The AFDA Annual Film Festival, which showcases 3rd year, 4th year and master's graduation productions, will take place in Durban, Cape Town and Johannesburg the last weekend in November.
The festival is also a platform to promote the young professionals who will soon enter into the mainstream film and television industry. Students are required to conceptualize and produce their graduation films that, while of an artistically high standard are also commercially viable. At the festival a panel of industry professionals assesses the films and there are also opportunities for audiences to give feedback. The festival sees many industry professionals; alumni and general public gathering to celebrate the exhibition and promotion of these young film makers and their films at Ster-Kinekor in their commercial cinemas.
Last year student films such as ‘Kanye Kanye’ directed by Miklas Manneke, ‘Jean Pant’ directed by Rowen Smith, ‘Keeping Up Appearances’ directed by Thea Small and ‘The Brave Unseen’ co directed by Duan Myburgh attracted attention from major festivals such as the 34th Durban International Film Festival, the New York City Picture Start Film Festival and others.
In addition the Cape Town AFDA campus will also showcase the work of the third and fourth Year School of Television students on November 18 at 17:00 for 18:00 till 22:30, food and beverage will be available. Working within the genre of the telenovela, third year students have written, produced and edited two stories. These projects are entirely the students’ own work: from conceptualizing the storyline, creating characters, set building and design, to the final product. Guests will have the opportunity to view a live broadcast of these two offerings on CTV Channel 263 on the DSTV.
Also in Cape Town the fourth years’ work takes on the form of the Documentary. And once again these stories were conceived, set-up, scripted, shot and edited entirely by the students. The film makers have approached issues and topics ranging from the despair of drug addiction and the sometimes successful search for hope and regeneration (Turning Point), to accepting the “call” to be a sangoma in the modern day post-Apartheid South Africa, (Isilawu), as well as attempting to address the sticky issue of informal settlements set against the backdrop of the fundamental right to own and protect one’s property (Isiqalo).
“This year’s festival will be just as exciting as in previous years,” says Garth Holmes, AFDA Chairman and co-founder, “Students have really put everything into their projects and I look forward to seeing their work on the big screen in a formal cinema and with a willing audience.”
The Film Festival takes place in Johannesburg at the Rosebank Cinema Nouveau on Friday and Saturday 22 and 23 November, in Cape Town at the V & A Cinema Nouveau on Saturday and Sunday 23 and 24 November and at the AFDA Durban Campus at 2A Highdale Road, Glen Anil in Glenashley on Saturday, 23 November. Tickets are R20 per screening in Cape Town, R25 in Johannesburg and R20 once-off festival entry in Durban.
For more information contact AFDA Johannesburg on (011) 482-8345, AFDA Durban on (031) 569-2252, AFDA Cape Town on (021) 448-7600 or log onto www.afda.co.za. The student films will be available on line on the website after the festival.
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