Deadline: November 14, 2016.
While
celebrating 30 years of timeless magic this October, M-Net is calling upon
local storytellers to submit their original ideas for contemporary films in any
South African vernacular language, including Afrikaans.
“Movies
have been the heartbeat of our business right from the start,” says M-Net CEO
Yolisa Phahle. “Way back when, we revolutionised local television by bringing
the spellbinding power of Hollywood’s silver screen to our viewers without any
ad breaks. Through the years, we also committed ourselves to develop and boost
our own film industry – first with initiatives like the New Directions and EDiT
short films project and more recently by supporting an increasing number of authentic
local feature films - both financially and creatively.”
In the
past three years M-Net has backed more than 40 theatrical feature films under
the M-Net Movies, Mzansi Magic and kykNET Films banners. Among these movies are
the smash hits Happiness is a Four Letter Word and Vir Altyd,
which respectively earned more than R13 and R15 million at the South African
box office. This impressive list also includes Noem My Skollie, the film
that has been chosen as South Africa’s official entry in the category of Best
Foreign Film for next year’s Academy Awards; Akin Omotoso’s Vaya, which
was invited to premiere at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival; and
Tess, the hard-hitting film that received top honours at the 2016 Durban
International Film Festival.
“We are
incredibly proud of the slate of films linked to our stable, and it’s encouraging
to know that plenty of these beautifully made movies have been the handiwork of
first-time directors or screenwriters,” Phahle says. “In our quest to continue
to add value to the local film landscape, we identified some specific gaps. Hence
the decision to give local movie makers another opportunity to pitch their
ideas for great new films.”
M-Net
is now specifically looking for feature films in certain comedy and action
sub–genres as well as films based on successful vernacular novels that can be
adapted for cinema. In a bold and exciting move, kykNET Films is also planning
to create and develop a Cape-based romcom or family saga in Afri–kaaps.
If you
want your film to tickle some funny bones, you have to pen down the idea for a
romantic comedy, wholesome family comedy or smart and edgy comedy aimed at an
adult audience that reflects modern trends in cinema, but with a fresh local
flair. In the action genre, M-Net is inviting proposals for suspense thrillers
and adventure stories. Your suspense thriller should have an unpredictable and
complex plot built on narrative tension, mystery, fascination, anxiety or any
of those elements that create nail-biting moments. The adventure films should
contain strong characters, and an exotic setting or unconventional
backdrop.
No
matter what the genre is, the stories should be authentically South African,
reflecting our current reality and be void of sensationalism and cultural
stereotypes. Regarding the creative, M-Net would also like to see pitches that
demonstrate a keen understanding of the specific film genre and the music
should be reflective of the story and include as many relevant South African music
tracks as possible.
The
closing date for submissions is November 14, 2016.
For
more background on M-Net’s requirements, examples of movies within the genres,
the intended target audiences and the way the proposals should be submitted, go
to the M-Net Corporate website at http://submissions.mnetcorporate.co.za/
All
proposals should also be submitted via the M-Net Commissioning Portal on the
M-Net Corporate site.
“This
is a fantastic opportunity for new film makers to break into the industry or
for veterans to get the green light on their next big film,” Phahle concludes.
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