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Gauteng basks in Oscar nominations
The growing international recognition and acceptance of the South African film industry is positive news for Gauteng, with all of District 9, part of Invictus as well as award-winner Skin, having been filmed in the province. This follows Tuesday's announcement that South African-linked films have scored an all-time high of six Oscar nominations (four for District 9 and two for Invictus).
Terry Tselane, CEO of the Gauteng Film Commission, says active promotion of the province is now paying off, not only as a film location but also as a source of talent, excellent crew, production skills and stories.
“We are thrilled that Gauteng-linked and supported projects are receiving so much attention. District 9 was filmed entirely in Gauteng - in Kliptown and Tshiawelo in Soweto and around downtown Johannesburg - and crews shooting in Soweto have enthused how welcoming and supportive Soweto residents are. It's become a popular location for both international and local filmmakers, which is not surprising as it has so much to offer.”
He added that having heavyweights such as Clint Eastwood, Morgan Freeman (Oscar nomination for Best Actor in Invictus) and Matt Damon (Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor in Invictus) working with the local industry is a ringing endorsement of the country and the province.
Another South African hit
Skin, the true-life story of SA's Sandra Laing, became the number one film on the Cinema Nouveau circuit during its first weekend of release. The film, which has already won 16 awards around the globe, pulled in just under R200 000 at the box office (22 - 24 January 2010) although it was released only in selected cinemas (11 prints) around the country.
With the long lead-time from filming to appearing on the screen (Skin for example was filmed in Gauteng in 2008) and the impact of the global downturn, what's the outlook for the local Gauteng industry moving forward? Looking beyond award season, Tselane says: “All indications are that despite the low production season in winter 2009 in Gauteng, the summer months are currently busy in Johannesburg, indicating that 2010 will be a good production year for the province.”
