Instead of listening to what broadcasters and South Africa's TV industry are saying (and saying through their actions by withdrawing) about the major problems there is, the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) which runs the South African Film and Television Awards known as the Saftas isn't having a special emergency task team convening to actually fix the sham of an awards show that has lost all credibility.
The controversial show keeps limping along year after year after year, generating bad buzz, resentment and heads shaking in disbelief, for the incredible way in which the NFVF seems either powerless, or unwilling, uninformed, or unwilling to listen, about how to make this awards ceremony - purported to honour the best of South Africa's film and television - better.
The 6th Saftas taking place today and tomorrow at Gallagher Estate in Midrand with an edited recorded broadcast Sunday on SABC3 refuses to address the multiple issues constantly being raised by the industry and by broadcasters year after year. This failure keeps generating the same result: a competition without credibility, the loss of real recognition to South Africa's film and television community and actual damage to relationships which is ironically the complete opposite of what the NFVF and the Saftas supposedly are trying to achieve.
Why the NFVF and the organising committee for the Saftas remain unable to actually have real critics of film and television who actually watch films and television rather be the judges of this sorry dog and pony show instead of previous nominees and winner (who's friends are nominated and who themselves might be a nominee the next year) is not clear.
Why the NFVF and the Saftas remain unable to consult with people who have real knowledge of how to organise and structure these type of things which would result in real categories with the correct nominees, a bigger number of nominees, in their actual correct categories, and nominated for closer and more relevant date periods, is not clear.
Why the NFVF and the Saftas don't have a pre-agreed set rotation wheel of broadcasters sharing the TV broadcast like the Emmys and Oscars so that its equitable and fair and which would create better buy-in from all the broadcasters who will immediately play nice with each other and work collectively together to make the Saftas a success, is not clear.
Why the NFVF and the Saftas marginalise the non-fiction section (they don't show up on television) which means lesser attention to them as ''second-class citizens'' but who work as hard and create as great work,is not clear.
The NFVF and the Saftas organising committee needs to have a very serious discussion and very serious meetings about what it wants to be and do. Or whether it wants to continue as a not really supported awards show that preys on the not often recognised film and TV industry who largely keeps quiet cause any little bit of recognition - no matter how tainted - is at least something.
I don't want the Saftas to be excellent. I don't need the Saftas to be great. I don't require the Saftas to be everything for everyone. Because it can never be.
I simply want the South African Film and Television Awards to be on standard and to actually be fair, credible and handing out awards to people and in a way that everyone feels the winner really deserved it.
ALSO READ: The sad Saftas continues to be a sorry shamfest.
ALSO READ: e.tv slams the Saftas over ''lack of transparency'': Says the award show's ''current structure does not not work''.
ALSO READ: e.tv withdraws its shows, soaps and support from the Saftas, saying the award show lacks credibility.
