Factors determining annual trend of documentary film production in the country

As with most other countries, the level of funding available coupled with the availability of keen film producers and filmmakers will have a great effect on documentary film production.

Factors determining film length trends in the country

Again funding availability determines production length, but so does the choice of subject treatment.

Producers’ funding methods

• Internet crowd sourcing (www.thegreat88.net)
• NGO sponsorship
• Self-funding

Producers’ documentary film production budget estimation methods

Ad hoc, there is not much experience, the industry is very young.

Most successful producers

Woyee Film & Theatre Industry collective, a grassroots arts organisation led by Daniel Denis, that is building the local industry are successful by default, as they are the only independent filmmakers in the country.

Elfatih Maluk Atem currently serves the Government of Southern Sudan’s Ministry of Culture and Heritage as the Senior Director of Cinematography and Film Industry where he coordinates the mobile cinema project, short film productions and training the youth of South Sudan in video techniques. An experienced actor and filmmaker, Atem has made numerous films and video productions and provided project coordination for UNESCO, War Child International, Great Lakes film company and South Sudan TV. In addition to his work in media production, Atem is an accomplished theatre actor and director and has served as faculty of Arts, Music and Drama at the University of Juba since 2006.

Local documentary production funding sources

• Government
• NGOs
• Internet crowdsourced
• Privately sourced

Funding eligibility criteria used by local documentary funding sources

As with most commissioned works, to be eligible for funding, the filmmaker must agree to toe the line as far as content is concerned.

Submission requirements used by local documentary production funding sources for funding consideration

NGOs usually specify their submission requirements in their calls for proposals.

Ownership issues in documentary film production

Copyright laws adopted from Sudan or Uganda are in force.

Documentary film production ownership issues, resolution methods and experiences

Resolution methods are by contract, arbitration, and ultimately judicial process.

Revenue allocation issues in documentary film production

Who gets paid what, when, and how much are issues nwhich all competent film contracts will deal with.

Documentary film production revenue allocation issues resolution methods and experiences

By contract, arbitration, and ultimately judicial process.

Agreements between fund sources and producers in documentary film production in the country

It depends on the source of the funds. If self-funded,

projects witll have a different contracts profile than if funded by a commissioning body.

Deliverables in documentary film production in the country

This depends on the distribution and method of

exhibition of the documentary works. Television broadcasters, for instance, will have their own formats and require works that adhere to their broadcasting standards. DVDs are also a popular way of delivering the finished work.

Current professional development methods in the country

• Peer mentorship
• Woyee Film & Theatre Industry collective of about 150 young South Sudanese. Woyee has an estimated 150 members who operate from two branches: Torit and the current capital city of Juba
• The Juba Media Collective is devoted to the development and promotion of media in South Sudan and committed to connecting media to the economic and social realities of everyday life in the Media can contribute to processes of democratization and to this end, JMC is dedicated to empowering and mentoring Sudanese voices marginalized from national and global media- making. In partnership with other community organisations, JMC hopes to nurture the growth of an independent and vibrant media sector composed of diverse perspectives, including amateurs and citizen producers, as well as media professionals. JMC also imagines multi-media collaborations, where media artists collaborate with writers, theatre artists and community educators to create installations, shows and events.

Professional development service providers for the filmmaking community in the country

The Juba Media Collective is an emerging community based organisation devoted to the development and promotion of media in South Sudan and committed to connecting media to the economic and social realities of everyday life in the region. The Collective was founded by its director, Elfatih Maluk Atem.

Professional development needs in documentary film production in the country

Training is the major need, followed by the development of critical infrastructure which the industry needs to survive and thrive.

Potential funding partners in the country, Africa, and beyond

FilmAid International was responsible for initial help given to the Woyee collective.

Film schools in the country and their levels of attendance

There is no film school as yet in South Sudan.

Film festivals in the country

Though there are no film festivals in South Sudan as of yet, the screening of Jamila, the first feature film to be produced entirely by the South Sudanese people, was quite an event when it was first screened at a local cultural centre. The screening was a big hit as over 500 people attended on the first day to watch the film. Those who attended included government officials, NGOs, etc.

Business management schools in the country

University of Juba

Journalism schools in the country

In 2010, Sudan Radio Services (SRS) entered a partnership with the University of Juba to set up a course in broadcast journalism at the university. This will lead to a Certificate in Broadcast Journalism, the first journalism training qualification to exist in Southern Sudan. Students on the course will be given hands-on broadcasting experience at SRS.

Technical schools in the country

• Juba University
• As of July 2011, South Sudan has twelve universities of which seven are public and five are

Professional and peer mentorship in the filmmaking community

Peer mentorship is most active in two film collectives:

The Woyee Film and Theatre Collective and the Juba Film Collective.

The Woyee organisation owes its humble beginnings to the efforts of Chandler Griffin, founding director of Barefoot Workshops in Mississippi, US, who provided advice and support as a former FilmAid International trainer at Kakuma Refugee Camp. Griffin initially sponsored two of the refugees, Daniel Danis and Simon Lokwang, to attend a film school in Nairobi to learn more about filmmaking. After completing the course, Lokwang and Danis, along with colleagues, formed Woyee with the dream of establishing a film industry in South Sudan. Woyee’s has in-house equipment such as a Sony PD camera, a Canon XL1 camera and a Mac computer (editing suite).

Categories of relevant tech-related companies in the country and their numbers

Computer shops can be found in Juba, but most of the equipment used in documentary film production in South Sudan is imported at great expense.

Local advocacy groups operating in the country and their issues

• Educational advocacy groups
• Women’s welfare advocacy groups
• Health advocacy groups
• Civic advocacy groups

Nature of involvement of advocacy groups in the professional development of documentary filmmakers

The Woyee group has been commissioned by health advocacy and civic advocacy groups.

Existing forms of documentary film distribution in the country and their capacities

• TV
• DVD
• Internet

Watching a movie is a luxury in a country where electricity is scarce. The only cinema in Juba was destroyed during the war. Last year the French cultural centre organised screenings of several European films with a generator-powered projector and an open air screen. The screenings were packed every night.

Distribution options taken by local documentary filmmakers

The Woyee group has a website with links to some of the films it has produced that have been posted on the Internet. It has also distributed the film Jamila via DVD around the country free of charge to encourage people to join the film industry.

Woyee Film and Theatre Industry has produced over 25 short films and radio dramas, as well as public service announcements (PSAs) during the Voter Education Exercise in the 2010 Elections and the 2011 Referendum. These were distributed to all 10 states of South Sudan and to its radio stations. They also played on state television every day.

South Sudan has an underdeveloped film culture with no cinemas, which makes screening locally produced films difficult. Most people rely on the only television station in the country, the government-owned South Sudan Television.

Laws and regulations governing the distribution of documentary films in the country

Copyright Laws are in effect: The Copyright and Neighbouring Rights Protection Act 1996.

Laws and regulations governing audience-building for documentary films in the country

Media Laws are in effect.

Audience-building strategies used in the country

Radio is the single most important source of news and information in South Sudan.

One popular means of mass communication is the broadcasting of messages such as Public Service Announcements (PSAs) via vehicles with loudspeakers. In Juba and the surrounding area, Sultan Jambo is widely respected and used by a number of different organisations.

Originators and executors of audience-building strategies for local documentary films in the country

The filmmakers themselves will try and build their own audience. Daniel Danis distributed free DVDs of the Woyee film Jamila in order to build audience and enthusiasm for the new film industry.

Revenue generation strategies for local documentary films in each distribution channel in the country

• Woyee does rent out its camera equipment to make some money, but for now they focus on theatre because it’s cheaper than making films or short
• DVD sales

African civil society groups in the country and nature of engagement with local documentary filmmakers

• Agency for Independent Media (AIM) aimonline.org. is an initiative launched by various media personalities in South Sudan to promote media freedom and professional journalism. The organisation also aims to strengthen the role of the media as a watchdog on the implementation of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA).
• Association for Media Development in Southern Sudan (AMDISS)

Prevalence of copyright piracy of film in general and documentary works in particular in the country

With the literate population being quite low at the moment, and the penetration of TV and video equipment localized mainly in highly urbanized areas, the prevalence of piracy by volume is relatively low, but among those who own such equipment it may be another story.

Measures in place to deal with copyright piracy

Copyright law is in force.

Internet penetration in the country

A 2007 Hirondelle Foundation media survey of Southern Sudan found that only 7% of respondents used the internet. It also found that the overwhelming majority of internet users went online at an internet cafe. Since then, modems that link to the internet via the mobile phone network have become popular among computer owners, but connection speeds remain slow.

Potential subscribers for an online local documentary library and/or Internet channel for locally produced documentaries

In reality, only the educated elite in South Sudan’s main towns, foreign residents and the Diaspora overseas have access to the internet.

Internet usage by local documentary filmmakers

The Woyee group has a website from which it gives information about the work it does and with links to films it has made and posted on video hosting sites such as YouTube.

Political sensitivities

• Ethnicity
• Corruption

Modes of communication between local documentary filmmakers and funding sources

Mobile phone coverage remain limited, face-to-face communication through word of mouth remains hugely important, especially in remote rural areas.

Channels of communications that allow private exchange of information in the country

Face-to-face communications, email communications

Information sources used by local documentary filmmakers on various aspects of documentary production in the country

The film collectives are rich sources of industry information even though the industry is still young and such information is scant.