Carew and her team produced many award-winning films, including Music is My Life: Joseph Shabalala and Ladysmith Black Mambazo, which had been the NFVF’s International Feature Film submission for the 96th Annual Academy Awards (2023 Oscars).
“Our funding from the NFVF was through the Presidential Employment Stimulus Programme, PESP4. Despite some challenges finalising our (filming) permits, we were grateful to have received R500,000 from the NFVF to make the pilot.”
Carew added that independent filmmakers need to be better supported, to continue to create. “Independent filmmakers are in a very difficult situation at the moment,” she added. “I’m a member of the IPO (Independent Producers Organisation).
“So what has happened in the last five months, since November last year, the film incentives under the DTIC (Department of Trade Industry and Competition) haven’t met every month. They’re normally supposed to meet once a month, on the last Thursday of the month to look at the applications for funding for film.
“But they have not met for 12 months. And for whatever reason we do not know. They say that they haven’t had a quorum, which has put a huge effect on the independent film sector. So none of us have been able to get our applications for funding for our films, which is quite serious.
“We’re hoping for the (DTIC) minister Parks Tau, who has allocated the film incentive division a budget. We’re hoping to build up a whole media campaign. None of us can really work, as we rely on the incentives to be able to be global players. And now, on the back of that, in 2018-2019, the DTIC were not paying out many of the claims, even taking two to three years to pay out claims.
“Now, they’ve paid out most of the claims — but it did serious damage to us as producers globally. People started to not trust the rebate, even with a letter of approval — there was no (financial) security as it was taking so long (to receive). And many of the Hollywood studios had not received their foreign location rebates.
“We’re sincerely hoping that with the new (DTIC) minister, that change for the better will be under way, to support our independent filmmakers, local film industry and global partners.”
TimesLIVE
SA pilot film 'Transmission' wins at 2024 NYC Web Fest
Lifestyle Correspondent
Image: Jen Su
South African pilot film Transmission was one of the top winners at Sunday’s NYC Web Fest at the Producer’s Club in New York.
Johannesburg-based lead producer Carolyn Carew accepted the award in person on behalf of production team Free Women Films, OYA Pictures, and Frikken Films.
“We are beyond excited to see our world premiere of Transmission in New York, and we couldn’t be more thrilled to share this journey at the 11th Annual NYC Web Fest,” said Carew to TimesLIVE.
“I’m honoured to receive this award on behalf of director Liese Kuhn, and co-stars Electra Hartman and Mikkie-dené le Roux and the entire team. I’d also like to say a huge ‘thank you’ to the NFVF (National Film and Video Foundation of South Africa) the PESP (the National Arts Council's Presidential Employment Stimulus Programme) grant and the African Global Academy, for making this project possible.”
Image: Free Women Films/ OYA Pictures.
The limited eight-part series science-fiction film takes place in Cape Town during an early morning onset of load-shedding, where Beth (played by Mikkie-dené le Roux) takes a chance to escape the constraints of her abusive marriage and conservative community.
Beth then suddenly encounters a helpless young woman, Emma (played by Electra Hartman) lying on the road in front of her. Beth tries to rescue Emma by carrying her to her car — and soon discovers Emma’s almost supernatural power, which triggers unusual disturbances in the car’s radio and electronic devices.
“We’ve been in the industry for the last 35 years in South Africa, and we do a lot of films that relate to female issues, with female protagonists and female writers, directors and creators. Transmission is looking at gender-based violence (GBV) in South Africa. It’s looking at the day-to-day struggles that women face in our society, and it’s turned through the eyes of the main protagonist, Beth, who’s in an abusive relationship with a man who’s a politician, and he’s actually running a secret trial where Emma is part of her husband’s experiment and he’s tracking her.”
Image: Free Women Films/ OYA Pictures.
Carew and her team produced many award-winning films, including Music is My Life: Joseph Shabalala and Ladysmith Black Mambazo, which had been the NFVF’s International Feature Film submission for the 96th Annual Academy Awards (2023 Oscars).
“Our funding from the NFVF was through the Presidential Employment Stimulus Programme, PESP4. Despite some challenges finalising our (filming) permits, we were grateful to have received R500,000 from the NFVF to make the pilot.”
Carew added that independent filmmakers need to be better supported, to continue to create. “Independent filmmakers are in a very difficult situation at the moment,” she added. “I’m a member of the IPO (Independent Producers Organisation).
“So what has happened in the last five months, since November last year, the film incentives under the DTIC (Department of Trade Industry and Competition) haven’t met every month. They’re normally supposed to meet once a month, on the last Thursday of the month to look at the applications for funding for film.
“But they have not met for 12 months. And for whatever reason we do not know. They say that they haven’t had a quorum, which has put a huge effect on the independent film sector. So none of us have been able to get our applications for funding for our films, which is quite serious.
“We’re hoping for the (DTIC) minister Parks Tau, who has allocated the film incentive division a budget. We’re hoping to build up a whole media campaign. None of us can really work, as we rely on the incentives to be able to be global players. And now, on the back of that, in 2018-2019, the DTIC were not paying out many of the claims, even taking two to three years to pay out claims.
“Now, they’ve paid out most of the claims — but it did serious damage to us as producers globally. People started to not trust the rebate, even with a letter of approval — there was no (financial) security as it was taking so long (to receive). And many of the Hollywood studios had not received their foreign location rebates.
“We’re sincerely hoping that with the new (DTIC) minister, that change for the better will be under way, to support our independent filmmakers, local film industry and global partners.”
TimesLIVE
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