South African Film Summit positions SA’s film industry for global scale

Over the course of two days, 4–5 February, budding filmmakers, industry experts, policy makers, and government officials gathered at Joburg’s Skyrink Studios for the South African Film Summit.

Hosted by the Department of Arts and Cultures and held under the theme ‘Transformation and Innovation in the South African Film/Audio-Visual Industry and the 4th Industrial Revolution,’ the forum shed light on telling authentic South African stories and the role of the film industry in nation-building while also growing the economy.

“This is one singular, most important story of South Africa, that after the fall of apartheid in 1994, the story which should be characterising South Africa out there in the world, should be the story about how are we forging this path of building a nation because there was no nation before 1994. All of us were fragmented in our small tribal and ethnic groups,” said Arts and Culture Minister, Nathi Mthethwa.

The summit was primarily focused on addressing media practitioners on the concerns raised by the film industry, such as funding, gender inequality, and steps that filmmakers and government can take together to secure their global position in the industry.

“The cultural and creative industries, and in particular the audiovisual sector, has long been recognised as a catalyst for economic growth in South Africa, where there is a potential to contribute immensely to the South Africa economy and to create employment,” Mthethwa said.

The summit probed the possibilities of advancement through technology and Mthethwa highlighted that the opportunities presented by technological and digital developments could not be ignored. The minister said adapting and embracing innovation for the transformation of the film industry was vital for it to realize growth and opportunities presented by the digital age.