by Thinus Ferreira
The buckling National Film and Video Foundation will mount the 18th South African Film and Television Awards (SAFTAs) this Saturday evening at Gallagher Estate with Lerato Kganyago and Skhumba Hlophe as co-hosts.
Black Swan is the first-time production company mounting the TV awards broadcast this year for the embattled NFVF.
The organisation is mired in behind-the-scenes drama - something which will undoubtedly make for some awkward moments and a lot of gossip over champagne glasses at Saturday's arrival pre-drinks in Midrand, the main ceremony, as well as the official after-party.
The rudderless NFVF is still without a CEO and also without a NFVF council that had been disbanded on 30 July, with Gayton McKenzie, South Africa's new sports, arts and culture minister who slammed the organisation a few months ago, nothing that "there is a big problem at the National Film and Video Foundation".
He said "It can't be that all the people in the arts are complaining. There must be a problem there. We must address that problem. We are here to fix things."
The NFVF will now put up a "Back to Basics"-themed TV awards this weekend with Lebogang Mogoera, a chief director in the department of sport, arts and culture currently standing in as latest acting NFVF CEO.
The 18th SAFTAs was originally set to take place a month ago but was pushed out by a month to not clash with MultiChoice's DStv Delicious Festival on 22 September since MultiChoice is a SAFTAs partner.
The 18th SAFTAs will first hand out Golden Horn trophies at its craft awards, streamed on YouTube on Friday evening at 19:30 with SABC3's Expresso presenters Christopher Jaftha and Kuhle Adams as the hosts.
On Saturday the main awards broadcast will be a simulcast on SABC2 and M-Net's Mzansi Magic (DStv 161) channel from 19:30. It will start with a half-hour red carpet show from Gallagher Estate with presenters Katleho Sinivasan and Nomalanga Shozi.
The main awards show will start at 20:00 with co-hosts Lerato Kganyago and Skhumba Hlophe. Various "talent search winners" are also expected on stage to present category winners throughout the live show.
The two-and-a-half-hour live broadcast is supposed to end at 22:30, but in previous years, it has run over.
Besides its "Back to Basics"-theme the TV awards show also plans to reflect on 30 years of South African democracy and how the local TV and film industry reflected and promoted a more diverse and equitable society while it changed as well.
According to the NFVF, the awards shows will "reflect the
SAFTAs commitment to the fundamental principles of storytelling and filmmaking
while embracing innovation and creativity in the digital age. As we reflect on
our rich heritage and cultural identity, we also look ahead to the future of
South African entertainment".
Black Swan Media headed up by Relebogile Mabotja and Bruce Townsend has been appointed as the production company for the 18th SAFTAs, producing the awards show for the first time.
"To produce for the first
time this year as we celebrate 30 years of freedom and democracy and 18 years
of SAFTAs is particularly special to us, on the back of winning our first SAFTA
as a business last year," says Relebogile Mabotja.
"We look forward to producing a great project while bringing
Mzansi along for the ride."
Several local production companies and producers continue to boycott the SAFTAs and have again not entered this year, while Word of Mouth Pictures' Muvhango and Danie Odendaal Productions' cancelled 7de Laan both snubbed the awards as well and once again making the soap categories incomplete.
The 18th SAFTAs nominees tally has Netflix South Africa with the most at 59, followed by M-Net's Afrikaans kykNET division just one less, with 58 nominations.
The SABC has 39 nominations, MultiChoice's Showmax streamer has 38, with eMedia's e.tv that snagged 17 nominations this year.
