Emerging and aspiring filmmakers alike were given valuable insights into the intricacies of filmmaking during the OR Tambo Film Expo, held at the Savoy Hotel in Mthatha, on October 27.
The expo was hosted by the OR Tambo Film Forum (ORTFF), in partnership with the OR Tambo District Municipality.
The expo comes as the ORTFF seeks to ignite the film industry in the OR Tambo District while ensuring that emerging and aspiring filmmakers are capacitated with the requisite skills to succeed in their film production journey.
“The film industry is one of the components in the OR Tambo District Municipality that needs our support as the municipality as it is deteriorating and being exploited by filmmakers from outside the district who are not adding value to the film industry within the district.
“The rationale of the expo for the district municipality was to get information from the experts in the film industry, as well as information on strides taken by the ORTFF to be where they are currently, and our role as the municipality is in nurturing the industry to ensure its growth” said OR Tambo District Municipality arts and culture manager, Xolani Dakuse, while outlining the purpose of the session from the district municipality’s perspective.
ORTFF secretary, Thandeka “Nkqo” Vabaza, added that the film expo was also held to capacitate local and aspiring filmmakers, especially on commercial and policy aspects of the film industry.
“We want to capacitate our local film makers to be festival compliant and also to assert themselves in the audience development plan of the district film forum,” Vabaza added.
He said that they were planning to have quarterly film screenings championed by local film forums at all local municipalities under the OR Tambo District Municipality to mobilise audiences and gauge audience reception of the locally produced films to be able to quantify the value of film in the district and its value proposition.
OR Tambo District Municipality Executive Mayor, Mesuli Ngqondwana, conceded that more needed to be done to support the local film industry within the district.
“On our part as government in the Eastern Cape, we are not pushing enough in ensuring that we create an enabling environment for our own filmmakers and thespians to grow and make their mark in the industry,” Ngqondwana remarked.
Locally produced short films were screened during the film expo to showcase talents of local filmmakers.
