National Film and Video Foundation releases results of filmmakers that have qualified to benefit from the Presidential Economic Stimulus fund

By CityLIfe Arts Writer

The National Film and Video Foundation has now released the results of those filmmakers who have applied and qualified for assistance for their projects for the Presidential Economic Programme (PESP) fund as part of the government’s initiative to mitigate against the impact of Covid-19 on the creative and cultural sector in the country.

“The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) is pleased to announce outcomes of the Presidential Employment Stimulus Package (PESP).

The NFVF once again was tasked by Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (DSAC) to administer the PESP, designed to support the audio-visual industry following the devastating impact of COVID-19 on the sector and on the economy more broadly, the NFVF is one of the implementing agencies for this third iteration of the program.

The PESP call for applications was aligned to three streams:

Stream 1, the Production Open Call, was a call for production proposals, including documentaries, television scripts and any other relevant audio-visual proposals, with an ability to create ten or more jobs.

Stream 2, the Skills Development Call was focused on Skills Development initiatives, including graduate development programmes.

Stream 3, the Marketing & Distribution Call was a call for applications relating to distribution strategy proposals, such as public screening, film festivals and other film-related events, with an emphasis on job creation,” the NFVF says in a statement released this week.

Following a review process, the NFVF has announced the following outcomes:

• TheStream 2 call received a total of 180 applications. Of these, 142 were found to meet the application criteria. After careful review, 24 projects will be considered for funding.
• TheStream 3 callreceived a total of 129 applications. Of these, 93 were found to meet the application criteria. After careful review, 21 projects will be considered for funding.

Stream 1 (the Production Open Call) outcomes will be communicated through our social media platforms in the near future.

The CEO of the National Film and Video Foundation, Makhosazana Khanyile said that the PESP has played a vital role in supporting the audio-visual industry in an especially difficult period: “COVID-19 was challenging for everyone, and it hit the film and related industries especially hard. The PESP is designed to inject funding into the sector in a careful, targeted way to create urgently needed jobs and inject new life into a thriving industry that plays such an important role in the economy and in the lives of ordinary South Africans.”

Funding for industry projects across South Africa

• Through the PESP, the DSAC was allocated R152,3 million for the 2022/23 financial year to ensure the creation of 9000 jobs per financial year but the revised amount of jobs created for financial year 2022/23 is 11 312 jobs.
• Funding followed an application process. The call for applications was released to the public on 24 June 2022. The application period close on 5 August 2022. During the application window, the NFVF received a total of 979 PESP applications.
• Following the approval process, opportunities will be implemented nationally for industry practitioners covered by the NFVF’s mandate.

As Khanyile explained, the three phases of the PESP were designed to provide an integrated and comprehensive strategy supporting job creation throughout the sector.

Allocation of investment

All applications to the PESP were subject to a review process by skilled industry professionals, to ensure they met the criteria laid out by the initiative.Following the review process, PESP outcome letters for Streams 2 & 3 were sent out on 23 November 2022.

For the 2022/23 financial year, the PESP funding was broken down as follows:

• Stream 1: Production Open Call – R 107 775, 769.70 (targeting 7000 jobs)
• Stream 2: Skills Development Call– R 25 618 230.30 (targeting 1300 jobs)
• Stream 3: Marketing & Distribution Call– R 12 184 000 (targeting 700 jobs)

The PESP is part of the Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan, initiated by President Cyril Ramaphosa. To date, the initiative has played an indispensable role in sustaining and growing the audio-visual industry nationwide, reaching over a million beneficiaries in local communities and rural areas, and creating enduring social value.