The group of speakers at the event, (from left): Sinini Mati, Minenhle Luthuli, Portia Ndudane, Dr Ngqabutho Bhebhe, Nombuso Buthelezi, Lindokuhle Mthimkhulu and Pinky Radebe. Photo: Monishka Govender
The KZN Tourism and Film Authority held an event on Friday to both honour women and raise awareness of opportunities in the film industry.
The engagement provided a platform for women filmmakers to share their stories, while also highlighting KZN Tourism and Film Authority's transformation projects that provide opportunities for women filmmakers.
Portia Ndudane, 37, who has been in the film industry for 11 years, said she became a filmmaker at a time when there were not many women in this field.
“I love that the film industry gives you the platform to express yourself, and gets people to imagine what can be in the future. Being a filmmaker allows you to present a problem and solution through film. We are here today to help solve the issues that women may have in the industry. The lack of career guidance adds to the problem. We want to teach the youth, especially women, and educate them about the film industry.”
Ndudadne is currently working on a film, funded by the KZN Tourism and Film Authority, that discusses women empowerment and how they shouldn’t rely on men. She co-wrote the script and is directing the film.
Lindokuhle Mthimkhulu, another filmmaker, started at age 24, after trying and failing in many things, from studying law to being an au pair in London.
“I feel there’s not enough women representation in film, but also representation itself is not enough. It’s not only about increasing statistics but also about the actual change in the film space.
“Women need to see that film helps you create anything you like; for me it connects to my inner child and what I’m passionate about. This is why I got into film, even though I started because of music videos, but moving forward I saw my love for writing and how a film can be made. So when I started watching music videos, I saw that I wanted to edit certain things by deeply analysing them.”
Nombuso Buthelezi, 26, from Inanda, received a BA degree in music, drama and media studies, but making films was not her first choice in life.
“I got into film because from a young age, I knew I wanted to be involved in the entertainment industry. My passion for film began when I started studying at the University of KwaZulu-Natal.
“I am an inspiring director and I hope my films tell stories that resonate with people. I feel we need to showcase the lack of women in the film industry. People who are higher up in the industry tend to take advantage of you because you’re a woman but we don’t talk about it because it’s a stigma. It’s dehumanising as a woman trying to make a name for themselves. There’s so much potential in film, women just need to take the chance,” she said.
She said that not enough was being done to educate the youth about film, and not enough funding was invested by government into the film industry.
The KZN Tourism and Film Authority conducted a study and found that more than 80% of the respondents indicated there were fewer opportunities for women to participate in the film sector.
They also saw less financial support for women-owned productions because funders preferred men.
About 69% of the respondents indicated they were not employed within the film industry, with 25% of graduates saying it took them between one and three years to secure employment opportunities.
The proposed recommendations were to foster more international internship programmes for women and to establish labour unions in the film industry to deal with issues of inclusivity, diversity, safety of women and equality.
The film authority also proposed strategies and interventions to promote women’s participation in the sector by providing funding for the training and development of women in film, creating more internships and apprenticeships for women graduates.
Research has also shown that 19.4% of women have benefited from development and funding initiatives, mainly through the bursary programmes, though while 77.7% were aware of it, they did not receive financial support.