DEPUTY MINISTER MASINA DEPARTS FOR CANADA

DEPUTY MINISTER MASINA DEPARTS FOR CANADA

The Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr Mzwandile Masina departs for Canada today where he will join a 20-member delegation of emerging South African filmmakers attending the 40th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) which started on Wednesday and will end on 20 September 2015.  

The participation of the SA filmmakers in TIFF has been made possible by the Department of Trade and Industry (the dti) through its Export and Marketing Assistance Scheme (EMIA). The purpose of the scheme is to develop new export markets and to grow existing export markets for South African products and services

“The participation of the South African filmmakers in TIFF is part of the dti‘s strategy to create access to international markets for the local film and television products and to promote an increase in the volume of films produced in South Africa. My trip is aimed at promoting South Africa’s attractiveness as a film destination of international standard to filmmakers who will descend on the critically acclaimed festival from different parts of the world,” says Masina.

He adds that the trip will also provide exposure for the emerging filmmakers to the international film and production market. 

“We are providing our emerging filmmakers with the golden opportunity of rubbing shoulders, networking and learning from the crème de la crème of the film and television industry who descended on Toronto from across the globe for one of the world’s most prestigious international film festivals. There is no better platform for them to market themselves as filmmakers, sell their projects, and negotiate distribution, funding and co-production deals with buyers and directors from other countries,” adds Masina.

He further says that the film and television sector has been identified by the South African government as one of the priority sectors within the Industrial Policy Action Plan (IPAP) due to its ability to promote increased investment, job creation and skills transfer.

Since the start of the festival, the SA filmmakers have been busy attending meetings, information sessions and industry conferences, and watching movies. Yesterday, they attended a master class conducted by distinguished British director Stephen Frears who is renowned for his critically acclaimed blockbusters including High Fidelity, The Queen and Philomena.

TIFF is one of the world’s most prestigious and internationally-acclaimed film festivals attended by hundreds of industry professionals from across the globe and thousands of movie enthusiasts. About 300 films and documentaries from various countries are screened during the festival.