim solutions that are

beneficial to all. Then in the long

term, depending on how long

the lockdown from the virus

lasts globally, we may end up in a

situation where there is a content

void. Which does mean that as

soon as things return to relative

normalcy there will be a boom

in production and opportunities,

and then it is a case of how

this content is released into

the market so as not to end up

in an oversupply situation.

TOP THINGS TO KNOW

ABOUT DISTRIBUTION

1. Know your target audience.

2. Engage with distributors

as early on in the

development process.

3. Take advice from

distributors – they

are the ones who are

at the coalface of the

market and audience.

4. Do what makes commercial

sense and be realistic in

terms of what you plan

on spending versus what

the revenue potential is.


GRAVEL ROAD / 07

GRAVEL ROAD DISTRIBUTION GROUP

ABOUT THE COMPANY

Gravel Road Distribution Group is a Cape Town based entertainment

company, that focuses on the sales and distribution of quality filmed

content across all market channels.

Our titles include:

Apocalypse Now: Final Cut, Pavarotti, The Square, The Bookshop,

Keteke, My Life as a Zucchini, The Recce, Sheep & Wolves,

Tulipani, Parasite, Azali, Hakkunde and many more African and

international titles.

My Life As A Zucchini

SERVICES OFFERED

We provide all rights distribution throughout Africa. We

annually attend major markets and festivals including AFM,

EFM, Cannes Film Festival & Market, MIPCOM, DISCOP and

Marche du Film Classic.

WHAT WE DO

Sales & Distribution: We represent and distribute both long and

short format filmed content across all available platforms globally.

Consulting: We provide a variety of solutions and strategies to

help both seasoned and aspiring entertainment professionals

meet their goals.

Video on Demand: Aside from distributing titles from our stable

to leading global VOD platforms, we have also built a fast-growing

network of Afrocentric VOD channels for consumption via mobile

and OTT services on the continent of Africa.

Retro Afrika Bioscope: R.A.B is an initiative through which we

locate, acquire, preserve, digitally restore and re-release lost African

films to new audiences around the world.

MEET THE TEAM

Benjamin Cowley

Founder & CEO

Cynthia Hlanguza

Acquisitions Manager

Parasite

THEATRICAL RELEASES 2020

Aphelele Mantshiyose

Media Traffic Co-ordinator

Jenna-Leigh Burns

Distribution Assistant

• Mrs Lowry & Son

[Drama – UK]

• Love Sarah [Drama – UK]

• Santana [Action –

South Africa]

• Sodium Day [Comedy

Drama – South Africa]

CONTACT US

• The Artist’s Wife

[Drama – UK]

• The Last Bus [Drama – UK]

• 100% Wolf

[Animation – Germany]

• Sheep & Wolves: Pig Deal

[Animation – Russia]

Tina Mbwale

Intern

Tel: +27 87 742 2322

Email: info@gravelroadafrica.com

Website: www.gravelroadafrica.com

08 / INDUSTRY SNAPSHOT www.thecallsheet.co.za

INDUSTRY SNAPSHOT ON

CORONAVIRUS

In a special Industry Snapshot, we look at how the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak

has affected and continues to impact the film industry in Africa and across the world.

and the Commercial Producers

Association has called for crew

to assist producers in finding a

solution to these issues. That

said, there are production

houses who are have ‘business as

usual’ plastered on their doors.

Although internationals cannot

COVID-19 IN NUMBERS

© Fusion Medical Animation (via Unsplash)

It started as a trickle in

December. We heard

rumours of Sony, Universal,

Netflix and others halting

productions and closing offices,

of international festivals being

postponed or cancelled. But

Africa only began to feel the

real effects of the COVID-19

pandemic less than a month

ago. On 27 March 2020,

as the coronavirus victim

TELL YOUR

CORONAVIRUS STORY

Submit your news about

COVID-19 and how it has

affected you. Tell us your

stories of success despite

the odds, challenges you

face, and how your

business is innovating to

stay afloat in this climate.

Send your stories to

kim@filmeventmedia.co.za

count in SA started to grow

exponentially day by day,

President Cyril Ramaphosa

enforced a nationwide lockdown

for 21 days. This has resulted

in businesses going bankrupt,

commercial and film service

work being postponed or lost

completely, and has generally

forced us to think very carefully

about the high-contact group

sport we call filmmaking and

whether this is a new normal

to adapt to like the power

shortages or the water crises our

country has faced in the past.

INTERNATIONAL

FESTIVAL COUNT

One of the first major festivals

to fall was SXSW, which was

cancelled in early March just days

ahead of its launch. This was

followed by MIPTV moving to a

completely online format amidst

France’s clampdown on the

pandemic spread. This has also

meant that Cannes Film Festival

will no longer be taking place

in May, nor will Cannes Lions

in June. Locally the pandemic

has already affected the Cape

Town International Animation

Festival which has moved its

event to 2021, while local

independent filmmakers like

Motion City Films’ Boni&Wes

have been hosting exclusive

online premieres in the wake of

cinema shutdowns.

Most government bodies

and local associations have

expressed their support of

the industry during this trying

time. This includes but is

not limited to Wesgro, who

has launched a COVID-19

support initiative (read more

further in this magazine), the

Documentary Filmmakers

Association, the Independent

Producers Organisation,

the South African Guild of

Actors, and many others.

The commercial industry has

reported several cancelled jobs,

On 31 December 2019, the

World Health Organisation

(WHO) reported a cluster of

pneumonia cases in Wuhan

City, China. ‘Severe Acute

Respiratory Syndrome

Coronavirus 2’ (SARS-

CoV-2) was confirmed as the

causative agent of what we

now know as ‘Coronavirus

Disease 2019’ (COVID-19).

Since then, the virus

has spread to more than

100 countries, including

South Africa. As of 1 April

2020, South Africa has:

• Conducted 44 202

tests for coronavirus

• Identified 1 380

positive cases

• Seen 31 recoveries

• Reported 5 deaths

For daily updated stats

and numbers, visit

www.sacoronavirus.co.za

Emergency Hotline in

SA: 0800 029 999

WhatsApp Support:

0600 123 456


INDUSTRY SNAPSHOT / 09

travel to SA, some are working

remotely. With digital film work,

the footage can be recorded

simultaneously to hard disk in a

format that can be immediately

viewed on a monitor. Most post

production houses will assist with

delivering digitised rushes for

the director, cinematographer,

and editor to view – often

transferred through the cloud.

Moonsport specialise in remote

sport streaming technology,

while Media Host’s Adstream

efficiently and effectively

integrates Digital Asset

Management (DAM) workflow

tools and a global asset delivery

network all on a single platform.

IF YOUR BUSINESS

HAS BEEN AFFECTED

The National Film and Video

Foundation (NFVF) has

invited the industry to submit

funding applications for script

development, animation, and

post-production projects. The

call for these applications was

supposed to have opened

in August, but this has been

hastened “to keep the industry

busy during this downtime”.

The NFVF will also provide

a once-off cash injection of

R500 000 to the ten companies

currently commissioned by

the organisation.

A range of funds and

assistance has been made

available to South African

businesses affected by the

coronavirus. All business can

claim tax breaks of up to R1

500 a month per employee

who earns less than R6 500. As

part of the special Temporary

Employee/Employer Relief

Scheme (TERS), money will be

paid out to workers in distressed

companies. The maximum benefit

is R6 730 a month. Companies

struggling to pay salaries due

to the coronavirus crisis need

to report this per email to

Covid19ters@labour.gov.za.

For SMEs, there are two

main government schemes

aimed at small businesses. The

Debt Relief Finance Scheme

and the Business Growth/

Resilience Facility. For both of

these, companies first need

to register at smmesa.gov.za.

For companies with an

annual turnover of less than

R50 million, there is an option

to delay payment of provisional

tax to 30 September 2021, while

these same businesses can also

keep back 20% of the payas-you-earn

(PAYE) payments

for the next four months.

The Oppenheimer family R1

billion will be paid out directly

to employees of SMMEs as

interest-free loans through

banks. The Rupert R1 billion

will be distributed as loans

through Business Partners

(www.businesspartners.co.za).

Many other options are also

available and more will likely

become available in coming

weeks and months. Stay tuned

to www.thecallsheet.co.za

for daily updates.

HSRC AND SWIFT WANT

TO HEAR FROM YOU

The Human Sciences Research

Council would like to hear from

the South Africa public to find

out more about how individuals,

communities and businesses

have been, and will be affected

by the progression of this

disease. You can do their survey

completely anonymously, by

going to this link: tiny.cc/HSRC

Sisters Working in Film and

Television together with the

other industry bodies under

SASFED, are compiling a list of

members who are negatively

impacted by the National

Lockdown that commenced on

Friday the 27th of March 2020.

If you have been impacted

through a loss or postponement

of work or income, please

take the time to fill in the

form: tiny.cc/SWIFTform

CREATURE SHOP

Caveman prosthetic

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was established 26

years ago by Graham

Press, who has more

than three decades of

industry experience and

nothing beats experience!

The Creature Shop is

your one stop solution to

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prosthetics and live action

animatronics. We endeavour

to stay on par with the

best effects companies in

the world in terms of new

techniques and materials.

The Creature Shop is

based in Cape Town, South

Africa, and is available for

all national and international

business at competitive rates.

Our happy clients range from

Feature Films to Commercials

and Music Videos.

Mechanical Lion

CONTACT US

Unit 11 Montego Park, 3

Marconi Rd, Montague

Gardens, Cape Town

Graham Press

graham@thecreatureshop.co.za

Tel: +27 82 379 3937

Kaila McLoughlin

kaila@thecreatureshop.co.za

Tel: +27 73 250 6611

www.thecreatureshop.co.za

10 / FILM SERVICE www.thecallsheet.co.za

Chapman’s Peak

SUNNY SOUTH AFRICA

DELIVERS ON FILM SERVICE

Internationals have been flocking to SA once again over the

2019/2020 film season – and for good reason: we offer everything

they need and more to get their productions off the ground. Katie

Reynolds-Da Silva reports.

The residents of Claremont

in Cape Town were

awoken in recent nights

by the unsettling and

rather bizarre sounds of a

musical band communicating

with a dragon. While some

people might have thought

that the end is indeed nigh,

the better informed residents

knew that all was well, and it

was merely the sounds of the

night shoot for The Watch – an

eight-part series based on the

beloved Discworld series of

books by Sir Terry Pratchett.

Film Afrika, the local

production company working

on The Watch, had kindly

informed all the locals in

advance that their slumber

might be interrupted.

While some shoots can

cause a short-term bother, the

long-term value of servicing

international productions

cannot be overstated. With

pandemics, political turmoil,

global recessions and the

plummeting stock market has

resulted in the zeitgeist of

2020 best described as suboptimal

(to put it mildly), film

production is one positive that

keeps us buoyant. Cruising

the streets of SA and seeing

base camps, catering trucks,

lighting and sound equipment,

and all the associated film

hullabaloo never fails to put

the pep back into one’s step.

THE STATE OF SERVICE

“The financial year ending

March 2020 was the most

successful year in the studio’s

history,” says Nico Dekker,

CEO of the Cape Town Film

Studios. “We are fully booked

until April 2021 with major

international productions,

including productions from

MGM, HBO Max and various

streaming series from Netflix.

The deals are signed and the

deposits paid, however, the

government’s response to

the COVID-19 pandemic in

the coming days may change

things dramatically for us.

Netflix has already suspended

productions

in other countries, and it is

very possible that is what will

happen here.”

According to Producer

Dylan Voogt, Stage 5 Films

will be providing production

services for their partners

COVID-19 AND FILM

On the evening of March

15 th , President Cyril

Ramaphosa addressed the

nation in a live broadcast.

Following an extensive

analysis of the progression

of the disease worldwide

and in South Africa,

Cabinet has decided on

the following measures:

• Limiting contact between

persons who may be

infected, and banning

gatherings of over 100.

• Imposing a travel ban on

foreign nationals from

high-risk countries such

as Italy, Iran, South Korea,

Spain, Germany, the

United States, the United

Kingdom and China as

from 18 March 2020.

• Cancelling all visas to

visitors from those

countries from 16

March 2020. Previously

granted visas are also

hereby revoked.

TM

TM


FILM SERVICE / 11

Warrior

Bloodshot

The Watch

Sulphur & White

AMG international films

(UK) and EMU films (UK) for

the feature film Prisoners of

Paradise. Set in Mauritius in

the 1920s, the film starts

principal photography in June

2020. This brings the total

of African countries that

Stage 5 Films has worked in

outside of South Africa to 14.

The previous AMG and

EMU film that Stage 5 Films

provided services for is

Sulphur & White which had its

theatrical release in the UK

on the 6th of March 2020.

The film is directed by Julian

Jarrold (Brideshead Revisited,

Kinky Boots). Stage 5 Films

also production serviced

the South African leg of the

productions with our friends

and partners at EMU Films

and AMG International Films

Stage 5 has the following

co-productions in development:

Apocalypse Now Now – SA,

Canada and USA; and The

Elephant Whisperer – SA,

UK, France and Canada.

Another Film Afrika

production is Around The World

In 80 Days, now shooting in

South Africa. The series began

filming earlier this year. Starring

David Tennant, Around The

World In 80 Days will air on BBC

One. Other recent high-profile

Film Afrika productions include

Raised By Wolves and The Power.

Moonlighting Films has

a formidable track record of

servicing international film and

TV projects, with credits that

include Mad Max: Fury Road,

Homeland Season 4, The Dark

Tower, The Mummy, Safe House

and Invictus.

“Είναι Ελληνικά για μένα.”

“Είναι Ελληνικά για μένα.”

IT’S NOT GREEK TO US.

IT’S NOT GREEK TO US.

TRANSLATIONS • TRANSCRIPTIONS • VOICE-OVERS

INTERPRETING • SUBTITLING • LOCALISATION & SEO

PROOFREADING • EDITING • COPYWRITING

TRANSLATIONS • TRANSCRIPTIONS • VOICE-OVERS

INTERPRETING • SUBTITLING • LOCALISATION & SEO

PROOFREADING • EDITING • COPYWRITING

CONTACT CONTACT US US

+27 (0)21 426 2727

pziets@folio-online.co.za

projects@foliotranslations.com

+27 (0)21 426 2727

www.folio-online.co.za

pziets@folio-online.co.za

@Folio_Online

projects@foliotranslations.com

www.folio-online.co.za

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@Folio_Online

facebook.com/folioonline

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Sulphur & White(left and right images)

Moonlighting has also coproduced

several treaty

co-productions, including

Skin (the first UK / SA

production), and Beauty (the

first SA / France co-production

which was in competition in

Cannes). Recent service work

includes Warrior Season 2

and Deep State 2, Hotzone,

and Black Mirror Season 5.

A REGION THAT

SELLS ITSELF

For those that still doubt the

versatility and unmatched

beauty of the Western Cape

once the lockdown is over. I

suggest taking the following

drive. Start in the Winelands

and roll through the vineyards

on your way to the coast, past

the sprawling townships and

crisscrossing highways, until

you see the white peaks of

the choppy ocean. You’ll see

the infamous Seal Island in the

distance, where great white

sharks perform their aerial

acrobatics, before you head

South down Baden Powell

drive, where the wind coats

the road in white sand and

it sometimes seems that the

ocean could swallow your car

at any moment. Keep rootling

south through Muizenberg

and Kalk Bay – recently voted

the coolest town in the world.

Continue hugging the coast

until you reach the penguin

colonies of Simon’s Town, then

hook a right and begin the

slight climb through Sun Valley

until the endless expanse of

Noordhoek beach appears

to your left. Take a moment

to marvel before you begin

what is without doubt the

most visually stunning drive in

the world. You’ve made it to

Chapman’s Peak – beloved by

car commercial productions

and bemoaned by cyclists.

Once you’ve comprehended

that there are certainly more

than five senses needed to

take this all in, cruise through

Camps Bay, playground of

the uber-rich and a perennial

favourite of the life-througha-lens

crowd. Lastly, pick a

bar on trendy Kloof street

in Cape Town CBD, order a

beer, and call whoever makes

the big decisions in your

production company. Tell

them you need to take them

for a drive…

NOT A ONE TRICK PONY

While I have waxed lyrical

about the visual splendour of

Cape Town and the Western

LOCATION PERMIT STATS:

• Film Cape Town

(2018/2019): 7 675 permits

issued, of which 405 were

TV projects and 248 were

feature film productions

• Gauteng Film Commission

(2018/2019): 153

permits issued

• Durban Film Office

(2018): 281 permits

issued, of which 23 were

TV projects and 23 were

feature film productions

Cederberg © Scott N Ramsay


FILM SERVICE / 13

Cape, there are many other

cities and towns that are

ideal for film production. The

province of Gauteng, home

to the cities of Johannesburg

and Tshwane, is the economic

steam-engine of South Africa,

of South Africa and lends itself

to all manner of production.

The province’s airports offer

easy access to SA’s multitude

of wildlife parks and reserves.

The Northern Cape’s arid,

stark landscape can provide a

post-apocalyptic look without

any set dressing at all, which

is surely a relief for any line

producer. KwaZulu-Natal is

renowned for its diversity, and

has its rolling hills and stunning

seascapes have taken centre

stage on multiple local and

international productions.

South Africa has 72 ports

of entry in the country which

are land, sea and air ports. Of

the 53 land ports, 35 will be

shut down with effect from

Monday 16 March. Two of the

eight sea ports will be closed for

passengers and crew changes.

TIP-TOP TALENT

While our landscapes are

enough to make any location

scout salivate, our talent

pool is equally tempting for

casting directors. Our many

ethnic and cultural groups

make for a diverse and rich

source to cast from. Any look

can be found here, no matter

how scarce. We also have an

established and experienced

pool of technical experts with

extensive experience in working

on international productions

Imagine a production

destination that is visually

stunning and renowned for

its ability to replicate almost

any landscape or country

on Earth. And now imagine

having a full-service, Englishspeaking

crew with the latest

in industry know-how, waiting

to service your production

with cutting-edge technology

Aquila Game Reserve Safari

and experience gained from

decades of working o n

international blockbusters.

Now take into account

the intricacies that come

with a film, TV or commercial

production. Think gear rental,

accommodation, specialist

vehicles, greening experts,

stunts, casting, animators,

post-production facilities,

animal wranglers, turnkey

studios, catering, and more.

All in o ne place. There is no

need to bring anything with

you. Bring the idea and South

Africa will bring it to life (at a

cost that will whet the appetite

of the most tight-fisted client).

Top it all off with a

rebate that is o n par with

the most generous o n the

planet, and you’ve got a

recipe for film excellence.

We act to ensure your

film succeeds

Our experience includes Sink, Shepherds and Butchers

Tomb Raider, The Mummy, Warrior, Isibaya,

Queen Sono, The Queen, Arendsvlei, Deep State,

Knuckle City, Forgiveness Films and many more.

Level 3 BEE Contributor. National Footprint.

Margie Welch

083 289 6321 | margiew@value.co.za

Drikus White

071 522 0338 | drikusw@value.co.za

unit gear packages: commercial | feature | individual

generators: 3 kva EU30is | 6 kva EU65i | 66 kva super silent base camp

vehicle rental: 1 ton | 4 ton | 8 ton | panel van | LDVs | forklifts | LWB Crafters

Our new address:

Stage 3, Panalux Building

Sanlam Business Park, Milnerton

Find us on

specialised: lighting | camera | production office | wardrobe | makeup

Value Logistics Limited is an authorised Financial Service Provider #45763


SUSTAINABILITY

ABOVE ALL ELSE

WrapZERO has been very

active in film-service work

over the past few years.

WrapZERO provides advice

and strategy around the

sustainability process for

productions, starting with the

co-creation of a strategy and

policy through an interactive

workshop. Support is

provided on the ground

through implementation,

data collection and

communication to crew

and cast. The third step is

collating all the data into a

sustainability and carbon

footprint report which will

guide future productions

and can be used for carbon

offsetting. Jointly this process

adds value to protecting the

environment, while providing

a positive economic and

social impact.

Over the last few months

WrapZERO has seen a

tremendous buy-in from

cast and crew following

on pro-active engagement

and a communication

campaign addressing issues

such as energy efficiency,

waste reduction and water

conservation. New topics

such as no-idling on set and

meat free meals are actively

being implemented on set.

To enable effective waste

management it is critical

to ensure that a three-bin

system is implemented, with

clear signage on the bins. It

does however require more

than just the bins and a full

implementation system is

A FAVOURABLE

EXCHANGE RATE

Low production costs and

favourable exchange rates

present considerable savings

for filmmakers. It is up to

40% cheaper to make films

here than it is in Europe and

the USA, and up to 20%

cheaper than in Australia.

The Watch

needed to ensure that the

compostable container goes

through to composted and not

land in landfill. The WrapZERO

team engages with local service

providers to find the most

optimal solutions for resources

that can be repurposed.

OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS WRAPZERO HAS SEEN

A TREMENDOUS BUY-IN FROM CAST AND CREW

FOLLOWING ON PRO-ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT AND

A COMMUNICATION CAMPAIGN ADDRESSING ISSUES

SUCH AS ENERGY EFFICIENCY, WASTE REDUCTION

AND WATER CONSERVATION.

MAKE YOUR NEXT

PRODUCTION SUSTAINABLE

BlueWater is a local company

which has helped to reduce

the need for single use

plastic bottles by providing

drinking water on set which

can be decanted as still

or sparking water. They

filter the water and serve it

cold, so cast and crew only

need to remember to bring

their own water bottles.

The use of LED lights have

shown to provide a big saving

on energy consumption on

set. The load is significantly

lower compared to traditional

halogen or tungsten lights

and although it can’t be

used in all circumstances,

it is easy to use and has

versatile colour options.

All these actions might seem

small, but jointly they help

to reduce carbon emissions

and encourage resource

efficiency, which has a positive

impact on the bottom line

and local community.

Source: WrapZERO

Blood Drive


FILM SERVICE / 15

iSimangaliso Wetland Park

Umtamvuna Nature Reserve Red Desert

GET YOUR VISA SORTED

Foreign professional teams are

required to have the correct

visas in place before they

travel to South Africa. Your

local service provider will have

access to FIVA – Film Industry

Visa Assistance, and as a

result significant waivers in the

immigration regulations will apply

to you.

These waivers include an

Oversight category which

will allow a large portion of

your production to travel to

SA without requiring work

authorisation. You will also have

access to waivers which limit

the amount of paperwork which

needs to be submitted for

Specialist travellers as well as a

dedicated office to resolve any

bottlenecks which might occur.

Please note that without a

FIVA letter obtained through

your SA service company, you

would require s11.2 Visitors

Visas with work authorisation

for your entire team if travelling

to SA. All personnel would

need to appear in person at the

South African Consulate in your

home country, please consult

the individual South African

Consulate website for your

home country for more details.

ALL VISAS VOID DUE TO

COVID-19 LOCKDOWN

The ongoing COVID-19

pandemic has resulted in

all approved visas being

cancelled. Please check for

updates on the relevant

government websites

and with your local

production company.

FILM / SERIES COMPANIES ATTACHED LOCATION

Black Mirror S5 Moonlighting, Endemol South Africa

Blood and Water Gambit Films, Netflix Cape Town

Bloodshot Moonlighting, Sony South Africa

Deep Blue Sea 3 Film Afrika, Netflix Cape Town

Deep State 2 Moonlighting, Indoor Productions Cape Town

Doctor Who Season 11 BBC Studios, Out of Africa Entertainment Western Cape

Escape From Pretoria Spier Films, Arclight Films South Africa

First Dates South Africa Rapid Blue Johannesburg

Good Omens Amazon/BBC, Salt River Studios Cape Town, Atlantis Dunes

Leprechaun Returns Out of Africa Entertainment, SyFy, Lionsgate South Africa

May’s Kitchen Ladies First Distribution Egypt

Monster Hunter Moonlighting, Constantin Film, Impact Pictures South Africa, Namibia

Queen Sono Diprente, Netflix Johannesburg

Raised By Wolves Film Afrika Cape Town

Sacred Games Season 2 Filmad Africa Productions, Netflix Nairobi, Cape Town, Johannesburg

Serenity Identical Pictures Mauritius

The Batchelor Australia Finale Visual Impact North West

The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind Blue Sky Films, BBC Films, Netflix Malawi

The Hotzone Moonlighting, Fox South Africa

The Professionals Spier Films Johannesburg

The Seal Triggerfish Animation Studios Cape Town

The Snail and the Whale (Post Production) Triggerfish Animation Studios, Magic Light Pictures Cape Town

The Watch Film Afrika, BBC Studios Cape Town

The Widow Film Afrika, ITV, Amazon Prime South Africa

The Yard Currency Media Kenya

Trackers Scene23, M-Net, ZDF, Scribe Studios Cape Town

Warrior Season 1 and 2 Moonlighting, HBO South Africa

Why Not Visual Impact South Africa

16 / FILM INCENTIVES www.thecallsheet.co.za

TAX REBATES

FOR FILMING IN AFRICA

We bring you a basic guide to the South African Film and Television

Production Incentive Programme and other rebates available on the continent.

The film incentive

programme offered by

the Department of Trade

and Industry (the dti) is

aimed at strengthening and

promoting South Africa’s film

and television industry as well as

contributing towards the creation

of employment opportunities.

The Foreign Film and Television

Production and Post-Production

Incentive is available to foreignowned

qualifying productions

and post-productions as follows:

• The Qualifying South African

Production Expenditure

(QSAPE) should be at least

R15 million for shooting on

location in South Africa,



(QSAPE) should be at least

R12 million for level one

Broad Based Black Economic

Empowerment (B-BBEE)

contributor status service

companies for shooting on

location in South Africa;

• The Qualifying South

African Post-Production

Expenditure (QSAPPE) should

be at least R1.5-million for

conducting post-production

activities in South Africa.

• The Foreign Film and

Television Production and

Post-Production Incentive

provides an incentive

of twenty-five percent

(25%) of the Qualifying

South African Production

Expenditure (QSAPE).

The Foreign Film and Television

Production and Post-Production

Incentive provides an incentive

of 20% of the Qualifying

South African Post-Production

Expenditure (QSAPPE) of at

least R1.5 million. An additional

incentive of 2.5% of QSAPPE is

provided for spending at least

R10 million of the post-production

budget in South Africa; or an

additional 5% of QSAPPE is

provided for spending at least

R15 million in South Africa. The

incentive programme offers

a reimbursable grant to the

maximum of R50 million

per qualifying project.

MOROCCO FILM REBATE

To qualify for the rebate,

projects must spend a minimum

of 10 million dirhams, or

approximately US$1 million.

The project cap is 18 million

dirhams, or about US$1.8 million.

Productions must spend at least

18 work days in Morocco – a

number that includes set-building.

Eligible expenses are capped at

90% of total expenditure.

Recent projects shot in

Morocco include John Wick:

Chapter 3, Aquaman, Hold the

Dark, Beirut, Tom Clancy’s Jack

Ryan, Mars, Game of Thrones and

Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation.

MAURITIUS

PRODUCTION INCENTIVES

The Government of Mauritius

introduced the Film Rebate

Scheme in endeavour to develop

new sectors of activity within

the creative arts industry. The

scheme allows 30% refund on

all the Qualifying Production

Expenditures (QPE) incurred by a

film producer in respect of their

Image by Micheile Henderson via Unsplash

project in Mauritius.

Besides feature films, the

Film Rebate Scheme applies to

other categories of production

such as commercials, TV series

and documentary programmes.

The Film Rebate Scheme,

implemented in 2013, was a first

step towards the development of a

film-service industry in Mauritius,

under which filmmakers benefit of

30% rebate on all the qualifying

expenditures incurred in Mauritius.

A new band of 40% rebate was

introduced in the National Budget

2016/2017 on all qualifying

expenditures incurred by a feature

film in Mauritius (minimum QPE

of $1 million). This new band

has been extended, through the

National Budget 2018/2019, to

high-end television series with a

minimum QPE of US$150 000.


CO-PRODUCTIONS

STRONGER TOGETHER

CO-PRODUCTIONS / 17

South Africa’s numerous co-production treaties enrich the production of films

and television series, with countries partnering for the myriad benefits.

Co-production is a general

term that covers a

variety of production

arrangements between

two or more production

companies undertaking a

television or film or television

project. A ‘co-production treaty’

is an agreement entered into by

two separate governments in the

field of audio-visual production.

The effect of this agreement

is that a film or television

programme, which is approved

as an official co-production is

regarded as a national production

of each of the co-producing

countries, and is therefore

eligible to apply for any benefits

or programmes of assistance

available in either country.

There are two types of

international co-productions:

• Creative control is shared

between local and foreign

partners, and there is a mix

of local and foreign people

in creative positions.

• A straightforward co-financing

arrangement (finance only) in

which one partner provides

partial funding while another

company undertakes the

actual production.

SOUTH AFRICA’S

CO-PRODUCTION INCENTIVE

The objectives of the South

African Film and Television

Co-Production Incentive, a subprogramme

of the South African

Film and Television Production

Incentive Programme, is to

support official co-productions

and contribute towards

employment opportunities in

South Africa.

The incentive is available to

qualifying official treaty coproductions

as follows:



(QSAPE) should be at

least R2.5 million

• For documentaries, the

Qualifying South African


(QSAPE) should be at

least R500 000.

The Incentive provides a

rebate of 35% of QSAPE, and

an additional 5% of QSAPE

is provided for productions

hiring at least 20% of black

South African citizens as heads

of departments (HODs) and

procuring at least 30% of the

QSAPE from 51% South African

black-owned entities which have

been operating for at least a

period of one year. The incentive

programme offers a reimbursable

grant to the maximum of

R50-million per qualifying project.

ELIGIBLE FORMATS

The following production formats

are eligible for support:

• Feature film

• Animation

• Tele-movies

• Television drama series

and mini-series

• Documentary,

documentary series and

documentary feature

• Digital Content

WHY WE WIN THE WORK

A country with a unique blend of

established production support

and expertise, combined with

a favourable exchange rate,

English-speaking crew, the latest

tech and gear, and topped off with

the most beautiful scenery in the

world, should be the tipping point

in the favour of South Africa as

your next film-service destination.

If not, adjust to the new normal

and embark on a virtual tour. That

is, until the pandemic is over and

international travel restrictions

are lifted. We will be waiting to

host you!

APOCALYPSE NOW NOW, A CO-PRODUCTION CURRENTLY IN THE MAKING © STAGE 5 FILMS

18 / ANIMATION SHOWCASE www.thecallsheet.co.za

BEHIND THE SCENES WITH

DANIEL SNADDON

Daniel Snaddon, the local director behind the BBC’s latest Julia Donaldson and Axel

Scheffler adaptation, The Snail and the Whale, pulls back the curtain to what lies beneath

Triggerfish’s latest collaboration with Magic Light Pictures.

The Snail and the Whale

premiered to an audience

of over 4 million on BBC

One on Christmas Day last

year. This is the latest to come

out of one of the most successful

animation collaborations in

South Africa to date. Triggerfish

have worked with UK-based

Magic Light Pictures since

their first adaptation, Stick

Man in 2015. To date, they’ve

done the animation for four

other awzrd-winning shorts –

Revolting Rhymes, The Highway

Rat, Zog and now The Snail and

the Whale. Daniel Snaddon,

Director at Triggerfish Animation

Studios, takes us behind the

scenes to show us what went

into putting it together.

Firstly, give us the basics

– what is The Snail and

the Whale all about?

The Snail and the Whale is based

on a children’s book by Julia

Donaldson and Axel Scheffler,

and it is the story about a little

snail who wants to see the

world. The film’s really about

exploring the world, recognising

how big and beautiful the world

is, but then also starting to feel

your own insignificance in the

face of that. And the snail’s

journey coming to terms with

who she is and what difference

can she make in the world.

Tell us a bit about your

partnership with Magic

Light Pictures.

Magic Light Pictures first came

to us to produce Stick Man, which

I co-directed. They took a huge

risk in deciding to come to South

Africa and set this up with us

because at that time, Kumba

had already been finished for

about a year and a half and the

whole team had gone elsewhere

and gotten other jobs.

However, we were able

to put together a team of

animators from across South

Africa in different fields who

get the chance to really tell

stories – which is what we’re

all passionate about. It’s been

amazing. There are very few

projects where you get this

much time, we get about a

year and a half to make a

twenty-minute film. That is

very unusual. So I think that

we’ve been very fortunate and

blessed by this relationship.


ANIMATION SHOWCASE / 19

How long did it take to

finish the production of The

Snail and the Whale and

what were the challenges

you came up against?

The Snail and the Whale was

started by my directing partner

Max Lange. At the time we

didn’t think we were going to

do The Snail and the Whale

because we were busy preparing

for SEAL Team. But that got

pushed out. And then we

suddenly had an opportunity

to do The Snail and the Whale.

The reason we wanted to do

this project especially is because

in SEAL Team we have a lot of

water, and water is very difficult

to do in CGI. In The Snail and the

Whale there was quite a lot of

water – not as much as in SEAL

Team, but we thought if we can

do this short film, then we can

build a VFX team specifically

to tackle this challenge.

The first footage for the

first shot – our test drive shot

– we started in November or

October 2018 and that same

shot was only approved around

May 2019! It was particularly

difficult. Drove us all crazy then,

but now it helps us solve a lot

of big technical problems.

What would you like the

audience to experience when

they watch this movie?

I became a father while we

were making The Snail and

the Whale, and I was really

happy when I read the book

for the first time. I read it

to my son when he was

actually still in the womb,

and I really had to unpack the

message for myself. That’s

very subtle in the movie. But

it encourages people to not

feel overwhelmed by the

bigness of life’s problems;

you shouldn’t give up.

We heard you may be

leaving Triggerfish?

Why the move to

Sunrise Productions?

I’ve been with Triggerfish

since 2012, and I’ve had a

wonderful time here and I’m

going to continue working with

Triggerfish. I’m developing a

feature film with them based

on a comic book that we

kick-started call Kariba. I’m

also working for development

on some other projects. So

I’m not really moving away

from Triggerfish. I’m still very

much part of Triggerfish.

But I am going to be moving

to Sunrise Productions to

work on a very exciting project

that I’m definitely not allowed

to say anything about yet!

But they’re putting together

an incredible team and it’s a

chance for me to learn from

some amazing people.

Callsheet_AD_04_PRINT_FINAL_28022020.pdf 1 2/28/20 1:57 PM

ANIMATION

HOUDINI

DIGITAL

FILM

TV

www.priest.co.za

+27 (021) 201 4777

confessions@priest.co.za

DESIGNED BY AMELIA COHEN

20 / FILM TOURISM www.thecallsheet.co.za

OPPORTUNITIES IN

FILM TOURISM

Musawenkosi Gebuza speaks to major South African stakeholders to find out

if and where opportunities exist to capitalise on film tourism in the region.

Black Sails was shot in South Africa predominantly at Cape Town Film Studios © Starz Entertainment

Film tourism is recognised

as one of the drivers for

the development and

growth of international

tourism industries for a number

of destinations. Film-induced

tourism comes in many shapes

and forms, from studio and

locations that fans can visit, to

exploring the various places

made famous by any particular

film or television production.

Film tourism is a growing

phenomenon worldwide,

fuelled by both the growth of

the entertainment industry and

the increase in international

travel. Marketing opportunities

are generated when the

film is being premiered

and distributed as well as

during each release window.

Additional businesses and

services can be created

through film tourism that,

in turn, can encourage the

extension and strengthening

of the visitor season.

NEW ZEALAND:

A SUCCESSFUL

INTERNATIONAL CASE

New Zealand, after the launch of

The Lord of the Rings in 2001, the

country’s tourism industry has

shown impressive growth. The

release of the Tolkien trilogy and

subsequent films have made New

Zealand a place to be thanks to

the incredible vistas found in

each film instalment. Tourism

New Zealand has itself stated

that, “research shows us that film

can influence travel choices.”

New Zealand now has its own

fully-fledged set of organisations

– Tourism New Zealand, the

New Zealand Film Commission

and Film New Zealand. All of

these bodies actively work to

promote New Zealand as a

travel destination for fans of

films made there, including The

Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit and

The Piano, to name just a few.

Another great and growing

example is Ireland, which has

recently capitalised on hosting

the majority of the production

of Game of Thrones in country.

As revealed in their behindthe-scenes

documentary on

the show, film tours of the

region and sets used have

created new income options for

extras and other film industry

service providers who have

worked on the GOT set.

CREATE TOURISM

OPPORTUNITIES BY

ATTRACTING MORE

PRODUCTIONS

Tourism is a milestone for

job creation and economic

stimulation, a big boost for many

hot spots due to the influence

of pop culture and luxurious

lifestyle filtered through movies

and TV shows that bring

forgotten and unknown corners

of the world to the attention

of the media-consuming

masses. And tourism boards are

increasingly using the passion

of fandoms to promote their

countries and regions.

South Africa has thousands of

beautiful, and diverse locations

with vast potential. Lisa Mini,

Wesgro’s Film and Media

Promotion Officer, explains:

“Over the last few years, our

country has been dressed and

redressed to masquerade as

America, Europe, Hong Kong

or the Island of Corfu. We have

everything from forests and

oceans to mountains, deserts and

cityscapes alongside fabulous

beaches. As highly a soughtafter

film destination, many

international films and TV series

have been shot on location in

Cape Town and the Western

Cape – like Warrior, Black Sails,

Dr Who, Black Mirror and Love

Island, to name a few. Hosting

productions like these entice

tourists to visit our country to

see the locations where these

films were shot. Research has

shown that after a successful


FILM TOURISM / 21

series or movie, tourism can

increase by up to 54%.”

Ultimately, the driving force

behind film tourism is the

ability to attract big budget

productions to our shores. The

compilation of databases of the

resources available such as hotel

companies, transport companies,

catering companies, etc. that are

easily accessible for producers

who need them is a crucial part

of this process. There needs to

be a focus on the promotion

of film service companies and

skilled labour so as to reassure

international productions of

the country’s ability to fulfil

their needs, says Nokuthula

Shongwe, Acting Marketing and

Communications Specialist at

KwaZulu Natal Film Commission.

“In order to successfully

position South Africa as a film

destination, we need to ensure

that local municipalities have the

necessary skills and knowledge

to package and showcase their

locations to the film industry.”

OBSTACLES AND CHALLENGES

TO IMPLEMENTING

FILM TOURISM

There are a few major challenges

that South Africa faces ahead

if it truly wants to leverage

this multiplier for the tourism

sector. One of these is lack of

ownership. Although there are a

number of massive productions

that were shot in South Africa,

locations may not have been

properly credited. Examples of

these have been Maze Runner:

The Death Cure, and

Tomb Raider (2018).

Founding is also a major

obstacle for film production in

South Africa because very few

companies can dedicate fulltime

resources to development,

therefore there are insufficient

development of concepts and

scripts, leading to many South

African stories being told by

foreign producer/director teams.

Shongwe explains further:

“The biggest challenge right now

is lack of film industry knowledge,

especially from service providers

and land owners. The inability

to create film-friendly rates

and the slow turn-around times

when it comes to requests for

permits has also posed a major

challenge for big producers.”

Another challenge that needs

to be addressed is how to market

a destination that can replicate

basically any other country

across the world. Tourists

would naturally rather flock

to the actual landmark where

a production was supposedly

filmed than visit the actual

production destination. This

is a dialogue that needs to be

explored more, or alternatively,

our country has to wait for

a chance when South Africa

is shot as itself rather than

another destination to capitalise

on this tourism opportunity.

WHAT LIES AHEAD

FOR THE BRAVE

“The fourth industrial revolution

opportunities lie in creative

Cape Town streets set against the foot of Table Mountain © Matt Halls (via Unsplash)

industries. Having a vibrant film

and media industry – VFX, AR/

VR, Gaming and Edutainment

as well as locations and studios

will help drive growth from the

creative producers and crew

working in this industry,” says

Mini, adding that, “We don’t

know what the jobs of the future

will be, but we do know that

some of the most cutting-edge

products are discovered on the

job so the more work the country

attracts the more opportunities

will be uncovered.”

4IR has already and will

continue to change the travel

industry and as such, this

will filter into film tourism as

well. And with the COVID-19

pandemic forcing us to rethink

the way we do business in film

and travel, we’re likely to see

some new and exciting film

tourism marketing opportunities

arise in the very near future, too.

ANOTHER CHALLENGE THAT NEEDS TO BE

ADDRESSED IS HOW TO MARKET A DESTINATION

THAT CAN REPLICATE BASICALLY ANY OTHER

COUNTRY ACROSS THE WORLD. TOURISTS

WOULD NATURALLY RATHER FLOCK TO THE

ACTUAL LANDMARK WHERE A PRODUCTION WAS

SUPPOSEDLY FILMED THAN VISIT THE ACTUAL

PRODUCTION DESTINATION.

Johannesburg cityscapes © Tembinkosi Sikupela (via Unsplash)

22 / WESGRO www.thecallsheet.co.za

WESGRO CONTINUES PROMOTING

CAPE TOWN AND THE WESTERN CAPE

Wesgro has and will continue to promote and support the film and media

industries in Cape Town and the Western Cape despite COVID-19 setbacks.

BERLINALE / EUROPEAN

FILM MARKET

In February, Monica Rorvik,

Head of Film and Media

Promotion at Wesgro attended

the 70 th edition of the Berlinale

International Film Festival with

its expansive European Film

Market where she spoke on the

inaugural Landmark platform

about the opportunities that the

Western Cape has to offer.

Over 50 South Africans took

part in meetings and attended

panels at the European Film

Market’s Africa Film Hub. Five

South Africans attended the

350-person cohort of Berlinale

Talents where MasterCard

fellowship awarded Western

Cape’s Sydelle Willow Smith

of Sunshine Cinema. Four of

the five South Africans that

attended were from the Western

Cape, including Nozuko Poni, a

distributor; Pierre De Villiers, a

cinematographer; and editors

Jacques De Villiers and Matthew

Swanepoel. Wesgro was

also part of the side meeting

programmes such as WEP Film’s

Junior Entertainment Talent

Supported (JETS) supported by

seven co-production countries

including three National Film

and Video Foundation (NFVF)

projects from South Africa.

As always, the cutting edge of

the future was present, including

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

filmmaking and wildly fantastic

Pan-African Virtual Reality (VR)

projects – with South African

Electric South projects as

well as a VR experience which

required a trip on an African

Space Makers bus to the Zeiss

Planetarium. www.berlinale.de

SXSW CANCELLATION

Unfortunately, due to the

rapid spread of COVID-19

(the Coronavirus), South by

South West (SXSW), among

many other global festivals and

events, has been cancelled.

Wesgro’s Film and Media

Officer, Lisa Mini along with

Chief Business Officer, Yaw

Peprah and Leisure Tourism

Content Creator and Curator,

Robert Peters, planned to attend

the event in Austin, Texas, but

remained home to reduce the

risk of contracting and spreading

the virus. For more information:

www.sxsw.com

CAPE TOWN INTERNATIONAL

ANIMATION FESTIVAL

AND COMIC CON

The ninth Cape Town

International Animation Festival

(CTIAF) has been postponed

to 24-27 April 2021. The event

will take place at the Cape Town

Stadium and will be co-located

with Comic Con Cape Town.

Both events were scheduled

to take place in May this year,

but have been postponed

following the spread of the

COVID-19 virus, and the South

African Government’s ban on

public events over 100 people

as one of its responses to

manage the pandemic. “We are

obviously saddened not to be

able to bring you the incredible

programme we had lined up,

Head of Wesgro Film and Media Promotion unit, Monica Rorvik(left) and Canadian Producer,

Natasha Vassell(right) at the 70 th Annual Berlin International Film Festival

but we are committed to being

socially responsible and doing

whatever we can to prevent

the spread of the Coronavirus,”

says Festival Director Dianne

Makings. “The health and safety

of our delegates, sponsors, staff

and the population at large is and

will remain our highest priority.

The good news is that next year

CTIAF will be even bigger with

an epic four days of events!”

Delegates will have a choice

between refunding their ticket

or rolling it over to the new

dates in 2021. This process will

be managed hand-in-hand with

ticketing partner Howler. Visit

www.ctiaf.com for updates

a great place to create

COVID-19 CONTENT CENTRE

The Department of Economic

Development and Tourism ,

together with Wesgro, the City of

Cape Town and industry partners,

have activated the official virtual

COVID-19 Content Centre which

consists of sector specialists and

communications experts, set up

to develop reliable content to

assist industry, and manage

daily queries and business

concerns. These FAQ’s, including

film can be found on

www.supportbusiness.com.

If you have any questions

or queries, please send

them through to

supportbusiness@wesgro.co.za.

Film banner strip 2017.indd 2

2017/03/07 10:56 AM


SPOTLIGHT / 23

RAND-AIR’S TWINPOWER

GENERATORS AND LED LIGHTING DO THE

FILM INDUSTRY A ‘POWER’ OF GOOD

LED lighting

Twinpower generators

Fundamental to Rand-Air

is the ethos of ultimate

customer convenience, and

this is especially relevant

when supplying deadline-driven,

high-profile sectors such as the

film industry. To this end, Rand-

Air has purchased four Atlas

Copco TwinPower generators,

the benefit of this arrangement

being that there are two 550 kVA

generators in each container.

This containerised generator

solution gives a very compact

footprint, unrivalled versatility,

optimised performance and

excellent fuel economy. In

addition, the two modules

inside the container can be

synchronised so that it is possible

to supply either 1 100 kVA

or 550 kVA – a versatile and

portable cost- and fuel-saving

option for the customer.

“Many of our customers

prefer to have one self-contained

unit on site, as opposed to two

individual 550 kVA generators

in sync,” explains Rand-Air

Fleet Manager Craig Swart.

The footprint of the container

is smaller than two individual

550 kVA generators; and having

the generators in containers

protects them against extreme

weather conditions. The

WE ARE ABLE TO SUPPY AND SERVICE SOUTH

AFRICA AND OUR NEIGHBOURING SUB-SAHARAN

AFRICAN COUNTRIES.

company is able to supply

the TwinPower solution to

a wide geographic area.

“We are able to suppy

and service South Africa

and our neighbouring sub-

Saharan African countries,”

continues Swart.

The units are delivered to

site and Rand-Air technicians

make sure they are working

to the customer’s complete

satisfaction. “All the customer

needs to do is switch the

power on, and continue

uninterrupted with their core

business,” he continues.

Rand-Air also has another

very relevant solution for the

film sector, in its portable

LED lighting units.

“Because these units are

fitted with LED bulbs, they

are remarkably economical

and will run for days without

requiring refuelling or any

other attention. In addition,

modern LED bulbs last longer

and fail less often than their

earlier filament counterparts,

and can handle harsh mining

conditions without burning out

prematurely,” Swart explains.

There are no trailing cables to

either get cut, damaged or trip

over, because the diesel engine,

generator and lighting tower

are all contained on a single

trailer. Furthermore, as they

are mounted on a robust trailer,

moving them to new positions

as filming angles change,

takes a matter of minutes.

In addition, Rand-Air lighting

units are all manufactured by

world leader Atlas Copco and,

as such, these units deliver

the most cost-effective,

lowest maintenance service.

24 / SPOTLIGHT www.thecallsheet.co.za

THE ROLE OF CREATIVITY

POST COVID-19

Rohan Reddy, Executive Creative Director for the McCann Africa network,

shares his thoughts and insights on this international health emergency.

At the time of writing this in

Johannesburg, COVID-19,

aka the coronavirus, has

infected more than

190 000 people globally and

claimed over 7 500 lives.* Just

three months ago, most had

never heard of ‘the coronavirus’,

but now it is a household word.

THE BAD NEWS

In response, countries are

shutting their borders, denying

visas, grounding airlines. Schools

and universities are closing,

supermarket shelves are being

emptied of everything from

toilet paper to tofu, once buzzing

restaurants are reduced to

whispers. Businesses and some

industries are scrambling to

stay afloat, stock markets are

crashing, and politicians are

looking less presidential and

more pathetic.

Our hands have never been

cleaner, human contact is being

frowned upon, people are

getting sick or dying. We don’t

care much about advertising or

design anymore; mortality is our

reality, we care about surviving.

When 2020 comes to an end,

the world we live in will probably

look very different from the one

we said goodbye to in 2019. And

it is impossible to predict what

this new world will look like.

THE GOOD NEWS

Humanity will survive this virus.

And, something beautiful is

bound to emerge. Because, we

as humans have a primal desire

to make our existence beautiful

again, and again.

Creativity will save the

world. People will look to our

poets, our artists, our musicians,

our dancers, our inventors,

our architects, our engineers,

our writers and designers to

redefine humanity’s purpose

post-COVID-19. Businesses will

look to their advertising agencies

and design studios to redefine

how we consume everything

from food to fashion to travel.

Because, at the end of 2020,

it will not be business as usual.

It will be something completely

different. We will spend our

money differently, we will save

our money differently and we

will probably make our money

differently too. We will have

no choice but to adapt to and

redefine the changes coming

our way, big and small. But

adapt and redefine we must.

History will not always want

to remember the anxiety and

sadness and sickness and death

COVID-19 has infected upon

us - important as it is. I believe

history will ultimately want to

remember how we picked up

the pieces, rose above it all and

brought humanity back together.

Because we belong together.

I call this belonging, culture.

So, to all my fellow creatives

out there - prepare yourselves.

For when the time comes, there’s

work to be done. There will

never be a greater opportunity

to lead the world forward, and

not from a political front but a

creative front. It’s not just our

job, it’s our existential duty.

Get thinking. The present

is not going anywhere. I look

forward to seeing what we

will all create. Our children

will thank us later.

*At the time of publishing, these

numbers had escalated to 820

000 infected with 40 000 deaths.


MGG PRODUCTIONS / 25

MGG

ABOUT THE COMPANY

Our beginnings in 2000 might have been humble, but our ambition

to become one of the most established and respected suppliers

of technical support and equipment to the live event, corporate

production, and film and television industries was firm. Today, we

are exactly that. Our services are customised and end-to-end,

our execution meets the highest international standards, and we

are recognised for being one of the biggest – and best – in the

business. AV equipment. Lighting gear. LED screens. Rigging. Sets,

structures and stages. Cameras. Projection. Power distribution.

The MGG warehouse boasts one of the most impressive

inventories of top-end technical equipment not only in the

country but across the continent, most of which is available for

hire. This equipment is expertly rigged and managed by our team

of creatives, night owls and geeks whose years of experience and

sharpened skill sets are superseded only by their love for what

they do.

SERVICES OFFERED

At MGG, our multiple departments, including audio, AV

and LED, lighting, structures and rigging, and printing and

manufacturing, work closely to ensure the success of our

projects. Their seamless collaboration is made possible by

our in-house logistics systems and processes, which focus on

efficiency and guaranteeing our clients peace of mind.

Over the years, we have put our extensive equipment to

use at events and productions of every size and description.

Sporting events, concerts, conferences, exhibitions, festivals,

film and television sets, and one-man bands have all been on

the receiving end of our holistic services and our never-say-no

attitude. We also use and supply live event generator power, so

that we are properly prepared for any eventuality.

DEPARTMENTS

CONTACT US

Unit A Linbro Crossing, 12 3rd Road, Lindbro Park, Johannesburg

Tel: +27 11 608 4094 | Website: www.mgg.co.za

Email: izel@mgg.co.za | rianda@mgg.co.za

26 / LIVING LEGENDS www.thecallsheet.co.za

LIVING LEGEND:

JACKIE MOTSEPE

In a brand new segment called Living Legends, we profile the people who have

moulded South Africa’s film history and find out how they have contributed to

its growth and development. This issue, we shine a spotlight on Jackie Motsepe,

Chairperson of the KwaZulu-Natal Film Commission.

up the role of Chief Operations

Officer of the KwaZulu-Natal Film

Commission, Jackie has lived and

breathed the promotion of the

region. But why is it such a great

place for filmmakers?

Ever the marketer, Jackie

KZNFC HIGHS

A

powerhouse of a woman

who grew up as the

daughter of anti-Apartheid

activists living in the UK,

Brussels and Algeria, Jacqueline

Motsepe is a force to be reckoned

with. After studying Sociology

and Psychology in Sutherland in

1989, her early career years are

peppered with anti-Apartheid

campaigns and steeped in South

Africa’s early political movements.

This includes assisting in the

promotion of the Release Mandela

Campaign and working with

the victims of Apartheid laws

and political prisoners through

the International Defence and

Aid Fund in the UK. She’s even

served as a Personal Assistant

to the Chief Representative of

the African National Congress

in London. But ultimately, it was

not politics that beckoned her…

A CAREER BEYOND

ANTI-APARTHEID

Since her return to South Africa,

Motsepe has built a career

spanning over 15 years in film,

broadcasting and marketing. Her

accolades in the media include

overall Co-Chair of the South

African Film and Television

Awards, President of the Jury for

Films and Television at the Pan

African Film Festival (FESPACO),

and Head of Jury for Feature Films

at AFRIFF in Nigeria.

Jackie, as she’s better known

amongst her peers, played an

integral part in the inception

and early growth of the National

Film and Video Foundation,

where she was responsible for

the formulation of marketing,

communications and stakeholder

strategies. She’s had several

stints with the South African

Broadcasting Corporation over the

years, including GM of Acquisition

for International Content for

three stations, and through

her work there has developed

a co-production strategy for

the public broadcaster. She’s

even worked with the National

Electronic Media Institute of South

Africa to formalise and manage

their marketing department.

PLACING KWAZULU-NATAL

FILM ON THE MAP

Developing and implementing

strategies for growth is clearly one

of her strong points. Since taking

The KZNFC has had a

tremendous impact on

the local film sector. Here

are just a few highlights

from the last five years.

• Funding of 236 projects

to the value of R250

million, of which 177

are in development and

59 are in production

• KZNFC-funded films

have screened at over

20 international festivals

and scooped awards

• 2 co-productions in

development and

production stages with

Nigeria and UK respectively

• 10 films to be developed

through collaborations with

indie filmmakers in Nigeria,

Kenya and the UK to the

value of R63.5 million

• The Made for TV quality

boost initiative has taken

local producers through

intensive mentorship

programmes that include

arranging pre-sale deals

with broadcasters.


LIVING LEGENDS / 27

responds with ease: “With its

warm beaches and favourable

weather, KZN has always been

one of the leading tourist

destinations in the country and

there was a clear relationship

between film and tourism and

how these two industries can

positively affect one another.”

She adds that although still

in its infancy, the region’s film

sector is definitely growing.

“In 2017 and 2019, KZNFC

funded films have been the

highest grossing local films at

more than R17 million and more

than R18 million respectively at

the South African box office,”

Jackie explains. “KZNFC-funded

films have been screened in

more than 20 international film

festivals and some have scooped

awards. KZN is also the home of

two long running soapies: Uzalo

and Imbewu. These have both

put the province on the map and

have a secure local workforce

that is constantly upskilling.”

CREATING A FILM

HUB OF NOTE

Since its founding in 2014, the

KZN Film Commission (KZNFC)

has been instrumental in the

growth and development of the

province. As they celebrate their

fifth anniversary this year, Jackie

turns an eye to the many initiatives

that have assisted local filmmakers

in sustaining a career in the

creative fields.

“There are quite a few

initiatives that are a source of great

pride to us,” she says, “namely the

KwaZulu-Natal Film Commission

Bursary Scheme, which has had

a total of 138 bursary students

and the KwaZulu-Natal Film

Cluster.” The cluster offers up

a range of solutions including

shared workspaces with highspeed

connectivity, affordable

access to equipment, postproduction

facilities, sound

studios, and training programmes.

“KwaZulu-Natal also hosts

community screenings throughout

the province,” Jackie adds. “These

are aimed at developing local

audiences and ensuring that

the local films are consumed

by those who do not have

access to cinema.” Last, but

certainly not least, is their film

fund, which has been a huge

help in stimulating economic

activity and providing jobs.

SCALING A MOUNTAIN

OF CHALLENGES

Naturally, when tasked with the

development of an industry still

in its infancy, one has several

major challenges to overcome.

It has been no different for the

KZNFC, whose biggest problem to

date has been the skills gap. “The

commission has invested millions

of rand towards the development

of local filmmakers through free

industry workshops and training

programmes,” she says, adding that

talent retention is another issue

they have had to grapple with.

“There aren’t enough

productions to employ young

filmmakers, but as the industry

grows and local film producers

shift towards producing more

made-for-TV content, short

films and feature films, we will

begin to see a change. Since

the film commission began

operations, there are more

graduates and filmmakers who

are staying in the province and

working in the industry. There

are also filmmakers who have

decided to relocate, with a few

more seriously contemplating

making the move.”

With two long-running soap

operas based in KZN, Jackie

stresses the ever-growing need

for studio facilities. “The KZN

film commission is working

earnestly with its shareholder

to ensure that we do have film

studios in the near future,” she

explains, saying that there is a

real case for studios, and it’s

only a matter of time before

this becomes a reality.

28 / LOCATION SPOTLIGHT www.thecallsheet.co.za

NAMIBIA: MORE THAN

SUNKISSED DESERT DUNES

Known for its dramatic, arid landscapes, Namibia offers a vast array of desertscapes

for filmmakers to use, from the highest dunes in the world to its abundance of wildlife,

Namibia is ready to welcome your film shoot.

Dense bush and rugged

mountains, rolling dunes

and breath-taking coastal

plains are the order of

the day in Namibia. It has a rich

history of indigenous and colonial

German cultures that is reflected

in its architecture and locations.

From the coastal dune belt to

the Himba villages in Purros, to

the Kunene River to the Ugab

River, Namibia offersmuch

to discerning filmmakers.

Locations like the Fish River

Canyon, the largest canyon

in Africa, continue to attract

filmmakers and photographers,

while Swakopmund is another

favourite with its sandy beaches

facing the Atlantic Ocean

rich with colonial landmarks

such as the Lighthouse and

the Mole. Sossusvlei is well

known for its salt and clay pan

surrounded by high red dunes.

FILMS SHOT IN

THE COUNTRY

Some of the most popular films

shot in Namibia include Samsara,

10 000 BC, Beyond Borders, A Far

Off Place, Flight

of the Phoenix and The Young

Black Stallion. American

psychological thriller The Cell

was also shot on location in

Namibia, as was BAFTA awardwinner

The Hunters, and Stanley

Kubrick’s renowned sci-fi, 2001:

A Space Odyssey.

Recently Namibia welcomed

and assisted ITV with their

first episode of Straight Talking

with Ant Middleton. MTV’s

series The Challenge was shot

entirely in Namibia, while LG

shot part of their commercial

for the new LG OLED TV

at Deafvlei and Sandwich

Harbour, both iconic locations.

In 2016 Tom Cruise’s Middle

East scene for The Mummy

was filmed in Namibia, while

George Miller’s Oscar-winning

Mad Max: Fury Road was also

shot here that same year.

FILMING ON LOCATION

Visiting productions must apply

for a General Film Permit from

the Namibia Film Commission at

least three weeks prior to arrival.

Additional permits will apply for

specific locations, shooting b-roll

in cities, use of public space,

national parks, drone filming,

or filming with tribes such as

the Himba and San people. An

environmental officer is required

to be on set each day of filming in

a national park.

Guy Nockels CEO of

Namib Film explains: It is easy

to get permission to film in

Namibia, as long as you are

working with a local company

such as Namib Film. The

Namibia Film Commission

has changed their regulations

CLIMATE

Namibia has a subtropical

desert climate

characterised by great

differences in day and

nighttime temperatures,

low rainfall and overall low

humidity. Average sunlight

hours range between 9

hours per day in February

and 11 hours per day

in August. The annual

precipitation is 370 mm,

with most taking place

between January and May.


LOCATION SPOTLIGHT / 29

WELCOME ASSIST

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for filming in the country and

all foreign productions must

work with a local facilitator.

The NFC has also formalised

the industry with local

companies registering with

NFC. Registrations ensure

that foreign productions only

deal with companies that have

the experience and skills to

facilitate them. The NFC does

not want just anybody to do

such work, as our credibility

as a country is at stake.”

Marinda Stein, Founder

of RedHot Film Productions

as well as a board member of

the Namibia Film Commission

elaborates, “Once companies

have registered, they will be

listed on the Commission’s

website and all foreign

productions will be expected

to do their projects through

listed film facilitators only.”

Namibian service providers

go to lengths to ensure that

equipment is available and provided, and they can easily

assist with sourcing equipment locally such as Arri

Cams, Fischer Dollies and ABC cranes. Unit support

equipment is easily obtained through local suppliers. It is

recommended that film cameras are brought from abroad.

The ATA carnet system is the best approach

for transporting equipment.

POPULATION

2.6 million (July 2020)

Source: CIA World Factbook

ACCESS

Hosea Kutako International Airport is the main

airport in Namibia serving the capital city Windhoek.

• British Airways

• Ethiopian Airlines

• Eurowings flights

• KLM flights

• Lufhansa flights

• Qatar Airways

• South African Airways

CONTACT

New Mission Films

Tel: +264 81 289 5909

Email: newmissionfilms@gmail.com

Web: www.newmissionfilms.com

Namib Film

Tel: +264 64 46 3371

Email: guy@namibfilms.com

Web: www.namibfilms.com

Namibia Film Commission

Tel: +264 61 381 900

E-mail: info@nfc.na

Web: www.nfc.na

FIXERS

Guy Nockels

Tel: +264 64 46 3371

Email: guy@namibfilms.com

Miranda Stein

Email: info@tshandukomedia.com

30 / ASSOCIATION NEWS www.thecallsheet.co.za

IPO NOTICE ON COVID-19

The Independent Producers

Organisation on 18 March

2020 disseminated an

notice from the Executive

Committee on the

COVID-19 pandemic and

how the organisation will

be assisting members and

the industry at large.

“The IPO ExCo has decided

to recommend that all our

members suspend their

ongoing production or delay

any imminent production,

and inform and consult

with their lawyers, their

channel CES and Business

Affairs as to the best way

of implementing their

decision. Action is required

TODAY to reduce the

exponential risk in virus

spread,” the statement said.

The ExCo will be writing an

urgent memorandum to all

the broadcasters, as well as

the department of health

and the presidency to outline

the specific challenges

faced by our industry and

to call for an urgent all

industry response. They

are also calling for urgent

meetings – telephonic or

video conference – with

all stakeholders including

SABC, eTV, Multichoice,

other broadcasters and

platforms, as well as NFVF,

DTI, IDC, DAC, etc. to

coordinate their actions.

They will also be reaching

out to the relevant Minister

in the National Command

Council and ask for urgent

and meaningful support

measures, and are in the

process of reviewing

terms of trade, standard

commissioning and coproduction

agreements.

To read the full statement

or to get in touch, visit

www.ipo.org.za or email

ipoexco@ipo.org.za.

CPA CALLS FOR

RELAXATION OF

INDUSTRY AGREEMENTS

The Commercial Producers

Association circulated the

following request to crew in

mid-March in the wake of

the COVID-19 restrictions.

“Government restrictions

have been implemented

far more quickly than we

anticipated however this is a

good thing as these measures

are clearly needed,” the

statement said. “As you know,

some jobs have already been

cancelled while others have

been postponed. While some

companies have indicated that


ASSOCIATION NEWS / 31

they will be scaling back on

all work, most CPA members

want to continue working

where possible. They will do

this in line with Government

recommendations and

will provide the necessary

facilities on set to limit

the spread of the virus.”

Crew members who wish

to continue working have

been asked to report to

the production company

booking them if they have

recently travelled to any

high-risk countries, or if they

have been in touch with

any person who has tested

positive for the virus.

“It is vitally important that

each person take personal

responsibility for ensuring

that they do not spread

Covid-19 to others on set or

in wider society,” CPA said,

adding that each production

company would individually

advise on client cancellations

or postponement policy.

To read the full statement

on what crew can expect

particularly from very

recent cancellations, and

accompanying fees and

waivers, visit www.cpasa.tv.

SAGA LAUNCHES

COVID-19 PROTOCOL

FOR ACTORS

The South African Guild of

Actors has created a checklist

for productions still shooting

to assist Actors in preventing

the spread of COVID-19. For

actors on productions still

shooting SAGA recommends:

• Hand washing stations

and hand sanitisers

made available

• Make-up and hair

departments need

to wear masks

• Deep cleaning/disinfecting

of brushes, etc.

• Use sponges that can

be washed and put

in boiling water

• No communal brushes

• Bring your own makeup

• Bring our own plastic

and nylon nailbrush

for nail hygiene in

bathrooms if you are risk

• Sanitary use of props

They also recommend

that producers implement

the following:

• Essential crew only

during takes

• Rest and holding spaces to

allow for social distancing

• Avoid crowded

communal areas

• Additional sanitary

precautions at craft

stations and meal times

The SAGA team has also

provided tips on general

procedures at home and

at work, general protocol

for maintaining sanitary

measures, and restroom

protocol. To read the

full protocol, visit

www.saguildofactors.co.za.

Image by Gustavo Yoneya via Unsplash

32 / DIRECTORY www.thecallsheet.co.za

DIRECTORY OF ADVERTISERS

COMPANY TELEPHONE EMAIL WEBSITE PAGE

Cape Town International

Convention Centre

+27 21 410 5000 sales@cticc.co.za www.cticc.co.za

INSIDE FRONT

COVER

City of Cape Town

F/LM Cape Town

+21 417 4035 film.permit.capetown.gov.za www.capetown.gov.za 03

Durban FilmMart +27 31 311 4243 sharon.ngcobo@durban.gov.za www.durbanfilmmart.co.za

INSIDE BACK

COVER

Folio Translation

Consultants

+27 21 426 2727 projects@foliotranslations.com www.folio-online.co.za 11

Gravel Road Africa

Distribution

+27 87 742 2322 info@gravelroadafrica.com www.gravelroadafrica.com 07

Kwa-Zulu Natal Film +27 31 325 0200 marketing@kwazulunatalfilm.co.za www.kwazulunatalfilm.co.za

OUTSIDE

BACK COVER

MGG Productions +27 11 608 4094 carly@mgg.co.za www.mgg.co.za 25

Motif Studios +27 71 203 8815 craig@motifstudios.co.za www.motifstudios.co.za 05

Priest Post Production +27 21 201 4777 cal@priest.co.za www.priest.co.za 19

Rand Air +27 11 345 0700 info@randair.com www. randair.co.za 23

The Creature Shop +27 73 250 6611 graham@thecreatureshop.co.za www.thecreatureshop.co.za 09

Tsogo Sun +27 21 488 5756 moira.sinclair@tsogosun.com www.tsogosun.com 27

Value Film Fleet +27 21 556 0700 margiew@value.co.za www.value.co.za 13

Welcome Assist Premium

Product Solutions

+27 76 192 2527 /

+27 83 440 1835

info@welcomeassist.co.za www.welcomeassist.co.za 29

Wesgro +27 21 487 8600 film@wesgro.co.za www.wesgro.co.za/film 22

CONTACT US

Cover Image:

Cover image © David Condrey

via www.unsplash.com

Publishing Editor:

Lance Gibbons

lance@filmeventmedia.co.za

Contributors:

Katie Reynolds-Da Silva,

Zubenathi Malothana

Editor: Kim Crowie

kim@filmeventmedia.co.za

Head of Design: Liam Abrahams

design1@filmeventmedia.co.za

Production and Digital:

Cindy Jarvis

cindy@filmeventmedia.co.za

Editorial Assistant:

Musawenkosi Gebuza

admin@filmeventmedia.co.za

Business Development Manager:

Jennifer Dianez

jennifer@filmeventmedia.co.za

Vector Image Credits:

Illustrations used to create Film Feature

headers on pages 10 - 22 © Vector

designed by kjpargeter via Freepik www.

freepik.com

JOIN US

2 Dingle Avenue

Kenilworth, 7708

Tel: +27 21 674 0646


DISCLAIMER:

Opinions expressed in The Callsheet do not necessarily

represent the official viewpoint of the editor or the publisher,

while inclusion of adverts/advertising features does not imply

endorsement of any business, product or service. Copyright

of this material is reserved. While every effort has been made

to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this

publication, The Callsheet and/or its employees may not be

held liable or responsible for any act or ommission committed

by any person, including a juristic person, referred to in this

publication. It and they furthermore accept(s) no responsibility

for any liability arising out of any reliance that a reader of this

publication places on the contents of this publication.

FILM CO-PRODUCTION

11

at the Durban International Film Festival 2020

Go to: www.durbanfilmmart.com

Follow us on:

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@durbanfilmmart

The Callsheet Africa Issue 2 - 2020

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