CAPE TOWN RESULTS REPORT: AMERICAN FILM

UNCLAS PRETORIA 004570 SIPDIS DEPT FOR AF/PD-LMING/TROOKARD, ECA/PE/C/CU -- SCOHEN PRETORIA FOR PAS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SCUL OEXC KPAO SF SUBJECT: CAPE TOWN RESULTS REPORT: AMERICAN FILM INSTITUTE'S SILVERDOCS FILM SHOWCASE "WE THE PEOPLE: DOCUMENTARIES ON DEMOCRACY'(MPP: EP ECONOMIC PROSPERITY AND SECURITY; DE DEMOCRATIC AND HUMAN RIGHTS; MU PUBLIC DIPLOMACY AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS) ¶1. ACTIVITY: OVER THE PERIOD OCTOBER 8-15, PAS CAPE TOWN HOSTED A DELEGATION OF THREE AMERICAN FILM INSTITUTE REPRESENTATIVES - PATRICIA FINNERAN (DIRECTOR, AFI SILVERDOCS),GRACE GUGGENHEIM (PRESIDENT, GUGGENHEIM PRODUCTIONS) AND DIANA INGRAHAM (DIRECTOR, US INDEPENDENTS) - WHO CONDUCTED A SERIES OF WORKSHOPS AND DISCUSSIONS WITH THE CAPE TOWN FILM COMMUNITY AND BROADENED THE BASE FOR FURTHER COLLABORATION IN THE FIELD OF DOCUMENTARY FILM MAKING. ¶2. MPP GOAL: EP-ECONOMIC PROSPERITY AND SECURITY; DE- DEMOCRATIC AND HUMAN RIGHTS; MU-PUBLIC DIPLOMACY AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS. ¶3. RESULTS/IMPACT: THE CAPE FILM COMMISSION (CFC,) WHICH SERVES AS A FACILITATING BODY FOR THE RELATIVELY YOUNG WESTERN CAPE PROVINCE FILM INDUSTRY PLAYED A PIVOTAL ROLE IN ALL PROGRAM ARRANGEMENTS. THE WEEK- LONG VISIT MADE A SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTION TO THE ACTIVITIES OF THE NASCENT CAPE TOWN FILM INDUSTRY. STARTING WITH A THOROUGH ONE-DAY BRIEFING AND ORIENTATION TO THE WORKING ENVIRONMENT, A WORKING BREAKFAST WITH SIGNIFICANT PLAYERS IN THE WESTERN CAPE FILM COMMUNITY, AND A RECEPTION FOR A BROADER AUDIENCE HOSTED BY PAO PAUL PATIN AT HIS RESIDENCE, THE AMERICAN FILM INSTITUTE (AFI) DELEGATION WAS VERY WELL PRIMED TO PRESENT FOUR HIGHLY RELEVANT WORKSHOPS TO CULTURALLY DIVERSE AUDIENCES THAT INCLUDED BOTH EMERGING AND ESTABLISHED FILMMAKERS. IN ADDITION TO ISSUING SOUTH AFRICAN DOCUMENTARY FILM MAKERS WITH AN INVITATION TO PARTICIPATE IN THE 2006 SILVERDOCS FESTIVAL, THE THREE AFI REPRESENTATIVES ALSO PROVIDED INFORMATION ON THE CHANNELS AND MEANS OF DISTRIBUTION FOR DOCUMENTARY FILMS IN THE U.S. THE TRIO PROVIDED A NUMBER OF SCREENINGS AND DISCUSSIONS AT WORKSHOPS ON THE UNIQUE SKILLS AND CHARACTERISTICS OF DOCUMENTARY FILM MAKING, BROADENING THE POTENTIAL FOR FURTHER US-SA EXCHANGE IN AN INDUSTRY DESTINED TO BE AN IMPORTANT ECONOMIC ACTIVITY IN THIS PART OF THE WORLD. OVERALL, THE EXCHANGE WAS RECEIVED VERY POSITIVELY BY THE WESTERN CAPE AUDIENCES. ¶4. PRETORIA AND CAPE TOWN GREATLY APPRECIATE ECA SUPPORT IN SENDING THIS PROGRAM TO SOUTH AFRICA. THIS MESSAGE IS BEING SENT FROM PRETORIA ON CAPE TOWN'S BEHALF DUE TO THE CONSULATE'S MOVE TO NEW QUARTERS THIS WEEK. HARTLEY