The participants of the session were the first to view the short films before they go on air on the Discovery Channel.
Karin Heijink, channel director, emerging markets, Discovery Networks Europe, presenting the films at the event, spoke about the appeal of the global brand to the local audience, saying, “We had a great response to the short films we did in SA last year about South Africans and their vehicles. Based on this success, in 2007 we have commissioned films in South Africa, Turkey, Middle East and Russia. All of them tell a local story, produced by local talent but have a strong international appeal.'
The new short films, aired between programmes in the current schedule, provide an increasingly local flavour to Discovery Channel in SA. Films made in SA cover a variety of subjects, from extreme skateboarding to the environment, and feature real people leading real lives.
Discovery Channel expects to commission further films over the coming months as part of a rolling programme.
