National
SA film industry contributes over R3 billion to GDP─── THANDI XABA 11:39 Thu, 20 Aug 2015
Bloemfontein - The South African film industry contributes over R3 billion annually to the country's gross domestic product (GDP), while providing employment for more than 25 000 people.
This is according to a 2013 study conducted by the National Film and Video Foundation, an agency of the Department of Arts and Culture.
The country will meanwhile host the first South African International Film Festival, also known as RapidLion, in March next year.
The festival will recognise the rapid growth in box office takings from the BRICS countries - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
Festival director, Eric Miyeni, who also starred in the film based on the novel Cry, the Beloved Country, says over the years there has been a noticeable turnaround in the film market, and the festival leads filmmakers and distributors to focus on international opportunities thus creating a bigger market for foreign films.
Anant Singh, considered the country’s most popular filmmaker and producer of Mandela: Long walk to Freedom and Sarafina, will be accepting one of the RapidLion awards at the festival.
Thandi Xaba/OFM News
