Michael Joseph Hayes Auret was born in Zimbabwe where he lived for 32 years before obtaining South African citizenship in 2001 on his appointment as CEO of Sithengi, the Southern African International Film and Television Market Initiative.
Michael is not entirely new to South Africa, having obtained his BA LLB from the University of Cape Town (UCT) in 1993. In 1995 Michael pursued Practical and Legal Studies at the UCT Practical Legal School and Financial and Strategic Planning at the UCT Graduate School of Business in 2000.
During the period 1999 and 2002 Michael served on the Boards of the Film and Television Producers Association in Zimbabwe; the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA), Zimbabwe; and the Southern African Film and Television Market Initiative.
In Zimbabwe Michael was founder and managing director of four companies, including a television production company, a media consultancy, a graphic design company and the first private radio station in Zimbabwe. He was instrumental in developing businesses and consulting on a range of legal and communications issues. As legal consultant with various law firms and government institutions, including the South African Constitutional Assembly of Cape Town, Michael has been strategic in applying his legal mind to issues of both private and public interest.
Since taking on the leadership of the Sithengi Film and TV Market Michael has been instrumental in growing the market both financially and in terms of attendance. This has been achieved through the introduction of many new programmes including the Cape Town World Cinema Festival, a Childrens Festival, an animation festival as well as a documentary co-production forum.
Michael combines his legal knowledge with experience in media throughout Southern Africa to enable him to guide the growth of the Sithengi Market and to improve the conditions for the film and television industry in Southern Africa.
Posted on Friday 15 Apr 2005
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