The Gauteng Film Office strikes gold with huge overseas film deal into SA

The GFO, which has been in operation for less than two years, has facilitated a partnership between Johnnic Communications and Hollywood producer Gary Goldstein (Producer of Pretty Woman, Under Siege, and Mothman Prophecies) to bring major feature film production into South Africa.

Finalised just last week, the strategic alliance between the Goldstein Company and South Africa's Johncom was initiated and co-ordinated by the GFO after over a year of research, development, and trips to Hollywood to investigate prospects for South Africa's film industry. "We identified Johnnic Communications as the ideal partner for Mr. Goldstein, due to its BEE component and diverse holdings," states Themba Sibeko, CEO of the Gauteng Film Office.

The project will consist of commercially viable feature films being produced by Gary Goldstein under a South African Film Fund. Goldstein's vision statement included the following comment: "Our commitment begins with a desire to actively produce globally-exportable films with artistic and commercial merit in South Africa for years to come." This is a significant step towards building a sustainable film industry that will enable South Africa to compete in the global market.

With their mandate being to promote Gauteng as a premier film location within South Africa, the GFO has successfully built relationships with other international stakeholders in the film industry. In exploring Pan-African partnerships, the GFO identified the Zanzibar International Film Festival (ZIFF) as an ideal starting platform. Several months of talks with producers of "African Tales", Shane Mohabhir and Imruh Bakari (Festival Director of ZIFF), have resulted in a series of ten short films to be shot in South Africa.

The GFO also secured the attendance of Alesia Weston, Director of International Feature Film Development for The Sundance Institute, at Sithengi 2003 with the goal of furthering the development of South African scriptwriters. The Sundance Institute recently invited Yizo Yizo director, Thebogo Malatsi, to their annual writers' lab in North America to develop scripts for the international market. The GFO facilitated meetings between The National Film & Video Foundation, Script Writers Association of South Africa, (SCRAWL) and AVEA and The Sundance Institute at Sithengi. This relationship bodes well for the growth of aspirant South African scriptwriters.

The GFO's mission to Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro in Brazil in August 2003 has also resulted in new and exciting prospects and partnerships for the Gauteng and South African film and television industry. The GFO represents the first South African film commission to ever make contact with the Brazilian Film and Television industry, where they met with, and were well received by, renowned exhibitors, producers, distributors, directors and festival co-ordinators.

The highlight of the mission was the GFO's meeting with Ilda Santiago, Director of Rio do Brazil, the largest film festival in South America, held in Rio de Janeiro in September every year. A proposal is being tabled by the Festival that will focus on celebrating South Africa's ten years of democracy - the GFO (in partnership with Rio do Brazil) will hold an exhibition at the September 2004 festival in Rio "to showcase ten years of independent South African cinema". The exhibition will encompass a cross-section of films, exploring the diversity and creativity which has been the spirit of South African cinema since '94. Ms. Santiago was a guest of Sithengi at the request of the GFO and spent a week in Cape Town and Johannesburg, meeting with local producers, directors, NGOs and distributors.

In line with their vision to "turn red tape into smart tape" and make it as easy and hassle-free as possible for film-makers to work in the province, the GFO has recently launched their own unique online film permit system. Please visit www.gfo.co.za to download the permit.

The Gauteng Film Office can be contacted on: (011) 833 8750.