Programme Director,
Staff and Students of the Film School
Distinguished guests
Ladies and gentlemen.
Thank you for the honour and privilege of addressing you here this evening. It is heartening to see many young aspiring filmmakers. In the past we enjoyed stories around a campfire, these days we watch our stories as films on TVs, computers and screens!
The Big Fish School of Digital Filmmaking has a proud history of working in conjunction with the Department of Arts and Culture (DAC). The Big Fish was the 2006 flagship project for a unit in our Department called Investing in Culture. Big Fish received three years of funding to create opportunities for previously disadvantaged individuals to gain skills and employment in the film and television industry. It was the first incubator of its kind, unfortunately it was concluded in 2009.
In 2008 Big Fish was the recipient of the Investing in Culture platinum award by then Minister, Dr Z Pallo Jordan, in recognition of excellence in technical innovation, capacity building and sustainability for outstanding performance.
Big Fish have received a number of key accolades, both national and international, that demonstrate their effectiveness and success in filling the skills gap and providing workplace experience in an innovative way. To date over 800 full time students have been trained with 85% employment rate achieved for former students. The remaining 15% are among those working on their own projects.
Big Fish provides opportunities to students who have been identified as talented and creative, but could not get a university exemption. The beneficiaries consist of largely black students who were unable to raise funding for studies. Big Fish is keenly aware of the gender component and therefore trains both young women and men equally. Big Fish is providing unparalleled access in a largely impenetrable sector which remains principally the domain of the more privileged.
The Department of Arts and Culture is committed to bringing the creative industries into the mainstream to provide economic and transformation tools for the vast majority of South Africans. This sector forms an essential part of South Africa’s New Growth Path for economic growth. Government appreciates that the arts make a significant contribution to the GDP of the nation.
Film remains earmarked as one of the key areas of rapid economic growth to spearhead the equitable growth and development of the industry: Recent Key findings from the economic based impact study done in 2012 reveals that the SA Film industry contributed R3.5 billion to South Africa’s GDP (both direct and indirect (spend); created over 25 175 Full Time Equivalent jobs; earned over R670 million for the South African Revenue Services (“SARS”); encompassed over 2 500 direct service providers; and delivered an economic multiplier of 2.89, i.e. for every R1 spent in the industry, another R1.89 was generated within the South African economy. This means the film industry is up there in the middle following the major contributors in the economy like the mining sector.
The annual GDP figures show that there has been on average 14% growth per annum in total GDP contribution by the South African Film Industry to the economy over the last 6 years.
Our strategy, Mzansi Golden Economy (MGE), builds on existing initiatives, expanding and scaling up existing institutions. DAC has established multi-stakeholder project task teams to implement this.
The MGE has modelled large scale, high impact programmes maximising growth and the employment potential of the sector are being implemented. These are being constantly monitored and evaluated to guide future decision making in these projects which includes establishing a national skills academy for the arts.
Ladies and gentlemen, in 2009 we spoke about the need to develop local content through increasing support to the National Film and Video Foundation. The DAC in conjunction with the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) continue to foster the responsibility we have to promote the development of the film sector and particularly to direct the transformation agenda through the promotion of access, equity and diversity of the industry which is key in driving growth and dynamism in the industry. In responding to the above mandate, the prioritisations of skills transfer and development, as well as the promotion of high employment generating strategies have been the focus, hence the MGE.
Also very importantly, having a healthy film industry is a vital means of representing ourselves as South Africans, as we see ourselves, and part of preserving our national identity.
The DAC is proud of the efforts and the commendable work done by the Big Fish Digital School of Filmmaking in its effort to level the playing field in terms of access to the film industry by unearthing and nurturing talent from the formerly disadvantaged community and a contribution to poverty alleviation by nurturing identified talent to self-sufficient levels through hands on learner-ship programs.
At this point I would like to congratulate all of you: “the eyes and minds of our country”, firstly for your hard work, talent, tenacity and most of all the stories and creativity.
Lastly it would be a huge missive for me not to congratulate the minds behind Big Fish: Dr Mellanie Chaite and Willma Rall who work tirelessly to realise this dream.
Thank you.
