The Gauteng Film Office reports back to the industry

The GFO (Gauteng Film Office), an initiative of GEDA (the Gauteng Economic Development Agency) was formed in December 2000 as a Section 21, non-profit company whose mandate is to market, promote and facilitate new film productions in the Gauteng Province. The core function of the GFO is to provide assistance to local and international producers, whilst promoting Gauteng as a premier film location within South Africa.

"We aim to turn 'red tape into smart tape' - streamlining and minimising the bureaucratic red tape that often faces and hinders film productions," says CEO Themba Sibeko. On 14 May 2003, Sibeko reported back to the industry on the GFO's results after its first year in operation and highlighted plans for the 2003/04 financial year.

The GFO's initial target for the 2002/03 financial year was to facilitate R 100-million in Film and Television production into the province. The GFO overachieved on this target by R 125-million, bringing its final facilitation figures to a total of R 225-million for the year.

In additional to financial investment facilitation, the GFO also succeeded in various film and media related initiatives, namely...

* Drafting a Black Economic Empowerment Policy which was benchmarked against the South African Mining Charter;
* Facilitating a BEE partnership for Micro-Cinema development in South Africa's townships;
* The "Stander" movie Mentorship and Training Programme for young, aspirant black filmmakers;
* Involvement in facilitating the Spirit Film Scholarship Awards;
* Signing Memorandums of Understanding with the Cape Film Commission and the Independent Producers Organisation;
* Sponsoring Steps to the Future - the HIV/AIDS International Short Film Series, The South African Script Writers Association (SASWA) workshop initiative, The Jozi World Summit Film Festival during the WSSD, the Independent Producers Organisation and Women of the Sun at Sithengi 2002.

The GFO was voted to the Association of International Film and TV Community, became a member of the Association of Film Commissioners International (ACFI) and was voted to the Executive Committee of the Independent Producers Organisation (IPO) and the Board of Directors of the Southern African Film and Television Market known as Sithengi.

The GFO has positioned itself as a key support structure in the promotion, development and stimulation of the local film industry to international film and TV markets. The organisation prides itself on generating revenue for and creating jobs in the province through the procurement of local and foreign direct investment in the form of filmed productions. "GFO focuses on the establishment of Public Private Partnerships as a form of strategic alliance which balances corporate needs with corporate social responsibility that will ultimately stimulate the growth of the local film and television industry," said Sibeko.

With funding of R3.5-million for the 2003/04 financial year from the Gauteng Department of Finance and Economic Affairs, the GFO has set targets of facilitating R 350-million in new investments in Film, Television, Long Form, Documentaries and other media productions into the province.

As Sibeko said in his presentation to the industry: "A balance must be met between the proliferation of foreign productions filming in the province and bridging the benefits that will create an enabling environment in building African Cinema & Television in South Africa and thus making our industry self-sustainable."