Namibia: A Competitive African Film Destination
We speak to Guy Nockels, Executive Producer of Namib Film, and CEO of Imwe Namibia Holdings, of one of the leading production conglomerates in the Namibian film industry, to find out more about the sector.
Namibia has long been a fascinating location and in recent years has hosted big budget films like the award-winning Mad Max: Fury Road and the latest instalment of The Mummy starring Tom Cruise. But the industry offers so much more, with companies like Imwe Namibia Holdings pioneering the development of local content in the region. Guy Nockels shares in depth.
How was Imwe formed, and why does this kind of business model work?
Imwe Namibia Holdings is the holding entity for Namib Film, our commercial division solely dedicated to the production and facilitation of feature films, commercial, music videos, stills shoots and corporate videos; Magic Touch Films, our documentary division solely focused to the production and facilitation of documentaries and reality television programmes; with Desert Ace Tours and Charters who provides specialised travel packages to international travellers, as well as film production support to visiting production teams; and finally, Equipment List Rentals, our in-house equipment rental division specializing in camera and unit support, as well as location scouting, management and rehabilitation.
Each entity has related but distinct different products, services, markets and opportunities. The consolidation of the four sub-divisions under Imwe Namibia Holdings has developed them into well-balanced entities, offering high-quality customer service, branded and well-accepted media industry products, backed by secondary services to complement each division’s efforts.
Who were the clients or projects you worked with in 2017/18?
The last year we had the opportunity to focus on a really diverse list of clients and productions. One memorable production was the popular reality TV programme, Divas Hit the Road, for Hunan TV in China. They had a crew of more than 100 people that travelled over 1 000km in just a few days. There were also really creative projects, including Italian photographer Angelo Seminara who shot his Great Women for Great Lengths in Sossusvlei, Namibia.
What are the typical challenges you are faced with on these projects?
International budgets have become tight, but with us being able to offer Namibian locations and services to visiting producers at very competitive rates to film or shoot at compared to other international film locations, Namibia makes our lives easier!
What is the ratio of service work to production work that your company does?
Traditionally we have focused more on providing services to, and facilitate for, visiting producers and film crews, especially with Namib Film’s most recent major Hollywood feature film Transformers: The Last Knight, and Magic Touch Films working closely with RedBull TV, BBC and Discovery Channel. In 2018 we have embarked on developing our own ideas and projects. We feel Namibia has a world to offer not just as a location, but in the form of original content unlike anywhere else in the world.
How healthy is the Namibian film industry? Where are things lacking, and in what areas is the industry excelling?
As the longest-running production company in the country we can definitely say Namibia’s film industry has grown over the years. The Namibian Film Commission is also currently working hard to market the country to the outside world, but as an industry we would still like to be able to offer rebates to large productions. This would make us just so much more competitive because we already have world-class infrastructure, basically minutes away from some jaw-dropping scenery. Regarding local content, there has been an increase in the quality, which always comes with an increased budget.
What trends have you noticed in the Namibian and wider African region?
Throughout the African industry there are noticeably more TV programmes that focus on travelling on the African content. We have developed a pride in our countries that we want to share with the world. We incorporate our own cultures and traditions in film, TV and commercials, shifting our focus from the norm of copying Hollywood, and motivating our people to stay true to our ethos. You can see this in the increased African influence in worldwide mainstream films and music.
Where do you see the future of Namibian filmmaking heading?
The Namibian film industry has become more competitive than ever. This is great, but in light of many new players and service providers in the industry, it is important that our industry manages its hard-won international reputation as a world class filming destination.
Namibia remains a production paradise, but while the Namibian film industry is a small industry compared to in other countries, the industry and the rights and permissions for filming still need to be respected. Can you imagine that there are still rumours of international crews coming to film in Namibia without even a film permit? If we want to keep Namibia a filmmaking paradise — and especially easy to access — we all need to work together.
