You won't think that there are a serious shortage of funds to support struggling and emerging South African filmmakers, or that producers are struggling to get paid by the SABC, if you witnessed the bizarre money-wasting sideshows at the NFVF's 13th South African Film and Television Awards that took place this weekend at Sun City.
It ranged from a "Beach Party" sponsored by the KwaZulu-Natal Film Commission to a brunch courtesy of the Gauteng Film Commission.
Instead of actually directly investing in and helping filmmakers, actors, writers and other talent in their own provinces, some of South Africa's film commissions literally splurged on dubious-looking sideshow events at the National Film and Video Foundation's (NFVF) 13 South African Film and Television Awards that was held on Saturday at Sun City in the North West province.
Why? What exactly is the positive return on investment for film commissions, constantly pleading poverty, yet spending and apparently wasting a lot of money on unnecessary things like a "beach party" in the middle of the North West?
Does it generate reams of positive articles in the press, glossy pictorial pages, and fawning coverage from the media?
Do the guests who attend the NFVF's awards show shindig at the shiny Sun City feel better, or better about themselves, afterwards? Does McDonalds SA end up selling more McCafe brew?
First up, there was the "by invitation only" so-called 13th Saftas "Beach Party" at Sun City's Valley of the Waves on Friday evening - courtesy of the KwaZulu-Natal Film Commission and McDonalds South Africa where DJs and artists performed and guests indulged in a feeding frenzy of food and drink.
Does a "beach party" in the North West buy goodwill from the film fraternity elsewhere and help with nice exposure, or what does it actually accomplish?
(Co-incidentally Jacqueline Motsepe, COO of the KwaZulu-Natal Film Commission got an award on Saturday night at the 13th Saftas, the Outstanding provincial contributor award, whatever that means.)
Where are the press releases and information about the KwaZulu-Natal Film Commission in the press pack and Google drive for media that could have been issued, added and sent out by the NFVF? It doesn't exist.
Where was a panel discussion or roundtable with media if the KwaZulu-Natal Film Commission actual had a presence at Sun City? It just looks like a colossal waste.
Of course sponsor McDonalds South Africa was here as well.
It looked far from jam-packed.
Again, where are the transcripts of the speech or speeches of whoever from the Gauteng Film Commission spoke? A basic press release?
Where is whatever was issued to the media, if even anything?
Here too, the NFVF communication people couldn't be bothered to issue something to the media and neither did the Gauteng Film Commission.
And again the questions: What exactly is the return on the investment from this empty-looking breakfast session and how is the value from that investment measured?
Where is the media coverage? Were there even media there?
And a bonus point if anyone can answer what happens to all of the wasted food.
South Africa and the South African economy entered into a technical recession in 2018. People and the South African film and TV industry are struggling. There's been a huge number of job losses in the industry in 2018 and more were planned in 2019 at the SABC until it was halted last month.
In this critic's opinion, it's unseemingly, crass and totally out-of-touch for the National Video and Film Foundation and places like the KwaZulu-Natal Film Commission and Gauteng Film Commission to splash the cash on trivial-trash like a "Beach Party", or something like a "networking session" at something like the problematic and constantly badly produced Saftas when money and available resources are scarce.
The optics of these things - call them marketing "activations" if you really like - are terrible.
It comes across as if the National Film and Video Foundation and places like the KwaZulu Film Commission and Gauteng Film Commission are having a luxury, cheese-platter and McFlurry-filled weekend away living it up at Sun City with time for the "beach" while South Africa's TV and film industry suffers.
The NFVF's Saftas is already at risk of becoming even more out-of-touch and irrelevant with viewers. Yet its "elitist" and detached image is being helped along with things like a "Beach Party" and Sun City visitors nibbling on cheese for breakfast.
As I've said before, the NFVF under acting CEO Shadrack Bokaba, needs to do a radical overhaul of the troubled, struggling and badly done South African Film and Television Awards.
The Saftas at Sun City - replete with beach party - looks like the elitist Capitol in The Hunger Games films while South Africa's struggling TV and film industry who it is actually meant for, are standing on the outside, looking in at the champagne crowd.
Do film commission "districts" gleefully dispatching their reps and money there have any idea of how they're perceived?
What next? A Showmax sponsored binge-lunch all-you-cat eat buffet? A MultiChoice sponsored content discovery game set in the as-difficult Sun City maze?
A Netflix South Africa Shadow puppet show (oh wait, Netflix reached its targets with anything to do with shadows)? Or a SABC activation at the top of the water slides with people flicking coins down and watching money being thrown into the water?
It's high-time to re-envision the Safta awards at Sun City and what exactly happens there - and not.
