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Message from the Chief Executive
In November we launched the Film Friendly Gauteng campaign – an initiative to further position the Province as an attractive and competitive film destination, and attract productions to Gauteng during the upcoming summer months. To date, we have brought on board a number of our key locations, hotels, car rental companies and other suppliers and providers of services to the industry. These partners have committed to film friendly business practices and competitive industry rates. We call on the entire industry to join in the campaign.
Taking cinema back to the streets is the objective of another GFC initiative. During December, the GFC will be conducting a series of workshops to introduce some of our citizens to film as a career choice. In addition we will be bringing some much needed festive cheer to communities as we conduct a series of screenings in partnership with the City of Johannesburg and the Sedibeng District Municipality. We are particularly proud of the screenings we will be hosting at the Ekurhuleni School of the Deaf and the Sizwile School of the Deaf.
And we report on a tremendously exciting initiative to tackle piracy in Joburg’s CBD, which brings together industry players and stakeholders, local authorities and government bodies. It is through initiatives such as Bliksem DVD’s and its innovative approach, coupled with youth empowerment and employment, that we can actively tackle the scourge of piracy, through which approximately 14 million illegal DVD’s are sold annually in South Africa.
Our production update this month looks at a new project, Paradise Stop, from the creative team behind White Wedding as well as several exciting shoots in Gauteng. Our special feature takes you under the skin of Anthony Fabian, director of Skin, due to be released in January 2010.
The location feature of the month looks at industrial architecture – an area in which Gauteng’s cities most certainly excel. Staying with locations, we wish to advise the industry that our offices will close from the 18 December 2009 and will reopen on the 4 January 2010. We request therefore that all permit and location-related enquiries for the festive season be submitted as soon as possible.
Wishing you an enjoyable festive season and a new year filled with endless filming possibilities!
Terry Tselane
Chief Executive
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IN BRIEF
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Pledging to support the industry
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November 23rd marked the launch of the Gauteng Film Commission’s (GFC) ‘Film Friendly Gauteng’ initiative at the stunning Turbine Hall venue in Newtown, Johannesburg.
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| …to read more CLICK HERE |
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Joburg a Top 10 Creative City
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Joburg’s growing reputation as a creative centre has been further boosted by the city coming in at number 10 in the world’s Most Creative Cities ranking, in the inaugural Cannes Report 2009, which highlights the official rankings of agencies, regions, countries and cities based on their performance at the Cannes Lions 2009 International Advertising Festival.
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| …to read more CLICK HERE |
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Film festivals a must
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These days there are so many films being made globally that it is crucial to get your film out into the public domain any way you can. Often the best way to do this is to send your film to various film festivals around the world. However many filmmakers vary in their opinions about the value of such festivals.
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| …to read more CLICK HERE |
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Almost 100 years and still rolling
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The Great Kimberly Diamond Robbery, shot in 1910, was the first feature film shot in South Africa, although newsreels were filmed during the conflict period of the Anglo Boer war as early as 1896. It was, however, the arrival of immigrant IW Schlesinger, whose desire it was to show and distribute movies, that was the catalyst for the building of theatres and the true birth of the South African film industry as we know it today.
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| …to read more CLICK HERE |
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GFC hosts Film as a Career workshops and screenings
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The Gauteng Film Commission (GFC) on Monday (30 November 2009) hosted the first of 16 screenings and workshops focusing on Film as a Career, to roll out over a two week period, in collaboration with the City of Johannesburg’s Library and Information Services and the Sedibeng Local District.
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| …to read more CLICK HERE |
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SAFTAs nominees announced
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The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) announced nominees for next year’s South African Film and Television Awards (Safta) at a low-key event in rained-out Richmond, Johannesburg, on 19 November 2009.
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| …to read more CLICK HERE |
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Raeburn and the world of Black Diamonds
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Word on the street is that director Michael Raeburn is working on a new film with rather a lighter theme than his last award-winner, Triomf.
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| …to read more CLICK HERE |
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Location filming guidelines released
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At an industry function on Monday night (23 November 2009), the GFC released the Guidelines for Location Filming in Gauteng – a set of industry guidelines compiled to clarify roles and responsibilities and to give film makers clear guidance relating to location filming requirements in Gauteng.
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| …to read more CLICK HERE |
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Spier Films calls for scripts
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Spier Films is actively canvassing for projects seeking production finance. It is looking for material that has been developed by experienced producers that it will co-produce, but will also accept submissions from writers who do not have producers.
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| …to read more CLICK HERE |
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Going digital in the movie houses
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Cinemark recently announced that audiences and advertisers can enjoy the experience of digital cinema on 93 screens countrywide.
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| …to read more CLICK HERE |
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Film indaba attendees raise pertinent issues
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Attendees at the National Film and Video Foundation’s two-day Film Indaba (26 – 27 November 2009) raised some pertinent questions, says the NFVF’s Eddie Mbalo.
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| …to read more CLICK HERE |
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Engaging set designers
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Clients utilising the film industry tend to have a shallow understanding of the level of dedication that is required when it comes to set design. So says Stef Prioreschi, of Johannesburg film and television set design and construction company, Sets Non Stop.
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| …to read more CLICK HERE |
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HOT SHOTS
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Lance Samuels is Out of Africa
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Out of Africa Entertainment has entrenched itself as one of the leading production companies in Gauteng and its CV of production work, both past and current, would be the envy of local and indeed many International production companies.
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| …to read more CLICK HERE |
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EMERGING HOT SHOTS
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Not handbags – films Darling!
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Four young talented South African filmmakers have been selected as part of a group of 15 finalists in the prestigious The Journey Awards, created by Louis Vuitton to showcase the talents of emerging filmmakers.
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| …to read more CLICK HERE |
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He’s got soul
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Thabo Bruno Mokoena feels even more inspired after the success of his film Soul Train, which recently won Best Photography Award at the Sichuan TV Awards in China.
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| …to read more CLICK HERE |
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SHOT IN GAUTENG
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It’s Too many Degrees in Jozi!
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Scenes for a documentary, Too Many Degrees, commissioned by the British High Commission to look at the effect of climate change on human security were shot at various locations in Johannesburg during October.
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| …to read more CLICK HERE |
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Yeoville the setting for teenager’s tale Yolanda
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With the mammoth task of having to shoot a character-driven story in just three days and using a cast that had never acted before, the director and crew of local production house, Creative Vision, had their work cut out for them.
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| …to read more CLICK HERE |
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Picture Tree gets whacky
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LG’s ‘whack’ enabled mobile handset has been brought to life in Joburg-based commercial production company Picture Tree’s latest TV commercial, showing you that it really is possible to be whoever you want to be. With a quirky script by client Y&R and Darren ‘Whackhead’ Simpson as the face of the LG Chatterbox Pro, the shoot was destined to be a laugh from the onset.
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| …to read more CLICK HERE |
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PERFECT LOCATION
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Industrious Gauteng
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Gauteng is the province to film in if it’s industrial locations you’re after. This month’s location feature focuses on industrial locations with historic significance.
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| …to read more CLICK HERE |
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SPECIAL FEATURE
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Under Anthony Fabian’s Skin
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Documentary and short-film director Anthony Fabian found the subject for his feature film debut on breakfast radio. ‘Skin‘, the story of Sandra Laing, the white girl born black due to a genetic abnormality, has had a nine-year journey to the screen from that morning. Andrew Worsdale spoke to the director about the film’s development, the Gauteng shoot and the challenges of distributing an independent movie today.
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| …to read more CLICK HERE |
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| 2010 COUNTDOWN |
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Twenty Ten project calls for applications
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In preparation for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, African photo/multimedia journalists are invited to participate in ‘The Twenty Ten Project’, an international training programme that will take place in the months prior to, and also during, the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
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| …to read more CLICK HERE |
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More MTN Ekasi sites
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MTN announced the installation of two more Ekasi TV sites that offer the residents of Orlando West (Soweto) and Mtubatuba (Richards Bay) giant TV screens on which to follow all the excitement of local and international football live and the 32 World Cup teams in action next year.
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| …to read more CLICK HERE |
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FIFA Fan Fest to connect the world
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FIFA has launched a Fan Fest for the 2010 FIFA World Cup which will connect football fans globally across South Africa and five continents.
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| …to read more CLICK HERE |
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MADE IN GAUTENG
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Diverse range of studio facilities for film and TV in Gauteng
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Having often been asked questions such as: ‘Where can I find a studio in Gauteng? Is there a film laboratory? Can I mix my Dolby 5.1 soundtrack here? Where are the animation facilities?’, the Gauteng Film Commission decided to commission a survey of all the film and television studios over a specific size criteria in the Province offering full services to film and TV producers. The result will be a comprehensive guide, which will be available on the GFC website.
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| …to read more CLICK HERE |
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| FESTIVAL & AWARD WATCH |
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| 5-20 December 2009 |
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Auteur School of Independent Filmmaking
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5-20 December 2009
Venue: Johannesburg
For more info: www.auteurfilms.co.za
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Local release: Invictus
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The inspiring true story of how Nelson Mandela joined forces with the captain of South Africa�s rugby team, Francois Pienaar, to help unite their country. Newly-elected president Mandela knows his nation remains racially and economically divided in the wake of apartheid. Believing he can bring his people together through the universal language of sport, Mandela rallies South Africa�s underdog rugby team as they make an unlikely run to the 1995 World Cup Championship match. 11 December 2009
For more info: www.numetro.co.za
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January 2010
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Local release: Skin
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Based on an extraordinary true story, Skin is the tale of Sandra Laing, born to white parents but classified as coloured during the apartheid era. Anthony Fabian directs Sophie Okonedo as Sandra and Sam Neill and Alice Krige as her parents, Abraham and Sannie.
22 January 2010
Distributed by UIP
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Local release: Amelia
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Mira Nair’s look at the life of legendary American pilot, Amelia Earhart, who disappeared while flying over the Pacific Ocean in 1937 in an attempt to make a solo flight around the world. Using Rand Central in Gauteng as one of the locations, the movie starts Hilary Swank, Richard Gere and Ewan McGregor 22 January 2010
(click here to go to the Shot in Gauteng piece on Amelia that appeared in In Focus)
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| February 2010 |
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| Need to know |
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2010 GFC Calendars
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A limited number of 2010 wall calendars showcasing a selection of Gauteng locations is available on request and may be collected from the GFC offices while stocks last. Go to www.gautengfilm.org.za for the Commission’s contact details.
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Film Permits: Festive Season Office Hours
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Please note that the GFC will close from 12 noon on Friday 18 December 2009 until Monday, 4 January 2010. Permit applications for this period should kindly be submitted to Seitiso Mogoshane before Friday 11 December 2009 to ensure that applications are processed on time.
For more information contact Seitiso Mogoshane at 082 663 7925 or seitisom@gautengfilm.org.za
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Early bird offer on Loerie Annual
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The Loerie Annual, designed by MetropolitanRepublic, is a further expression of the ‘Feed your Ego’ theme of the 2009 Awards. It also comes with a DVD set featuring the TV, radio, experiential and digital winners.
Early birds who pre-order the 2009 annual & DVD set before 31 December 2009 can take advantage of two special offers: a 10% discount on the standard price of R605 or get both 2009 & 2008 annual & DVD combo set for just R650. The annual will be out in early 2010. Orders can be placed via the Loeries online store www.theloerieawards.co.za.
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The Open Window offers honours degree in Vis Com in 2010
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The Open Window School of Visual Communication is offering a BA Honours degree in Visual Communication at its new campus in Southdowns, Centurion in 2010. Graphic designers, illustrators, web designers, animators and filmmakers with a previous qualification are invited to take their knowledge and experience a notch higher.
The honours degree programme consists of:
- A practical component: projects done for the industry and projects of the student’s own choice
- A theoretical component: Visual Culture, Business Practice and a dissertation.
- Fields of specialisation include graphic design, interactive media, illustration, video and animation.
To apply, send an email to the Academic Director, Francisca Badenhorst, at fran@openwindow.co.za before Wednesday 9 December 2009.
The honours degree programme will commence in February 2010. Student enrolments are limited. Selection criteria apply.
For more info on The Open Window, visit www.openwindow.co.za .
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Learn to script, shoot and edit your own story in four days
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The Media Academy is offering short video courses in Johannesburg, incorporating the best practice of reporting together with the practical aspects of filming and editing.
YouTube has shown us that video is changing the world of communication and the media business. Videojournalism is a global movement that creates new opportunities – for producers, media companies, bloggers, film students, storytellers…
Working together with award-winning videojournalists, students will each learn to shoot, script, track, edit, produce and upload their work. The Media Academy has designed several comprehensive short-term courses for people with experience and for those who would like to make a start.
Video Journalism – ‘Be part of a global revolution’. For more info on courses: www.media-academy.co.za
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DIFF announces dates, calls for entries, for 31st edition
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The Durban International Film Festival has announced that its 31st edition will take place from 22 July to 1 August 2010. The festival will present over 200 screenings of films from around the world, with a special focus on films from South African and Africa. Screenings will take place throughout Durban including township areas where cinemas are non-existent. The festival will also offer an extensive seminar and workshop programme featuring local and international filmmakers.
The festival calls for entries from around the world. Feature films, short films and documentaries are all welcome. The festival does have a competition component. The deadline for entries is 31 March 2010 for short films and documentaries; 15 April 2010 for feature films. Early submissions are encouraged.
The entry form is available on the web http://www.cca.ukzn.ac.za/Durban_International_Film_Festival.htm
For more information visit: http://www.cca.ukzn.ac.za/ email diff@ukzn.ac.za.
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Call for industry to support Gauteng Football Friday
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The GFC calls for the film and TV industry to support the Province’s Gauteng Football Friday campaign, launched in Johannesburg on Friday 27 November by Premier Nomvula Mokonyane.
The campaign, part of a mass campaign around the 2010 FIFA World Cup, aims to mobilise the people of Gauteng to play an active role as hosts of the World Cup as well as to promote Gauteng internationally.
So don your Bafana Bafana football jersey every Friday and be part of thus unity-building campaign.
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Check your visa and passport requirements
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Following a recent incident where a high profile director was initially denied access to an air flight out of Europe due to not having the required visa for South Africa, the Gauteng Film Commission urges all production companies and industry members to please check and confirm all visa and passport requirements have been met. Please go to the Department of Home Affairs website (www.home-affairs.gov.za/documents,asp ) and click on the Visas section. If you are in any doubt whatsoever, please contact the SA Embassy in the country in question and, if necessary, request written confirmation.
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DFA/WoS Copyright Workshop & Film Premiere
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The Documentary Filmmakers Association (DFA), Women of the Sun (WoS), and American University’s Program on Information Justice and Intellectual Property and Center for Social Media, American University, invite you to a special 2-day workshop and film screening focusing around the issue of expanding the utility of copyright “users’ rights” for documentary filmmaking.
Sponsored by the Ford Foundation and the GFC, the City of Johannesburg, Underdog and the NFVF, this workshop will feature the launch of Untold Stories in South Africa: The Creative Consequences of the Rights Clearance Culture for Documentary Film, the final report of a year-long study of rights clearance and documentary film in South Africa.
The workshop will begin with a public screening and discussion with the director of The Order of Myths, a documentary that explores race, music and celebration at Alabama’s Mardi Gras, and which benefitted from a project in the U.S. working with filmmakers to understand users’ rights under copyright law. Click here to learn more about the film.
The workshops will be conducted on how South African filmmakers can use and expand users’ rights under South Africa’s copyright law. All of the events are open to the public and FREE of charge for members of DFA, WoS and BFN. There is a minimal charge for others to attend the Workshops to cover catering. The opening and film screening is free.
10 December 2009, 19h00 – Film Screening and discussion with director of The Order of Myths
Venue: The Laager Theatre, Newtown
11 & 12 December 2009, 09h30 Registration followed by workshop
Venue: SAB World of Beer Conference Venue, Newtown
Free to DFA, WOS or BFN members, subsidised fee of R80 for others (paid at entrance)
For more info and to register, go to www.docfilmsa.com/rights/
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