SAGA invites you to a comprehensive on-set  breakdown of professional conduct with our panel

Join SAGA this coming Saturday    Ever wondered who is who on a production set? Can you distinguish the Director, from the Assistant Director, from the Director's Assistant?  SAGA invites you to a comprehensive on-set  breakdown of professional conduct with our panel: SAGA member and actress Natasha van der Merwe, Director Khayelihle Dom Gumede and First Assistant Director Craig H. Mathys.  With so many creative and technical workers on a film/TV set, it is easy to be confused. But every professional actor is expected to be familiar with production protocol and on-set systems! Join the discussion as SAGA's workshop explains exactly what is expected of actors on set. #KnowYourStuff Date: Saturday 11 October Time: 10:00 to 12:00 Place: Register with the zoom link here

Click here to register

What are the challenges that professional African artists face?

SAGA presents a panel discussion on the Professional Acting industry in Africa. We are in conversation with AfroFIA representatives from Nigeria, Ghana, and South Africa, exploring the similarities and differences of our respective industries.
This session puts the African Artists’ journey into context across the African continent. 

Join the conversation on Wednesday 1 December from 16:00 – 18:00. 
Register with the zoom link provided.

Date: Wednesday 1st December
Time: 16:00 to 18:00
Place: Register with the zoom link: tZMtdOisqjktGdRhKlpujaRVweag8DqtjCfN

Make a short film This weekend - 48 Hour Film Project 2021: Powered by KZN Film Commission

 Media registration fees will be sponsored or 1 for their followers! 

In the 12^th Durban edition of the international 48 Hour Film Project, locals write, shoot and edit a 4 to 7-minute film in just one weekend. The event weekend is November 26 - 28, 2021. 

All films submitted will have their premieres for the public on 10 - 12 December at Ster-Kinekor, Gateway Mall. 

This year’s event is powered by The Kwa-Zulu Natal Film Commission.

People of all ages, skills, and experience levels are welcome.  Experienced and new filmmakers find that the deadline pushes them to end the weekend with a finished film.  

The film declared to be the overall "Best Film" of Durban will be sent to the international 48HFP competition, Filmapalooza, to be screened and judged with over 100 city winners from around the globe. From there, 12 films will be chosen to screen at the Cannes International Film Festival in the Short Film Corner.

‘’Last years’ event saw 50 teams with a crew & cast of over 600 people successfully making their short film in 1 weekend breaking records in KZN and this year we expect a greater response with some celebrity teams, radio stations & influencers already registered to participate,’’ says Maharaj. 

It is a great platform to enter the industry, with a virtual workshop held the weekend prior to the filming event and no fancy equipment needed (a smart phone will do), this is your chance to get your content & yourself on the big screen!     

 

Some of the exciting Awards & Prizes include:

Best Cinematographer – R10 000 Cash Prize 

Best Newcomer – Bursary in Filmmaking From Creative Arts Collage 

Best Mobile Production – Huawei P40

Most Active on Social Media Award – R2 500 cash prize

For additional info & to register your team, visit: http://www.48hourfilm.com/durban-za or email durban@48hourfilm.com.

 

***Feel Free to share with others & to participate or run a competition on your socials for media giveaways***

SAGE presents the third in the 2021 Masterclass Season

WORKING WITH STORY AND MAKING STORY WORK:
a virtual editors roundtable on story and structure

Date: 1 December 2021
Time: 19h00 - 20h00 
RSVP:    Register Zoom Editors Roundtable on Story & Structure

A chance to hear top South African editors talk story and structure across different forms:

London born, to a Libyan father and a Capetonian mother, Khalid Shamis S.A.G.E  studied film language in London and rose the ranks as a promo director in the satellite television realm, blasting ‘made-for-TV’, pop content from the West into the Arab world, winning a PROMAX Europe in 2001. Wishing to fulfil a dream to explore the life and legacy of his maternal grandfather, he moved to Cape Town in the mid 2000s. The documentary, Imam and I (2011) won a SAFTA, the audience award at the Encounters International Documentary Film Festival and became a document on the histories of the Muslim community in South Africa. His second feature doc, The Colonel’s Stray Dogs (2021), premiered at Hot Docs in April 2021

Ronelle Loots S.A.G.E is probably South Africa’s best known, most talented and most loved feature editor! A multi award winning editor,  proud recipient of numerous SAFTA feature film and documentary awards and honoured with many festival awards for editing, her extensive filmography includes several notable productions, including, among many more, Four Corners, Master Harold and the Boys, U-Carmen eKhayelitsha, Forgiveness, Paljas and Rafiki.

Jacques de Villiers has edited both fiction and documentary films and doesn't see that much difference between the two. His work has played at major film festivals across the world, including opening the Panorama section at the Berlin Film Festival with Flatland (2019), competing for the Platform Prize at the Toronto International Film Festival with Mlungu Wam (2021), and winning (as editor and co-director) the Best Documentary Prize at the National Geographic All Roads Film Festival for The Creators: South Africa Through the Eyes of its Artists (2011). 
 

Catherine Meyburgh S.A.G.E works as director, editor and producer across documentary, fiction films and television, and has edited over 10 feature films and more than 30 documentaries which have been screened by broadcasters and film festivals around the world. Her work in multi-projection design has been seen in venues from the Met Opera, New York to La Scala, Milano. A collaboration with William Kentridge, Gregory Maqoma, Thuthuka Sibisi and Philip Miller on the multi-projection performance piece The Head & the Load premiered at the Tate Modern in London in 2018. Catherine’s work in video installations has been presented at many prestigious galleries museums and events both in South Africa and abroad.
She is co-director, co-producer and editor on the multi-award winning documentary Dying for Gold (2019) 

REGISTRATION LINK: tZ0ufuyqqzIsHdfJfSjd_udIUXfRsxVj6jTk

WGSA EVENTS UPDATE AND REMINDERS Next update will be on 02 December 2021

INDEX: CONTRACTUAL ADVISORY SERVICES: A WGSA MEMBER BENEFIT WGSA CALLS FOR ARTICLES FROM MEMBERS FOR OUR FINAL NEWSLETTER FOR 2021 WGSA MUSE AWARDS 2021 OPEN FOR SUBMISSIONS WGSA MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL SPECIAL WGSA NOVEMBER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ONLINE SESSIONS WGSA MEMBERS: JOIN US ON TELEGRAM WGSA MEMBERS: UPDATE YOUR WGSA WRITER'S PROFILE ON OUR MEMBER DIRECTORY

CONTRACTUAL ADVISORY SERVICES: A WGSA MEMBER BENEFIT

Background: For the last ten years or so, the WGSA has offered contractual advisory services to members in the form of opinions, advice and, in some cases, informal mediation in disputes between writers and producers. Questions, queries and contracts referred to the Guild have been passed on to Peter Goldsmid (and formerly, also Richard Nosworthy and Harriet Meier) for evaluation and comment.    Important to Note: It should also be noted that this is an informal advice service provided in Peter's own time, with obvious implications for the depth and extent of what can be offered. Nonetheless, many members have made use of this service and found it helpful. Peter stresses that  while he is an experienced writer with an interest in the legal aspects of our work as writers, he is not a professional lawyer and that any opinions and advice offered are provided with the strict proviso that members are fully responsible for any actions they take subsequent to receiving these. The WGSA and the Contractual Advisory Services are explicitly excluded from any liability for actions taken in terms of this advice. Recommendation: Members are strongly advised to consult a professional entertainment or copyright lawyer, especially where large sums of money are involved. Writers are also advised to seek advice before entering into contractual arrangements and not wait until after, when it is often too late to remedy faults or avoid disadvantageous agreements.    Should you have a question, please email your enquiry to admin@writersguildsa.org

WGSA CALLS FOR    ARTICLES FROM MEMBERS FOR OUR    FINAL NEWSLETTER    FOR 2021

PLEASE SUBMIT BEFORE 30 NOVEMBER 2021 There is one more item on your list that you still need to accomplish this year and that is publishing your article in the final edition of our newsletter! Tell us: about your year your milestones reached what you are so proud about your good wishes to our members your achievements and dreams fulfilled an incident you will remember fondly about yourself as a scriptwriter something to teach us your plans for 2022 BUT REMEMBER Keep articles at 500 words or less Acknowledge your sources Attach pictures (yours and one or two that accompany the article) ... and let’s end the year with a bang! All articles are reviewed by our COMMUNICATIONS team before publishing. Please send your articles to us at news@writersguildsa.org All submissions need to reach us by Tuesday, 30 November 2021. Sincerely, Anil Polton

THE 2021 WGSA MUSE AWARDS   AN AWARD FOR WRITERS, BY WRITERS   The WGSA Muse Awards celebrate and honour the creativity and craft of performance writing, such as audio-visual, stage and game narrative writing, in Africa.

Our entry portal for 2021 is OPEN! Closing Dates And Fees For Entries:  Early Bird - 30 November 2021: R150.00 Standard Entry - 31 December 2021: R250.00 Final Entry - 31 January 2022: R400.00 All entries in indigenous languages other than English get a 30% discount! ENTER

WGSA MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL SPECIAL

The WGSA did not forget our loyal members when it comes to the impact COVID-19 has had on our industry. We are now offering a 40% discount on all membership renewal fees until the end of December 2021! Full Membership: R420 Candidate Membership: R300 Student Membership: R132 Corporate Membershp: R720 To make use of this offer, simply make a payment to the WGSA banking account via EFT, using your name and surname as beneficiary reference, and send the proof of payment to accounts@writersguildsa.org RENEW

WGSA NOVEMBER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

November closes off with two fantastic, and at the same time, rare opportunities to delve into two more forms of performance writing, theater and observational documentaries. Bookings are closed for this Saturday's session, so this is just a friendly reminder. You still have time until Monday, 20 November. The classes are FREE for members. Non-members must pay R50. Non-members: you can pay via EFT or SnapScan. All details are on our RSVP form. Please, remember to use as reference: Your name and surname / PDP when you do an EFT, and attach your Proof of Payment to the RSVP form. For enquiries, email admin@writersguildsa.org RSPV

RSVP

ABOUT THE PRESENTERS:

WRITING FOR THEATRE with Ian Bruce   Saturday, 20 November, 10h00 to 12h00   Ian Bruce had some drama training at the Ruth Oppenheim Academy in Johannesburg in the early nineteen-seventies.   He began a career as an actor with The Company (Market Theatre) under Barney Simon and Mannie Manim but, in 1976, his stance against apartheid politics, particularly the border war, led to political exile in the Netherlands.

While living in Amsterdam, he wrote several acclaimed anti-apartheid plays, co-founded the SA focused Thekwini Theatre with Anthony Akerman and Joe Mosikili, and was a founding committee member of the Amsterdam based SA Cultural Community Centre. When he retured to South Africa seventeen years later, he worked mainly in development, notably in the Northern Cape rural areas. In 1997 he joined the New Africa Theatre Association (NATA), a non-profit performance education and training organisation for students from the townships of the Western Cape, where he served as executive director until 2015. Mr Bruce is a nationally and internationally known playwright. His most recent works include: THE HARD WAY: 2020 (WGSA, Muse Awards winner of Best Stage Play Script award.) BURNT:  2011 (Nominated for Fleur du Cap.  Produced at New Africa Theatre) CABOOSE: 2011 (Celebration of 100 years of Golden Arrow Bus company. Produced at the Baxter Golden Arrow Studio.) TRANSIT: 2009 (Nominated for Fleur du Cap.  Produced at Swedish Royal Theatre, Stockholm) GROUNDSWELL: 2005 (Fleur du Cap winner for best new SA script; nominated for Naledi award in Johannesburg. Multiple productions in Sweden, England and the USA.) He wrote two award-winning radio scripts and taken on some screenwriting challenges, including a feature-length adaptation of his play, GROUNDSWELL, for New Amsterdam Films, and adapted three novels for film and television.

OBSERVATIONAL DOCUMENTARY with Shameela Seedat   Wednesday, 24 November 18h00 to 20h00

Shameela Seedat is a former fulbright scholar who worked in law for over 10 years before turning to filmmaking.  Her first feature-length documentary WHISPERING TRUTH TO POWER won multiple awards, including from Hot Docs Int. Film Festival, FESPACO , the Luxor Afrcan FF, Jozi Film Festival and from the African Studies Association. Her second feature length documentary  AFRICAN MOOT  is currently in post-production.  Shameela has also directed several programs for local and international television stations, as well as a series of ten short films on social justice activists in South Africa. She was the 2019 Film Resident Activist at the Tshisimani Centre for Activist Education, and served on the documentary film jury at the Sydney Film Festival in 2018, on the Documentary Film Association (DFA) Citizen Journalists Jury in 2020 and on jury for Adiah Awards in 2021.  Shameela has  also published widely on law and social justice in various journals, newspapers and book chapters. Please, RSVP by noon on Monday, 22 November if you want to attend her session.

RSVP

WGSA MEMBERS: JOIN US ON TELEGRAM

The WGSA Telegram Group has become a vibrant network of Writers. Join now and get all writer information first. Network with professional and emerging writers. Get assistance from fellow writers in an instant.   HOW TO JOIN: Download the Telegram App on your mobile, send an email to admin@writersguildsa.org  with your name, surname and mobile number and request to be added to the group   This TELEGRAM Group is for WGSA MEMBERS ONLY.

WGSA MEMBERS:  UPDATE YOUR WGSA WRITER'S PROFILE ON OUR MEMBER DIRECTORY

Log into the WGSA website with your email and password, click on Edit Profile, fill in the missing information, add a picture for your profile, and a background banner Tip: you can use the banner to put in more information about the type of scripts you write. Heads-up: In the coming weeks the WGSA will be sending out an advert to producers, film publications (online and print), broadcasters, production houses, etc. that will direct interest to your profiles.  LOGIN

The WGSA recognizes the dire impact of Covid-19 on our film, television and theatre industry and values all frontline health workers as well as those in our industry that continue to go to work to bring us news and entertainment.  For your COVID-19 Vaccine Registration go to: health.gov.za

The Documentary Filmmakers' Association of South Africa hosts DOCSHARE

 

Call Extension: The National Film and Video Foundation Marketing and Distribution funding Cycle 2 has been extended to Monday, 15th November 2021.

 The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), an agency of the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture has extended the call for applicants to submit for Marketing and Distribution funding cycle 2 to 15^th November 2021

Individuals, companies, and organisations may submit funding applications to the NFVF for the above funding category.

Applicants need to register and complete the online application form using the following link: https://nfvf.praxisgms.co.za/

Please take note of the following disclaimers:

1. Tier yourself accordingly.
2. Carefully read the definitions of the subcategories before selecting.
3. It is advisable that the main applicant applies instead of using a 3rd party to apply on their behalf.
4. Only recently certified documents will be accepted. 
5. Only valid documents will be allowed (NOT EXPIRED)
6. Applications that do not meet compliance will be disqualified.

1. We do not take application documents after the closing date and time of the application.
2. Ensure that you click the submit button and receive the confirmation email for your application submission from the system, If the confirmation email is not received, it means that application did not go through. This should be communicated with the NFVF within the submission period, unfortunately the NFVF will not assist with this query after the closing date of the call.

 

Eligibility: Marketing and Distribution

Tier 1:  Experienced filmmakers who have a proven track record for developing and producing at least three successful and commercially viable Feature Films, TV Films, or Documentaries.

Tier 2: Filmmakers with limited experience, must have developed and produced; one or two Feature Films, TV Films or Documentaries, or two or three Short Films and/or Commercials.

Tier 3: Not applicable for Marketing and Distribution funding

Application Criteria:

• Independent South African filmmakers and distributors.
• Funding is only available for Feature Films and TV formats.

Documentation and Information Required:

• A Synopsis, including detailed information about the format and genre.
• A one to two – page letter of motivation. Pointing out what is unique about the film and any projected success the film may potentially have.
• A document detailing the proposed target audience including demographics and psychographics.
• A distribution plan, detailing how and where is the film going to be distributed, including but not limited to details of the broadcasters and streaming platforms, a timeline with release dates across platforms, territories, cities, theatres and screens and documentation from any theatrical exhibitor that confirms a projected initial release date.
• A signed letter of intent from the distributor.
• A detailed sales, distribution and marketing strategy.
• A detailed marketing plan and budget.
• An Audience Development Strategy.
• A comprehensive Distribution / Exhibition Plan.
• Copies of any existing articles or clippings about the project.
• A detailed timeline, showing the projected return on investment for the NFVF.
• An updated CV for the Applicant.
• Detailed profiles or CVs of the key creatives.
• Company profile.
• Certified copy of the applicant’s Identity document (certified within six months at the date of application).
• The company’s registration document (if applying through a production company).
• A bank account confirmation letter (Dated withing three (3) months at the date of application).
• The BBBEE certificate or the BBBEE affidavit, signed by a commissioner of Oaths (if applying through a production company).
• The company’s tax clearance or tax compliance pin document (if applying through a production company).
• The chain of title documentation for the project.

 

Please note that no late applications will be accepted.

For any queries regarding applications please contact Application officers:

Thandekile Hlatshwayo

Email: thandekileh@nfvf.co.za

Or

Manti Sekwakwa

Email: mantis@nfvf.co.za

Telephone: 011 483 0880