Top Hollywood film executives will meet face-to-face with South African film and television professionals during a five-day production conference to take place in Los Angeles from February 28.

Organised under the US/South Africa Exchange umbrella by Johannesburg-based film promotion company Timbull Rorich Neville (TRN), the talks are designed to build relations between the two markets, exploit the production interest generated by last year's Exchange, and allow professionals from both countries to explore joint venture opportunities.

South African executives will be given access to heads of physical production and co-production from Hollywood studios and leading independents and television networks, according to project manager Mandy Crooks.

Producers that will make themselves available during the talks include Universal Studios, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Fox Searchlight, Paramount Pictures, Warner Brothers, Artisan Entertainment, Lakeshore Entertainment, Morgan Creek, New Line Cinema, New Regency, HBO, Showtime, Alliance Atlantis, Saban, Kushner-Locke and Telescene.

"Rising production costs and tighter budgets in Hollywood have accelerated the trend of US productions going overseas to locations that offer cost-effective production services and facilities and joint venture opportunities,' said Crooks.

South Africa had a significant presence at the American Film Market and the AFC Locations Expo as a result of the first Exchange which took place in 1999.