M-Net unveils 12 interns part of the 1st class of M-Net's Magic in Motion Film & TV Academy; will work across M-Net's local shows for a year.

As South Africa's growing, yet struggling, television industry and the government call for bigger support of the country's TV and film biz, M-Net on Thursday announced the names on the 12 interns from across South Africa who will be the first class attending M-Net's new Magic in Motion Film & TV Academy for a year.

"The 12 Magic in Motion interns are indeed in for the ride of their lives," said veteran TV and film producer Bobby Heaney, the academy's director at the World Trace Centre in Sandton yesterday.

"This is their springboard moment."

"M-Net's Magic in Motion Film & TV Academy was specifically designed to achieve long term objectives which will benefit the whole industry and ultimately the whole country," said Bobby Heaney.

"The 12 interns represent the brightest, the most passionate and most dedicated film, television and media students from across South Africa," said Bobby Heaney of the academy's first class of students.

They will be attending the year long, accelerated work-readiness programme in the world of professional film and TV production.

"Do we have the next Koos Bekker among these 12 interns?" asked Bobby Heaney. "The next Anant Singh? The next Gavin Hood? Perhaps yes. But probably not without a strong support base and the practical and theoretical fundamentals."

"M-Net is building a new industry network - a network of sharing, nurturing, inspiring and creating to support new talent long into the future."

The 12 students - chosen out of 200 applications - will gain practical experience and knowledge by working across various local M-Net channels' TV productions ranging from Carte Blanche and Idols to Isibaya, Zabalaza, Rockville, Big Brother Mzansi, Binnelanders, Power Couple SA, MasterChef SA and several others, starting next week.

First they will all travel to Cape Town to work on the set of new reality show Power Couple SA, after which they will all work at Sun City on Miss South Africa 2015 returning to the M-Net channel this year. After that they will be split across the various other local productions.

At the end of the year the interns will also be tasked with pitching original TV show concepts to the various M-Net channel heads, and they will get to make their own TV pilot show as well.

"We received the highest caliber of students for the first intake," said Kershnee Govender, M-Net's corporate affairs director. She said M-Net's new Magic in Motion Academy is an example of M-Net's commitment to developing local talent in the film and television industry.

Buti Manamela, deputy minister in the presidency, praised M-Net's Magic in Motion Academy initiative, saying its very important that South Africans tell local TV stories and that South Africa's film and TV industry grow to nurture the youth interested in careers in this industry.

"It's important that every project for youth development include the youth."

"Too often our stories are being told for us. These stories are often not our own stories, they are largely American or Eurocentric stories from the outside market. We need to start telling our own stories that resonate and reaffirms our cultural identities," said Buti Manamela.

The first 12 interns for 2015 at M-Net's Magic in Motion Academy are:
·         Sandisiwe Aluta Qupa (AFDA JHB)

·         Palesa Rathebe (AFDA JHB)

·         Yalezo Njuguna ( UJ)

·         ThembaTwala (WITS)

·         Ignatius Shongwe (AFDA JHB)

·         Reitumetse Mataboge (AFDA JHB)

·         Thembalethu Mfebe (UCT)

·         Kabelo Ramputa (Boston Media House)

·         Mbali Zulu (UJ)

·         Lele Dinte (AFDA JHB)

·         Mark Madai (AFDA CT)

·         Sivela Mgudu (CPUT)

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.

Bobby Heaney appointed as academy director of M-Net's Magic in Motion Academy.

The veteran South African film and TV producer and director Bobby Heaney has been appointed as the academy director of M-Net's Magic in Motion Academy.

The M-Net Magic in Motion Academy will start in March with its first intake of students who will have the opportunity to work across genres and productions in their year-long programme.

"We are excited to welcome Bobby Heaney to the team," says Kershnee Govender, M-Net's corporate affairs director.

"He brings many years of film and television experience, coupled with significant industry awards under his belt. M-Net, along with its support of highly focused broadcast partners and Bobby will ensure that our students benefit greatly which in turn benefits the greater industry," says Kershnee Govender.

Bobby Heaney will mentor the 12 students chosen for a year-long internship through M-Net's Magic in Motion Academy which aims to develop talent in the South African film and television industry.

"The Academy could not have come at a better time, for me, the learners as well as the industry in South Africa," says Bobby Heaney.

"I started as an actor, moved into theatre, directed theatre and subsequently moved on to acting, producing and directing in television. This is an amazing journey and I'm so honoured that I will forever be a part of it for the as academy students," says Bobby Heaney.

"Students will get to work on both single and multi-focus camera productions, in studio and on location and will leave the academy with exceptional knowledge that will narrow the gap between the theory they've learnt at tertiary studies and what actually happens on the ground in the profession."

Through the M-Net Magic in Motion Academy students will work with production houses that already produce shows on behalf of M-Net across various genres.

Part of the internship includes the opportunity to commission a programme either by coming up with a television format or pitching for and producing a pilot programme.

According to M-Net a critical feature of the Magic in Motion Academy is for the students to gain experience across the wide spectrum of the film and television. With that in mind, students will learn alongside producers, directors, vision mixers, boom swingers and other specialists who work on reality television, sports, drama and investigative journalism shows.

M-Net mourns the passing of the South African TV industry stalwart and M-Net founding member, Ronnie van Wijk.

The pay-TV broadcaster M-Net says the company is mourning the death of Ronnie van Wijk.

Ronnie van Wijk, one of the founding members of M-Net, passed away on Saturday after a short illness.

"The M-Net group is deeply saddened to hear about the death of Ronnie van Wijk, one of the South African broadcast media industry stalwarts since 1976," says Kershnee Govender, M-Net's corporate affairs director in a statement.

"As one of the founding members of M-Net in 1986, his innovative spirit, broadcasting knowledge and leadership skills, helped shape and change television in South Africa forever, and pushed the group to become one of the leading broadcasters in Sub-Saharan Africa."

"His role in the birth of M-Net and his contributions to the sustenance and growth to the industry are immeasurable," says Kershnee Govender.

"There are few people in this world that have had as much of an impact on the industry as Ronnie. He will be dearly missed, but his legacy will live forever. Our sincere sympathy, thoughts and prayers go to the Van Wijk family."

BREAKING. Ronnie van Wijk, founding member of M-Net in 1987, dead after a short illness.

Ronnie van Wijk, a founding member of M-Net as a pay-TV broadcaster in South Africa in 1987, has died.

The veteran South African television executive worked for the SABC before moving over to M-Net, and in later years moved on to become the owner of Global Access Telecommunications, a private multimedia digital and TV broadcasting company.

Ronnie van Wijk died on Saturday after a short illness.

As a founding member of M-Net, Ronnie van Wijk helped to set up South Africa's pay-TV broadcaster which over the past 26 years has grown to become a massive multimedia broadcasting company.

At M-Net Ronnie van Wijk served as head of broadcasting services during the fast expanding period of the late 80's and early 90's when M-Net suddenly started to blossom with a growing number of local, South African TV productions such as Carte Blanche, Hot Hits and others.

Later, at M-Net Ronnie van Wijk was also involved in the research, planning and groundwork of "A-Net" - a planned Afrikaans pay-TV channel meant to be a sister channel/TV service to M-Net.

"A-Net" never materialised but out of that plan and spearheading work, grew and developed what was kykNET (DStv 144), the Afrikaans language M-Net channel on MultiChoice's DStv.

Koos Bekker, the CEO of Naspers, and the visionary who had the idea for, and started M-Net, on Monday said he will miss Ronnie van Wijk and called him a "supreme professional".

"When M-Net started in 1985, we first managers were early 30's and totally clueless about television," Koos Bekker tells TV with Thinus. "Ronnie was the first recruit who had actually worked in TV: he was a medium-heavy at the SABC".

"He taught us the basics of TV broadcasting; then he supervised the building of our very first broadcasting studios. I will always be grateful for that adult supervision!"

"Ronnie struck me as a supreme individual: balanced, prudent, very sensible," says Koos Bekker. "He established a professional culture at M-Net that endured all these years. We will certainly miss him a lot!"

M-Net also mourns the death of Ronnie van Wijk. "The M-Net group is deeply saddened to hear about the death of Ronnie van Wijk, one of the South African broadcast media industry stalwarts since 1976," says Kershnee Govender, M-Net's corporate affairs director in a statement.

"As one of the founding members of M-Net in 1986, his innovative spirit, broadcasting knowledge and leadership skills, helped shape and change television in South Africa forever, and pushed the group to become one of the leading broadcasters in Sub-Saharan Africa."

"His role in the birth of M-Net and his contributions to the sustenance and growth to the industry are immeasurable," says Kershnee Govender.

"There are few people in this world that have had as much of an impact on the industry as Ronnie. He will be dearly missed, but his legacy will live forever. Our sincere sympathy, thoughts and prayers go to the Van Wijk family."