More than seventy key representatives of the South African film industry met last week in Johannesburg to address out the persistent problems plaguing them - and for once in an industry beloved of seminars and conferences the meeting seemed to yield some positive results.

The event involved four panels who in the past month had produced discussion documents on the subjects of: Production and Co-Production; Finance, Funding and Taxation; Training and Development; and Marketing and Distribution.

The documents were discussed and the consensus of opinion was that the private sector needs to develop some form of unified representation in the form of a unified film federation (currently the industry has over 20 professional associations);

In addition, it was noted that urgent attention had to be given to the areas of script development, financing, distribution and marketing.

The meeting, which was part of the ongoing process of developing a film and TV industry in the country, follows several other initiatives including the White Paper on Arts and Culture in 1996, the Cultural Industries Growth Strategy in 1999 and the Profile 2000 report commissioned from Pricewaterhouse Coopers.

What distinguished this event, however, was that only key players were invited and the day's discussions didn't dissolve into bitter personal spats between independent producers, as has happened so often in the past.

As producer John Stodel noted, "We've massaged these ideas for over five years now to get to this point. And now it must get bloody. The broadcasters must finance features, 'movies of the week' and short films. We must stop beating around the bush; after all with no bucks there's no Buck Rogers."

Questions were raised concerning section 24f of the Income Tax act, which provides special dispensation for film investment. The act was notoriously abused by South African investors during the 1980s but a representative of the South African Revenue Service reassured delegates that the scheme was still viable despite current investor caution.

Gal Batsri, a NFVF council member and entertainment lawyer with leading firm Webber Wentzel Bowens summed up the mood of the day when opening the debate on Finance, Funding and Taxation, "Outside Hollywood without government intervention a local film industry won't be able to get off the ground. It's a simple pre-condition that government has to come on board to develop a viable film industry that is seen as an investment brand."

Notable for their absence from the meeting were local Broadcasters SABC and free-to-air channel e-tv. Notwithstanding these no-shows the forum was very well attended by members of government including representatives from the Department of Trade and Industry, Arts, Culture, Science and Technology and the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa.

The councils' reports and feedback will be posted on the NFVF website within the next two weeks and those wishing to add to the debate have until the 11th of September to make amendments after which the proposals will be forwarded to government.

The website can be found at www.nfvf.co.za