ABSTRACT
Following the 1994 democratic elections, the South African government appointed its newly established Ministry of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology to conduct extensive investigations into the creation of a new post-apartheid film industry. Framed within the field of film and critical cultural policy studies, this chapter focuses on the political discourses that have emerged in South Africa's post-apartheid film policy landscape and the motivations behind its creation. It is based on an extensive systematic analysis of published material including commercial and government media, as well as in-depth interviews with over fifty key South African policy actors and industry stakeholders. Film was identified as a key sector in the cultural industries, with the idea that it would be able to promote a national identity essential for nation-building and political transformation. Provincial and local governments have also included film as a focus area within their cultural and creative industries policies.
