Of Africa and the Cannes Film Festival

RESONATING LIBERATION: Nelson Mandela: The Myth and Me, to be screened at Cannes.

http://www.screenafrica.com/page/news/festivals/1642316-NFVF-at-Cannes#.U4Tq7nYxKM8

With the 2014 edition of the world’s biggest film festival taking place from 14 to 25 May, the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) will be sending a delegation to the southern French city to showcase the latest South African films, foster co-production arrangements and demonstrate South Africa’s prowess as a film producing nation.

The NFVF’s plans for this year’s festival revolve around the country’s celebrations of 20 years of democracy, says CEO Zama Mkosi. “We will be looking at our past achievements, as well as celebrating the 20-year milestone. Our schedule also includes co-production forums with Brazil, UK and Canada. One of the key messages we are sending is for countries to work with us in telling South African stories through collaborations, utilising our resources as well as recognising those stories as having international appeal. Co-productions play a key role in ensuring that our stories continue to be told, that our filmmakers are exposed to the global community or international markets and also offer opportunities to create global networks beyond our borders.” The NFVF’s focus is not only on nurturing the co-production treaties that are already in place, but also on the development of new ones.

20 years of democracy

The ’20 years of democracy theme’, Mkosi says, will be reflected throughout the NFVF’s Cannes programme. The plan is to showcase films that either speak directly to the theme or demonstrate what 20 years of democracy has meant to South African filmmakers. Among the films selected for exhibition are Rehad Desai’s searing documentary on the Marikana massacre, Miners Shot Down; Khalo Matabane’s Nelson Mandela: the Myth and Me, which asks the question, “How do people interpret Nelson Mandela’s message of freedom, forgiveness and reconciliation in the world of today?”; and Donovan Marsh’s heist thriller iNumber Number. “We hope that these films will resonate with our liberation,” Mkosi says. “We will also host a South Africa Day, which will offer pavilion visitors more about South Africa as a filmmaking destination.

The significance of Cannes

The importance of the Cannes Film Festival in the context of the world film industry cannot be denied, but how important is it really as a platform for the NFVF’s operations and how effective is it in this regard? “The Cannes successes have been phenomenal over the past few years,” says Mkosi, “and it therefore remains very relevant to our mandate. “Our focus this year is on filmmakers that are looking at securing co-production deals and films that speak to the ‘20 years of freedom’ theme. Last year we had market screenings of three films: Blitz Patrollie, Black South Easter and Khumba to various sales agents, distributors and financiers and co-production treaty partners. At the end of the festival, Blitz Patrollie had signed an international distribution deal with German sales and production company Picture Tree. Khumba also concluded a distribution deal with Metropolitan Filmexport, a major French distributor. To top it all, the NFVF is also proud that Zulu, another co-production – this time, with France – was honoured as a closing film at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival.”

Measures of success

How then does the NFVF measure the success of its work at Cannes? “As our participation at Cannes is to promote the country’s projects and to ensure that our filmmakers are exposed to the international arena, our success is determined by their achievement at the festival,” says Mkosi. “For example, last year the country was well represented through films such as Khumba. The signing of the distribution deal for Khumba by one of France’s biggest distribution companies was a major coup for the production company Triggerfish, and that is the kind of deal we aim to achieve at Cannes.”

The NFVF’s delegation to Cannes is at the festival from 15 to 20 May.