by Thinus Ferreira
M-Net's Afrikaans language channels division is silent and not telling South Africa's TV and film industry or the media anything regarding either the continuation or cancellation of this year's kykNET Silwerskermfees for 2021, with the film festival that looks like it has been scrapped for the year.
kykNET didn't respond with any official answers to a media query TVwithThinus made just over a week ago asking about whether 2021 will still see a kykNET Silwerskerfees being held.
November is the only late-in-the-year month remaining for a possible film festival, with December essentially a write-off month as the film and TV industry worldwide shuts down for the silly season and vacation.
It's also unclear, if the Silwerskermfees were to take place, whether it would be in-person, a hybrid, a virtual webinar, and if it would be branded as the 10th or 11th kykNET Silwerskermfees.
In 2020 the kykNET Silwerskermfees was turned into an online webinar series in 2020 because of the global Covid-19 pandemic, with the 9th kykNET Silwerskermfees that took place as an in-person event in August 2019.
In July, responding to a similar media query about the Silwerskermfees' future in 2021, Suzaan Keyter, kykNET spokesperson told TVwithThinus that no dates have been announced yet.
"Plans are still underway but we are keeping tabs on the unfolding situation before we make any announcements. We have several options and dates for the film festival as well as the content. Planning continues behind-the-scenes for three different options," she said.
The kykNET Silwerskermfees website at www.silwerskerm.tv lists "Tuesday 24 - Saturday 28 August 2021" - a period that came and went without anything announcement from kykNET.
The website contains no information, with no notifications or advisories for the industry about what's happening with the film festival in 2021.
Over the past half a year, various people working across South Africa's TV and film industry, from filmmakers to crew and on-screen talent who are interested in the film festival, have asked TVwithThinus what is happening with the kykNET Silwerskermfees in 2021 and whether it is still going to be taking place.
The MultiChoice Group and M-Net scrapped and cancelled plans for both the 2021 African Magic Viewers' Choice Awards in Lagos, Nigeria and the 2021 DStv Mzansi Viewers' Choice Awards in Johannesburg this year because of Covid-19.
In June the 23rd 2021 Encounters South African International Documentary Festival took place as a virtual film festival.
In July the 12th Durban FilmMart took place as a virtual online event, similar to 2020, with the DFM that was followed by the 42nd Durban International Film Festival (DIFF) in late July that was accessible as a free virtual event.
In May, the National Film and Video Foundation's 15th South African Film and Television Awards (SAFTAs) returned from 2020's botched virtual online broadcast back to a televised awards show, but did so without an in-person audience.
