R90 million fund set up for black South African filmmakers

Aspiring filmmakers could soon get a financial boost from government  through a new inititative to support local film

The Industrial Development Corporation (IDC), the Department of Trade and Industry, and the National Film and Video Foundation this week launched a R90-million fund for black filmmakers trying to get their movies onscreen.

The Emerging Black Filmmakers Fund will sponsor the R5-million production costs, as well as the marketing budget for six feature films over the next three years.

The South African film scene is burgeoning following the success of locally-filmed films like Tsotsi and Mandela: A Long Walk To Freedom, which have drawn international acclaim.

But for local filmmakers, success has been hard to find.

“We have identified a growing need to support the production of South African films and documentaries, particularly by black filmmakers and producers,” the IDC’s head of media and motion pictures, Basil Ford, said in a statement.

Read the full report on AllAfrica.com

 

– Image via Wikimedia Commons