Page 9 - KZN Film A Report

budget reprioritisation, injected more funding into the film
fund thereby supporting additional projects.
c) partnerships with NFVF and Moses Kotane also saw
additional revenue to increase the outputs of KZNFC.
The entity remains committed to supporting the transformation of the sector and achieved the following during the year:
• 119% procurement spend on BEE companies,
• 98% of the film fund was awarded to designated groups to the total value of R16m with 21 development projects and 9 productions projects awarded during the year,
• 14 IsiZulu/ Zulu Cultural Made for TV movies were awarded funding in development and production to designated groups (this is important in that it markets and profiles the cultural heritage the province),
• 187 temporary jobs were created on production and development projects during the year of which 55% were KZN crew.
The markets and festivals programmes were mostly affected by the COVID-19 regulations. Some international and national markets and festivals were either postponed or cancelled during the year. Others offered online participation, but there was a very low response from our filmmakers to participate. However, the local film festivals such as Kwasukasukela Film Festival, KwaZulu-Natal African Film Festival, Mzansi Reel Stories, Umgungundlovu Film Festival did take place in various modalities – virtual /both. Our own 8th Annual Simon ‘Mabhunu’ Sabela KZN Film and Television Awards took place virtually (due to the COVID-19 pandemic) on 12 September 2020. The virtual awards ceremony was received well by the industry as well as by various other external stakeholders. A total of 167 applications for the various categories were received, out of which 18 awards were awarded to the winners. The lifetime achievement award was awarded to the late Henry Cele for his outstanding contribution to the film and TV industry.
The other programme that was adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic was Industry Skills Development. Although the annual target for training was met, most of the training interventions were placed on hold for the first two quarters of the year. Most of the training began in September 2020, when the country moved to level 3 and level 2 of lockdown. The most notable achievements for the year was the successful implementation of the Schools Programme
where 123 learners were trained. Further specialised training of six students on the operation of Drones was undertaken addressing scarce skills in the sector. Twenty-four bursaries were awarded during the year to students studying film- related courses within KZN institutions. There were also NQF level 4/5 courses that were held to ensure that the local emerging filmmakers receive the necessary skills in order to enhance their opportunities to participate in the industry effectively.
During the 2020/21 financial year, KZNFC employees were working remotely from home for the majority of the year. The entity had to put in place support mechanisms to ensure that work productivity and client service was not compromised. Also, a COVID-19 compliance officer was appointed to ensure that staff adhere to COVID-19 health protocols and regulations with an extensive risk assessment being undertaken.
KZNFC continues to experience a high vacancy rate of 38.89% with increased staff turnover aligned to the pending merger and inability to appoint staff on a permanent basis. The highest vacancy rate was in Finance and Administration at 46.15% and Marketing and Industry Development had a vacancy rate of 35,29%. The high vacancy rate at Finance and Administration poses a high risk as it compromises internal control and undermines the notion of segregation of duties. The greatest challenge is the retention of skills and institutional knowledge of personnel whom have been trained and supported through various developmental programmes.
Notwithstanding, these challenges the entity did exceptionally well during this financial year, achieving all its set Annual Performance targets and a clean audit in July 2021.
Lastly, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to our shareholder, the MEC, the Head of Department and his team, to our Board Members and all the KZNFC staff members for their hard work and commitment during a particularly challenging year to ensure that this entity succeeds in achieving its mandate and impacting meaningfully on the communities we serve.
Carol Coetzee
Chief Executive Officer Date: 10 August 2021
KZN FILM COMMISSION ANNUAL REPORT 2020/2021
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