The cultural and creative industries, and in particular, the audio-visual sector has long been recognised as a catalyst for economic growth in South Africa with a potential to contribute immensely to the economy and to employment.
Eastern Cape, South Africa (09 March 2020) – The newly launched Eastern Cape Film Hub is expected to stimulate economic activity, drive transformation, and create jobs and entrepreneurial opportunities.
Addressing the launch of the facility on Thursday, Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture Nathi Mthethwa said the facility was established to address the lack of film infrastructure.
The hub will give access to production and post-production facilities to aspirant filmmakers.
“The hub will provide affordable, subsidised equipment for film production and post-production, it will also hopefully attract big production companies to come and shoot in this province stimulating the local economy,” said the Minister.
Mthethwa said the cultural and creative industries (CCIs), and in particular, the audio-visual sector has long been recognised as a catalyst for economic growth in South Africa with a potential to contribute immensely to the economy and to employment.
“Recent studies have shown the sector’s tremendous improvement in contribution to the gross domestic product (GDP), revenue collection and its multiplier effect in terms of creating employment,” he said.
The Minister said the purpose of the film Hub is to bring together all areas of film production under one roof, from pre-production to post-production, thus providing high-end studios equipped with multiple stages.
The hub is capable of meeting the production needs of high-end budget productions while simultaneously servicing the television and commercial production.
“It will also provide an avenue for aspiring filmmakers to have access to production and post-production facilities at sustainable rates as well as screening facilities. As the Department we are intent in our purpose to seeing more skilled artists and original South African stories coming from all arrears of this culturally rich country,” Mthethwa said.
Film, he said, is one of the few unique artistic tools of expression that plays an important role in cultural exchange, co-existence, tolerance and it is easily accessible and reaches a wider audience.
“Its audio-visual nature creates an immediate impact that shapes opinions and inspires generations of people for centuries to come. It is this medium that bestows upon us the freedom to dream, to explore controversial subjects, to conjure up images that build and sustains nations,” the Minister said.
The Eastern Cape Film Hub was launched in Buffalo City Municipality in a collaboration between National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), the Eastern Cape Development Corporation (ECDC), Eastern Cape Provincial Arts and Culture Council (ECPACC), and Cortex Hub.
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