US embassy cable - 05PRETORIA4570

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