After the huge success of the 10th anniversary edition of the Sithengi Film and TV Market which saw over 1700 delegates from 54 countries attending as well as a diverse and eclectic Cape Town World Cinema Festival which saw a 10% rise in audience attendance from 16 000 to 18 000, Festival Director and CEO, Michael Auret is stepping aside to allow new blood to take the Sithengi vision forward and to allow him to explore other opportunities.
Background
Michael Auret took over Sithengi in 2001 when it was only administering one event, the Sithengi Film and TV Market. In 2002 he founded the Cape Town World Cinema Festival and it was envisioned that as the organisation grew a Festival Director would be appointed to look after the Festival and a Market Director would look after the market with both reporting to the CEO.
In 2003 a Market Director was appointed and in 2004 interviews were held in order to appoint a new Festival Director. Unfortunately the Board was not able to conclude negotiations with a new Festival director and thus the CEO took on the role of Festival Director for the 2004 and 2005 Festivals. During 2005 the CEO made it clear to the Board that despite the fact that his contract only ended in April 2007, he believed that someone else should take over the organisation after the 10th anniversary edition in 2005 but that he was prepared to act in a consultancy role in order to support the new CEO/Festival Director and to ensure adequate transfer of knowledge and contacts in the local and international industry. There are also various programmes like the Sithengi/HIVOS Film Fund and the African co-production Forums which were begun in 2005 and which will need to be seen through the coming year.
"In taking on the Sithengi project in 2001 I was faced with a great challenge - to take a small poorly funded organisation which hosted the Sithengi Market and make it into the biggest film and TV event in Africa, at the same time adding value to the offering to all stakeholders in the industry. The vision incorporated in the business plan adopted by the Board in 2001 has now been achieved and the successes now have to be consolidated and deepened. It is time for me to hand over the baton to someone else who can bring a new energy into the organisation. Of course I want to continue to support the organisation to ensure that there is continuity and an adequate transfer of knowledge and contacts and as such I will remain on as a consultant until the next festival to help make 2006 another successful year for Sithengi." Says Michael Auret
Chairperson of the Board, Eddie Mbalo, acknowledged the great strides that have been made in taking Sithengi forward. " The Cape Town World Cinema Festival and Sithengi Film and TV Market are now the biggest Film and TV events in Africa and have been established as institutions on the calendar of the African and global industries. We acknowledge the contribution of our CEO in realizing his vision and hope that his continued work with the organisation will help the new CEO to take the events to greater heights. The position is now being advertised in the press and on the Sithengi website and we hope that people of caliber will see this as an exciting opportunity to make a contribution to the development of the industry in Africa"
Posted on Tuesday 17 Jan 2006
Festival Daily
Market Daily
