Pretoria – The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) will put R1.5 million towards a nine-province documentary proposal by filmmakers with disabilities.
The announcement was made by the chairperson of the NFVF, Mmabatho Ramagoshi, at the NFVF Film Indaba at Emperors Palace Conference Centre in Ekurhuleni.
The NFVF will appoint temporary sign language interpreters to assist with hearing-impaired applicants during NFVF training programmes. It will also reserve two bursaries for people living with disabilities, who want to study film related programme at any tertiary institutions in South Africa.
The Deputy Minister of Women, Children and People with Disabilities, Hendrietta Bogopane-Zulu, has welcomed the partnership and commitment by the NFVF to transform the film industry.
“The industry is creating inclusivity and access for people with disabilities. We look forward to seeing diversity in content on our screens,” said Bogopane-Zulu.
The Film Indaba is held every four years and seeks industry input on the state and direction of the film industry.
It also aims to bring together key film industry stakeholders to help draft the industry's response to the National Development Plan and the Revised White Paper on Arts, Culture and Heritage.
South Africa is commemorating Disability Awareness Month from 3 November - 3 December.
The international theme proclaimed by the United Nations for this year is ‘Removing barriers to create an inclusive and accessible society for all’. – SAnews.gov.za
