Incentive for black emerging filmmakers

Written by Albert Pule

The newly launched South African Emerging Black Filmmakers Incentive programme will give young black film makers a chance to produce more films, create jobs and contribute to the growth of the film industry.

The programme, launched by the Department of Trade and Industry (the dti), has been effective from 1 September 2014 and will run until March 2017.

The incentive will provide financial assistance to qualifying applicants in the form of a rebate of 50 per cent for the first R6 million of the Qualifying South African Production Expenditure (QSAPE) and 25 per cent thereafter for the remainder.

Minister of Trade and Industry Rob Davies said the new incentive would give support to emerging filmmakers who were previously not covered under the Film and Television Production and Co-Production Incentive programme.

“The film industry, through various engagements and consultations indicated that the previous scheme and threshold did not accommodate nor support emerging filmmakers.

“The dti has now reduced the threshold and upped the incentive in an effort to create many opportunities for people with low-budget productions for televisions and films. In this way more productions will be supported than ever before,” he said.

Minster Davies emphasised that South Africa’s film industry needs quality filmmakers to live up to its reputation of being a competitive driver of the economy.

In an effort to market the South African film industry, the department is planning to put together a trade mission to Hollywood in the near future to showcase what the South African film industry is capable of.

One of the aspirant black filmmakers who stand to benefit from the incentive is Uzanenkosi Mahlangu.

Mahlangu said the incentive would allow black artists and filmmakers to exercise their creativity without being told what to write or what not to write.

“The South African Emerging Black Filmmakers Incentive programme will change all of that. It might not persuade lawyers and economists to become filmmakers but it might stop some filmmakers from feeling like they need something to fall back on,” said Mahlangu.

He added that he was happy that department had launched this incentive scheme and was looking forward to making quality films and series.

For more information, contact the dti’s Customer Contact Centre: 0861 843 384