ANANT SINGH, Producer - becoming South Africa's leading filmmaker
and has produced over 45 films in the last 15 years

Anant Singh has produced South Africa's most prevailing anti-apartheid films, including Sarafina! (Whoopi Goldberg) and Place of Weeping from director Darrell James Roodt.

In an industry beset with obstacles for a black South African during the apartheid years, Singh displayed amazing tenacity by overcoming them and becoming South Africa's leading filmmaker. Singh has produced over 45 films in the last 15 years, including Cry, the Beloved Country which starred Academy Award nominees James Earl Jones and Richard Harris. Other films produced by Singh include The Road to Mecca (Kathy Bates), The Mangler (Directed by Tobe Hooper, based on a short story by Stephen King and starring Robert Englund). Singh also has a longstanding co-production relationship with the BBC which has seen him as producer on Bravo Two Zero, a true story of an SAS patrol behind enemy lines in the Gulf War, and based on the multi-million selling book of the same title by Andy McNab was shot on location in South Africa in 1997, The Theory of Flight starring Helena Bonham Carter and Kenneth Branagh, Face (Robert Carlyle, Ray Winstone, Steven Waddington, Captives (Julia Ormond, Tim Roth) and Happy Now (Ioan Gruffudd, Om Puri, Jonathan Rhys Meyers).

Singh also produced Paljas, the first ever South African film that was submitted for consideration for an Oscar Nomination in the category Best Foreign Language Film. This film, shot in Afrikaans starred an entirely South African cast including Marius Weyers and Aletta Bezuidenhout and was directed by Katinka Heyns.

Singh, has also been involved in the production of socially relevant documentary films that serve as a record of South African history, including Countdown to Freedom, which documents the first democratic elections in South Africa and Prisoners of Hope, a reunion on Robben Island of over 1 200 of its former political prisoners led by President Mandela.

This commitment to recording South African history saw the production of a series of documentaries on former anti-apartheid activists including President Mandela, trusted advisor to Mandela, Ahmed Kathrada and the fiery Dr. Goonam. A Hero For All was produced by Singh as a tribute to Nelson Mandela as he stepped down as President of South Africa in June 1999.

In 1996, Singh made his foray into broadcasting with the acquisition of two formerly state-owned radio stations, East Coast Radio and Radio Oranje, in a consortium which included the Kagiso Trust and internationally acclaimed singer / song writer Johnny Clegg.

Singh was granted the coveted film rights to Nelson Mandela's autobiography, Long Walk to Freedom. On awarding the rights, President Mandela commented, "Anant Singh is a producer I respect very much and when we were considering various offers, I personally opted for him. He is a man of tremendous ability and I think that given the resources and support, he can do absolutely excellently." The film will be directed by Shekhar Kapur (Elizabeth, Bandit Queen, Four Feathers).

Singh was appointed a member of the Arts and Culture Task Group by the Minister of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology in 1993. He is the first South African Producer to become a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. He was also appointed to The Advisory Panel of the Directorate of Publications by then President, Nelson Mandela. He holds a directorship in the Johannesburg Stock Exchange listed company, Kagiso Media Limited. He also serves on the National Advisory Council of Maryville College in Tennessee in the United States.

Singh is also actively involved in industry related organisations and is currently president of The National Television and Video Association and The Independent Producers' Organisation.

In April 1998, Singh was conferred with an Honorary Doctorate by the University of Port Elizabeth for his "wide-ranging contributions to the South African film industry and for taking South African stories and talent to the world; his efforts to raise awareness locally and abroad, through the medium of film, of the injustices of apartheid; and for his commitment to recording South Africa's history for generations to come. The University Of Durban-Westville, the institution Singh dropped out of to pursue a career in the film industry, conferred him with an Honorary Doctorate in May 2000 in recognition of his achievements as a filmmaker and an astute businessman.

In August 1998, the Wine Country Film Festival in Northern California awarded its inaugural DISTINGUISHED PRODUCER AWARD to Singh for his "commitment to cinema and social justice". The World Economic Forum conferred its prestigious Crystal Award on Singh in January 2001. On announcing the Award, Professor Klaus Schwab, President of the Forum said, "Anant Singh's significant commitment to recording South African history and his life-long engagement for social justice are exemplary and distinguished him clearly for the Crystal Award."

Anant Singh has, with conviction, showcased South African stories and talent internationally and has earned himself recognition as a pioneer in the film and television industry of South Africa.


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