by Thinus Ferreira
Filmmakers are disappointed and furious following South Africa's failure to select and enter a film for 2023's Oscars International Feature Film category, with an anonymous selection group of the NFVF responsible for picking South Africa's entry claiming that none of the country's films are good enough for the Academy Awards and are not depicting minorities well enough.
For the first time in 15 years South Africa won't have an entry at the 95th Academy Awards taking place on 12 March 2023 in Los Angeles, with the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) - funded by the department of sports, arts and culture and tasked with picking a South Africa film to enter for the Oscars - saying all South African films entered this year allegedly failed when it comes to properly depict "marginalised communities".
After South African films were submitted this year to the NFVF as the country's possible Oscars entry, the NFVF chose none in November.
Filmmakers have not been told what the reasons are for the failure to select and enter a film for the Oscars this year.
None highly regarded films - good enough to be shown at South African and international film festivals and reaping film festival awards and prizes - were entered through the NFVF as South Africa's Oscars submissions.
These range from 1960, Jewel, Meet Melusi, Thando, The Fragile King, Time Spent with Cats is Never Wasted, Umbrella Men and Wild is the Wind, to the Afrikaans drag-artist thriller Stiekyt from Homebrew Films which won three awards including for best cinematography at kykNET's 10th Silwerskermfees in March and proudly depicts an LGBTQI minority group in South Africa.
Lerato Mokopanele, NFVF communications manager, told TVwithThinus in response to a media query that "The majority of the South African films that were submitted for this entry did not meet the stringent Oscars selection criteria for the respective category".
"For those that did meet the set criteria, the independent selection committee decided that these projects did not appropriately represent marginalised communities."
Asked for the names of the 11 people from South Africa's TV and film industry and a brief description of their expertise who comprise the anonymous selection group deciding what film the country enters, the NFVF refused to make the names public.
The NFVF was only willing to say that said the group are "key industry specialists in the film sector" who represent the official South African Academy Selection Committee for the 95th Annual Academy Awards' Best International Film Feature category" and that they have a "minimum of 10 years' experience and specialised skills set competency in behind and front-of-camera work in the film industry".
The NFVF said it doesn't want South Africa to know who picks South Africa's Oscars contender film "and reserves the right not to disclose the names of these individuals".
Asked why films are good enough to be shown at film festivals and win awards there but not good enough for the NFVF to enter as an Oscar contender and if the NFVF thinks film festivals are flawed, Lerato Mokopanele says "The film festivals and Oscars criteria are not the same, therefore one cannot compare the two".
The NFVF says the decision not to enter any South African film for the 95th Oscars "was not made because there is no film good enough in South Africa".
For films which did meet the entry criteria "the independent selection committee decided that these projects did not appropriately represent marginalised communities".
"The NFVF, as an agency mandated to provide the equitable growth of the industry, has historically released various calls that allow for an eclectic array of stories to be told - this is evident through all the projects we have approved for funding as showcased on our website".
NFVF decision 'incredibly problematic'
South African filmmakers are accusing the NFVF of censorship and are angry over the lack of transparency and communication about the organisation's decision not to have South Africa represented at 2023's Oscars.
An award-winning South African filmmaker and director told TVwithThinus that the NFVF's response over the failure to enter a local film for the Oscars is "incredibly problematic" and that filmmakers are yet to be told how this year's submissions failed to appropriately represent marginalised people.
"There are some incredible films on this list," the person said.
"I would have celebrated any of those that qualified if they were chosen. It means a lot to any filmmaker and becomes a tool for which we get our career to grow, so to have that opportunity taken away from those who entered and qualified is a major disappointment when I consider the work that goes into what we do."
Waldimar Pelser M-Net director for kykNET-channels, told TVwithThinus "The NFVF's decision not to enter any of this year's excellent South African films for a foreign language Oscar represents a missed opportunity to showcase local talent globally".
"We are especially proud of Etienne Fourie's Stiekyt, a dark comedy set in a drag club, and very disappointed the film will not compete in LA next year."
"The fact that this critically acclaimed Afrikaans film has been selected to show at international film festivals is a reflection on the appetite for our local stories in other markets. This regrettable decision will not impact the commitment and investment from MultiChoice and kykNET in developing and telling our stories."
