SOUTH AFRICA has one of the oldest film industries in the world. Up until the present (2002) this industry has been situated primarily in Johannesburg and Cape Town. Although possessing a small but thriving video industry, the province of KwaZulu-Natal has had no film production industry to speak of. A strange quirk of history seeing that this province contains, in a relatively small geographical area, the most varied locations, topography and the most diverse range of ethnic and cultural groups in South Africa, including better year round weather conditions than Cape Town.

It was with the realisation of this potential and a general frustration at the lack of infrastructure and crew that local filmmaker Keith Blair founded The KZN Film initiative in the city of Durban in 1999.

After acquiring some film equipment the Initiative produced their first short 16mm film entitled "Pisscat." This slapstick comedy was screened as part of a workshop at the Durban International Film Festival, and although still in a work print stage generated rave reviews and had those present in hysterics.

Upon realising the future potential of The KZN Film Initiative, we were fortunate enough to have film enthusiast, broadcast and special effects expert, Leon Breytenbach sign up as our project co-ordinator.

At a Kodak and South African Society of Cinematographers (SASC) film workshop held in Johannesburg under the direction of SASC director of photography Tai Krige, the KZN crew joined others and worked on a 30 second promo for MTV and shot a 3 minute music video for a UK band called Zero Seven. The band was at the time (Feb 2002) second on the UK charts.

The films were shot on Kodak 35mm film. The KZN Film Initiative's latest venture was a 3 minute music video under the direction of SASC DOP Duane Rogers and assisted by Mike Inglesby SASC called "Why" by local artist Garth Taylor. It was shot entirely on location in KZN on 16mm film, and was telecined to Betacam SP then edited by Leon and Keith on Adobe Premiere 6. The music video will have its first screening on local TV stations.

With assistance from The KZN Film Initiative, Kodak South Africa is currently hosting a film conference at the International Convention Centre in Durban starting Sunday 21 July 2002. The aim of the conference is to introduce the province of KZN and it's assets as a location to film makers around the world. Feedback will follow.