DISCOP Johannesburg Puts Canada in the Spotlight

DISCOP has revealed that Canada will be the Guest Country of its Johannesburg edition, taking place November 14 to 16.

The move was made possible thanks to the Canada Media Fund (CMF) and the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), an agency of the the Department of Arts and Culture of the Republic of South Africa, which have launched a dedicated incentive for the co-development of audiovisual projects between Canadian producers and South African producers.

The recognition of Canada will be marked by the presence of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, which will be in Johannesburg to present PANORA.TV its new B2B online platform facilitating transactions, from searching and shopping, to contract generation, payment processing and content delivery.

Canadian producers and government representatives attending DISCOP Johannesburg 2018, including André Ferreira, communication manager of the CMF, will be hosted at the “Made in Canada” Pavilion, a networking and communications hub that will provide visibility and market exposure to Canadian delegates.

Two sessions scheduled in the context of DISCOP’s sidebar Next Gen development and knowledge-transfer program will also examine co-production and distribution opportunities between Canada and South Africa.

“In the past 20 years, we’ve seen content produced between Canadian and South African creators hit international markets with great commercial success and critical acclaim. Producers in both countries have partnered to tell stories that are culturally relevant to audiences in both countries and around the world,” said Valerie Creighton, president and CEO of the CMF. “Through our matching fund with the National Film and Video Foundation of South Africa, we have further enabled the development of strong partnerships between producers in both countries. As we aim to create yet more partnerships between Canadian and South African producers, we look forward to participating in DISCOP Johannesburg 2018, where Canada will be Guest Country.”

NFVF’s acting CEO, Shadrack Bokaba, said, “The relationship between South Africa and Canada is very special, it was the first audio-visual co-production treaty to be signed, stemming from shared values of equality, democracy, peace, security and prosperity. The treaty has allowed the union between South Africa and Canada to continue to grow and forge new partnerships while cementing and enhancing old ones. The recently renewed Canada Media Fund partnerships is one such partnership aimed at fostering the development of content that is able to travel and find audiences across the globe. It is, therefore, encouraging to witness South African content markets like DISCOP honor the relationship in this manner. We look forward to creating more opportunities for collaboration.”