Writers' Guild of South Africa (WGSA) shocked over NFVF's decision to unilaterally dump writers' categories from the Saftas main awards ceremony, demands full reinstatement: 'Without the writers, there would be no Saftas'.

More than a week after the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) abruptly dropped all writers' categories from its 13th South African Film and Television Awards (Saftas) main ceremony the organisation has not responded to multiple media enquiries about the shocking move, nor met with the Writers' Guild of South Africa (WGSA) that says it is shocked and is demanding the reinstatement of writers' awards in the main Saftas broadcast.

For more than a week since 2 March TVwithThinus asked the NFVF, funded by the department of arts and culture, for comment and an explanation as to why the writers' categories were abruptly removed from the main ceremony broadcast on SABC2 that was once again a badly-produced show.

The NFVF didn't tell the WGSA, nor nominees that their categories had been moved to the non-televised, so-called "technical awards" on the Saturday afternoon.

Neither Shadrack Bokaba, NFVF acting CEO; Neo Moretlwe, NFVF communications coordinator; nor Instinctif, the PR company paid by the NFVF to liaise and communicate with the press have responded with any answers to questions put to them in multiple media enquiries made over several days since then about dumping the writing categories from the main ceremony and why it happened.

Immediately after the 13th Saftas, the WGSA said it plans to boycott the NFVF's Saftas if the writers' categories are not reinstated to the main awards ceremony.

According to insiders, it seems as if the NFVF that added separate telenovela categories for the first time this year to lure more soap stars to appear during prime time in the awards show, unilaterally decided to sacrifice more of the proper TV and film production categories, in order to try and insert more superficial "glitz".

With the telenovela addition and because of duration, more legitimate industry categories were banished from the show.

Through pandering to a view-from-home audience in an attempt to lift ratings, the NFVF decided to turn the Safta award ceremony that is supposed to be more a "South African Oscars" and recognise the entirety of the local TV and film industry's serious work, into a more fluffier "Daytime Emmys" spectacle more heavily focused on the visibility of soap stars, insiders say.

The Writers' Guild of South Africa (WGSA) on Tuesday told TVwithThinus that the "WGSA was shocked and taken aback when we were told during a networking meeting on the morning of the Safta awards that writing categories would be moved from the main show to the technical awards, without any advance notification or consultation".

"As a result, many writing nominees were not present when their categories were awarded in the afternoon, and were left confused and angry when their categories did not feature during the main show," says Harriet Meier, WGSA chairperson.

"We placed our dissatisfaction on record with NFVF and SASFED on 3 March, and were advised that a debrief on the Saftas had been set for 29 March 2019."

"This is not the first time that NFVF has unilaterally removed the writers' categories from the main Safta show, which is really incredulous considering that the writers create the scripts and screenplays without which there would be no actor, series, film or soap awards," says Harriet Meier.

"In fact, without the writers, there would be no Saftas," she says.

"For this to happen so soon after the department of arts and culture's Film Summit - where support for and development of the South African writer was flagged as extremely important - makes this a slap in the face for the whole South African writing fraternity."

Harriet Meier says "there is no question that WGSA will demand the reinstatement of the writers' awards in the main broadcast of the Saftas".

"We will also demand input in and full oversight of the judging and categories of writers awards. And we are seriously looking at lobbying for an Independent Motion Picture and Television Academy to take over the running of the Saftas. A lot will depend on the meeting on 29 March."

"In the meantime, the highly prestigious WGSA Muse Awards have opened for entries. This time, there is even a category for writers from the rest of Africa. With internationally acclaimed judges making the final choice, the WGSA Muse Awards really stand out as the awards for African writers," says Harriet Meier.

Writers' Guild of South Africa announces WGSA Muse Awards 2014/2015 nominees, adds M-Net as sponsor.

The 2nd WGSA Muse Awards 2014/2015 ,organised by the Writers' Guild of South Africa (WGSA), has announced its nominees for the awards ceremony set to take place late in April and has added M-Net as a sponsor.

The WGSA Muse Awards 2014/2015 will once again recognise writers in film, television, radio, stage and new media for their contribution to South African entertainment industry.

"A substantial number of entries were received for the WGSA Muse Awards and we would like to thank all the writers who submitted their scripts for consideration," says Harriet Meier, WGSA chairperson. 

"The top three scripts reaching or surpassing the standard set by the minimum judging criteria will make up the nominees. These screenplays will proceed to the next phase, where the winners will be selected by a new set of judges, which include big name international writers, agents and Writers' Guild representatives from around the world," says Harriet Meier.

M-Net has come aboard as the headline sponsor for the awards event.

"For the past 29 years, M-Net has remained a proud sponsor of local arts and culture initiatives. This event confirms our belief in the very important and often undervalued role which writers in various disciplines play in South Africa," says Kershnee Govender, M-Net's corporate affairs director.

"These writers bring the many diverse stories of our multi-faceted society to life, in so doing enriching the lives and cultural fabric of all who come into contact with their work."

The nominees for the WGSA Muse Awards 2014/15 are:

Animation: 1) Tracy Eccles: Wheelin’

Documentary: 1) David Forbes:  The Cradock Four
2) Meg Richards:  1994:  The Bloody Miracle
3) Peter Goldsmid:  Dance Up From The Street

TV Comedy / Sitcom: 1) Fidel Namisi: Call Centre
2) Joshua Rous: By the Numbers

TV Drama: 1) Amor Tredoux:  Danz! Episode 6
2) Marina Bekker:  Thola Episode 1
3) Shirley Johnston: Traffic:  Episode 25

TV Drama: 1) Amor Tredoux:  Danz! Episode 6
2) Marina Bekker:  Thola Episode 1
3) Shirley Johnston: Traffic:  Episode 25

Stage Play: 1)  Janet van Eeden: A Matter of Time
2) Janet van Eeden: In-Gene-Uity
3) Janet van Eeden: The Savage Sisters

Spec Script: 1) Fidel Namisi:  Bring Back Lost Lover
2) Hanneke Schutte: Meerkat Moonship
3) Zamo Mkhwanazi: The Good Doctor

No nominations were made for Radio Plays, and the over 100 Feature Film entries received were all for unproduced screenplays.

The WGSA organisers decideed to dedicate the Spec Script in Any Genre category this year solely to feature films, and to include unproduced work in other genres in their own genre categories.

Writers' Guild of South Africa (WGSA) hands out Muse Awards in another monumental step forward in recognising TV and film writers in South Africa.

Shirley Johnston accepts her Muse Award Trophy for Felix as best feature script at the inaugural WGSA Muse Awards.

Recognising, valuing and rewarding writers in television and film in South Africa took yet another monumental step forward when the Writers' Guild of South Africa (WGSA) held the country's inaugural WGSA Muse Awards on Saturday evening at the Barnyard Theatre in Cresta Johannesburg.

Award winners who received a Muse Award Trophy include Fidel Namisi for Tooth and Nails (Best TV comedy script), Joshua Rous for the pilot episode of SABC3's High Rollers (Best TV drama script), Gisele Turner for eLimboland (Best stage play script), Shirley Johnston for Felix (Best feature script) and Kelsey Egan for The Chemist, a feature film (Best spec script, unproduced work).

Fidel Namisi who won for Tooth and Nails as Best TV comedy script.

Thandi Brewer received the WGSA Special Service Award.

"Finally there is an award which acknowledges the creators of local entertainment; the incredibly talented writers who take an idea and give it life, a face and unique character, which is then brought to the screen by the actors, directors and producer," says Harriet Meier, WGSA chairperson.

The WGSA believes that the Muse Awards will grow to become a regular and much-anticipated event on the local calendar.

Harriet Meier, WGSA chairperson addresses the Muse Awards audience.

WGSA member Richard H. Nosworthy of Plum Productions headed a team of musicians, vocalists and performers from the South African Guild of Actors (SAGA) to produce the WGSA Muse Awards with Jack Devnarain (Rajesh in Isidingo) who was the master of ceremonies.

Zama Mkosi, the chairperson of the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) delivered the keynote speech at the WGSA Muse Awards which ran for 100 minutes, as scheduled, with a wide cross-section of representatives from South Africa's broadcasting industry present.

Joshua Rous who won for High Rollers as Best TV drama script. 

Muse Award Trophies were presented to winners by Verona Duwarkah (the head of SABC Television), Ayanda Halimana (commissioning editor at Mzansi Magic and Mzansi Wethu TV channels), David Makubyane (the acting general manager of local conten tfor On Digital Media and StarSat), Paul Raleigh (producer of the Oscar-winning film Tsotsi, and Nkateko Mabaso (general manager of M-Net's local interest channels).

The WGSA Muse Awards was followed by dinner and a good networking session and many attendees stayed for the Barnyard show, Battle of the Sexes.

The WGSA says writers who are not yet members are invited to join the guild and become eligible to submit their work for the next WGSA Muse Awards and can email admin@writersguildsa.org

Time running out to enter scripts for the inaugural Writers' Guild of South Africa's Muse Awards.

It was a dark and stormy night.

And the number of those dark and stormy nights are fast running out to still enter for the inaugural Writers' Guild of South Africa's Muse Awards set to honour and celebrate writers labouring within South Africa's TV, stage and film community.

The WGSA Muse Awards forms part of the WGSA's schedule of initiatives to strengthen the writing profession by offering skills development programmes as well as protecting the interests of South African writers.

Writers still have until 15 November to enter, and can do so online here, visit www.wgsamuseawards.co.za or you can contact the WGSA office on admin@writersguildsa.org, tel: 011 888 4349 or cell 082 575 6901.

Entry for WGSA members is R100 per entry. Non-members who join the WGSA now will get membership until end February 2015. Winners will be announced at a gala event early in 2014.

The 6 categories for which entries will be accepted for the 2013 WGSA Muse Awards include:
• Feature Film
• TV Drama
• TV Comedy
• Documentary
• Stage Play
• Unproduced in any genre

"With the growth in the South African film and television industry it is critical that credit is given where credit is due," says Harriet Meier, WGSA chairperson.

"Often it is an overlooked fact that it is the writers who are the backbone of the film and TV industry, as without their vivid imaginations there would be nothing to watch on our screens."

"WGSA has created the WGSA Muse Awards to recognise the hard work done by our members in the South African film, TV and entertainment industry. It is an award by writers for writers, which finally shines the spotlight on the often forgotten custodians of SA arts and culture."

For the WGSA Muse Awards, while the main language of the entries should be English, short dialogue sequences in other South African official languages are acceptable as long as English translations are supplied.

As the Muse Awards grow, more categories will be added, including new media, gaming, animation, shorts and a category for student writers, says the organisation.