Nominees for the kykNET Silwerskerm film festival's new Afrikaans TV awards is curtailed to just kykNET shows as basically everything and everyone on kykNET is considered good enough for a prize.

by Thinus Ferreira

In a bizarre move, the new Afrikaans TV awards added this year to the existing Silwerskermfilmfees film awards - a film festival organised by M-Net's kykNET division - is limited to just kykNET shows and talent, with virtually every show and every talent on just kykNET up for a prize.

The 11th kykNET Silwerskermfees film festival takes place during the last week of August with the awards show set for Saturday 26 August from Cape Town's International Convention Centre (CTICC), and which will be broadcast the following night on 27 August on kykNET (DStv 144) at 20:00.

Earlier this month kykNET announced that it's widening its Afrikaans film awards held as the closer of its annual kykNET Silwerskermfees film festival held in Camps Bay, Cape Town, to celebrate and honour the best of Afrikaans television as well.

When kykNET revealed the nominees on Wednesday, it turns out that the "best" of Afrikaans television are purportedly just kykNET shows, excluding Afrikaans television not part of kykNET. 

While the Silwerskermfilmfees film festival includes Afrikaans and other films in other languages commissioned and financially paid for and supported by MultiChoice, M-Net and kykNET, the film festival is also open to and inclusive of Afrikaans and other films that do not belong to MultiChoice or kykNET and which have not received financial support or funding from the Randburg-based pay-TV operator.

While the Silwerskermfilmfees film festival - and its film awards competition - has been and continues to be inclusive and inviting of a film slate larger than just kykNET-supported Afrikaans filmmaking, its new TV awards is however being limited to strictly just kykNET's Afrikaans TV content.

Afrikaans programming and shows produced by production companies for, for instance, Media24's VIA (DStv 147) Afrikaans lifestyle channel, the South African public broadcaster's SABC2, eMedia and e.tv, or Afrikaans video streaming services carrying Afrikaans TV content like Jou Afrikaans (JA) or AfriForumTV are all being excluded by kykNET from being eligible for its Silwerskermfees Afrikaans TV awards that it says will honour "top television".

"It is high time that, in addition to the excellent work in film, we also celebrate outstanding contributions on our kykNET channels," says Waldimar Pelser, director of M-Net premium channels, in a statement, about the nominees for the Silwerskermfilmfees film festival's new TV awards.

"Without their exceptional talent, we wouldn't be able to keep our viewers glued to the box. It is a privilege to thank them with the nominations and awards."

 Across 21 categories which will each yield a winner that's the best in Afrikaans television according to kykNET, kykNET nominated virtually every conceivable show and talent available on kykNET.

Included in kykNET's list of nominees is everything and everyone from so-called reality housewives to advertiser-funded shows (AFPs), as well as a whopping 10 nominees for a category called Best Ensemble Presenting Team - a category that oddly excludes the channel's two most-likely winners in such a category, its flagship magazine shows Kwêla and Bravo! both produced by Homebrew Films.

TVwithThinus asked kykNET why only kykNET TV programming has neem nominated for the Afrikaans TV awards. 

kykNET publicist Herchelle Benjamin in response to the media query didn't provide any definite answer and said the awards honour the best films making their debut at the festival but for the first time "we are also celebrating the exceptional talent which ensured top entertainment on our kykNET channels over the past year".

Asked who was responsible for choosing the nominees for the different 21 categories, kykNET declined to provide any names.

kykNET's Silwerskermfees film festival invites producers to enter for first-ever in-person TV pitch opportunity this year while opening entries for 2024's short film and documentary categories.

by Thinus Ferreira

kykNET's Silwerskermfees has opened written pitch entries for its 2024 short films and documentaries competitions, with the film festival which is also for the first time opening entries for another new initiative for this year's 11th Silwerskermfees in which selected TV producers will get the opportunity to make in-person pitches for new TV shows during the festival.

The 11th kykNET Silwerskermfees Film Festival is taking place in Camps Bay in Cape Town from 23 to 26 August where the film festival will showcase 14 short films and 6 short documentaries all made by newcomers and funded by M-Net and kykNET also providing mentorship.

These short films and documentaries were commissioned last year, but the film festival has now opened written entries for these categories for next year's 12th Silwerskermfees.

In both the short film and documentary categories the Silwerskermfees is now looking for "innovative storytellers with a burning desire to move in behind the camera to capture their imaginative ideas" for 2024.

People who are interested in producing either a short film or a documentary have to submit a description of the story and themes, the working title, the documentary genre, and the duration of the proposed film.

The documentary must be no longer than 30 minutes. Any language may be included, but 60% of the content must be in Afrikaans or any variant of the language, such as Afrikaaps.

The finalists for the second round, to be selected in May 2023, will then hand in a pitch video, whereafter a third sifting round will ensue. 

In this round - which will determine the films going into production with M-Net and kykNET's financial backing and mentorship, the candidates will do a full presentation detailing the film's budget and director's treatment.

The 2024 Silwerskermfees film festival competition for short films will follow a similar selection process. The 2024 short films may be between 3 and 30 minutes and in any genre. Any language can be incorporated into the film, but 80% of the dialogue should be in any variant of Afrikaans.

To be considered for the short film competition, a concept proposal of between 250 and 300 words must be submitted. The script development and director's treatment will come into play at a later stage. The entry forms for the two competitions are available on the Silwerskermfees film festival website and the closing date for entries is Monday 8 May. The submission fee is R350.

TV pitch session added for 2023 Silwerskermfees

In another new initiative kykNET is adding an in-person TV pitching session for 2023's 11 Silwerskermfees.

Video entertainment creators are invited to submit original proposals for the festival's new "Pitch To Us" competition which is part of a drive to bring fresh content to television and streaming platforms.

As part of Pitch to Us, a handful of producers will get invited to do in-person pitching sessions with commissioning editors and other programming decision-makers during this year's film festival.

The Pitch To Us competition encompasses various genre categories, including drama series, documentaries, reality and entertainment programmes, and advertiser-sponsored shows.

Producers who want to take part in the TV pitching session must enter on the film festival's website.

During the first phase of the three-pronged selection process, the M-Net content hub commissioning editors overseeing the different genres will sift through all the entries to determine the top 15 proposals. 

Thereafter M-Net's content and channel heads will choose the top 5 entries, whose producers will pitch their programme to a group of commissioning editors and other senior decision-makers at the film festival.

Details concerning the elements required for the first-round pitch and the competition’s terms and conditions are available on the website and the closing date for the Silwerskerm Pitch To Us competition is 7 June 2023.