FEATURE FOCUS ON SOUTH AFRICA
ALWAYS IN SEASON South Africa's favourable currency, generous incentives, experienced crews and endless supply of gorgeous locations has made it a year-round destination for film and TV producers from across the globe. Marlene Edmunds reports
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A beach front in Durban
THE SUCCESS of Cape Town Film Studios (CTFS), the first custom-built state-of-the-art film studio in Sub-Saharan Africa, which is reportedly fully booked through 2019, has fuelled robust expansion since it launched in 2010. Among the latest add-ons is a double stage with a moveable sound wall, consisting of a 15-metre-high ceiling and a 2.5-tonne door, which allows filming to continue on one side while sets are being prepared on the other side. Recent shoots at CTFS include the film version of Stephen King’s The Dark Tower (2017), the fourth and final season of the Starz drama Black Sails, Fox thriller The Empty Man, Syfy’s dystopian near-future series Blood Drive and season three of Outlander. While South Africa's aim is to use its locations expertise as a major economic driver, the country is also pushing to build up its local film-industry expertise. CTFS has been a kick-starter to those ambitions, creating a domino effect by generating more than 40,000 jobs and pushing local crew
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03/05/2017 16:59