8 South African filmmakers at 2023 Cannes Film Festival

Image supplied. The(NFVF is positioning the South African film industry at the 76th edition of the Festival de Cannes, from 16 to 27 May 2023

Some of the South African films participating at the festival are Ninja Moon Showdown, The Omen, Extravagant Ways To Say Goodbye, The Last Days of Elizabeth Costello, Riel and Moments of Dying, among others.

The (NFVF), an agency of the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (DSAC), is positioning the South African (SA) film industry at the 76th edition of the Festival de Cannes, that started last week and ends on 27 May 2023.

For this year’s Cannes Film Festival the NFVF has partnered with Wesgro, the Industrial Development Corporation of South Africa (IDC), the Eastern Cape Development Corporation (ECDC) and the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Film Commission.

The NFVF is pleased to see more South African productions at this year’s Cannes Film Festival and is proud that an iconic and historically impactful South African film, Sarafina, has been selected for the 2023 Official Selection – Cannes Classics. The NFVF is excited for the cast and crew of this legacy Mzansi film production.

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Positioning SA as a Film Destination of Choice

“It is a great honour for the NFVF and the talented filmmakers that we have funded to be part of the cultural and economic melting pot that is the Cannes Film Festival,” says Thobela Mayinje, NFVF Acting CEO.

“One of our objectives at the festival this year is to encourage and foster co-production opportunities, while also positioning South Africa as a filming destination of choice for foreign productions,” adds Mayinje.

During the festival, the NFVF hosted a panel session with the theme Positioning SA as a Film Destination of Choice.

The session focused on positioning South Africa as a production destination of choice and will include different industry role players. This includes the promotion of the South African public finance institutions by attracting inwards investment, and offering tax and rebate incentives that are favourable to foreign productions.

The NFVF also hosted a networking cocktail.

An official profile since 1997

The South African film industry has had an official presence at the Cannes Film Festival since 1997, preceding its participation at major film festivals around the world since 2000.

This has raised the profile of South African film and TV content and the industry at large.

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Audio-visual Co-Production Treaty

South Africa’s film participation in this year’s festival is more significant following the signing of the amended Audio-visual Co-Production Treaty between South Africa and France in 2022.

The amended treaty accommodates features, short films and serialised content for all platforms, including television and digital content. This has paved the way for a broader offering from the SA Film industry to the Cannes Film Festival.