Still a chance to enter the Durban SPAR Women's 10/5km

With the inspiration of the Comrades Marathon, there are, no doubt, thousands of KZN women who are just itching to reach a tangible running or walking goal in this year’s Durban SPAR Women’s 10/5km Challenge which takes place this Sunday, June 11.

While online entries for the race are now closed, there is still a chance to enter the race manually on Thursday June 8, Friday June 9 from 10am to 5pm and on Saturday, June 10 from 10am to 3pm at The Coast of Dreams Hall at the Durban Exhibition Centre. No entries will be taken on race day. 

The 10km race starts on Sunday, June 11 at 08:00 and the 5km at 09:30 on Masabalala Yengwa Avenue, outside Growthpoint Kings Park Stadium.

Participants and supporters are requested to note the road closuresand parking facilities for the day,  and advised to leave home early to arrive well in time to get into their starting positions.

Road Closures:

From 02:00am the following roads will be closed:

• Snell Parade between Athlone Drive and the main entrance to Suncoast Casino
• Battery Beach Road
• Masabalala Yengwa Avenue between Smiso Nkwanyana Road and Isaiah Ntshangase Road.
• The South bound lane of Masabalala Yengwa Avenue between Smiso Nkwanyana Road and KE Masinga Road.
• Kingsmead Way 
• Eden Gardens Crescent

From 04:00am the following roads will be closed:

• KE Masinga Road (the 2 left lanes) between Eden Gardens Crescent and Masabalala Yengwa Avenue.
• Masabalala Yengwa Avenue between Argyle Road and Smiso Nkwanyana Road
• Somtseu Road at Masabalala Yengwa Avenue

From 06:00am the following roads will be closed:

• The West bound lane of Athlone Drive between Snell Parade and Masabalala Yengwa Avenue
• The off ramp from the M4 (Ruth First Highway) to Athlone Drive (in both directions)

   Access to People’s Park and the Durban Country Club:

• Access and egress to the Durban Country Club will be from the M4 (Ruth First Highway)Please note that Isaiah Ntshangase Road will be closed at the entrance to Moses Mabhida Stadium (on Masabalala Yengwa Avenue) and the entrance to Durban Country Club. There will be no through traffic at this intersection.

• Access to People's Park will be via Somtseu Road (Sasol Service Station near the station) and past Durmail using the back gate.

Parking 

• Access to the free parking on Growthpoint Kings Park fields KP3, 4 and 5 will be via Smiso Nkwanyana Road into Jacko Jackson Drive. Once this area is full access will be limited to emergency and official vehicles only.
• Access to free parking on Growthpoint Kings Park fields KP9 is accessed via Isaiah Ntshangase Road from Umgeni Road only.
• Parking for a fee at Moses Mabhida is accessed via Isaiah Ntshangase Road from Umgeni Road only.

For more info like the Facebook page SPAR Women’s 10/5km Race . #SHEroes #runSPAR031

-ends

Virtual Reality Showcase at DFM 2017

Virtual Reality Showcase at DFM 2017

An exploration of the possibilities of Virtual Reality (VR) will be one of the highlights of the 8th Durban FilmMart (DFM), Africa’s premier film finance and co-production forum, which takes place at the Tsogo Sun Elangeni Hotel from July 14 to 17 during the Durban International Film Festival.

Virtual Reality (VR) is one of the most exciting emerging technologies on the digital landscape and there is little doubt that it will ultimately have a massive impact on the ways that we consume media and engage with each other and society. At the same time, VR is still such a wide open frontier that there is little consensus as to what the future of this embryonic technology will be. This year’s DFM programme features a number of events that explore the possibilities of VR, particularly in terms of filmmaking and digital storytelling.

For those unfamiliar with VR – or who may not have experienced it for themselves – a VR demo session will take place on Sunday, July 16, from 10am-12noon, in the form of a Master Class presented by AFDA which will showcase the Pro VR 360 Headset. Then, on Monday, July 17, from 2pm-3pm, there will be a session entitled: ‘VR: What’s Happening in Africa and What Can We Make Happen?’ presented by Electric South and AFDA. Featuring VR experts Ingrid Kopp and Shmerah Passchier, the session will explore the possibilities for VR on the continent as well as present and discuss various projects that are currently underway in Africa. Kopp, who is one of the leading authorities on interactive media and virtual reality in the context of digital narratives, will talk about her experience with African-produced VR and the challenges facing the industry, while Passchier will discuss the notion of the cyborg filmmaker, in which virtual reality and the notion of the digital-human collide.

Passchier, who is at the leading edge of theoretical writing about VR, notes that “the cyborg filmmaker emerges from science fiction, specifically from afrofuturism, from Africa. It is the cinematic voice of the global south. The cyborg disrupts the boundary between human and machine because the tools of VR filmmaking are extensions of the cyborg self. The afrofuturist cyborg inserts itself into the global virtual reality narrative by splicing technology into the story-telling self. The virtual reality camera rig, with its multiple eyes, hybridises and multiplies the possibilities of new ways of seeing.”

She continues: “By harnessing the tools of the digital revolution, we transcend our race, our gender and our species. We splice the self with technology to form new identities, to tell new stories, to create new worlds of immersive story, to disrupt reality, to disrupt the human being, to become cyborg filmmakers.”

Talking about the African VR industry, Kopp is excited by the work that has emerged so far but also recognizes the financial challenges involved and warns that it’s vital that Africa, which has so much to offer the VR industry, does not get left behind because of a lack of funding and resources. “In many ways, the continent’s VR landscape is uncharted territory,” said Kopp. “While hubs of activity have emerged in places like Johannesburg, Cape Town, Nairobi and Accra, even those working in the industry struggle to get a clear sense of what works – and what doesn’t – in different cities and outside the urban hubs”. She points out that everything, from how to get equipment in and out of countries to skill-building to camera setups that are rugged and don’t overheat, is part of a growing conversation about what form the African VR industry will take as it establishes itself.

But even with the availability of accessible gear, other technological and economics constraints will make it difficult for widespread consumer adoption to take off in many African countries. For producers, though, an industry is emerging that might, in time, satisfy global demand for African content. It is vital, says Kopp, that African VR content is made by Africans.

As well as the masterclass demonstration and the VR discussion session, Electric South, together with the Goethe Institut, will also be showing VR films in the industry lounge for the duration of DFM, including The Other Dakar by Selly Raby Kane, Spirit Robot by Jonathan Dotse, Let This Be a Warning by The Nest Collective and Nairobi Berries by Ng’endo Mukii.

So don’t miss this opportunity to explore this cutting-edge technology and the endless possibilities that it presents.

Ingrid Kopp is a co-founder of Electric South, a non-profit initiative that aims to develop virtual reality and mobile storytelling projects across Africa. Kopp is also a senior consultant in the Interactive Department at the Tribeca Film Institute where she works at the intersection of storytelling, technology, design and social change. Along with MIT’s Open DocLab, she leads the Interactive Media Impact Working Group, exploring how emerging media engages audiences, and recently launched Immerse, a new publication for Medium, as an extension of this work. Having spent 10 years in New York, Kopp is currently based in Cape Town.

Shmerah Passchier has worked in the film and television industry as a writer, director and producer. She has travelled extensively around Africa, directing magazine, reality shows and documentaries for the SABC and DSTV. Passchier has a Master’s degree in film from AFDA and a Master’s degree in Anthropology from Wits University. She is currently reading for a PhD in Cyborg Filmmaking and Virtual Reality at Wits University.

The 8th Durban FilmMart takes place in Durban, at the Tsogo Sun Elangeni from 14 to 17 July 2017, during the 38th edition of the Durban International Film Festival (13-23 July 2017).

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

 -end

Realness African Screenwriter's Residency - 2017 Selection announced at the Cannes Film Festival

At an event hosted by La Fabrique Cinéma de l’Institut Français, one of the first supporters of the programme, the selection of this year’s Realness Screenwriter’s Residency was announced at the Cannes Film Festival by Realness co-founder Cait Pansegrouw.

 Realness, which was established in 2016, aims to provide scriptwriting talent on the continent with the space, time and support needed to create and develop their vision. This year, over a hundred applications were received from twenty-one African countries. The international panel of industry experts with a stake in African Cinema, evaluated the submissions over three months, arriving at the five chosen residents in early May.

"The Realness initiative continues to unearth some of the rarest talent from the continent,” said Thandeka Zwana from the National Film and Video Foundation, one of the volunteer readers on the selection panel. “The most impressive part of reading the submissions was getting insights into the applicants' previous work and seeing real African cinema in terms of the aesthetic and storytelling. Some evoked memories of the old African greats and some spoke to a wave of new voices."

Marie Dubas, French producer of The Wound by John Trengove and one of the team that founded Realness said; “Selecting projects for Realness is a blessing and a huge responsibility. The projects are of a high quality, proving how rich the multiple African cultures are in nurturing unique stories. We know that for the scriptwriters behind these stories, Realness could be a life changing experience. We try to listen to the desires of these stories, and to allow the ones whose hearts beat the loudest to lead our choices.”

The selected residents for 2017 are Lemohang Mosese from Lesotho, Mario Fradique Bastos from Angola, Rama Thiaw from Senegal, Samantha Nell from South Africa and writer-director team Gloria Huwiler from Zambia and Jahmil XT Quebeka from South Africa. 

 Mario Fradique is an emerging voice in Angolan Cinema. His short films travelled to several festivals, winning awards along the way, while his first feature documentary, Independence, won Angola’s National Culture Prize in 2015. He joins us at Realness with his debut fiction feature, The Kingdom of Casuarinas, based on the novel by Jose Luis Mendonça.

Gloria Huwiler is an actress and writer seeking to give a cinematic voice to her unique experience as a first generation mixed-race Zambian through Victoria Falls. Gloria has teamed up with acclaimed South African writer/director Jahmil Quebka, best known for his second feature film, Of Good Report.”

Lemohang Moses hails from Lesotho, a country which has not produced many films. He is a self-taught, award-winning filmmaker and artist, with short film work that has travelled to over 100 festivals, winning top honours in Moscow and Milan last year. His debut feature is This Is Not A Burial It’s A Resurrection is the selected project.

Rama Thiaw is a strong voice from Senegal that we have heard from before. Her two feature length documentaries have garnered much success and awards, most notably the FIRPRESCI Prize at the Berlinale in 2016 for The Revolution Will Not Be Televised. She joins the residency with Life In A Spiral, her fiction debut.

South African Samantha Nell whose short film The Beast premiered in Cannes last year brings her debut feature, Miles From Nowhere. Set in Johannesburg, the film is an absurdist dark comedy that takes place in an old age home following four of its residents. The project is also supported by the NFVF for development.

 Realness 2017 begins on 3 June when the participants begin their residency at the Nirox Foundation in the Cradle of Humankind. They will be mentored by script consultant Nadja Dumouchel for their first week and will then enjoy 4 weeks of solid writing. In July they will attend the Durban International Film Festival (DIFF) where they will present their projects to the industry under the mentorship of Selina Ukwuoma at the Durban FilmMart.

“We are grateful to DFM and DIFF for supporting the initiative and making this possible,” says founder and Creative Director Elias Ribeiro. “The screenwriters’  producers will also be invited to attend the finance forum at DFM this year.”

Following this, the screenwriters will submit their work for awards consideration. Their projects stand the chance to be selected to participate at La Fabrique Cinéma de l’Institut Français, EAVE Producer’s Workshop, Torino Film Lab Meeting Event, Locarno Filmmakers Academy and Midpoint Feature Launch.

 “One of the biggest challenges for us has been to find operational funding and have operated with in-kind contributions, with the entire team behind this programme having worked on a volunteer basis for the past two years,” explains Ribeiro.  “We are pleased that more recently we have received grants from the Goethe Institute of South Africa and the CNC, the French national Film Fund, which has been a welcome support for the progarmme.”

“The CNC, in the framework of our policy of targeted support to the new wave of African talents, has decided to support this emerging writing residency, which offers young promising filmmakers from the continent a wide range of high-level international expertise. We are looking forward to the results of this second edition”, affirmed Michel Plazanet, Deputy Director of International Affairs

Fairbridges Wertheim Becker Attorneys have appointed Nosiphiwo Qwabi to help establish Realness as a NPO trust and qualify for PBO status. "The benefits of a PBO are that the trust would be able to issue a tax certificate or receipt, allowing for donations by donors to be tax deductible", commented Andrew Hewitt, Fairbridges Head of Entertainment Law.

Realness is an initiative founded and curated by Urucu Media, under the mentorship of Berlinale Talents and in partnership with the Nirox Foundation, Durban FilmMart, The Durban International Film Festival, Durban Talents, The French Institute of South Africa and Institute Français, Torino Film Lab, EAVE Producer's Workshop, Midpoint Feature Launch, Locarno Filmmaker's Academy, Produire Au Sud, Fairbridges Wertheim Becker, the Goethe Institute and Le Centre National du Cinéma et de L'image Animée (CNC).

For more information on Realness, African Screenwriters residency  contact realness@urucumedia.com

Grantleigh claims their third SPAR KZN School Girls' Hockey Tournament Regional Title

A monumental tussle between two rival schools, saw Grantleigh College reclaim their title in the Northern Coastal regional of the SPAR KZN School Girls’ Hockey Challenge which took place at their school on Sunday, May 28. 

Having previously twice won this regional Grantleigh were not going to relinquish their title without a good fight. Faced with a tight-knit outfit representing Felixton, the two teams came head to head in a dramatic, fast-paced and energetic gold/silver finals.

Felixton dominated the majority of the game, powerfully surging forwards countless times but encountered a firm solid defense from Grantleigh’s backline, and were unable to penetrate. In the last three minutes, Grantleigh secured a short corner, and Chene van Wyk managed to convert it into a point to steal the hopes of a win from their opponents.

Both Felixton and Grantleigh won their pool games and met Empangeni High School and Richardsbaai Skool respectively in the semi-final playoffs. The semis ended with both finalists going one-up against their opponents. Then Empangeni met Richardsbaai for third position in the bronze game, with Empangeni winning 1-0.

Danielle van Onselen, Captain of Grantleigh who was ecstatic about the win said, “It was a fast and tense final and there was a lot on the line going up against Felixton. At half time we really decided that we wanted this win very badly, and we went for it.”

Winning the award for the Most Promising Umpire, fourteen-year old Brett Braithwaite from Grantleigh, exhibited fantastic control and knowledge of all the games he officiated and oversaw.

Nine teams participated in this year’s Northern Coastal regionals and the tournament was played in two pools, with games lasting 20 minutes one-way with the final game lasting half an hour going two ways.

Wrapping up the regionals for this year’s SPAR KZN School Girls’ Hockey Challenge, Grantleigh will meet St Mary’s winners of the Highway Regional, King Edward High School, winners of the Ugu and Sisonke Regional, Ferrum Skool (Newcastle), St Anne’s College (PMB North), St John’s DSG (PMB Central), Amanzimtoti High School (Durban South), Our Lady of Fatima (Durban North) and Durban Girls College (Durban Central) and Wartburg Kirchdorf (Umvoti, uThukela and Umzinyathi) at the Grand Finals at St Mary’s in Durban on July 29 and 30.

Monark to perform at this year’s SPAR Women’s 10/5km Challenge in Durban

Monark to perform at this year’s SPAR Women’s 10/5km Challenge in Durban

The finishing area of the Durban SPAR Women’s 10/5km will be bouncing to the sounds of top South African pop band Monark who will be performing at the finish on Sunday 11 June at GrowthPoint Kings Park Stadium outer fields.

Monark, who came onto the music scene in 2013 after dominating SA’s airwaves, will be the headline act for the thousands of runners directly after the challenge’s prize giving. The band will be performing popular tracks ‘Hush’, ‘Smiling’, ‘Something’ and their recent release tune ‘Broken’ that is making waves on playlists around the country. They offer listeners something completely fresh and unique in their style and set trends sonically, stirring up tastes in the local music landscape.

The band is slowly changing the face of pop music within our borders, with their craft songs, which they say have “great meaning and soul stirring hooks”. The Monark members who are from Johannesburg and Potchefstroom, comprise of Eugene Coetzer (vocals and percussion), Ewald Jansen van Rensburg (guitar), Deon de Klerk (bass) and Graeme Wuth (drums).

Their debut album Negatives features 18 songs, was released worldwide on 14 July 2014, peaked at no. 1 on the iTunes Album Chart on the day of its release. These crowd pleasers delighted audiences after the Pretoria race last year and are sure to deliver an after-action satisfaction performance to #SHEroes participating in the Durban SPAR Women’s 10/5km race.

Monark takes to the stage directly after the top runners receive their awards at 10am. Their performance will be followed by the race lucky draw where female finishers of both the 10km and 5km events, who are present, stand a chance to win over R25,000 in lucky draw prizes.

Online entries are open at www.sparwomensrace.co.za with payment by credit card (until June 4) or EFT (until May 29). Manual entries will only be accepted at the race registration on the three days prior to the event. Entry forms are available from participating SPAR stores in KwaZulu-Natal and at Race Registration. No entries will be taken on race day.

For more info email durban@sparwomensrace.co.za or like the Facebook page KZN SPAR Women’s 10/5km Race for up to the minute postings.

Jumpstart - Pitching programme for emerging South African filmmakers at Durban FilmMart

Ten South African emerging filmmakers will have an opportunity to hone their pitching skills at this year’s Durban FilmMart (DFM) Jumpstart – a compact programme that essentially provides a springboard for filmmakers new to the industry, which takes place in Durban from July 14 to 17 during the Durban International Film Festival.

Supported by DFM partner, Produire au Sud of Festival des 3 Continents, in Nantes, France, the programme aims to introduce emerging filmmakers to the art of project pitching, and will also provide participants with a guide on how to maximize festivals and markets, and expose them to the workings of local and international industry.  

This is also a way that they are provided with a professional introduction to the international co-production market,” explains Toni Monty, Head of the DFO. “Often for filmmakers, new to the scene, this is a very daunting task, and if they have never been exposed to how pitches are conducted would find it very intimidating doing so for the first time. So this programme provides a safe and engaging introduction for filmmakers to be exposed to the inner workings of the pitch.” 

Jumpstart begins on July 13 with an introduction and overview. The next day, participants will take part in a workshop conducted by Stefano Tealdi, seasoned producer and director who also tutors film development and production at universities and master courses, and film pitching for organisations, such as Biennale Cinema College, Cannes Film Market, Festival des 3 Continents – Produire au Sud, Media Business School, Med Film Factory, Scuola Holden, TFL-Torino Film Lab, ZELIG Film School. 

They will also participate in the edgy Restless Talent Pitch workshop and will be eligible to put their names forward for random selection to pitch their project at the Restless Talent Pitch at DFM. The workshop and pitch are hosted by Restless Talent Management, the first global management company to focus on African talent.

The candidates will have opportunities to discuss their projects with mentors, take part in a Virtual Reality workshop, attend a co-production workshop hosted by the NFVF and observe the Talents Durban Story Junction session – activities all aimed to further develop their pitching skills and confidence.

Interested filmmakers are invited to apply for this programme. Submissions are now open and will close at 5pm on June 16, 2017.

The programme is for emerging South Africa Filmmakers only. Applicants must submit their project synopsis and filmmaker profile.

To apply email info@durbanfilmmart.com and use Jumpstart Application in the subject line.

For further information about the Durban FilmMart or to register go to www.durbanfilmmart.com.

-ends

Grantleigh College Deputy Head Girl - Danielle Van Onselen

Words by Sharlene Versfeld

 Meet Danielle Van Onselen – 18 year old hockey player and deputy head girl at Grantleigh College.

The energetic right link has achieved colours in soccer and academic, honours in hockey, Captain for the school girl’s cricket team and an award for Super Sports star of the year (2015). She plays provincial hockey and also enjoys soccer.

Danielle started playing hockey in grade 1 at Heuwelland Primary School and has always been inspired by her coach at the moment Mr B, who always tells her not to get her head in the game, but to just play.

The sports star has also got her academics balanced out with her favourite subject being Geography and having dreams of studying LLD Law next year at the Potchefstroom University.

Danielle enjoys a good movie on a Sunday, with good food if she is not playing league hockey.

“The absolute adrenalin rush, the chase and the competitiveness, this is where you can forget about all your responsibilities for the time you are on the field and just be your best”, says Danielle.

She is inspired by her family, with her younger sister being a hockey and cricket player, her mom having played netball in the past and her dad Quintin played rugby for KZN defence u21 and played Zululand Rhino rugby for 8 years.

Danielle is excited and anxious at the same time as the Northern Coastal KZN Regional of the SPAR KZN School Girls’ Hockey Challenge will take place at Grantleigh College on Saturday on May 28.

The young hockey player lives by these words, “To God be the glory”.

19th JOMBA! Contemporary Dance Experience selection for Fringe and Youth Fringe

The 19th edition of the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s’ Centre for Creative Arts’s annual JOMBA! Contemporary Dance Experience will take place from 23 August to 3 September 2017 in Durban, KZN. Applications for selection to both the JOMBA! 2017 Fringe and JOMBA! 2017 Youth are now open.

The JOMBA! FRINGE is an adult contemporary dance platform where between 8 and 9 short works of approximately 15mins each are selected and supported technically. The criteria for selection via the panel is for a cutting edge work of excellence and professionalism.

The JOMBA! Youth Fringe is an open youth dance platform and all styles and genres of dance, classical, Indian, Hip-Hop, traditional African, contemporary etc. The Youth Fringe is aims at celebrating youth dance culture and the vast amount of dance development and studio (and dance school) work being done in KZN. Participation is aimed at dancers under 20 years of age.

Both platforms do not come with financial support but those selected are given professional technical support via the lighting designers, sound technicians and stage managers as well as the JOMBA team.

For the first time, JOMBA! 2017 will offer a “JOMBA! Pick of the Fringe” award which comes with a cash reward of R 1 000 (one thousand rand). The award will be done via a panel of dance experts on the night of the JOMBA! Fringe after the end of the show.

Applications must be in by Monday 5 June 2017 by 4pm and should to be sent to jombafestival@gmail.com

For more information contact Lliane Loots on lootsl@ukzn.ac.za

-ends

St Mary's Scoops Sixth Victory in Highway Regional of the SPAR KZN School Girls' Hockey Challenge

St Mary’s DSG, scooped their sixth victory in the Highway Regional of the SPAR KZN School Girls’ Hockey Challenge which took place at Curro Hillcrest on Sunday, May 21.

This regional, which has always been a hotly contested one, saw six teams play 30 minute one-way games in round robin format on a perfect autumn day.

St Mary’s claimed their first victory in the first game of the day against Westville Girls High who went full out in an attempt to place themselves in the regional final, but were unable to score against Saints’ 2.

Try as they did but Westville, who battled against St Mary’s for this title in the regional final last year, could not edge out Kloof High either from the runnings for the finals. After losing to St Mary’s they managed to win against Curro Hillcrest and Hillcrest High scoring a bonus point for three or more goals. But it was the second to last game of the round robin against Kloof , which could have been the game changer, where they drew, resulting in Kloof going up against the defending champions. The teams were evenly matched, but in the last 30 seconds Westville Girls High were awarded a penalty for a deliberate foul in the D. A perfect opportunity for them to score from right in front of the goal, but they were unable to convert this into a winning result.

The finals of this regional, was a tough one coming late on a hot, long day, and Kloof tried valiantly to claim the title from St Mary’s.  But Saints were in top form and pushed for goals, and within the first 10 minutes had already scored twice. 

While they dominated much of the game, the Kloof players fought back hard, with the diminutive Dashal Naidoo’s nifty dribbling and Kaelin Hartog’s incredible ability to send the ball flying away from their goal supporting their team.  Their goalie Zama Ngidi, had courage of steel as she fought off shot after shot at the goals with gargantuan determination. 

St Mary’s played a very technical, hard and skillful game, using fancy teamwork to own the day. Leah Piggot, claimed the first and third goals, while Hannah Shirley claimed the second, both taking advantage of the flurry in the D. Piggot hit a hard first shot, and then later after the team had tried twice for goals and had been thwarted by the opponents goalie, she managed an excellent and unexpected reverse stick past the courageous Ngidi. The end result was 3-0.

St Mary’s will join nine regional winners at the Grand Finals at their school in Durban on July 29 and 30. Regional winners include King Edward High School, winners of the Ugu and Sisonke Regional, Ferrum Skool (Newcastle), St Anne’s College (PMB North), St John’s DSG (PMB Central), Amanzimtoti High School (Durban South), Our Lady of Fatima (Durban North) and Durban Girls College (Durban Central) and Wartburg Kirchdorf (Umvoti, uThukela and Umzinyathi) and another from the Northern Coastal regional to be played on May 28 at Grantleigh in Richards Bay. 

For more info like the Facebook page.

Results:

1 St Mary’s DSG, 2 Kloof High School, 3 Westville Girls High School, 4 Thomas More College, 5 Hillcrest High School, 6 Curro Hillcrest Christian Academy

-ends

Durban FilmMart Women Led Film - Disrupting the Status Quo

In a resolute move to address the role of women in film, the Durban International Film Festival and the Durban FilmMart (DFM), this year presents an in-depth programme that addresses the inequalities,  challenges and successes that women face within the film industry, specifically in South Africa and on the continent.

Calling for an inclusive dialogue on the role of women, the eThekwini Municipality’s film industry arm - the Durban Film Office, the Durban International Film Festival, the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), the lobby and advocacy organization Sisters Working in Film and Television (SWIFT), and international partner CaribbeanTales Media Group, are all providing input into the Women Led Film - Disrupting the Status Quo programme within this year’s DFM which takes place from July 14 -17 in Durban.

 “Despite major leaps for female equity across many industries, the film industry, especially behind the camera, is still very much male-dominated, and as such, requires  quantum shifts to ensure that women begin playing a more equitable role going forward,” says Toni Monty, of the Durban Film Office speaking on behalf of the DFM. “The objective of our women-focused programme is to bring a variety of voices together to discuss and unpack these challenges and to find useful and tangible ways to make the change needed and desired.”

The programme will present a number of workshops, roundtables and panel discussions with leading women in film.

“In a world of vast gender inequalities, it is inevitable to reflect at such bitter reality, and more importantly start working towards their redress: which starts with creation of platforms. The Women Led Film Focus becomes one of the many attempts in securing platforms to acknowledge, deliberate, and celebrate woman excellence in the film milieu.” David wa Maahlamela, Director of UKZN’s Centre for Creative Arts, hosts of the Durban International Film Festival.

Sara Blecher, well-known South African film-maker and co-founder of SWIFT (Sisters Working in Film & Television) which aims to nurture and redress the inequalities faced by women in the South African audiovisual industry, echoes these sentiments, “As the women’s struggle in film begins to finally garner the attention it needs around the world, we need to look to achieving some concrete results. We have to really start looking at the local film landscape and our status within this. The focus on women at DFM, will help shine the spotlight both on the representation of women on the screen, but also more importantly on the women behind the screen.”

Parallel to the DFM focus, the DIFF will be highlighting films made by and about women within its screening programme. Festival Manager, Chipo Zhou says, “The festival has this year taken considered strides to ensure that the inclusivity of participation by women is measurable across the board from selection, jury and facilitator panels throughout the different facets of our event. The quality of film submissions by women this year demands that a space is created to ensure the momentum in the quantity of projects by women is not only maintained but augmented. This is a conscious move towards making this a permanent feature of the festival as our contribution towards the redress that is urgently required within the film industry.”

The NFVF has been working within this space for some time, and will be presenting the successes of their Female FilmMaker Project at the DFM.  “The decision to focus on women for the NFVF is a deliberate one. The objective is to break down the barriers to entry faced by women in the industry, especially black women who are the most marginalized. If the industry is to grow, thrive and become sustainable then all South Africans need equal opportunity to participate and contribute. Programmes focused on women will continue to be prioritized and we are encouraged and proud of the success witnessed by the previous female project funding recipient”, said Zama Mkosi CEO of the National Film and Video Foundation

The Durban FilmMart runs from July 14 to 17, during the Durban International Film Festival. Delegate registration is now open. For more information or to register go to www.durbanfilmmart.com.

-ends

CaribbeanTales and Durban FilmMart Join Forces to Support African Women Filmmakers

CaribbeanTales and the Durban FilmMart present CineFAM - Africa, an accelerator program for African women filmmakers. 

CaribbeanTales Media Group (CTMG) and the Durban FilmMart (DFM) today announce a new partnership to support the development of original serialized television content created by women from Africa and the African Diaspora. 

 CineFAM is an initiative of CaribbeanTales to support bold original films by women of colour worldwide. “Cinefam” in the Haitian-Creole language means “films by women”. This Accelerator aims to build capacity and creative leadership among women of colour who are underrepresented in leadership roles.  

 “We are absolutely thrilled to embark on this new partnership with CaribbeanTales. The Accelerator Incubator Program will provide an exciting new platform to support the development of women-led audio-visual content in Africa, and promote more representational narratives. Through this partnership, we hope to build a bridge between the two organisations that will raise the voices of African women filmmakers,” said Toni Monty, Head of Durban Film Office and DFM the co-production and finance market, which is a joint programme of the eThekwini Municipality’s industry development unit the Durban Film Office (DFO) and the Durban International Film Festival (DIFF), South Africa.

 “CaribbeanTales was founded and run by women of color from the Caribbean and African Diaspora so this initiative is close to our hearts. This partnership provides an unprecedented platform and opportunities for South African, African and African Diaspora women film producers,” says CaribbeanTales CEO Frances-Anne Solomon. “Africa is a natural partner for us in the Caribbean and we couldn’t be more pleased to be building a relationship with DFM to bring our Incubator Accelerator program to Africa!” 

 CineFAM - Africa, which will be led by CaribbeanTales Vice-President Nicole Brooks, is a two-day program that will take place during the Durban FilmMart July 14 to 17, 2017.

 For this first edition of CineFAM - Africa, South African women producers and African women producers living in South Africa are invited to submit their film projects of original serialized television content for consideration. A total of five projects will be selected, and entered into the program to be held at DFM exposing participants to CaribbeanTales’ accelerator unique process including a great overview and guide on how to create the basis of story, marketing, pitching and financing.

 The accelerator will culminate in a Mini-Pitch. The winner will qualify to participate in the renowned CaribbeanTales Incubator (CTI), in Toronto, Canada. CTI is a year-round development and production hub for Caribbean and Caribbean Diaspora Producers that aims to create strong, compelling and sustainable content for the global market. The CTI's goal will increase the pool of world-class indigenous film and television content and build the Region’s audio-visual capacity.

 Submissions are now open. To submit a project USE THIS LINK TO APPLY or visit www.caribbeantalesincubator.com. Submissions close on 16 June 2017.

 -ends

SPAR KZN School Girls' Hockey Challenge - Grantleigh College

The Northern Coastal KZN Regional of the SPAR KZN School Girls’ Hockey Challenge, will take place at Grantleigh College in Richards Bay on Sunday, May 28.

This regional, the last in the series of ten in this year’s Challenge, features eight schools playing pool games with the top scoring teams of each pool facing off in a regional final on Grantleigh’s astroturf. Pool games will be 20 minutes one way, and the finals 30 minutes, with 15 minutes played each way.

Richardsbaai Hoërskool, Felixton, Richards Bay Christian School, John Ross College and Eshowe High School will play in Pool A, while Grantleigh College, St Catherine’s School, Empangeni High School and Mandini College in Pool B.

Hosts and defending champs, Grantleigh College has twice represented this regional at the Grand Finals, the first in the inaugural tournament in 2011 and then again last year. They snapped the regional title away from four time winners, Empangeni High, who no doubt will be eager to reprise their victory once more. Last year’s regional although ended with a show-down between Richardsbaai Hoërskool and Grantleigh, so it remains to be seen who will dominate this time.

Speaking ahead of the tournament, Grantleigh coach Garth Bishop says “The team is quietly confident however the competition will be tough and it is going to take lots of hard work to try defend the title.”

“Last year was a really tough year, we performed really well against the bigger schools, but unfortunately couldn’t sustain the performances later in the tournament. It has just shown how we need to play at a consistent level if we want to achieve again this year.” 

“We participated at the Nedstar Hockey clinic in Pretoria, and although not all the results went according to plan we managed to take significant strides forward as a team. The Irish Men’s hockey coach, Craig Fulton, also gave the girls some areas to think about while playing if they want to achieve at a higher level.”

“We expect that this will probably be one of the toughest years as there are a number of schools who have really improved over the past few seasons and it is probably the most open competition in the last few years,”  continues Bishop. “It would be great to win the regionals again as the finals in Durban is definitely a highlight of the season for all the players.”

Winners will meet nine other teams from around KZN at the Grand Finals at St Mary’s DSG in Kloof on 29th and 30th July. They will join Wartburg Kirchdorf, winners of the PMB Inland Regional, St Mary’s DSG winner of the Highway Regional, King Edward, winners of the Ugu and Sisonke Regional, Ferrum Skool (Newcastle), St Anne’s College (PMB North), St John’s DSG (PMB Central), Amanzimtoti High School (Durban South), Our Lady of Fatima (Durban North) and Durban Girls College (Durban Central).

For more information like the Facebook page.

-ends

SPAR KZN School Girls' Hockey Challenge - Wartburg Kirchdorf claims their victory - May 13

Wartburg Kirchdorf claimed their fifth consecutive victory at the Umvoti, uThukela and Umzinyathi Regional of the SPAR KZN School Girls’ Hockey Challenge at Wembley College in Greytown this Saturday.

The cold, rainy and blustery weather did not dampen the spirits of the five first schoolgirls’ hockey teams, as they took to the astro. But is was the defending champions, Wartburg Kirchdorf who owned the day despite all the teams having had a tough time in the conditions. As the weather was less than ideal, games were shortened to 20 minutes one way instead of 30 minutes as originally planned for this regional. 

In the final game, Wartburg psychologically worked some magic asthey scored the game’s three goals within the first four minutes. Michelle Engelbrecht, managed to score the first and third goals, while her cousin Elona Engelbrecht,  who plays for KZN U19 Inland Kites Team (although she is only U17), the second – with all three goals secured with skillful reverse stick precision. 

Wembley fought back bravely, and managed to keep the decisive opponents out of the goals for the rest of the game, but, this resulted in them having to play a more defensive game. Goalie Ashleigh Mason was not going to allow any more passages into her goal, and valiantly defended it backed up by some rather determined Wembley defence.

An elated Wartburg Kirchdorf coach Lisa Misselhorn said “We are thrilled to have once again taken the honours. This was initially a very tough regional for us, as we were not playing with our heads. I knew all along that the bodies would not give up, they are strong, but we needed to pull together to play a more strategic team game. In the end this all seemed to come together and I think they worked extremely well as a team in the final game against Wembley.”Kevin Engelbrecht, a relative of the Engelbrecht girls, was acknowledged as the most promising umpire for this regional.

Wartburg Kirchdorf join winners from the Ugu and Sisonke Regional, King Edward, Ferrum Skool (Newcastle), St Anne’s College (PMB North), St John’s DSG (PMB Central), Amanzimtoti High School (Durban South), Our Lady of Fatima (Durban North) and Durban Girls College (Durban Central). The remaining two regionals are to be played later this month.

The Grand Finals takes place at St Mary’s DSG on 28 and 29 July.

For more info like the Facebook page.

Results:

1 Wartburg Kirchdorf, 2Wembley College, 3 Greytown High School,  4 Deutsche Schule Hermannsburg, 5 Domino Servite.

SPAR KZN School Girl's Hockey Challenge - Highway Regional hosted by Curro Hillcrest - May 21

In one of the most fiercely contested regionals of the SPAR KZN School Girls’ Hockey Challenge, seven west Durban schools will battle it out at Curro Hillcrest on May 21, in an attempt to claim the Highway title.

Schools participating in this regional include Westville Girls’ High School, Hillcrest High, Curro Hillcrest, Kloof High, Thomas More College and current overall challenge champs and five times winners of this regional, St Mary’s DSG.

Last year, in one of the most enthralling regional finals which could have ended either way, St Mary’s DSG just managed to edge out Westville Girls’ High School, who have claimed victory in this challenge. No doubt Westville, will be going all out in attempt to take top honours, and St. Mary’s will be eager to hang on to their title, promising some riveting hockey along the way together with the other strong teams from this area.

This regional tournament, hosted by Curro Hillcrest, will be played in a round-robin format, with 30 minute one-way matches. The two teams with the most points tallied at the end, face each other in a final to determine who will go through to meet nine other regional winners at the Grand Finals at St Mary’s DSG in Kloof in July.

Coach for St Mary’s DSG Kelly Reed says, “I am 100% confident in the team’s ability to qualify for the finals, however sport is sport and anything can happen and that’s why we all love it so much. The format of the regionals with only 30 minute games always makes it competitive and any team on their good day can be difficult to beat.”

Speaking about last year’s finals, Reed says that they were “intense but amazing – a really nice experience for the girls to play teams from all over and to learn from their different styles of play. These short format games and playing in pressure situations have taught the girls a lot about patience and how important it is to take your chances – so we look forward to the tournament and what it holds.”

The winners of this regional will join nine regional winners at the Grand Finals at St Mary’s in Durban on July 29 and 30. Regional winners include King Edward High School, winners of the Ugu and Sisonke Regional, Ferrum Skool (Newcastle), St Anne’s College (PMB North), St John’s DSG (PMB Central), Amanzimtoti High School (Durban South), Our Lady of Fatima (Durban North) and Durban Girls College (Durban Central) and a team from the Umvoti, uThukela and Umzinyathi Regional which will be played on May 13 and another from the Northern Coastal regional to be played on May 28 at Grantleigh in Richards Bay. 

For more info like the Facebook page.

8th Durban FilmMart announces Official Project Selection for 2017 edition

A record 22 fiction feature films and documentaries projects in development from around Africa have been selected for the 8th edition of the Durban FilmMart (DFM) which takes place in Durban, South Africa from July 14 to 17. 

A joint programme of the eThekwini Municipality’s film industry development unit, the Durban Film Office (DFO) and the Durban International Film Festival (DIFF), the DFM aims to showcase and increase awareness of African cinema through stimulating film production on the continent by encouraging collaborations amongst African filmmakers. 

The projects this year have been selected from across Africa, including Egypt, Kenya, Morocco, Benin, DRC, Namibia, Somalia, Mozambique and South Africa. 

"We are more than delighted with this year’s submissions and selection of projects," says Toni Monty, Head of the DFO. "We have a range of countries represented as well as an interesting selection of topics and themes, which we are sure will engage and pique the interest of the visiting experts and peers. With 12 feature films and 10 documentaries, this promises to be a bumper edition and we look forward to welcoming and engaging with the film-makers on these projects in the hope that the DFM will act as a facilitator and catalyst for the further development of these films.”

“Ultimately the proof is when we see the projects come to life and get produced, distributed and screened,” Monty goes on to say. “Many of the projects selected from the DFM go on to be granted further opportunities to develop at other markets and incubators around the world. We have seen them doing well at festivals or picking up good distribution deals for cinema release. In the past we have seen many of these projects come to life and premiere at the Durban International Film Festival – a wonderful testimony to the value of the Durban FilmMart.”

The DFM provides a platform for African filmmakers, industry professionals, broadcasters and potential financiers, to come connect, network and engage in important conversations around projects. Over the years it has become an important networking space for film-makers and a solid springboard for new thinking and collaboration between African and other international film-makers.

The selected fiction and documentary film-makers will attend the DFM and will be meeting one-on-one with possible co-producers and financiers in the Finance Forum. They will also pitch their work to a panel of commissioning editors from local and international funders and financiers, and meet and network with a wide range of industry experts and possible collaborators during the four-day event.

Fiction

An African Tale (Kenya) – produced by Shirleen Wangar and directed by Gilbert Lukalia

Border (Benin) – produced by Idrissou Mora Kpai and directed by Arouna Sacca Mora Kpai

Borderlines (South Africa) – produced Kim Williams and Paul Egan and directed by Meg Rickards 

Dabulaphu (Short Cut) (South Africa) - produced Kethiwe Ngcobo and David Max Brown and directed by Norman Maake

Matigari (Congo) – produced by Dilima Luzuko, Balufu Bakupa Kanyinda, Fidelis  Duker, Cathy Muigai and directed by Balufu Bakupa Kanyinda

Miles from Nowhere (South Africa) – produced by Bongiwe Selane and directed by Samantha Nel

Rainbows Don’t Last Long (Egypt) – produced by Halina Dyrschka and directed by Mayye Zayed

Richard was Here (South Africa) – produced by Akona Matyila and Jack Chiang and directed by Akona Matyila 

The Girl from Wereldend (Namibia) – produced by Dylan Voogt and directed by Jana Brückner

The Lotus (South Africa) – produced by Bonita Sithebe and directed by Philani Sithebe

The Sovereign (South Africa) – produced by Gary King, Cait Pansegrouw and Elias Ribeiro and directed by Wim Steytler

The Woods (South Africa) - produced and directed by Kofi Zwane 

Documentaries

As I Want (Zay Mana Aiyza) (Egypt) – produced by Karim El Hakim and directed by Samaher Alqadi

Behind Closed Doors (Morocco) – produced by Cyriac Auriol, Hind Saih, Karoline Henkel and directed by Yakhout Elhabibi

Better Sundays (Kenya) – produced by Kelvin Kimathi and directed by Lydia Matata

Desterrados (Mozambique) – produced by Fabio Ribeiro and directed by Yara Costa

Encore (working title) (South Africa) – produced by Liesel Priem, Jolynn Minnaar and directed by Jessie Zinn and Jethro Westraad

Lobola, A Bride's True Price (South Africa) – produced by Sarah Basyouny and directed by Sihle Hlophe

Rajada Dalka (Nation’s Hope) (Somalia) – produced by Andy Jones, Cynthia Kane, and Lyric R Cabraland directed by Hana Mire

Softie (Kenya) – produced by Matrid Nyagah and Linda Ogeda and directed by Soko Sam

Working Womxn (South Africa) – produced by Tiny Mungwe and directed by Shanelle Jewnarain

Y Revolution (South Africa) – produced and directed by Suzanne du Toit 

“Of course filmmakers who do not have projects selected for the market are also invited to attend as delegates as there is a full programme of masterclasses, forums and networking events during the DFM..”

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

-ends

Start them young at the European Film Festival

Enjoy the European Film Festival with your little ones! For the first time the European Film Festival, which opens nationwide on Friday, May 5, offers a film which is sure to appeal to young and old. This is a great opportunity to enjoy the annual film festival together with your children, your friends’ children, your children’s friends and their parents too!

Suitable for children aged 8 and over, Zip & Zap is a madcap adventure in Spanish with English subtitles. When your parents feel overbearing, the idea of playing the whole day without them or any other adult telling you what to do might seem like a good idea. Twin brothers Zip and Zap thought so too, but soon discover that what seemed like total freedom at first, cannot trump your parents’ love. Together with two newfound friends, they set out to find their mom and dad.

“We are delighted that this year’s selection includes a family movie”, says the festival director Katarina Hedrén. “The Spanish entry Zip & Zap and the Captain’s Island by Oskar Santos, is the second filmic adventure based on a comic book series about two naughty brothers. Funny and visually stunning, the film makes for a perfect outing.”

Scheduled to make it possible for as many children, parents, uncles and aunties as possible to catch it, Zip & Zap is showing one Saturday afternoon and one Sunday afternoon in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Pretoria. The Durban screening happens early on Saturday evening (6 May) in Durban.

Book now.”

The film, which has charmed audiences at film festivals, including the BFI London Film Festival, offers a great opportunity to open children’s hearts and minds to film and magic storytelling from other parts of the world. 

For more information, visit www.eurofilmfest.co.za or join the conversation on Twitter and Facebook: #EuroFilmFestSA.

Bookings priced at R64. For booking information, visitwww.cinemanouveau.co.za or www.sterkinekor.com. 

For queries, contact Ticketline on 0861 Movies (668 437). Normal benefits and ticket discounts apply to members of SK Club, Discovery Vitality and Edgars Club.

Venues and screening of Zip & Zap and the Captains Island:

Johannesburg: Cinema Nouveau - Rosebank Mall

Rosebank Mall (Level 1), cnr Bath & Baker Streets, Rosebank

Saturday 6 May @ 2:30pm

Sunday 14 May @ 2:30PM

Pretoria: Cinema Nouveau - Brooklyn

Brooklyn Mall (Lower Level Shop 12), Bronkhorst Street, New Muckleneuk

Sunday 7 May @ 2:30pm

Saturday 13 May @ 2:30pm

Cape Town: Cinema Nouveau - V&A

King Warehouse, Red Shed, Victoria and Alfred Waterfront

Saturday 6 May @ 2:30PM

Sunday 14 May @ 2:30pm

Durban: Cinema Nouveau - Gateway

Gateway Theatre of Shopping (Expo/Explore Floor), 1 Palm Blvd, Umhlanga Rocks

Saturday 6 May @ 2:30pm

MEDIA QUERIES:

BUZ PR 

BRIDGET VAN OERLE/ SNEZIWE DUBE

011 673 0264 / 477 0923

buz@buz.co.za / info@buz.co.za

SPAR KZN School Girls' Hockey Challenge, Umvoti uThukela and Umzinyathi Regional at Wembley College -Greytown - May 13

The Umvoti, uThukela and Umzinyathi Regional of the SPAR KZN School Girls’ Hockey Challenge will take place at Wembley College in Greytown next Saturday, May 13.

The small, yet traditionally very festive regional, sees five schools participating this year in a round-robin format with four times winners Wartburg Kirchdorf defending their title against host school Wembley College, Greytown High School, Deutsche Schule Hermannsburg and Domino Servite. Games will last 30 minutes, with 15 minutes play each way.

The defending champs Wartburg Kirchdorf have been hard at work in preparation for next week’s tournament, “We  hosted our own pre-season hockey tournament last term ending in the final against Carter High which ended in a draw,” explains coach Lisa Misselhorn. “And we attended the annual Voortrekker festival in which we won our pool and lost in the final to KEHS. It was a very pleasing result given that we have seven new players on the team.”

“We still have a number of players who have been in the team for a year or two and know the expectations of the tournament,” she continues. “And we are delighted that one of our players Elona Engelbrecht, who is U17, was chosen for the KZN U19 Inland Kites Team, which has been a major boost for the team’s morale.”

“Having won the regional tournament for four consecutive years, we are very aware that the other schools would like to have a turn in winning but we will not go down without giving of our best,” she says. “So, we would like to say good luck to everyone playing, and we look forward to a great day of hockey.”

The victorious team of this eighth regional will join winners from the Ugu and Sisonke Regional,  King Edward, Ferrum Skool (Newcastle), St Anne’s College (PMB North), St John’s DSG (PMB Central), Amanzimtoti High School (Durban South), Our Lady of Fatima (Durban North) and Durban Girls College (Durban Central). The remaining two regionals are to be played later this month.

21st anniversary of The Route of the Prince Impérial, Louis Napoleon, A Franco-Zulu Cultural Celebration and Commemoration

This year marks the 21st Anniversary of the establishment of La Route du Prince Impérial, Louis Napoléon (The Route of the Prince Impérial, Louis Napoleon), a bold tourism initiative that follows the scenic pilgrimage route through KwaZulu-Natal, taken by a mother in mourning as she followed the footsteps of her son to where he was killed during the Anglo-Zulu War in 1879. 

The Prince Impérial, Louis Napoléon was killed in an ambush at uQweqwe, near Nqutu, on 1 June 1879. The following year on the anniversary of his death, his mother, the Empress Eugenie, spent the night in vigil at the very spot, which is now marked as a monument to him.

Who would have thought that 138 years later, the monument would play an important role driving a small, but vital tourism injection into the community at uQweqwe.

This year, the Alliance Francaise, Pietermaritzburg and the French Presence in KwaZulu-Natal cultural tourism research development project, present a programme of engaging activities with a number of partners during the month of May – Africa month. Both associations play a valuable networking function in connecting France, Reunion Island and other Francophone countries with South Africa.

Early May sees a call to action for people to support Art in the Park. The Pietermaritzburg Amateur Music Society then sets the tone for French week with its Musique Sacrée concert of French Sacred music at the Lutheran Church, Hayfields at 14H30 Sunday 21 May 2017.

A week later, on The Midlands Amble, a Sunday gathering at Albert Falls commemorates the first night’s “camp” of the Empress Eugénie, when she came on her sorrowful pilgrimage.

On Monday May 28, a guided visit to the Msunduzi Museum will see a programme of school activities which includes a history presentation on the Anglo-Zulu war as well as readings and worksheets on related topics.

The Empress Eugénie and The Prince Imperial wines produced by Domaine des Dieux ofthe Hemel-en-Aarde Valley in Hermanus are celebrated during this week, and on Africa Day, Wednesday May 31 at 13H00, the annual Prince Imperial lunchtime concert takes place at The Old Prison / Project Gateway in Pietermaritzburg. The concert features the Sobantu School Choir, the Sobantu acapella group, the dance performers from Chistlehurst Arts & Academics, as well as the Impisi Emnyama Zulu dancers, and Exquiniqué Fashion that will present its own unique brand!

That night a Franco-Italian pizza evening at Pizzology further celebrates the historical genealogy of the Bonapartes and the present day entente cordiale that exists in our country.

Dr Andrew-John Bethke will be giving a special anniversary organ recital at 19H00 in the Lutheran Church, Hayfields on Thursday evening 1 June - the commemoration day of the Prince’s death and the anniversary day of the Route.

On Friday 2 June, The Embassy of France, the French Institute, the Alliance and the Napoleon Foundation, Paris present a concert at the Tatham Art Gallery to celebrate local talent and welcome His Excellency the Ambassador of France, Mr Christophe Farnaud and other international guests.

The evening starts with the launch of the publication by Otterley Press of The French Prince: Tragedy to Transformation by Glenn Flanagan followed by the award ceremony of Les Palmes Académiques to Heather Peel, Head of French at Hilton College for her contribution to the teaching of French. A concert follows featuring Sandile Mabaso, a celebrated opera singer from KwaZulu Natal, the Sobantu Secondary School isiscathamiya performers, the Impisi Emnyama Zulu Dancers and the Chistlehurst Academics and Arts Dance group, who promise a finale with great French flair.

A memorial mass will be celebrated on June 3 at 09H30 at the Allard House Chapel, KZN’s first Roman Catholic Church (built in 1852) performed in association with the memorial mass in the Imperial Chapel in Biarritz, France. Well known choral leader Michael Lambert, will be directing the Scola Musicae Sanctae choir.

Following this mass the dignitaries will depart for Dundee along the Prince Imperial Route pausing for tea with the French Augustinian Sisters in Pomeroy, culminating in a French soirée at Elisabeth Durham’s Chez Nous B ‘n B in Dundee. At the soirée the convener and project leader of La Route du Prince Impérial, Louis Napoléon, Glenn Flanagan will present a visual résumé of highlights of the past 21 years of Route development.

The next day the delegation will visit the Jojosini Primary School in the community where the monument is situated, to inspect the sponsorship of rain tanks and library donated by Panteix /Antalis and local donors.

The ceremony to commemorate the 138th anniversary of the death of the Prince begins at 10H15.

The Ambassador of France will lay a wreath on the Prince Imperial memorial; inkosi Mdlalose and Induna Mbatha will lay wreathes on the tombs of Trooper Abel and Trooper Rogers and Gugu Buthelezi (voluntary site guide) will lay a wreathe for the nameless Zulu guide killed in the same ambush on 1 June 1879.

After the ceremonies, sporting events organized by Nathi Sibisi of the uQweqwe community will take place.

“We have an exciting line-up of Franco-Zulu related activities in Pietermaritzburg, in Dundee and the uQweqwe community during May and the first weekend in June,’ says Glenn Flanagan. “We welcome Francophiles and everyone who enjoys a slice of history, as well as those who are keen to experience the value of creating and developing fascinating historical and cultural links between different cultures and how this can benefit our communities – both rural and urban.”

The 21st Anniversary celebrations of La Route du Prince Impérial, Louis Napoléon is supported by the Embassy of France, the Alliance Française, TKZN, SA TOURISM, local municipalities, local tourism authorities and the Napoleon Foundation, Paris.

For the full programme go to the Facebook Page: French Presence in KZN: La Route du Prince Impérial, Louis Napoléon.

Durban dancer, choreographer, and arts activist receives a coveted Ordre des arts et des Lettres from the French Government

In a glamorous event hosted at Durban’s Alliance Française on Tuesday 25 April, Durban’s Lliane Loots was awarded the honour of Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Order of Arts and Letter  by the Ambassador of France to South Africa, Mr Christophe Farnaud.

In a moving acknowledgement and celebration of Loots lifes work in growing, making and supporting dance in South Africa, and in conjunction with the support she has offed to French artists visiting and working in South Africa, this Knighthood was gently and beautifully bestowed by Ambassador Farnaud on his very first visit to Durban.

The Ordre des Arts et des Lettres is a medal of honour that is bestowed by the French government in recognition of significant contributions to the arts and the propagation of the arts and in significant connection to also enriching the French cultural inheritance. It is an award that was established in 1957 by the French government and, in 2017 three South African – all in the dance sector - will be receiving it; Lliane Loots, Gregory Maqoma and Georgina Thompson.

Loots presently holds the positions of Dance Lecturer in the Drama and Performance Studies Programme at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (Howard College Campus). She has a Master’s degree in Gender Studies and is presently completing her PhD looking at contemporary dance histories on the African continent. She is delighted to hold the founding position of Artistic Director for the Centre for Creative Arts’s annual JOMBA! Contemporary Dance Experience (a festival that will make its historic 20th edition in 2018). She has also recently been invited onto the Grahamstown National Arts Festival’s Artistic Committee (for dance).

Loots founded FLATFOOT DANCE COMPANY as a professional dance company in 2003 when it grew out of a dance training programme that originally began in 1995. As the artistic director and resident choreographer for FLATFOOT DANCE COMPANY (now the longest surviving professional dance company in Durban), she has won numerous national choreographic awards and commissions and has travelled quite extensively in Europe, America and the African continent with her dance work. Loots and FLATFOOT are also known for the vast amount of youth dance education and development work done in KZN, and, through JOMBA!, for putting Durban on the global dance map. 

This award has honoured all of these divergent parts of Loots’s life as a cultural worker in Durban and her award was accompanied by support from the FLATFOOT company as they stood by her to receive the medal of honour.

Durban SPAR Women’s 10/5km Challenge – Sunday, June 11

Durban SPAR Women’s 10/5km Challenge – Sunday, June 11

Online entries are now open for this year’s Durban SPAR Women’s 10/5km Challenge, which takes place on Sunday, June 11.

The race, which is now in it’s 28th year, is a firm fixture on the KZN event calendar in KZN and annually draws a field of around 17 500 runners and walkers, along with countless supporters that come to enjoy the camaraderie and fun along the route and at the finish.

The theme for the challenge this year is “SHEroes” celebrating the “Superhero” status of women. “Every woman has a unique story to tell about their own inner beauty, strength and determination. In short, every woman is a Super Hero in their own way,” says Max Oliva, Managing Director of SPAR KZN, “We look forward to welcoming these wonderful “SHEroes” to this year’s race where they can showcase their determination and collective energy in one of the most talked about, and certainly the most beautiful, running and walking events in town.”

Once again participants have an option of taking part in the more competitive 10km distance starting at 8am or can enjoy the shorter, half distance 5km at 9:30am.  The challenge starts in Masabalala Yengwa Avenue outside the finish venue at the Growthpoint Kings Park outer fields, where there will be live music to entertain finishers and supporters.

Entries are limited to the first 17 500 ladies and can be done either online; by using the bulk entry process, or at the race registration venue at the Durban Exhibition Centre three days prior to the event.

Prize money for the first position in the open category is R10 000, second position R7 500 and third R5 000, and there are also various other category prizes across the board.  For the professional athletes participating in the challenge as part of the nationwide SPAR Grand Prix Series, the stakes are much higher as the prize money for the series sits at an impressive R173 000 this year.

For the first time, non-South African athletes are eligible to accumulate Grand Prix points which means that the field now includes those elite non-South African athletes. Currently Louisa Leballo (Nedbank) leads the Grand Prix log having taken the honours in Cape Town on April 2 in a time of 32.58 minutes. The next race takes place in May in Port Elizabeth, followed by Durban in June.

A donation of R2 will be made per entry to this year’s official race charity CANSA Mkhuhla Care Home in Durban, a “home-away-from-home” for cancer patients receiving treatment.

Entrants for the 10km challenge are required to be 14 years or older and for the 5km must be 9 years or older on the day of the competition.

Race Registration takes place at Hall 6 at the Durban Exhibition Centre on:

•   Thursday, 8 June from 10:00 to 17:00,

•   Friday, 9 June from 10:00 to 17:00 and

•   Saturday, 10 June from 10:00 to 15:00.

All female entrants will receive a promo bag at race registration and on race day, all those who complete the race will receive a breakfast pack.

Entry fees are R110 for a 10km non-licensed entrant, which will include a temp licence, R100 for a 10km licensed entrant and R100 for all 5km entrants. 

For all the relevant race information, as well as to enter online go to www.sparwomensrace.co.za/durban 

For more information like the SPAR Women’s Race KZN Facebook page.