Martin Cuff began his career in the film industry while still at school, as a research assistant for a US company shooting a historical film in his neighborhood. Since then he has worked in the international production industry for 20 years, with extensive experience including features, television, corporate & in-flight video, commercials and stills production.

For five years Martin was Chief of Operations for Sithengi, the Southern African International Film and Television Market based in Cape Town, South Africa. Sithengi was set up by the post-apartheid government to promote the development of the African film, broadcast and related industries. The only event of its kind on the African continent, Sithengi features a week-long exhibition, film festival, film-related conferences, workshops and master classes and a networking opportunity for film practitioners for the African continent. During this period, Martin was also responsible for outbound missions of South African film professionals to various international expos and festivals including Cannes Film Festival, MIPCOM/TV (France), FESPACO (Burkina Faso) and AFCI Locations Trade Show (Los Angeles).

Martin became the Director of the Cape Film Commission in Cape Town, South Africa in March 2002, with the responsibility of re-launching the Commission as an effective working vehicle. He successfully increased the organization's budget ten-fold and introduced eleven new staff positions. The Cape's business grew to over 45 feature films, 700 television commercials and 1250 international stills campaigns a year. Other successes included the introduction of a film fund for local producers and an affirmative action charter to address social inequalities. In October 2002 Martin was appointed as a Director of the Association of Film Commissioners International, a global film commissions’ network representing 350 commissions in 35 different countries. He was the first African representative appointed to this position in nearly 40 years of AFCI's existence.

In March 2003, Martin also took over management of the Cape Town Film Permit Office and worked with the City to overhaul its permitting processes and develop the first formal film policy on any African city.

On top of these duties, Martin was concurrently Chairman of the South African Association of Stills Photographers, a Board Member of the Cape Town International Film School, a National Executive Council Member for the Independent Producers Association, and a Board Member of Sithengi, the Southern African International Film & TV Market. He was instrumental in the planning and development of the first Cape Town Film Expo (2005) and was a founding member of Film South Africa, a joint marketing initiative developed by the TV Commercial Production sector in South Africa to share resources and collaborate on international positioning. In 2005, Martin was contracted by the Government of Kwa Zulu Natal to create the Film Commission of that Province (State).

He has written extensively for and worked with all of the African trade publications that promote the South African industry - Film SA, Film Event, The Whole Lot, Screen Africa, Africa Film & TV.

Yes, Martin is a multi-tasking workaholic who thoroughly irritates his long-suffering partner and bemuses his two German Short-haired Pointers. This became even more apparent in June 2005, when Martin moved with dogs, not partner - long story to Denver, Colorado to drive the relaunch of the Colorado Film Commission as a private non-profit organization.