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Clarification on Cape Film Commission Production and Distribution Company
Despite our attempts
over the past 18 months to outline to industry why the CFC needed to set up a
production company there now appears to be concern in the industry as to why we
have created this new company.
Please allow me to
explain. For some time now, it has been a prerequisite for a production
company to be registered with the Cape Town Film Permit Office in order to
apply for a film permit.
Companies that are not
registered with the City of Cape Town Permitting Office (CTFPO) for filming on City owned properties are often referred to the Commercial Producers' Association (CPA,) South African Association of Stills Producers (SAASP) or other organisations by the CTFPO and advised to apply through one
of their member companies for a permit. This was confirmed by these
organisations at a meeting some weeks ago.
The Cape Film Commission
occasionally needs to take promotional photographs or videos of our territory
to include in marketing missions, etc. The fact is that we are unable to take
promotional photos or videos without a film permit. The CTFPO refused and has
been refusing to register the CFC for permit applications for some 18 months.
Their suggestion to overcome this was to establish a separate production
company and register it. This we have now done.
The Cape Town Film
Commission Production and Distribution Company (CFCPDC) has not been registered to
enable us to produce films. It has been registered only to enable the CFCPDC to
apply for permits and for Previously Disadvantaged Individual (PDI) filmmakers, students, independent photographers
etc., including small international productions to apply for a film permit
through their membership of the CFC without having to register with the CTFPO
(some do not have the relevant paperwork to do this.)
The CFC is offering this
free of charge service to enhance the industry, not compete with the industry.
Please let us assure you and your colleagues that there is no intention to take
work away from you. This is all in line with the discussions we have had with
yourselves and industry professionals over the past year. The details were sent out in our
emails and newsletters to the broader membership during that time.
As we have stated in our
most recent newsletter on the subject, please advise us if you have any
concerns or suggestions over what we have put in place to allow us to consider
any changes we may need to make.
From our perspective, we
would encourage debate on issues but it is also unfortunate that industry
members prefer to discuss their concerns with each other rather than address
them directly to the CFC, as we requested during the course of developing this
proposal. We work on the basis that if you do not comment then you are happy
for us to progress proposals.
Regards
Denis Lillie
CEO
