by Thinus Ferreira
A film festival like kykNET's 11th Silwerskermfees film festival currently taking place at The Bay Hotel in Camps Bay remains fit for purpose by forever adapting to changing needs - especially through ever-bigger networking and collaboration in ideas and projects beyond just Afrikaans.
In this quest, kykNET through its Silwerskermfees is adamant and focused on finding and supporting new voices and new talent.
So says Waldimar Pelser, M-Net director for premium channels, who spoke with me on the sidelines of the annual Rotunda-set film fest showcase where TV is officially incorporated this year for the first time, short film documentaries have been expanded into, and festivalgoers and filmmakers come from a far broader background than just Afrikaans, to look, listen and learn.
"The one thing everyone in South Africa's TV and film industry celebrates unequivocally is when local South African content is produced," he says.
"Every time local content is produced it means local jobs, local boost for the economy, local upskilling and local stories. Because it's local content, storytellers and producers and writers are digging locally for our own stories - for what the themes and subjects are that need to be told," Waldimar says.
"Rarely is it about in what language local content is being made in - it's about using local casts and talent and local production crews. In terms of Afrikaans content on kykNET, there's a multitude of talent and crew working on these local productions who are not mother tongue Afrikaans speakers."
Waldimar Pelser says that "Jordy Sank who at the 2022 Silwerskermfees last year won for best short film at the film festival isn't Afrikaans, for instance".
"There are numerous examples like that. What's refreshing is that it shows and proves that it's all about the art form. Of course, when you're producing Afrikaans content you're going to have someone Afrikaans as part of that - who understands three things: the language, the idiom and the audience."
"To produce and deliver successful content in Afrikaans for the screen you have to understand those three things. The collaboration between content producers from across cultures, traditions, languages and language traditions and idioms s a wonderful thing. It enriches the product - even if the focus of the content is in Afrikaans."
Waldimar Pelser explains that "Summertide which will start principal photography next week in Cape Town as a new M-Net (DStv 101) drama series which will be on air from January 2023, is produced by a team who had their start at the kykNET Silwerskermfees - Corné and René van Rooyen's Red Letter Day Pictures."
"They've gone on to produce the drama series Alles Malan for kykNET."
"Now they've made the jump to local content for one of MultiChoice and M-Net's other local TV channels. There's almost not a team that achieved at the Silwerskermfees over the previous years, who haven't gone on to produce content elsewhere for others as well. That's a plus on every level, for everyone, across the industry."
Silwerskermfees: looking to solve local challenges
Waldimar Pelser says the kykNET Silwerskermfees is constantly keeping an eye on what global film festivals are doing "but our questioning never starts far from home - we start by asking what issue are we trying to solve for kykNET and M-Net but also more broadly for the entire South African film and TV biz".
"Last year when we said we were looking for the Silwerskermfees to also be a driver and stimulant for TV - after that we noticed that some festivals have switched to become hybrid-format festivals - like SXSW ("SouthBySouthWest") in Austin, Texas."
'It's never been a classic film festival but looks at content generation and ideas. Film festivals that remain fit constantly, successfully accomplish two things: Firstly, they keep asking themselves what's the new and latest context locally that the film festival has to react to."
"Secondly, a film festival has to look at what happens elsewhere - and in this order."
"A massive range of stakeholders attend kykNET's Silwerskermfees and are again doing so this year. If you want to learn more it's the place to be. It's veterans from the biz to icons in news and current affairs, producers, filmmakers from the entire gamut of the spectrum. It's a very, very interesting mix."
"Thanks to broadening into the TV sphere we have film and TV cast and crew. In the real world, these people often mix since you see the same faces on the small screen and big screen and behind-the-scenes everyone works everywhere. So while people sometimes see it as two separate worlds, in blending them together, people are seeing opportunities."
"People who have the luxury of honing their careers in purely just the one of the other you can count on one hand. We don't have that luxury as South Africa's industry. It's an indication that people see in the Silwerskermfees something interesting but also something valuable."
"I really hope that at the end of these four days Silwerskermfees film festivalgoers will say: 'This was lekker. I've met new people. I got a phone number. I gave my number to a few people. Let's see what collaborations it leads to in the future."
Find and help the new people
Why kykNET is helping aspiring and upcoming producers with educational sessions on how to pitch projects properly to broadcasters and TV channels, Waldimar Pelser says the danger is that successful people or producers end up with all of the work.
"It's like that because you work with tight budgets which are still big budgets. You can't waste money. It's not little money. It's always too little money but it's still big amounts."
"The responsibility is on everyone having to make these very difficult decisions on what content is commissioned, to not fail. So there's a structural incentive to go with trusted, proven production companies."
"While it's logical, the doors must remain open for new voices and new talent. The demand for this has been huge. There are a lot of people who really want an opportunity. The model of kykNET's Silwerskermfees has always been to find the new people."
"Let us see what a first-time content creator can do with a bit of encouragement and some mentorship. We're building on that model. That's why the 'how to pitch to us' sessions are full - we're keeping the doors open for more people to enter, but to help the best to succeed."
"Not everyone is going to go on and create content but it's in the industry's benefit that the best ones are identified, know-how, and get a helping hand to say 'this is your first time - here's a bit of advice'. The Silwerskermfees will never be about always just the same old people getting commissioned," says Waldimar.
"The big demand says there are still many, many people in South Africa who want to come into the fold of the local South African film and TV industry but are just a bit unsure of exactly how to go about it. This film festival is for all of them".
