Page 7 - KZN Film A Report

It gives me great pleasure to provide an account of the achievements of the KZNFC in the 2020/21 financial year. The operations of the Board continue to be a challenge with limited members due to vacancies thus impacting on the effectiveness of the governance structures. The ongoing merger process has delayed the appointment of additional members to strengthen the skills base and address the governance of its committees.
Foreword by the Chairperson
KZN Film Commission
BULELWA N MALANGE
Chairperson of the Board
The proposed merger has also impacted on operations in terms of appointment of personnel as only temporary appointments are currently being considered and short-term service contracts concluded limiting the cost effectiveness and economies of scale of such services.
The COVID-19 pandemic had an adverse impact on the film sector. Lockdowns resulted in a halt to film productions and the closure of cinemas. With the impact on the national fiscus, the Entity was required to reprioritise its budget to allocate additional funding to existing projects to ensure that productions could go ahead while complying with the COVID-19 protocols established in the industry. The Board approved a COVID-19 Fund of R9m for these purposes. The full fund was awarded to various projects during the year as detailed in the annual report and provided much needed temporary employment for the sector.
COVID-19 fast-tracked the shift in consumer patterns and the use of technology in productions. KZNFC, in line with its Human Capital Development strategy, undertook drone training, which is considered not only scarce skills
but also unaffordable for designated groups. Six candidates successfully completed the course.
The 2020/21 year was certainly a challenging one and has demonstrated the resilience of the KZNFC team as services continued throughout the various stages of lockdown. Every effort was made to ensure that our stakeholders continued to receive quality service and access to our team at all times.
Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to extend my sincere gratitude to the MEC, my fellow Board Members, to our CEO and her EXCO, to all KZNFC staff members and all our stakeholders for their respective contributions towards the achievements of KZNFC vision and the growth of the industry.
Bulelwa N Malange
Chairperson of the Board Date: 10 August 2021
KZN FILM COMMISSION ANNUAL REPORT 2020/2021
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