Fury over local movie makers

Angry claimants want film industry to boycott alleged slippery pair for not paying

TWO film company bosses who allegedly owe several creative companies hundreds of thousands of rand continued filming – seemingly unperturbed – in Cape Town this week.

Angry claimants have called on the film industry to boycott David Brenton, who also goes by the name David Wakelin, and as his business partner, Craig Fegen, to stop them filming in South Africa.

The companies are mostly owed for their work on a Renault commercial shot a year ago.

Brenton and Fegen trade under various names, including Gateway Film Services, Happy Cow Films and Mad Cow Films.

Fegen was on set this week for the filming of a commercial for Vodashop, shooting on the corner of Waterkant and Chiappini streets in the Cape Town city centre on Wednesday, and Sandown Road in Table View on Thursday.

Brenton frequently goes out of town, sometimes to Greyton, and was difficult to locate, which prevented them from serving summonses on him, several industry sources said.

The duo allegedly owe payment to Shireen Ishmail from Tank Crew Film Management; Abie Viljoen from The Make-Up Issue, a make-up and hairstyling academy; Carla Jackson from Greenage, which provides flowers and greenery on film sets; Rachel Young from HappyCatFilms production company; Chornelle du Sart from Twenty Model Management and four of the company’s models.

They also allegedly owe payments to: Johan Cronje from Lourensford Estate security; Antoinette MacDonald from Peppadill caterers; Brenton Lockets film and production supplies; Dimitri Repanis, a production designer and art director, as well as eight companies or individuals Repanis, in turn, subcontracted.

These include a prop hire company, design store, signage company, set-building business and production specialist.

Repanis said he and those he had subcontracted were owed R135 000 for work done on the Renault advertisement last February.

The Make-Up Issue’s Abie Viljoen, who is owed R32 000, said: “Numerous reminders were sent. I handed it over to attorneys, but they had no success. My calls and e-mails were not answered.”

Lucinda Hartzenberg from the accounts department at Twenty Model Management said they were owed R47 000 for four models.

“We’re extremely frustrated at the fact that we were not paid as it reflects badly on us as a company and we are at the point where our models want answers regarding their money. All we want is our money that is owed to us.

“We weren’t able to get hold of him on his phone number and his e-mail address was disconnected.”

Antoinette MacDonald from Peppadill caterers said 10 employees of the company were owed R65 000.

“We were in Bainskloof at four in the morning. We rushed up the mountains in Franschhoek. Our two vehicles went up and down. He goes into hiding and changes his name. I’m furious with him (Brenton) .

Johan Cronjé from Lourensford Estate said they hired out their location to Brenton and he owed them about R25 000, but had refused to pay.

“He’s been doing it for years. He kept making empty promises. It’s too difficult (to get the money back) because we can’t trace him,” Cronjé said.

An insider who has worked for the duo claimed Brenton used various names. She said Fegen once refused to pay petty cash of R3 500 to enable crew members to pay for transport to film locations.

“Craig just said he doesn’t have the money and they must pay for their own transport.

“People work so hard. It’s a beautiful industry and among the top-funded. And they continue to refuse to pay.

“They must get out of the film industry,” she said.

In an e-mail Ishmail sent to Brenton in March, she wrote: “Please pay them. The crew have been good to us. You have the money. Now be a professional. Don’t screw them any further. Stop this circus.”

However, no payment had been forthcoming.

This week the upset claimants said Brenton and Fegen were damaging the reputa- tion of the internationally-acclaimed and money-generating South African film industry.

Weekend Argus tried to contact Brenton and Fegen via e-mail, office phones and cellphones, but failed.

Writing in his capacity as executive producer of Gateway Film Services, Brenton said in an e-mail sent in March, that he had received $155 000 (R2m) for the Renault commercial and they were expecting to receive another $10 000.

He said this was towards a full and final settlement of all dues.

The Times last year reported Brenton admitted owing some subcontractors, but claimed it was because he hadn’t been paid in full.