By: Lungisa Somtombo
Eastern Cape filmmakers received a cash injection of R15.8 million to give life to the non-existent Eastern Cape film industry.
Addressing scores of filmmakers at Miriam Makeba Audio Visual Centre in East London. Eastern Cape Provincial Arts and Culture Council (ECPACC) CEO Phumeza Skoti said the Eastern Cape film industry does not exist but the funds allocated will cater to the needs of filmmakers in the province.
The funds will help create jobs in the creative industry and promote growth in the creative economy. Skoti said ECPACC together with the Department of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture wants to make sure that these funds build the film industry in the Eastern Cape.
“These funds will also reach filmmakers that are in rural areas. To make sure this happens we will work with the Eastern Cape House of Traditional Leaders to get to the villages,” she said.
Further, Skoti said this is not meant to create jobs only in the industry but will create jobs for local catering companies, fashion designers and other companies that can render services used in the making of a film.
ECPACC is trying to end the norm of filmmakers from outside the Province coming to the Eastern Cape to make films and the Province does not get anything in return because the province lacks the necessary skills.
Skoti expressed that the film development fund is also meant to enhance the skills of filmmakers to improve productivity and improve on specialist skills such as script writing, producing and directing.
Mdantsane filmmaker Aubrey Silinyana said the funding announced is a continuation of what has already started. ECPACC’s intervention together with DSRAC has been very helpful and they have seen the difference.
Zinzi Khulu, a filmmaker from Lady Frere said ECPACC does reach filmmakers in the villages as she is from a village and is part of the filmmakers that were funded last year.
Skoti said the call for applications for the funding will be advertised and they will go to municipalities so that they can tell people about the funding.
“We have noticed that people from the Eastern Cape do not apply, creatives are into their stories, they are not into packaging applications, so we will assist them with applications,” she concluded.