According to a recent article published in the magazine The Callsheet, the South African film industry expects a steady increase in the number of film productions and co-productions in 2018. According to film commissioners’ reports, 2018 is shaping up to be a productive year for production and coproduction. Carol Coetzee, Chief Executive Officer of the KwaZulu-Natal Film Commission, has stated that at least nine productions will take place in the province in 2019. This includes anything from feature films and documentaries to television drama series.
Carol argues that projects that were still in the planning phases three years ago, when the KZN Film Commission was founded, are now nearing completion. She anticipates that a lot of intriguing initiatives will move from the development stage to the production stage in the next year.
In terms of awards, 2017 was a banner year for various South African productions, with several receiving international recognition. The business sector forecasts an increase in the volume of locally manufactured items exported this year. The quality of entertainment produced locally is comparable to that of many international performances. D Street Releasing, the distribution arm of D Street Media Group, has said unequivocally that it aspires to be the go-to distributor for South African and African films capable of competing in the United States with other English and foreign language films. To that end, D Street Releasing is actively seeking a content partner in South Africa to help the company develop.
“Based on our observations, growth in the South African film industry looks to be occurring from the outside in.” Indeed, the formation of a star system will play an important role in achieving this goal; but, we feel that using America’s more than 40,000 screens as a home for South African films is both strategic and crucial to the overall approach. “There’s no reason why South African films can’t do at least half as well,” said Dexter Davis, Executive Producer and CEO of D Street Media Group. “If France can generate an annual box-office take of about $100 million in America, there’s no reason why South African films can’t do at least half that business.” ” South Africa must broaden its thinking in order to become a global participant in the film industry, and it cannot rely just on its own screens to achieve so. The country possesses both the requisite skill and know-how. I can only hope it has the same courage in other domains as it does in this one. It should come as no surprise that D Street will play an important role in it.
As a result of all that is going on in the industry, we at YLO Productions are quite excited to see what 2018 has in store for us.