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WTF?!

Can you believe the SAFTAs are virtual again this year?! Apparently the contract for the production was done while the country was still in lockdown and the bid criteria for production houses stated it couldn't be a public event. Category presenters will present from a central location, while winners will accept their awards in pre-recorded inserts. See comments for a quote by the awards' Executive Producer Anneke de Ridder. >>

TVSA Team
30 Aug 2022 12:34

Bureaucracy and red tape are more important than culture! ...

According to the National Film and Video Foundation, the decision to host the event virtually was made at the time the bid for tender was put out to production companies.

Executive Producer Anneke de Ridder:

“At the time, SA was still under lockdown and the bid criteria was per SAFTAs15 guidelines - no public event. Similarly, by the time the service provider Don’t Look Down was appointed, the country was still under lockdown.

"Given the restrictions with government institutions when it comes to changing the merits of a tender bid, we had to continue hosting the ceremony virtually.

"While we do acknowledge that it would have been ideal to celebrate with the industry in-person, our production company has worked exceptionally hard to give industry practitioners the honour they deserve.

"Our motif "Frame the Future" speaks to this as we hope to build on the reimagined execution, we delivered last year.

"Plans for SAFTAs17 though are already underway and we definitely will resume with an in-person celebration of the industry’s best."

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That's not gonna happen if eNCA has anything to do with it. Their recent persistent reports on another Covid wave suggest they're just itching for another lockdown.