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SABC's Uzalo Season 2 - Trainee Opportunities

Media Release

SABC’s Uzalo Season 2 - Trainee Opportunities

Stained Glass Productions which produces the daily telenovela, Uzalo, for SABC 1 is looking to train six young filmmakers during its second season of filming in KwaMashu, Durban. Ethekwini Municipality’s Durban Film Office responsible for development of the local film and television industry, in partnership with Stained Glass Productions, are introducing a Trainee Development Programme for the youth of Ethekwini Municipality in a number of areas of film-making.

Areas of training include:

Sound – training a “boom swinger” in the basics of sound mixing. (Suitable for someone who is interested in sound design and has an ear for music.)

Camera- training as  a camera assistant with exposure to camera operating, lighting and focus pulling, with a view to equipping the trainee to be a competent camera assistant.  (Suitable for someone who has the ability to pay attention to detail, a basic understanding of camera equipment and previous experience/ interest in photography).

Make-up and hair – training as a make-up and hair standby assistant to be able to do onset checks and touch ups required by actors and performers. This trainee will also be exposed to the basics of television make-up application, hair styling and basic special effects.

Art department - training as art department standby assistant. This trainee will be exposed to set dressing, prop management and production design. They will become competent in seeing to all the onset art department needs; making sure artists have appropriate props handy and that the set is dressed to the directors satisfaction.  (Applicants must have an Interest in art, painting, carpentry, fine arts, graffiti and graphic design).

Production – training as a production assistant. This trainee will be given an opportunity to help with the running of the production and the production office, from making sure scripts, memos and documents are printed and distributed effectively, to getting exposed to the more high level functions such as scheduling, call sheets and movement orders.  (Applicants must have computer skills, an ability to pay attention to detail and good administrative skills).

Wardrobe - training as a wardrobe standby assistant who will be competent in all the onset checks and adjustments needed for artists and their wardrobe needs.  (Applicants must have an eye for design and training in dress making, costume design/ construction, interest in fashion and styling would be an advantage).

Preference will be given to trainees who have some basic knowledge of film-making, or who have demonstrated an interest in choosing film as a career. Whilst all of the training is on the job and hands on, the production house will be testing the trainees’ development in their respective basic functions every two months and these will be used to further tailor the learning and training.

“We have committed to supporting the production of the highly successful TV show, Uzalo, as part of the overall endeavor to grow Durban as a film city.” Say Deputy Mayor of the eThekwini Municipality, Cllr Nomvuso Shabalala. “As we have seen in other growth areas of film, a vital part of the development of the industry is to ensure that we have sufficiently trained people on the ground to support the needs of the production houses that aim to establish themselves here or that will be producing within the city on location. We are really pleased to be able to offer six young Durban candidates an opportunity to learn with a team on such a successful formula, and look forward to seeing the results of this process.”

How to apply:

Submit your CV and a covering motivation letter to:

Mr Fezile Peko, DFO Project Manager

 

Email  Fezile.Peko@durban.gov.za.Fezile Peko

Deliver:  11th Floor Rennies House, 41 Margaret Mncadi Av., Durban

For more information about how to apply contact Mr Fezile Peko on 031 3114243 or email Fezile.Peko@durban.gov.za.Fezile Peko

The deadline for applications is 13 November 2015 at 12pm.

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Donation from Journey Foundation for Action in Autism

Media Release

Donation from Journey Foundation for Action in Autism

Dr Adam Mohamed of the Journey Foundation is a dentist and author who lives in Durban. Action in Autism welcomed Dr Mohamed to the Action in Autism Early Intervention Centre in October, where he donated R29 498 to the organisation through his Foundation.

The impact of this donation is far-reaching, and will ensure all costs incurred by the recent Skills Transference Workshop held by Action in Autism on 16 and 17 October are covered. This workshop is held bi-annually to empower parents, educators and professionals through the transfer of skills and knowledge and hands-on, practical experience. The presenter team includes a speech therapist, an occupational therapist, two psychologists, a specialist in alternative and augmented communication systems, a parent, and a person with autism. Dr Mohamed demonstrated his commitment to autism by attending part of the workshop during the first day’s programme.

Action in Autism does not receive any funding from government, if you would like to support the organization through cash or kind or through volunteering your time, we would be most thankful. For more information about Action in Autism and the support to parents and families provided by the organisation, please call 031 207 4858 or email info@actioninautism.org.za.

Ends.

Further information:

Kirsten Miller

ACTION IN AUTISM

031 207 4858

info@actioninautism.org.za

8 Morrison Street Book Launches and Open Mic

8 Morrison Street Book Launches and Open Mic

Poetry Africa festival staples, Book Launches as well as the Open Mic will be held on the 17th October (Saturday) at 8 Morrison Street. This is a free event for all wishing to attend.

Four books will be launched, with the opportunity for all willing participants to sign up for the open mic which will run for half an hour after every book launch.

The books that will be launched are:

12:00 – 12:30 Home is where the Mic Is (Botsotso) co-edited by Allan Horwitz and Mandi Vundla. It features 24 poets, in and outside of South Africa, who have served the poetry community well beyond their words. These are Critical Thinkers, Authors, Event Organizers and Activists who utilize their poems as a voice for social commentary relative to the struggles of our time

13:00 – 13:30 The Spoken Word Project (Goethe-Institut, South Africa) This book documents the spoken word scenes in South Africa, Madagascar, Cameroon, Mali, Kenya, Côte d’Ivoire and Uganda, where The Spoken Word Project, initiated by the Goethe-Institut in 2013, took place. The authors provide fascinating insight into the old tradition of story-telling and oral history, which during The Spoken Project, was taken up by a young generation of poets and transformed in a powerful new way.

14:00 – 14:30 Piggy Boy’s Blue (Nakhane Touré) a novel set mostly in the Eastern Cape, a distorted pastoral. It is a story about a city boy returning to the town in which he was born for peace and quiet, but in return, receives the opposite.

15:00 – 15:30 Sol Plaatje European Union Poetry Anthology Vol.V (Jacana Media) This is the fifth annual Sol Plaatje European Union Poetry Anthology, and is a compendium of the poems long-listed for the 2015 Sol Plaatje EU Poetry Award. Every year South African poets, young and old, debut or previously published, are invited to submit up to three of their poetic efforts to the award, in any of the country’s 11 official languages. The anthology seeks to publish voices in as many difference languages as possible, and be one of the spaces in which these tongues are given equal space and respect.

Tickets for the festival finale at Rivertown cost R70 (pre-sale or R80 at the door) and can be purchased fromwww.computicket.com

For more information go to www.cca.ukzn.ac.za or like the Facebook page PoetryAfrica or follow on Twitter @PoetryAfrica. 

Presented by the Centre for Creative Arts (University of KwaZulu-Natal) and made possible by support from the eThekwini Municipality, KZN Department of Arts and Culture, National Arts Council and the Goethe Institute. The Centre for Creative Arts is housed in the College of Humanities at the University of KwaZulu-Natal and is a special project of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Professor Cheryl Potgieter. 

 

GENERAL ENQUIRIES: 
Phone: +27 (0)31 260 2506
Fax: +27 (0)31 260 3074 
Email:  cca@ukzn.ac.za

19th Poetry Africa Workshops at Rivertown Beerhall

Media Release

19th Poetry Africa Workshops at Rivertown Beerhall

The 19th Poetry Africa Festival will be offering 3 insightful workshops which will be taking place on the 17th October at the Beerhall gallery from 10: 00 to 13:00. The workshops form part of a teeming line up of festivities to finalise the weeklong festival which begins on Monday, October 12.

The workshops include: Advancing Poetry through Events - Organisers of  Poetry events in Durban and South Africa (Thabiso Mohare, Vus’umuzi Phakathi and Mxolisi Mtshali) will be speaking about the impact of a growing literary society, Making Durban a liveable City – Through Arts Development -Representatives from the eThekwini Parks and Recreation (Themba Mchunu) and National Arts Council (Andrew Nkadimeng) will host a session promoting available  programs for the development and preservation of literature in KwaZulu Natal and Finding your Voice - Poetry Africa participants (Mthunzikazi Mbungwana, Nii Parkes and Aryan Kaganof) facilitate a session on finding your creative voice.

All workshops are free and open to the public.

Tickets for the festival finale at Rivertown cost R70 (pre-sale or R80 at the door) and can be purchased from www.computicket.com

For more information go to www.cca.ukzn.ac.za or like the Facebook page PoetryAfrica or follow on Twitter @PoetryAfrica. 

Presented by the Centre for Creative Arts (University of KwaZulu-Natal) and made possible by support from the eThekwini Municipality, KZN Department of Arts and Culture, National Arts Council and the Goethe Institute. The Centre for Creative Arts is housed in the College of Humanities at the University of KwaZulu-Natal and is a special project of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Professor Cheryl Potgieter. 

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GENERAL ENQUIRIES: 
Phone: +27 (0)31 260 2506
Fax: +27 (0)31 260 3074 
Email:  cca@ukzn.ac.za

 

[see attached file: 1. Nii Parkes lr.jpeg] [see attached file: 1. Aryan Kaganof.jpeg] 


19th Poetry Africa - Participants Announcement

Media Release

19th POETRY AFRICA - PARTICIPANTS ANNOUNCEMENT

A select group of poets from South Africa and around the world will gather together for a week showcasing the face of present day spoken word and storytelling at the 19th Poetry Africa Festival. The festival takes place in Durban from the 12 to 17 October 2015.

Hosted by the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Centre for Creative Arts, Poetry Africa provides a space for intercultural exchange and dialogue by hosting an extensive community outreach programme with poetry readings, performances and workshops in community centres, campuses and also participate in a programme of visits to schools across Durban to share ideas about poetry.

Evening poetry readings and discussions will take place at the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre (Howard College) UKZN. The festival finale will take place on October 17 at the Rivertown Beer Hall in Durban’s CBD, with a closing performance by soulful singer Nakhane Touré.

This year’s festival features 24 poets:

UK-based Kat Francois, is a comedienne, playwright, actress, performer, host, schools and youth facilitator and a well‐known performance poet both in her country and globally. Lebohang 'Nova' Masango, is a Swedish-born writer, poet, activist, feminist and speaker, and UK-based Ghanaian performance poet, writer and sociocultural commentator Nii Parkes.

From South Africa comes the celebrated and prolific poet and actress Lebo Mashile, who, was named one of the Top 100 Africans by New African magazine; Lesego Rampolokeng the  renowned hard-hitting South African writer, playwright and performance poet; Aryan Kaganof a filmmaker, novelist, poet and fine artist, who refers to himself as a project of African Noise Foundation; Ntsiki Mazwai the outspoken and incendiary poet, writer and musician and Thabiso ‘Afurakan’ Mohare one of the pioneers of the modern South African spoken word scene.

KZN-based poets include Africa Dlamini, a slam/spoken word poet who lives in Howick, Durban’s Celiswa Majali whose novel entitled Imbali yentombazanana is used by schools at grade 10 level in the Western Cape and Gauteng Provinces. Also from Durban are Khanyi Shusha a diviner, performance art poet, stylist, designer, facilitator, brown consciousness activist, feminist and writer; Kwazi Ndlangisa a South African award-winning performance poet, vocalist, creative writer and art activist; Matt Vend who is well known across South Africa for his poetically-driven songwriting, unique rhythmic guitar playing and engaging live performances; Nokulunga Dladla who is a passionate recording poetry artist and a storyteller as well as being an educator in the Pinetown District; Nosipho Magcaba, a former “prelude poet” at the festival, who returns this year to the main programme; Tshebeletso Mohale also a former “prelude poet” at Poetry Africa 2014 who is lives and works in Durban; Thando Fuze has twice been nominated  for Best Female Performing Poet at the Original Material Awards and Vus'umuzi Phakathi who  is an award winning South African poet, writer, performer, facilitator and producer.

Other featured poets include Icebound Makhele a spoken word performer, writer, cultural activist and events coordinator from Bloemfontein,Makhosazana Xaba the author of two poetry collections and is a feminist activist with experience in women’s health, philanthropy and the anti-apartheid struggle; Mbali Vilakazi the award-winning South African poet, performer, curator and speaker, with a dynamic style and collaborative experimental approach; Mthunzikazi Mbungwana a poet, writer and storyteller from a small village of Upper Indwana in Cala in the former Transkei;  Mutle Mothibe has spent the last 15 years honing his skills a writer and performer and is also an accomplished workshop facilitator who regularly engages both learners and educators and Limpopo-born Vonani Bila who is poet and musician, who has written eight story-books for newly literate adult readers in Sepedi, Xitsonga and English.

Tickets for the evening sessions, which take place at 7pm at the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre, are R40 (students/ pensioners: R25 at the door) and can be purchased at Computicket or one hour before the performance begins at the box-office. Tickets for the festival finale at Rivertown cost R70 (pre-sale or R80 at the door) and can be purchased  from www.computicket.com

For more information go to www.cca.ukzn.ac.za or like the Facebook page PoetryAfrica or follow on Twitter @PoetryAfrica. 

Presented by the Centre for Creative Arts (University of KwaZulu-Natal) and made possible by support from the eThekwini Municipality, KZN Department of Arts and Culture, National Arts Council and the Goethe Institute. The Centre for Creative Arts is housed in the College of Humanities at the University of KwaZulu-Natal and is a special project of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Professor Cheryl Potgieter. 

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The 2015 JOMBA! Eric Shabalala Dance Champion Award

MEDIA RELEASE

The 2015 JOMBA! Eric Shabala Dance Champion Award

The Centre for Creative Arts and JOMBA! announced on Friday, September 4 that this year’s Eric Shabalala Dance Champion Award goes to a colleague of the late Eric Shabalala and fellow founding member of Siwela Sonke Dance Theatre, Ntombi Gasa, from Clermont, Durban.

The award, now in its 5th year, was created to honour of the memory of Eric Mshengu Shabalala who tragically passed away in 2011. Shabalala was a local dancer, choreographer, teacher and one of the founding dancers of the Siwela Sonke Dance Theatre in Durban. In a fitting tribute, the Centre for Creative Arts and the JOMBA! Contemporary Dance Experience Dance Festival has set up this annual award to honour some of KwaZulu-Natal’s stalwart dancers and dance teachers – all in the name of Eric Shabalala.

The award is given not only in recognition of performance or choreographic excellence, but also most profoundly in recognition of dance practitioners who have worked tirelessly to help grow a culture of dance and dance training in Durban – who have supported the growth of dance as an art form at both community and regional level.

In selecting recipients, the Jomba! committee look for those gifted individuals who have gone above and beyond – often without funding – to dedicate themselves to the cultural industry and to put KZN dancers and dance on the national and international map.

Past recipients of this prestigious award include Jarryd Watson who was the first recipient in 2011 for his work with the Wentworth Dance Movement, Sifiso ‘Kitsona’ Khumalo in 2012 for his dedicated work in growing the Flatfoot Dance Company’s dance education and development programmes, as well as developing his own community’s dance programme in Clermont.

In 2013, the award was given jointly to Byron ‘Bizzo’ Tifflin and Preston ‘Kayzo’ Kyd who, often having to operate in a situation with no funding, and these two dancers still manage to grow a community of dancers and their Bboy dance crew, the 031 Floor Assassins, is testament to this.

In 2014, the award was jointly given to Jabu Siphika, Julia Wilson and Zinhle Nzama. They are especially honoured for the dance development work they are doing though FLATFOOT DANCE COMPANY with young girls and women in KZN and with using dance to address a society fraught with difficult gender politics that often makes the lives of young women so challenging.

Ntombi Gasa is a choreographer, dancer and dance teacher. She serves as a director on the company’s board and heads Siwela Sonke’s Training and Development Programmes. She began her dance career in 1994 at the Natal Playhouse Youth Development Programme under the directorship of Alfred Hinkel and then Jay Pather. Gasa obtained a Dance in Education certificate from the University of KwaZulu Natal in 2000.

Gasa has performed and travelled extensively with Siwela Sonke. Some notable performances include Ahimsa Ubuntu, Kitchen(winner of the Brett Kebble Art Prize), Republic, South African Siddharta, Cityscapes, The Beautiful Ones Must be Born, Body of Evidence, Qaphela Caesar! and rite under the direction of Jay Pather.

She has a long international performance career as well which spans New York, Bombay, New Delhi, Sri Lanka, Dusseldorf, Madras, Madagascar, Copenhagen, Los Angeles, Den Haag and London. She (together with the late Eric Shabalala) led twelve young South Africans to tour 17 cities in the Netherlands as part of the World Children’s Festival.

Throughout her career, Gasa has valued working with both young children and the elderly. She currently runs classes and teaches students from 6 years to 75 years. Her strong focus on development has seen her bringing dance and dance education to various communities in KwaZulu Natal, both rural and urban, from KwaMachai in the South Coast to KwaMashu

“In all of this she remains, humble and modest. She best epitomizes what Eric Shabalala himself showed us: a hidden treasure that has enriched the world yet someone that remains KwaZulu Natal’s very own.” says the JOMBA! committee.

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Beats of the Antonov wins Artwatch Africa Award at DIFF

Beats of the Antonov wins Artwatch Africa Award at DIFF

During the closing Award Night ceremony at the 36th Durban International Film Festival on Saturday night, Arterial Network’s Artwatch Africa Award was presented to Beats of the Antonov, directed by Hajooj Kuka. The Award honours an African film that meaningfully engages with issues of Freedom of Expression and is accompanied by a R15,000 cash prize.

The Artwatch Africa Jury issued the following statement:

War has brutally divided the peoples of Sudan. This compelling film shows how the power of music, dancing and culture sustains the displaced people living in the remote war-ravaged areas of Southern Sudan. In the face of bombs dropping from the Antonov aeroplanes above, their songs of liberation and militancy are a means of identity affirmation and mobilization. “I want to dance, play, and have a normal life” they say, as they exert their claim to freedom and freedom of expression even under the harsh circumstances of war.

Arterial Network’s Artwatch Africa project promotes and defends artist rights and freedom of creative expression and this award celebrates the transformative and conscientising power of cinema. The Jury acknowledged film director Hajooj Kuka’s remarkable two year commitment in providing witness to the spirited resilience of local communities and ethnic cultures whose rights have been denied within the country of their birth.

The Jury comprised Junaid Ahmed - Award winning filmmaker, René Alicia Smith - Executive Dean of Faculty of Arts and Design at Durban University of Technology, Gcina Mhlophe - Award winning author, poet, playwright, director, performer and storyteller, and Peter Rorvik - Secretary-General of Arterial Network.

Artwatch Africa is supported by Swedish Foundation for Human Rights, Swedish Postcode Lottery, Swedish Institute, HIVOS, Mimeta, Goethe Institute and Doen Foundation.

With representation in more than 40 African countries Arterial Network is engaged in building sustainable networks, information dissemination, training, policy ormulation, advocacy, and African-centred research, all geared towards growing and strengthening the cultural and creative sectors in Africa. Visit www.arterialnetwork.org or call 021-4612023 for more information.

 

Durban International Film Festival Announces Award Winners for 2015

Durban International Film Festival Announces Award Winners for 2015

The Durban International Film Festival announced its award-winners tonight (July 25) at the closing ceremony of the festival’s 36th edition at the Suncoast Cinecentre, prior to the screening of the closing film, The Prophet directed by Roger Allers. The festival officially closes tomorrow (Sunday) evening after a successful ten days of 255 screenings at 13 venues around the City of Durban, with many sold out houses.

The international jury this year was led by former Manager of the DIFF and current Director of the Sydney Film Festival, Nashen Moodley and included prolific and award-winning South African filmmaker Robbie Thorpe, South African producer of numerous award-winning films who sits on the advisory panel for NFVF, Moroba Nkawe and award-winning Nigerian filmmaker, Newton Aduaka.

The South African feature film jury consisted of film-makers Lizelle Bischoff, Thandeka Zwana and Jenna Cato Bass while the documentary jurors were film-makers Annalet Steenkamp and Sylvia Vollenhoven and the short film jurors were film-makers Darryl Els, Zandi Tisani and Terrence Dalisu Ngobese.

The award for the Best Feature Film, which carries a R50 000 cash prize from the DIFF went to Sunrise directed by Partho Sen-Gupta. The film was described by the jury as “an uncompromising, brilliantly-crafted film that takes us through a fragmented mind, into a shady world allowing us to enter the reality of Mumbai’s underbelly”.

The award for Best South African Feature Film, which carries a prize of R25 000 courtesy of Film Finances SA, went to Necktie Youth directed by Sibs Shongwe-La Mer, described by the jury as “a film desperate to reconcile the seemingly disparate realities of its country, and whose urgent questions about South African life are posed with such mischievous energy that they cannot help provoke debate, itself one of the most important responsibilities of cinema.”

Shongwe La-Mer also won the award for Best Direction, for Necktie Youth, “for displaying a unique, contemporary voice weaving together poetic images and a striking view of South African youth with a boldness seldom seen in South African cinema.”

The Best Documentary and Best SA Documentary awards which carries a prize of R25 000 each in cash, courtesy of the National Film and Video Foundation went to Beats of the Antonov directed by Hajooj Kuka and The Dream of the Shahrazad directed by Francois Verster, respectively. The jury awarded Beats of the Antonov “for its story, characters, relevance and visual interpretation,” and for a “story told with grace, while honouring the integrity of the people who gave them access as well as the subject matter.”

The Dream of the Shahrazad was awarded for the way in which “the filmmakers pushed themselves beyond their comfort zone, taking mythology and bringing it into the centre of modernity,” and for being “an ambitious film..(that) addresses life post revolution and what is left after heartbreak.”

Didier Michon for his charismatic and captivating performance in Fevers directed by Hicham Ayouch received the Best Actor Award of R20 000 in cash from the KwaZulu–Natal Film Commission.

The award for Best Actress, who also received R20 000 in cash from the KwaZulu–Natal Film Commission, went to Anissa Daoud for her portrayal of a determined activist who takes a stand, in an important film Tunisian Spring directed by Raja Amari.

Best African Short Film award went to The Aftermath of the Inauguration of the Public Toilet at Kilometre 375 directed by Omar el Zohairy., which won R20 000 courtesy of the Gauteng Film Commission. The jury described this as an “exceptional film explores and pushes new avenues in political satire and the cinema.” 

Unomalanga and The Witch directed by Palesa Shongwe, and cited by the jury as “a gentle and unexpected film (that) sheds light on the subtleties of relationships between women”, won the Best South African Short Film award also receiving R20 000 courtesy of the Gauteng Film Commission.

A new award, the Production Merit Award, sponsored by Hollard carries a R25 000 cash prize and goes to Rights of Passage directed by Ntombizodwa Magagula, Mapula Sibanda, Lerato Moloi, Valencia Joshua, Zandile Angeline Wardle, Tony Miyambo, Rethabile Mothobi, Yashvir Bagwandeen.

Sabrina Compeyron and David Constantin, won the Best Screenplay Award for “craftily tracking the age-old struggle between capital and labour spanning the end of industry and the disenfranchisement of a society” in Sugar Cane Shadows directed by David Constantin.

Jean-Marc Ferriere, took the honours for Best Cinematography “for creating a distinctive, atmospheric, highly-crafted and visually dynamic world depicted almost entirely in the dark”, in Sunrise directed by Partho Sen-Gupta.

Special Mention for Direction was made of Kivu Ruhorahoza for Things Of The Aimless Wanderer, “for a courageous and single-minded attempt by a director harnessing all means at his disposal to tell a personal, intricate and political story.”

A Special Mention for Best Film was given to Tunisian Spring by Raja Amari, “for it’s powerful depiction of an event that has, and continues to have, resonance in the world.”

Democrats directed by Camilla Nielsson, got a Special Mention for a Documentary, which is “commended for putting a human face on a story that is complex and sometimes almost opaque.”

The Amnesty International Durban Human Rights Award for the film that best reflects human rights issues which comes with a cash prize of R10 000 donated by the Artists for the Human Rights Trust went to The Shore Break, directed by Ryley Grunenwald. The jury citation reads “The film powerfully portrays a struggle within a local community regarding foreign mining rights in a pristine environment…(and) concisely and movingly uncovers this complex and urgent matter, which is still under investigation and in need of public support.”

A further Amnesty International Durban Human Rights Honorary Award was given to The Look of Silence directed by Joshua Oppenheimer, a film that “bravely uncovers the genocide in Indonesia in the 1960’s.”

The jurors for these awards were Nonhlanhla Mkhize, Betty Rawheath, Professor Lindy Stiebel and Coral Vinsen, convener of the jury panel.

Arterial Network’s Artwatch Africa Award, for an African film that meaningfully engages with the issues of freedom of expression, went to Beats of the Antonov, directed by Hajooj Kuka, who was presented a cash prize of R15 000. The jury citation said  “This compelling film shows how the power of music, dancing and culture sustains the displaced people living in the remote war-ravaged areas of Southern Sudan.”

The Jury included Junaid Ahmed, Gcina Mhlophe, René Alicia Smith, and Peter Rorvik.

The DIFF Audience Award went to The Shore Break directed by Ryley Grunenwald.

For more information go to www.durbanfilmfest.co.za for details of the remaining screenings.

 

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South African directors selected for the Cannes SA Film Factory

Media Release

South African directors selected for the Cannes SA Film Factory

Durban: 19th July 2015:

DW (France) and Zidaka (South Africa), in partnership with the KwaZulu-Natal Film Commission, the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), and the Cannes Quinzaine Directors Fortnight, are pleased to announce the selection of the four South African directors.

After a very positive response to the call, with more than 30 high quality submissions, a short list of 12 directors were invited to attend the final interviews, which took place in Durban on the 15th July.

The four South Africa directors selected are:

Sheetal Magan

Samantha Nell

Zamo Mkhwanazi

Zee Ntuli

Two of the directors are KZN born, and two are from Gauteng.

Cannes South African Film Factory will provide an opportunity for these four SA directors and four international directors, to collectively direct four short films, which will be produced in KZN, and then will be screened on the Opening Day of the Cannes Directors Fortnight / la Quinzaine, in the official Cannes program next year.

The workshop will commence on Tuesday 21st July through until 25th July, 2015, during the Durban International Film Festival.

The Factory enjoys exploring “new territories” of cinema... The South African cinema scene, which, in recent years, has often surprised us in major festivals, remains, however, little known in our hemisphere.  4 short films that will be soon directed by South African and international young filmmakers will enable the public of the Directors’ Fortnight in Cannes to discover the unsuspected realities of South Africa. Known for its dramatic story and now, for its remarkable opportunities... We look forward to discover films that will be made and then screened in Cannes. Vive the SA Factory!" says Edouard Waintrop, Artistic Director of the Cannes Directors’ Fortnight section.

“This is the fourth Factory and, after Asia, Europe and South America, this is the 1st one in Africa.  I'm amazed by the high quality of the directors and it was heartbreaking to select only four ”, says Dominique Welinski curator and producer. 

Carol Coetzee KZN Film Commission CEO adds “These results are very exciting and mean we are definitely moving in the right direction towards a transformed and sustainable film industry. To have young talents and particularly women being exposed to such an opportunity is a milestone indeed.”

“We are happy to be associated with this project, which not only recognizes our local talent, but also create opportunities for our filmmakers to be the best directors, sharing their vision and talent with the rest of the world. As an enabler, we constantly seek ways of developing the youth and ensuring the growth of our general film industry; this process is aligned to this objective. Congratulations to all selected directors,” says NFVF CEO Zama Mkosi.

AFDA Durban has offered its facilities for production and postproduction. Media Film Services and Sound Surfers, Hollard Film Guarantors, the Durban International Film Festival and Cote Ouest Audiovisual and Institut Francais (South Africa) are all official partners.

Cannes South Africa Factory website:    www.zidaka.co.za.

On behalf of the NFVF, KZN Film Commission, Cannes Film Factory, DW and ZIDAKA.


Media Contact Person

Buhle Malunga                                                   

Manager: Marketing and Communications KZNFCF    

+27 60 974 9786                                                     

buhlem@kwazulunatalfilm.co.za                             

Twitter: @kwazulufilm                                          

                                                                                   

Naomi Mokhele

Manager: Communications  NFVF

+27 82 496 9324

naomim@nfvf.co.za

  Twitter: @filmfound

@IamNaomiM

Triggerfish launches the Story Lab at Durban Film Mart

Media Release 

Triggerfish launches the Story Lab at Durban Film Mart

CAPE TOWN - After the international success of its first two feature films, Triggerfish Animation Studios is establishing The Triggerfish Story Lab with the support of The Department of Trade and Industry (the dti) and The Walt Disney Company.

Triggerfish will be investing up to R44m over the next three years in The Story Lab, which aims to give Africa’s most talented storytellers and filmmakers the opportunity to develop their ideas alongside Triggerfish’s international network of mentors. Selected storytellers will potentially have their concepts developed into episodic TV content or an animated feature film for the global market.

Triggerfish is conducting a continent-wide search for storytellers, which will be launched at the Durban Film Mart. These storytellers will be carefully selected, based not only on the creative and commercial merits of their concept, but also on their track record.

The entries will be evaluated by a high-profile panel of both local and international experts, including British director and co-founder of Aardman Peter Lord (Chicken Run, The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists), Hollywood writer Jonathan Roberts (The Lion King) and script consultant Karl Iglesias (Writing For Emotional Impact), and a panel of development executives from The Walt Disney Company, as well as South African storyteller Gcina Mhlope, comedian David Kau and Triggerfish’s development team of Anthony Silverston, Wayne Thornley and Raffaella Delle Donne.

Shortlisted storytellers will take part in workshops with leading Hollywood script consultant Pilar Alessandra, author of The Coffee Break Screenwriter.

The selected Story Lab participants will also receive two weeks of mentoring with key studio and television executives at Disney’s headquarters in Burbank, California.

“We are ready to bring a fresh voice to the world,” says Anthony Silverston, head of development at Triggerfish. “We believe there is extraordinary talent in Africa and the Story Lab is the perfect way to partner with them.”

“We are excited to be supporting Triggerfish on this innovative project,” says Christine Service, senior vice president and country manager of The Walt Disney Company Africa. “We believe the Story Lab provides a unique opportunity to discover this continent’s next generation of storytellers.”

“The dti is committed to developing a pool of creative talent that can produce international quality animation production scripts,” says Nelly Molokoane from the dti’s Film and TV Incentives Unit, adding that the department is honoured to support projects that will contribute to job creation.

“The Story Lab will be a great catalyst for African creativity on the global stage,” says Triggerfish CEO Stuart Forrest. “We look forward to opening up the Triggerfish production platform and our networks to the continent’s top creative talent."

The development process can take a number of years. For each phase of development, Triggerfish will provide financial support, workspace, and expert guidance by internal and international consultants and mentors, as well as a route to market through top-tier relationships with Hollywood agency William Morris Endeavor.

Animation has proven to be a successful medium for South African films to travel internationally, with Triggerfish’s films Adventures in Zambezia and Khumba being distributed in over 150 countries and dubbed into over 27 languages.

Applications are welcome from all writing and creative disciplines, not just experienced film and TV screenwriters. Applicants must be over 21 and either African citizens or permanent residents. Entries must be in English. Entries close 31 August 2015.

Full guidelines and an online application form are available at www.triggerfishstudios.com.  

Watch and embed the promo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qWjb0ksSqA.

Triggerfish will launch the Story Lab at Durban Film Mart on Sunday, 19 July 2015 from 2-3pm at Suite 5. Anthony Silverston will be in attendance and is available for interviews. 

-ENDS-

About Triggerfish Animation Studios:

Established in 1996, Triggerfish Animation Studios is a Cape Town-based film and entertainment company. The studio has produced two feature films: Adventures in Zambezia (2012), starring Jeremy Suarez, Abigail Breslin and Samuel L. Jackson, and Khumba (2013), starring Jake T. Austin, AnnaSophia Robb and Liam Neeson. The two movies are among the top five highest-grossing South African films of all time.

 

About The Walt Disney Company:
The Walt Disney Company, together with its subsidiaries and affiliates, is a leading diversified international entertainment and media enterprise with five business segments: media networks, parks and resorts, studio entertainment, consumer products and interactive. Disney is a Dow 30 company and had annual revenues of $48.8 billion in its fiscal year 2014.

 

Selection of Indian Films at DIFF 2015

Media Release

Selection of Indian Films at DIFF 2015

The Durban International Film Festival 2015 opens on Thursday and the diverse line-up of film from around the globe is bound to capture an equally diverse audience. The festival, which takes place from 16 to 26 July at 13 venues across Durban, features over 255 screenings and includes a number of films from the Indian sub-continent as well as films from the diaspora.

Sunrise, a feature film directed by celebrated Indian director Partho Sen-Gupta and set in Mumbai, tells a story of Joshi, a policeman who lost his six-year-old daughter, Aruna, ten years ago. The film exposes the horrid life of young girls that have been trafficked and the constant quest by policemen to stop such crimes.

New York and Mumbai based independent filmmaker and producer, Shrihari Sathe’s 1000 Rupee Note is a film that encapsulates the isolated political issues in rural India. The story is of Budhi, a poor old widow and mother who receives a gift of several 1000 Rupee notes from a politician during a political rally in a small village in Maharashtra, central India. 1000 Rupee Note is a narrative of a passive character that speaks to the broader concerns of Indian rural society. A society that is in a perpetual state of waiting for something to happen to them just as Budhi does.

Tigers directed by Oscar and Golden Globe award-winning director Danis Tanovic, is about two filmmakers wanting to expose the dark and unscrupulous methods used by a multinational corporation in manufacturing infant milk formula. Many babies die after consuming the formula and doctors blame the salesman named Ayan. Ayan quits his job with a determination to reveal the scandal behind the corporation’s infant milk formula.

The documentary Indians Can’t Fly, directed by Enver Samuel is a celebratory documentary about South African anti-apartheid activist Ahmed Timol who died in 1971 after being thrown from the 10th floor of the John Vorster Square Police Station. The documentary is narrated by Timol's nephew Imtiaz Ahmed Cajee, author of Timol: Quest for Justice..

The Fall of Ganesh, a short film directed and written by Sheetal Megan, tells the story of a troubled Mira hosting a Diwali dinner in order to announce her engagement to her boyfriend Sizwe, only to discover that this raises unspoken conflicts between herself and her father. Their dispute is over shadowed by a violent confrontation with the neighbours as the night ends in fireworks. This is one for the films in the NFVF’s Female Filmmaker Project.

For more information and the full programme go to www.durbanfilmfest.co.za

-ends

Explore the world of DIFF 2015 on iTunes

Media Release

Explore the world of DIFF on iTunes

Durban International Film Festival - July 16 – 26, 2015

Africa’s premier film event, the Durban International Film Festival, which is hosted by the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Centre for Creative Arts, presents its 36th edition from 16 to 26 July, 2015, in the east coast city of Durban, South Africa.

For the first time in the history of the festival, film-lovers can now explore the world of DIFF on iTunes at www.itunes.com/DIFF where they will be able to enjoy films that complement the official selection this year. Staying within the DIFF’s Areas of Focus, the films that fans can enjoy include Palme d’Or winners such as Marty, or experience the musical frenzy that is the Director’s Cut of Woodstock.

iTunes has a history of working with film festivals around the world such as Cannes, TRIBECA, Toronto Film Festival and more, so it’s great for  DIFF to now have a presence on the store. 

“Many people are unable to get to the DIFF, or simply do not have the time to see all the titles on offer at the festival so we are pleased that for the first time, we are building this special area on iTunes for people to access great films associated with DIFF.” says Pedro Pimenta, Director of DIFF. 

The festival also includes the Wavescape Surf Film Festival as well as important industry initiatives featuring a programme of seminars and workshops with notable industry figures, the 8th Talents Durban (in cooperation with the Berlinale Talents) and the 6th Durban FilmMart co-production market (in partnership with the Durban Film Office).

The festival is a hub for the African film industry and is an unmissable date for both industry representatives and lovers of film.

The full programme for the DIFF can be found on www.durbanfilmfest.co.za or follow us on Twitter at @DIFFest or Facebook on DurbanInternationalFilmFestival.

 

-ends

 

Durban FilmMart Success Stories 2010-2015

Media Release

Durban FilmMart Success Stories 2010-2015

Now in its sixth year, the Durban FilmMart (DFM) has become an integral part of the fast-growing South African film industry. Since its inception in 2010, DFM has helped to facilitate more than 80 African co-production projects, many of which have subsequently been produced as acclaimed films. As the African and South African industry grows, the quality and volume of submitted projects has increased every year, making DFM the leading independent film market on the continent and a major force in the facilitation of successful African films.

As a result of DFM’s success, the Durban International Film Festival now regularly includes works from DFM alumni in its programme. Major fiction projects from the last 6 years that have had their genesis at DFM and were subsequently screened at DIFF include Ayanda (DFM 2013), the opening film at this year’s festival, the acclaimed Boda Boda Thieves (DFM 2011) from Ugandan co-operative Yes! That’s Us films and Imbabazi: The Pardon (DFM 2012), a personal account of the Rwandan genocide. Non-fiction films which have been screened at DIFF and made a major splash around the world include the South African gangster documentary Devil’s Lair (DFM 2012), Unearthed (DFM 2013) which explores the dangers of fracking and The Shore Break (DFM 2012), a vitally important film that chronicles the attempt of an international mining company to mine for titanium in one of the world’s last untouched natural areas.

Fiction Film Success Stories

The Nigerian film Confusion Na Wa  was a DFM project in 2010 and went on to win best film at the 2013 African Movie Awards, as well as other awards around the world. A dark comedy about a group of strangers whose fates become intertwined over the course of 24 hours, Confusion Na Wa was produced by Tom Rowlands-Rees and directed by Kenneth Gyang.

Imbabazi: the Pardon was one of the selected project at DFM in 2011, as a result of which producer-director Joel Karekezi attended the Rotterdam Lab in 2012. A very personal story about the genocide that took place in Rwanda, the film screened at DIFF 2014 as well as other festivals around the world, from Chicago to Luxor.

A Shot at the Big Time (DFM 2012) is inspired by the true story of director Janet van Eeden's brother, Jimmy, who took his own life rather than fight in the Apartheid border war.  After receiving its world premiere at DIFF, the film was selected for the Cannes Court Metrage, the short film corner of the official Cannes Festival 2014. The film was later nominated for Best Director and Best Original Screenplay at the Independent Mzansi Short Film Festival. The feature film version of A Shot at the Big Time is currently in production.

Boda Boda Thieves began its life as a pitch at DFM 2011 and has gone on to receive international acclaim. A collaboration between South African producer James Tayler and Kenyan producer Sarah Muhoho, the project was awarded the CineMart Rotterdam Lab award at DFM and went on to win a Highlight Pitch Award at the Berlin Film Festival’s Talent Project Market.  The Boda Boda Thievestells the tale of a poverty-stricken family from Kampala, Uganda, who support themselves by driving a motorcycle taxi or ‘boda-boda’. Both producers and the film’s director Donald Mugisha are passionate about creating and developing content for African cinema, which they believe expresses a “proud identity of humanity, heritage and culture”.

Ayanda, which was selected as a project for DFM in 2013, will be opening the 36thedition of the Durban International Film Festival. Directed by Sara Blecher and produced by Terry Pheto, the film tells the story of a 21-year-old woman who fights to save her late father’s motor repair shop when it is threatened with closure.Ayanda received its world premiere at the Los Angeles Film Festival in June this year where it was awarded a special mention in the world fiction category.

Documentary Success Stories

South African director Mayenzeke Baza's short documentary film Ndiyindoda (I Am a Man) tackles male circumcision, highlighting the dilemma it poses for South Africa as the country forges a position for itself in the modern world and attempts to reconcile its strongest traditions with newly enshrined democratic rights.Produced by Andy Jones, the project won Most Promising Documentary at DFM 2011, enabling Baza and Roughton to attend the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) later that year. The film premiered at the Encounters documentary festival and went on to be nominated for two South African Film and Television Awards (SAFTA) in 2014. The film also screened on the international news channel Al Jazeera and has helped to established Baza as a significant force in the South African film industry.

Devils Lair chronicles the life of a convicted murderer and gang leader named Braam as he comes to terms with a lifetime of dubious choices. Producer Neil Brandt and director Riaan Hendricks won Most Promising Documentary Project at DFM 2012 – which came with the opportunity to participate at IDFA Summer School and to pitch at the IDFA Forum The film went on to premiere at Hot Docs and became one of the highlights of DIFF 2013. It received three nominations at the SAFTAs in 2014, going on to win Best Feature and Best Editor, as well as numerous other awards at festivals around the world.

Unearthed, directed by Jolynn Minnaar and produced by Dylan Voogt, Stacey Keppler and Saskia Schiel, explores the effects of fracking in the United States in anticipation of proposed shale gas extraction in the Karoo and elsewhere in Southern Africa. Selected as a project for DFM 2013 and winning the WorldView Development Grant, the film screened to enthusiastic audiences at DIFF in 2014 and won the Green Award at the Sheffield International Documentary Festival the same year.

The Shore Break was selected as a DFM project in 2012 and premiered at IDFA in 2014. A powerful documentary whose narrative is every bit as engaging as a fiction thriller, the film will screen at DIFF this year and has already screened at the Encounters documentary film festival. It was the only South African documentary in Competition at IDFA 2014 and the only South African feature length documentary selected for Hot Docs 2015 in Toronto. The film won Best Feature Length Documentary at the 2015 Festival International du Film d'Environnement (FIFE) in Paris and the Backsberg Audience Choice Award at Encounters South African International Documentary Festival in June this year.

The Dreams of Shahrazad (DFM 2010) directed by Francois Verster and produced by Neil Brandt, Shameela Seedat and Wael Omar, explores the relationship between art and revolution through the famous story collection The 1001 Nights. The film received development and production support from DFM as well as the Sundance Institute, the IDFA Bertha Fund, the NFVF, the Hakkaya Network, the Dutch Film Fund and Spier Films, who also act as the films sales agent. The film premiered at the prestigious Masters Section of IDFA, and has gone on to receive critical acclaim and broadcast sales worldwide.

Other major successes that have emerged from DFM include the fiction-documentary hybrid Black President (DFM 2011), produced by Anna Teeman and directed by Mpumi Mcata (and also screening at DIFF this year), as well as the remarkable I, Afrikaner (DFM 2011), produced by Lauren Groenewald and directed by Annalet Steenkamp, which won Best South African documentary at DIFF in 2014. Khalo Matabane’s Mandela: The Myth and Me was selected as a DFM project in 2012 and won Special Jury at International Documentary Film Festival in Amsterdam IDFA. Like Rehad Desai’s Miners Shot Down (DFM 2013), it has been widely recognised as one of South Africa’s most important documentary films and has gone on to have an extremely rich life at festivals around the world.

Success Stories Still in the Making

Black Sunshine tells the story of a 12-year-old albino girl named Coco and her mother Rosemary who longs to escape her frustrating African reality which is dominated by issues of skin colour. Selected for DFM 2013, the project won Arte France’s Arte International Award and received the Tribeca All Access grant. Produced by Obibini Pictures and directed by Akosua Adoma Owusu, the project was also selected for the 2012 edition of Locarno Film Festival’s Open Doors co-production market.

Solidarité , which has been renamed I am not a Witch, is a tragi-comedy about a Zambian child prodigy from first-time director Rungano Nyoni. Solidarité  was selected as project for DFM 2013 where Nyoni won the IFP Prize giving her the opportunity to present the project at IFP in New York. The same year Nyoni was also selected for the Cannes Film Festival’s Cinéfondation Résidence. The project was awarded development funding from the Hubert Bals Fund and also participated in the Locarno Open Doors co-production market, winning the Arte Prize and Vision Sud Est Prize. I am not a Witch is about to go into financing stage of pre-production.

 

Sea Monster from the now globally successful Triggerfish Studios tells the story of an obsessive-compulsive science geek who discovers a primordial sea monster off the coast of South Africa. Like its predecessor Khumba, which achieved sales in a large number of territories, Sea Monster is aimed at a global audience, taking on Dreamworks and Pixar at their own game. Directed by Anthony Silverston and produced by Stuart Forrest, Sea Monster is still in development.

Flatland from producer David Horler and director Jenna Cato Bass was selected for DFM 2012 where it scooped three awards: the WorldView prize for the most promising feature project, the IFFR prize and the European Audio Visual Entrepreneurs (EAVE) prize. Set in the Karoo, Flatland is a South African feminist western which tells the tale of three women who face mental and physical hardships as they search for a fabled apartheid-era nuclear bomb. The film hassince secured production support from the World Cinema Fund and has also secured a German co-producing partner, In Good Company, under producer Roshanak Behesht Nedjad. Flatland has secured intention for world sales from The Match Factory and production will begin in Winter 2016.

The 6th Durban FilmMart takes place in Durban, at the Tsogo Sun Elangeni from17 to 20 July 2015, during the 36th edition of the Durban International Film Festival (16-26 July 2015).

For more information on the Durban FilmMart and to register as a delegate visitwww.durbanfilmmart.com

 -ends

Issued on behalf of The Durban FilmMart by:

Sharlene Versfeld

Versfeld & Associates

 031-8116528/ 083 326 3235

Sharlene@versfeld.co.za/ info@versfeld.co.za

 

Note to Editors:

Herewith a selection of photos - if you have any special requests please let us know.

 

The Durban FilmMart (DFM) is a co-production and finance market and is a joint programme of the Durban Film Office (DFO) and the Durban International Film Festival (DIFF). DFM provides filmmakers from across Africa with a valuable opportunity to pitch projects to financiers, distributors, sales agents and potential co-producers, and to participate in meetings, project presentations and a series of master classes and workshops on the latest industry trends.www.durbanfilmmart.com

The Durban Film Office (DFO) is the film industry development arm of the eThekwini Municipality, mandated to position Durban as a world-class film production destination and facilitator for the development of the local film industry. The DFO drives activity and development in the sector in order to boost tourism, job creation and the development of core skills and SMMEs in the region.www.durbanfilmoffice.com

 The Durban International Film Festival (DIFF) presents over 250 screenings from different countries and cultures with a special focus on Africa. The festival includes development programmes such as Talents Durban and a rich schedule of workshops. DIFF is a flagship project of the Centre for Creative Arts, University of KwaZulu-Natal, which facilitates creative platforms and economic opportunities for artists and related industries, intercultural exchange and network development, training, audience development and strategic Pan-African and international cooperation in the cultural sectors. www.cca.ukzn.ac.za

Backsberg Audience Choice Award for The Shore Break at Encounters

Media Release

Backsberg Audience Choice Award for The Shore Break at Encounters

Today it was announced that Ryley Grunenwald’s The Shore Break, won the prestigious Backsberg Audience Choice Award at Encounters South African International Documentary Festival for Best South African Film. The award-winning documentary film follows the dilemma faced by a rural community on South Africa’s Wild Coast as to whether to support or resist a proposed titanium mining project and a national tolled highway.

Grunenwald says she is thrilled with the accolade. “Both my co-producer Odette Geldenhuys and I are really pleased about the win. The Shore Break was a labour of love so it is very rewarding to know it is well received by South African audiences. It was an important story to tell because it captures the nuance and complexity around issues of developing the Wild Coast. The story follows two Pondo cousins who have opposing dreams for the future of their land. One wants to preserve the land through sustainable development while the other plans to mine it for titanium, believing large scale development is the only way to improve employment opportunities.”

“The audience award is based on a complicated calculation in which the festival takes into account the capacity of the cinemas, numbers of tickets sold and the votes cast.” says Odette Geldenhuys. “The film captured the imagination of festival goers, so much so that all our five scheduled screenings were sold out and we had to have two additional screenings in Cape Town and Johannesburg.”

Backsberg Estate Cellars CEO Simon Back  adds, “It is a great honour for us to sponsor the Audience Choice Awards. The aim of the awards is to raise awareness around the festival and what has resonated with audiences. With sustainability being core to the way we run our winery, I am also thrilled that both winners raise awareness around critical environmental matters.” 

The Shore Break, which was a project in the 2013 Durban FilmMart, will have its co-premiere at the 36th Durban International Film Festival (DIFF) on July 18, 2015 with four screenings only during the festival which runs from July 16 to 26.

For more information about film go to www.theshorebreakmovie.com,

Trailer: http://vimeo.com/102621491

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/theshorebreakmovie

Twitter: http://twitter.com/theshorebreak

and for the DIFF go to www.durbanfilmfestival.co.za

-ends

Note to editors:

Digital stills, EPK and links to articles and reviews are available online:http://theshorebreakmovie.com/press/

The Shore Break had its European premiere at IDFA 2014 (Competition for First Appearance), The Netherlands, and had other screenings at FIFE 2015 (where it won Feature Length Documentary), France, FIFF 2015, France, Festival Millennium 2015, Belgium, Hot Docs 2015, Canada, Sydney International Film Festival 2015, Australia, Encounters International Documentary Film Festival 2015, South Africa and will be screened at DIFF 2015 and the International Film Festival for Human Rights 2015, Argentina.

Below are audience comments pulled from the Facebook page of the film, as well as the director’s and producer’s Facebook pages, or emailed to them.

"It is a wonderful film. Everyone possible must see it. Please put it on the Films for Action site. Congrats again.”

“During the panel discussion we felt Nonhle’s courage and her passion, which followed through from the film.”

“This is the best documentary I have ever seen.”

“Thanks so much for the film. What an accomplishment balancing all the layers and all the intrigue. Great stuff!”  

"The film is great on all levels – story, drama, great characters, fantastic footage and cinematography, topical subject matter, it is all there."

"The film was excellent. You did a sterling job."

"I watched your movie today. It was profoundly lovely and engaging and interesting. The animations were magical."

"What a feat balancing all the intrigue and complexity. Congrats!”

Eco-film about controversial titanium mining to co-premiere at Encounters International Documentary- and the Durban International Film Festivals

The Shore Break, an award-winning film that unpacks the dilemma faced by a rural community on South Africa’s Wild Coast as to whether to support or resist a proposed titanium mining project that could fundamentally change their lives forever, will have its South African co-premiere at the Encounters International Documentary Film Festival in June and at the Durban International Film Festival in July.

Directed by Ryley Grunenwald, The Shore Break was a selected project at the 2012 Durban FilmMart, the IDFA WorldView Summer School 2013, the Hot Docs Forum 2012 and the Hot Docs Dealmakers 2013. It is co-produced by two South African companies, Grunenwald’s Johannebsurg-based Marie-Vérité Films and Odette Geldenhuys’ Cape Town-based frank films. It was in competition at the recent International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA), and was named the Best Feature Length Documentary at the 2015 International Environmental Film Festival (FIFE) in Paris.

In the Amadiba area, in the heart of the breathtakingly beautiful Wild Coast, the Pondo people have tended their traditional way of life for centuries. A proposed titanium mine and the government’s controversial plan to build a highway across this ancestral ground, has polarized the community with those that see it as the beginning of the destruction of a way of life, and others who see it as a beacon of economic hope for the region.

Nonhle Mbuthuma, a young local eco-tour guide, is a staunch supporter of her people and the endangered environment on which their livelihood and culture depends. She wants to develop eco-tourism in order to protect her community’s homes, farms, graves and traditional lifestyle. Her cousin Zamille “Madiba” Qunya, a local entrepreneur and self-proclaimed modernizer, is fully supportive of the proposed mining operations and highway construction. Tired of his community living in poverty, Madiba scurrilously courts private capital and questionable government officials. While the South African President deposes the pro-environment Pondo Royal Family, Nonhle rallies support with little more than dogged determination.

“South Africa’s Wild Coast is my favourite place in the world – it has a rugged, mysterious beauty, and our family has been visiting there for years. When I heard about the proposed mining and toll road through the area, I could only imagine the extent of the environmental destruction of this pristine area,” says Grunenwald. “I met Nonhle Mbuthuma, who is a leader in her community, on one of my trips there. When I found out her arch enemy in favour of the developments was her own cousin and that the South African Government had dethroned her environmentally-conscious King Mpondombini Sigcau, it felt like something out of Shakespeare. I had to make a film about it.”

“In the early stages of filming I was only aware of how the titanium mine and highway threatened whatever was in their pathway,” explains Grunenwald. “However spending time with Madiba definitely made me see things from a broader perspective. He pointed out things that I couldn’t deny: the Wild Coast’s dire need for more schools, hospitals and employment. He believed large-scale development is the only hope for change. On the other hand Nonhle wanted development that would last longer than the 25-year lifespan of the mine. She believed alternative development such as expansive eco-tourism could develop the area without their having to give up their land and livelihood. Throughout production I kept changing my mind as to who was more ‘right’ about the development of the Wild Coast. The complexity intrigued me and I wanted to allow the audience to see things from both sides.”

“It is very easy for urban middle class people to want to protect the environment when its preservation does not impair their own access to necessary facilities,” says Grunenwald. “However rural people should not have to give up their land and livelihood in order to access basic services and opportunities. I was struck by the amaMpondo's connection to their land and their determination to protect it for future generations no matter what the cost. They are willing to die for it. We hope The Shore Break will be seen by a wide audience - not only to entertain but to raise awareness of what's going on and to stimulate debate about the development of our most picturesque coastline.”

Co-producer Geldenhuys, a public interest and human rights lawyer, says “I am very interested in what is development? How is it defined? Who defines? By being structured around the drama of a family feud, The Shore Break manages to ask this question in a non-academic way, but in a manner that ordinary people can relate to.”

Exquisitely filmed with arresting cinematography, The Shore Break is edited by Kerryn Assaizky, with original traditional cross-over music by local musician Ntombe Thongo, and sand animation by award-winning animator Justine Puren-Calverley. The almost Kentridgesque animation links sections and propositions in the film, subtly providing context and silent commentary, creating opportunities for the audience to reflect and muse.

The Shore Break has been selected by Bertha BRITDOC Connect Fund to use the film for outreach. The film will have free screenings in the affected area, with decision makers as well as other communities facing similar development struggles. “We’re regularly partnering with more NGOs who want to use The Shore Break in their work around development, community engagement, and extractive industries, “ says Grunenwald.

The film has been made possible by the South African government’s DTI Film Rebate Scheme, a public sector initiative which is ensuring that South African films, including The Shore Break are reaching exhibition. Other funders include Ford Foundation, National Film and Video Foundation, Knowledge Network, Heinrich Böll Foundation, Gauteng Film Commission, Worldview, Alter Cine Foundation, and the Hot Docs Blue Ice Film Fund.

The film will screen at Encounters International Documentary Film Festival in Cape Town during 4 to 14 June 2015 and at the Durban International Film Festival which takes place from July 16 to 26, 2015. It will also screen at the Sydney International Film Festival during June 2015; and has already been screened at the Festival Millennium 2015, Belgium, and Hot Docs 2015 in Canada.

For more information go to www.theshorebreakmovie.com

Trailer: http://vimeo.com/102621491

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/theshorebreakmovie

Twitter: http://twitter.com/theshorebreak

 -ends

 Captions to photos attached embedded in the JPG files. There are more pics available and these are also available in higher resolution.

Digital stills, EPK and links to articles and reviews are available online: http://theshorebreakmovie.com/press/

Smoking Dragon Adrenalin Festival

Media Release

Smoking Dragon Adrenalin Festival May 22 to 24

Amphitheatre Backpackers, Northern Drakensberg

A unique event combining music and adrenalin-packed activities for the whole family adds a festive and celebratory atmosphere to the Amphitheatre World Heritage site in the Northern Drakensberg, KwaZulu-Natal from May 22 to 24. The Smoking Dragon Adrenalin Festival, is a new event hosted by the Amphitheatre Backpackers, whose popular new Year’s Smoking Dragon Festival has captured the imagination of revellers since 2009.

“There are so many organisations in the northern Drakensberg area that have such wonderful offerings for adventure seekers and nature lovers, that we have decided to combine music and adventure into one big creative festival for everyone from 0 to 100 to enjoy.” says Ilsa Roberts the festival director. “This inaugural event is an idea to bring like-minded music- and outdoor-lovers together to celebrate and enjoy the beautiful Berg.”

The Smoking Dragon Adrenalin Festival is all about “adrenalin”. There are a myriad activities to participate in, including skydiving (from the festival grounds), rock climbing, paragliding, abseiling, mountain biking, trail running, micro lighting, quad biking, off-road Segway or scooting, canopy touring, paintball, hiking (to the highest waterfall in Africa,) kloofing, white water rafting, bass fishing or hot air ballooning. Some of these are unique in that this is the first time that they will be available in the area.

“Festival goers will have access to these on site but are encouraged to explore the many adventure sports on offer in the surrounding region. There are separate charges for some of the adrenalin activities, which can be booked through the Smoking Dragon website, and of course, all safety and regulatory procedures will be adhered to.” says Ilsa.

Music on offer includes a range of reggae, folk and afro funk sounds with Stelth Ulvang (From The Lumineers), Shortstraw, The Tidal Waves, Champions Of The Sonarverse, Veranda Panda, Fools Of Fate, The Accidentals, The Gus Brown Band, Gavin Ferguson, Hezron Chetty, The Meditators, Inkhonjane No Bheseni, Dj Invizable and Dj Dubmasta China.

“There will be our usual food vendors, clean toilets and showers and full bars.” explains Roberts. “Music starts at 5pmon Friday and Saturday, after all the adrenalin has been used up, and ends at 12pm so that sportsmen and women will be guaranteed their much-needed sleep to get up and enjoy more fun the next day.”

All in all the festival will appeal to all across the generations. 18 years and younger come in for free and those born in or before 1950 pay half price.

The festival starts on Friday, May 22 at 3pm and runs until Sunday, May 24 closing at 3pm. Tickets are R600 for 3-day ticket which includes the 2 nights camping, 3 days of music, a free lucky draw to win another full ticket and R1000 worth of vouchers to be spent outside the festival on adventure activities, cafes, restaurants etc.

There are also day passes: Friday Access 1 day and 1 night camping at the festival R250, Saturday 1 day and 1 night camping R350,00 and Sunday Day only R100,00.  Tickets for accommodation and activities can be purchased online. For more information go to www.smokingdragon.co.za, or email amphibackpackers@worldonline.co.za or call 082 855 9767/076 8227508.

To see some of the activities on offer go to:  http://youtu.be/gN2wKQH7cmU

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Issued on behalf of Smoking Dragon:

Dear Mandela tours to informal settlement communities - April 30 - May 25, 2015

Award-winning film tours to informal settlement communities

April 30 - 25 May 2015

Dear Mandela, the multi award-winning documentary film, directed by Dara Kell and Christopher Nizza, will be screened in informal settlement communities on a national tour, to help highlight human rights issues and inform and educate people about their rights.

The film, which premiered at the Durban International Film Festival in 2011, follows the journey of three friends living in Durban's vast shantytowns who refuse to be moved from their shacks after the South African government begins to evict of shack dwellers in an endeavor to 'eradicate the slums'. From their humble homes, the three take their pleas to the highest court in the land as they invoke Nelson Mandela's example and become leaders in a growing social movement, known as Abahlali baseMjondolo. The film is at once inspiring, devastating and funny, offering a new perspective on the role that young people can play in political change and is a fascinating portrait of South Africa coming of age.

Winner of multiple awards, including Best South African Documentary at the Durban International Film Festival and a nomination for Best Documentary at the African Academy Awards, Dear Mandela has screened in 35 countries and been translated into 10 languages.

The national tour, is being launched at the Constitutional Court on Thursday, 30 April, with remarks by Deputy Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court, Dikgang Moseneke and a post-screening panel discussion and Q&A session with Justice Zak Yacoob, Abahlali baseMjondolo Founding President, S’bu Zikode and Youth Leader, Mazwi Nzimande. Thereafter will be screened in communities in Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg facing similar challenges as those faced by the members of the Abahlali movement. Each screening of the tour will be followed by a Q&A and debate with AbM Founding President, S'bu Zikode and Youth Leader, Mazwi Nzimande. Both leaders have been directly affected by the wave of state repression. As documented in the film, S’bu’s family home at the Kennedy Road Informal Settlement was destroyed by ANC party loyalists in September 2009 and they were forced into hiding after repeated public death threats against him. They are currently back in hiding after more death threats, some coming from leaders in Durban. For the audience, the campaign presents an opportunity for these communities to engage with, and learn from, the issues raised and struggles depicted in the film.

The tour will also include accompanying workshops for community leaders, run by the Socio-Economic Rights Institute (SERI). Funded by the Ford Foundation, the project hopes to build a platform to connect the struggles of grassroots social movements and community based organizations, to equip these organizations with the necessary knowledge about their legal rights, and encourage them to partake in bringing about social change in their immediate environment.

“Ensuring that marginalised communities are trained and versed in their legal rights would mean that illegal evictions would be substantially curbed. Legal training and knowledge transfer would also result in pro-active community-driven claims to socio-economic entitlements, thereby enabling these communities to participate in the discourses of delivery from a legally secure position.” says Dara Kell. “The screening tour brings together community members and activists from all over South Africa to discuss forced evictions here, and around the world, connecting those at risk of forced eviction around the globe, and strengthening social movements working toward the right to adequate housing and dignity for all.”

Screenings are as follows:

Thursday, April 30: Launch at the Constitutional Court, Johannesburg, 18:00

Saturday, May 2: Workshop and Screening -  Masakane or Zandspruit Primary School (TBC) Zandspruit, Johannesburg

Sunday, May 3 Workshop and Screening - Evaton Community Centre, Evaton, Johannesburg

Saturday, May 9: Screening - Hindu Surat Foundation, 137 Dr Goonham Street, Durban CBD

Sunday, May 10: Screening - Silver City Community Hall, Umlazi Township, Durban

Saturday, May 16: Workshop and Screening -  Green Point Hall, Khayelitsha, Cape Town

Sunday, May 17: Workshop and Screening -  Community Hall, Sweet Home Farm, Phillipi, Cape Town

For more information and times, follow the tour on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & Tumblr. (@dearmandela)

All screening information at: http://dearmandela.tumblr.com/ NOTE THIS URL TO BE UPDATED

This project is supported by the Sundance Institute, the Ford Foundation and Chicken & Egg Pictures. Sleeping Giant is a documentary and new media production company based in New York.

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More about the film

Watch the trailer in English: https://vimeo.com/26538549

What the critics said:

VARIETY: “Stirring…evocatively shot, lucidly edited.”

"GRIPPING, eye-opening…a call to action as much as it is an indictment of a government that has lost its way" - Charl Blignaut, City Press

"ENTHRALLING" - Mahala Magazine

"Leaves us with questions few have dared to ask about the new South Africa" - Marie Huchzermeyer, author of Cities With 'Slums'

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