SA, Kenya look to film partnerships

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20 May 2013

South Africa and Kenya signed a memorandum of understanding on the sidelines of the Cannes Film Festival on Sunday that will enable filmmakers from the two countries to work together in telling the continent’s stories.

The memorandum of understanding (MOU) was signed by Zama Mkosi, CEO of South Africa’s National Film and Video Foundation, and Kenya Film Commission CEO Peter Muthie.

Mkosi said the MOU would help to create a platform for growing Africa’s film industry.

“It will provide the two countries access to filmmaking facilities and opportunities, a great prospect of working together to tell our African stories in order to achieve our strategic goal of globally positioning Africa.

“As African countries we are steadily earning a place on the global stage, and working together will guarantee joint development of content as well as marketing of both the countries’ films and talent”, Mkosi said.

Muthie said the MoU marked “the beginning of a strong relationship that will ensure that we tell authentic African stories. We are also celebrating our first official participation in Cannes and already, opportunities are opening up for our filmmakers.”

The National Film and Video Foundation is running a South Africa pavilion as well as hosting an array of networking and presentation events over the 11 days of the festival as it pushes to open up new markets for local filmmakers and attract new investments in South Africa’s industry.

It is also hosting market screenings of three South African films at Cannes: Diprente Productions’ comedy Blitz Patrollie, Triggerfish Animation’s new feature Khumba, and Ten10Films’ Black South Easter.

SAinfo reporter