I heart Market 4 June from 8:30am - 2pm Moses Mabhida Stadium Lawns

Durban: What’s hot this winter? June’s I heart Market offers market-goers a range of heart-warming bespoke and artisanal fare just in time for Durban’s legendary “slightly-cooler-than-summer” mid-winter!

Taking place this Saturday, 4 June from 08:30 to 2pm, on the Moses Mabhida Stadium Lawns the I heart Market, is not just a “pop-in and out” affair, it’s not only designed to make you want to take a leisurely stroll around the various stalls, make contact with the artists, crafters, and artisans who have created their wares with love and care, but to also relax in the sun and try out the delicious culinary fare on offer.

Wicked Waffles - simply delish!

Some highlights to warm the cockles of your heart include Wicked Waffles - authentic Belgian waffles that are cooked on-site on a gas-fired waffle machine. They are golden delicious outside and soft inside and topped with fresh cream or ice cream. This is a tasty toasty option to warm up your taste buds, before trying out other scrumptious eats.

Savage Jewellery - exquisite rings

Looking for gifts? Savage Jewellery is an iconic long-time ‘I heart” linked brand which offers tactile organic sterling silver rings that have been sand cast with beach sand. Using a unique technique to create this effect, these rings feel like ancient relics that have been discovered at the bottom of the ocean. 

Knotagain Macrame - the Tree of Life

Then Macrame, which incidentally was a “thing” in the Victorian era, made hugely popular in the 1960’s and 70’s, has started its fourth come-back into fashion. And it’s a fascinating craft. Visit Knotagain Macrame to see their amazing Tree of Life wall hanging, which will be the talking-point at this month’s market. The craftsmanship gone into this phenomenal piece will leave you breathless. But if that’s too big for your home - not to worry there are plenty of simply gorgeous smaller pieces for sale too.

Abby River has a beautiful and simple winter collection of children’s clothes

While we are reminiscing - Abby River has a beautiful and simple winter collection, of “old-fashioned-inspired” cotton children’s clothes in natural palettes – a reminder of days gone by when life was, well simpler!

Of course, there is so much more from décor and furnishings, clothes, and accessories, to loads of delectable food to take home- preserves, condiments, pastries, bread, biltong. And bonus – you can catch up with friends and make new ones in the sociable dining area, where you can try out a big variety of healthy and interesting cuisine, made as always, with love.

The market on the lawns of the Moses Mabhida Stadium is open from 8:30am to 2pm. The entrance is free and dogs on leashes are welcome.

For enquiries about I heart Market email info@iheartmkt.com 

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Sharlene Versfeld
Versfeld & Associates
Public Relations and Communications
Mobile: +27 (0) 83 326 3235
Email: sharlene@versfeld.co.za
Twitter: sharlvers
Website: www.versfeld.co.za

FLATFOOT DANCE COMPANY presents UNDER THE SAME SKY Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre : 24 – 28 April 2019

MEDIA RELEASE

FLATFOOT DANCE COMPANY presents UNDER THE SAME SKY

Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre : 24 – 28 April 2019

In a remarkable feat of perseverance and beauty, Durban’s Flatfoot Dance Company celebrates its 16th anniversary with a new dance theatre work, Under the Same Sky, at the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre  from  24 to 28 April.

With an international touring reputation for excellence and a host of national awards under its belt, Flatfoot’s arrival at this momentous 16th year mark as one of South Africa leading contemporary dance companies, is a testament to a dedicated team of dancers and administrators.

In keeping with its reputation of creating and performing edgy, controversial, beautiful and intelligent dance, Flatfoot dives heart first into the zeitgeist of contemporary South African identity, in Under the Same Sky and “asks us to remember our humanity and the place that art holds in teaching resilience”.

Three new dance works by Sifiso Khumalo, Jabu Siphika and Lliane Loots will premiere in this season.

“These works asks of us to step back to negotiate the humanity within all of us,” says Artistic Director of Flatfoot, Lliane Loots. “We take a look at where we have come from, in order to understand who we are, and who we might become. So we are delving into the heart of South African identity, which is both dream and nightmare; both nostalgia and violence. We have not doubt that these works will leave the audience overawed at the sheer beauty of the power of contemporary dance to tell our real South African stories, as it provokes and challenges through the images created, but it also allows the audience to breathe and be reminded of what makes us human.”

Sifiso Khumalo’s work Ngaphesheya (loosely translated to mean ‘beyond’ or ‘over there’) is a personal journey back to Khumalo’s own childhood in Clermont growing up with the scourge of ‘necklacing’ as a political weapon. In this piece, made from a questioning and very present perspective in 2019, asks where we are going if our history (and where we come from) means nothing. 

Jabu Siphika’s growing feminist voice as a choreographer, opens up in her latest work titled Death of a Dream.  Working from the personal to the political, Siphika has created an evocative duet that looks at disintegrated personal relationships as a metaphor for disinterred political hopes and dreams. Beautifully danced by Siphika herself in partnership with Mthoko Mkhwanazi, Death of a Dream is heartbreaking in its beauty.

Lliane Loots’s unsheltered, ends the programme. Loots’s award-winning style that combines video, spoken word and dance in a ‘total theatre’ experience, finds its artistic legs in her newest work. unsheltered moves Loots and Flatfoot’s quest for humanity into the global domain and starts to “unbuild” the meaning of the walls that are the prevailing political agendas of many first world nations. It asks the audience to journey with the dancers into the heart of difference and what it means to embrace a hurt, damaged and vulnerable humanity. Loots’ dance work has a poetic depth that will provoke and delight audiences.

Dancing in the season are Sifiso Khumalo, Jabu Siphika, Zinhle Nzama, Sbonga Ndlovu, Ndumiso Dube, Siseko Duba, and Mthoko Mkhwanazi. Lighting design is by Wesley Maherry.

Catch Flatfoot Dance Company’s 16th anniversary season Under The Same Sky at the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre from 24 to 28 April. Shows are at 7.30pm on 24, 25 and 26 April and at 2.30pm on 28 April.  Tickets available through Computicket are R85 and R65 (for scholars, students, pensions and block bookings of 10 or more seats). (There is a special performance for schools at R30 per scholar and teachers come free on 26 April at 10.30am. Bookings for schools only are via Lootsl@ukzn.ac.za).

https://online.computicket.com/web/event/under_the_same_sky/1292038803/617314048

31st Annual UKZN Jazz Jol - Durban

31st Annual UKZN Jazz Jol

The Centre for Jazz and Popular Music is proud to present the 31st annual UKZN Jazz Jol on Saturday, April 6th, 2019. Traditionally scheduled for the 2nd half of the year, the event has been brought forward to accommodate a visit by Prof Darius Brubeck, who founded the Centre for Jazz and Popular Music, and which commemorates its 30th anniversary this year.

In another break from tradition, the funds generated from the Jol will be donated to the Durban chapter of Amnesty International, instead of the Ronnie Madonsela scholarship. This is an appropriate way to recognize the support of our local community for our student scholarship over these many years, and to thank them by donating the funds to newly-established chapters of Amnesty International at the UKZN School of Law, the Nelson Mandela School of Medicine, and 6 local schools to set them on the path, in their efforts to fight for human rights.

Besides Prof Brubeck, the concert will feature the UKZN Big Band as well as a host of Durban-based alumni, including Melvin Peters, Sazi Dlamini and SKOKIANA, Andile Yenana, Debbie and George Mari, Mfana Mlambo, and Natalie Rungan. Anchoring proceedings will be bassist Ildo Nandja, who will be visiting from the Netherlands, where he is currently registered for his Masters degree in Jazz Studies and drummers Riley Giandhari and Bruce Baker.

Join us for the 31st annual UKZN Jazz Jol on Saturday, April 6th, 2019 at 19:00. General admission to the 31st Annual Jazz Jol is R100, R80 for pensioners and R50 for students with a student card. Please contact Thuli on 031 2603385 or email Zamat1@ukzn.ac.za for more details.

SA Indian Gangster Thriller Mayfair opens to great reviews

SA INDIAN GANGSTER THRILLER MAYFAIR OPENS TO GREAT REVIEWS

Gangster tale ‘Mayfair’, the fourth film by award-winning director Sara Blecher (‘Ayanda’, ‘Dis Ek Anna’, ‘Otelo Burning’) opened to rave reviews this past weekend. This comes after several sold-out screenings in London.

‘Mayfair’ tells the story of prodigal son Zaid Randera (Ronak Patani) who returns home to Mayfair in Johannesburg, where his overbearing father Aziz (Rajesh Gopie) – a thriving import-exporter and occasional money launderer and loan shark – is facing death threats. Zaid has been unfairly dismissed from his job as an aid worker, and on his return he finds himself living in the shadow of his father and his dodgy dealings. When a murderous rival gang threatens the family’s business, Zaid is forced back into the life he’d hoped to leave behind.

Channel24’s Rozanne Els wrote, ‘The elements of this story are greatly compelling, and Sara Blecher methodically pulls each of these closer together to eventually become a tight and gripping conclusion.’ She called the film ‘a much richer blend of themes than what any genre classification…can  completely encompass.’ She praised Ronak Patani, the British actor who plays Zaid. ‘With genuine commitment, [he takes] the character’s perception of himself as a compassionate, well-intentioned man who is nothing like his father to one of disgust, and resigned to his inevitable fate.’

‘Mayfair’ follows on from the recent success of Indian stories set in South Africa, including ‘Material’, ‘Keeping up with the Kandasamys’ and ‘Broken Promises’.

South Africa Indian community site Indian Spice, said, ‘Blecher delivers a taut, fine-tuned thriller that is guaranteed to keep you on tenterhooks.’

Notably, BBC News visited the bustling suburb of Mayfair, and did a video interview with Blecher, who said that the film reveals a part of Johannesburg seldom seen on screen, and shines a light on a community often side-lined by mainstream popular culture.

In the role of Aziz is Rajesh Gopie, a well-known South African Indian actor, comedian, writer and voice artist who has appeared in such television series as Generations and Zero Tolerance, and is best known for his role in South Africa’s highest grossing film of 2017, ‘Keeping up with the Kandasamys’, a comedy that tells the story of a long-standing rivalry between two families, the Kandasamys and the Naidoos.

Shady businessman and long-standing rival of the Randera family Jalaal is played by Jack Devnarain, who has performed in numerous TV and film productions, including the heist thriller 31 Million Reasons. Devnarain describes his character as ‘a puppet-master dealing in money, power and blood’.

Movie news and reviews site Screen Anarchy praised the film, noting that the crime drama is part of ‘the current wave of high end South African films’, and that ‘Mayfair’ looks at the Muslim-Indian communities of Johannesburg through ‘a tale of conflicted loyalties and escalating violence’.

‘The film explores similar themes to the current Saif Ali Khan headed thriller ‘Sacred Games’, the first Indian Netflix Original web series, which has proved to be a game changer in the Indian entertainment scene,’ says Helen Kuun, MD of Indigenous Film Distribution. ‘The show received a huge thumbs-up from audiences and shot the lights out in India. It explores themes to those at the heart of ‘Mayfair’, including corruption, crime and the dark underworld that exists in almost every urban setting.’

Indigenous Film Distribution: www.indigenousfilm.co.za

View Trailer Here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-lDVJ35YBI

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All Media Queries:

David alex wilson

Mad Moth Communications

Cell: +27 83 629 2587

e-mail: davidalex@madmoth.co.za

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.

DIFF 2014 to feature a feast of African and South African Films

DIFF 2014 TO FEATURE A FEAST OF AFRICAN AND SOUTH AFRICAN FILMS

South African Focus

The ever-expanding African film industry will once more be represented at the Durban International Film Festival (DIFF) 2014 although South African film retains the festival’s key focus, with 40 feature-length films and 38 short films – most of them receiving their world premieres on Durban screens, and collectively representing by far the largest number of South African films in the festival’s 35 year history.

This year’s opening night film on July 17 see the world premiere of Hard To Get, the electrifying feature debut from South African filmmaker Zee Ntuli, who has already received critical acclaim for his short films. The story of the mercurial relationship between a handsome young womaniser and a beautiful, reckless petty criminal, Hard To Get is fuelled by a bewitching visual poetry. Other high-profile South African films being showcased include the engaging thriller Cold Harbour, Between Friends, which recounts a reunion between old varsity friends, Hear Me Move, a locally flavoured dance movie, and Love the One You Love, which explores a constellation of relationships between young South Africans.

Then there’s the Tyler Perry-flavoured Two Choices, as well as The Two of Us, which tells of a relationship between two siblings. Icehorse is a surreal mystery drama set in the Netherlands and directed by South African Elan Gamaker. Young Ones is a dystopian down-beat sci-fi flick directed by Jake Paltrow, produced by Spier Films and shot in South Africa, while the French/South African co-production Zulu explores the unhealed wounds of the new South Africa.  DIFF is very proud to present the 1978 film Joe Bullet, the first work to benefit from the Gravel Road legacy project, which aims to restore films lost in the dusty archives of apartheid.

This year’s programme also features an expanded South African documentary programme in response to the large number of high quality doccies currently being produced in the country. DIFF 2014 includes a rich slate of films which explore and interrogate 20 years of freedom and democracy in South Africa, including Khalo Matabane’s Nelson Mandela: The Myth and Me, and Miners Shot Down, Rehad Desai’s devastating account of Marikana. They are joined by many other films that chronicle lesser known but no less significant stories behind the end of apartheid and the rebirth of South Africa into a new country.

African Focus

The rich programme of films from elsewhere on the continent includes a number of artistically and politically brave directorial voices that are unafraid to experiment with form or content. The bewitching and highly experimental Bloody Beans recounts the Algerian revolution using a band of young children as its medium of expression, while the utterly charming and super-low-budget Beti and Amare is an Ethiopian vampire film with a difference.

DIFF 2014 also acknowledges the political reality of contemporary Africa with films such as Timbuktu from Malian master Abderrahmane Sissako, whichs recounts Timbuktu’s brief occupation by militant Islamic rebels. The mockumentary hybrid They Are the Dogs is set in Morocco in the aftermath of the Arab Spring while the engagingly authentic, semi-autographical film Die Welt is set in Tunisia shortly after the recent Jasmine Revolution. Imbabazi: The Pardon explores the possibilities of reconciliation in the wake of the Rwandan genocide, and Difret examines the potentially destructive role of patriarchal traditions in contemporary Ethiopia.

Set in Tanzania, the disturbing but visually powerful White Shadow tells the story of a young albino boy named Alias who is targeted for body parts by muti traders. Veve, the latest film from the producers of the award-winning crime drama Nairobi Half Life, documents the double-crossing lives of those trading in khat or ‘veve’, a mildly narcotic local crop. From Moroccan director Abdellah Taia comes Salvation Army, an unflinchingly poetic study of a young Arab man grappling with notions of family and sexuality. Then there’s the highly anticipated film adaptation of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Half of a Yellow Sun, set against the difficulties of post-independence Nigeria.

Coz Ov Moni 2: FOKN Revenge, billed as ‘the world’s second first pidgin musical’ is a Ghanaian hop-hop opera from rap duo the FOKN Bois, while B for Boy tells the story of how a Nigerian woman’s life is corrupted by the forces of patriarchy and tradition.

The Durban International Film Festival takes place from 17 – 27 July 2014. The festival includes more than 200 theatrical screenings and a full seminar and workshop programme, as well as the Wavescape Film Festival, Wild Talk Africa Film Festival and various industry initiatives, including the 7th Talents Durban (in cooperation with the Berlinale Talents) and the 5th Durban FilmMart co-production market (in partnership with the Durban Film Office). For more information go to www.durbanfilmfest.co.za

o The 35th Durban International Film Festival is organised by the Centre for Creative Arts at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (a special project of the Deputy Vice Chancellor of Humanities, Cheryl Potgieter) with support from the National Film and Video Foundation, KwaZulu-Natal Department of Economic Development & Tourism, KwaZulu-Natal Film Commission, City of Durban, German Embassy, Goethe Institut, Industrial Development Corporation, KwaZulu-Natal Department of Arts and Culture and a range of other valued partners.

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Launch of the Awesome iLembe Arts Festival

In celebration of 20 years of freedom and democracy, the first Awesome iLembe Arts Festival will take place across the iLembe region on the North Coast of KwaZulu-Natal from 8 to 10 August 2014. An innovative and far sighted initiative by the Department of Arts and Culture in partnership with producers Awesome Africa Festival Productions, this multi-cultural event will take the music to the people – and directly into the communities themselves at venues in Mandeni, Ndwedwe, Maphumulo and KwaDukuza.

The Festival will feature around 40 local, national and international artists in the disciplines of music, theatre, dance, poetry, storytelling and arts and crafts, with the main focus falling on music this year. Audiences will be enthralled by contributions from various music genres and themes including jazz, gospel, pop, rock, pan-african, maskandi, isicathamiya, hip hop, Indian traditional, Bollywood, and various “world music” styles. The Festival will also include the “Funk it Up” DJ Experience, as well as a focus on South African legends and a Songwriters’ Hall of Fame.

As the Festival falls over the “Women’s Day” weekend, there will be a strong focus on women artists, and in the special concert commemorating legends, the first artist to be featured will be the incomparable Ray Phiri with his “The Man, The Music, The Friendships” concept. 

In keeping with the Festival’s aim of showcasing local talent, it is envisaged that up to 50% of all talent will be drawn from the iLembe region. The international artists will be chosen for their passion and dedication in collaborating and transferring skills to local artists, and renowned KZN based mentors will work alongside local talent and local event managers to prepare them for the festival.

Says MEC for Arts & Culture Mrs Ntombikayise Sibhidla-Sapetha, “We are very proud and excited to associate ourselves with this unique brand and concept, that goes far beyond providing great entertainment. Besides many pro-active socio- economic elements, the Festival also addresses the vital aspects of social cohesion and nation building in our country. No longer will iconic events and artists be the domain only of the big cities. We pride ourselves in taking the music and the arts back to the people – in essence straight into the communities who have supported our fight for freedom and democracy. We have recently had big names such as Carlos Santana, Bruce Springsteen, Eminem and other international stars only performing in the big cities, and even Durban has been excluded. Many people are asking us why we are bringing a legend like Kirk Whalum deep into the rural areas – and our answer is that we believe that we need to “give back” to our people in the communities, who have never had the opportunity to see these kinds of stars right in front of their eyes, despite relating and supporting their music for a long time – and in this instance especially Kirk Whalum, whose brand of gospel and jazz speaks directly to the soul of our people and our sense of Ubuntu.

So what better time to launch this than in 2014, the year of our celebration of twenty years of freedom and democracy. In years to come, it is envisaged that the number of venues included in the Festival will increase to include historical sites along the King Shaka Heritage route and the Luthuli Museum (which was a home for the first South African Nobel Peace Prize winner Chief Albert Luthuli), Ndondakusuka Hills and the Nhlangakazi mountains. We see this Festival growing organically in the future, and enticing tourists not only from South Africa, but also the world to come and share our community spirit and talent”.

Festival Director Princess Nandi Zulu says, “The Festival aims to be an iconic event that will last into posterity, and the added components of a local talent search and a capacity building programme will address inherent societal issues such as economic development, job creation, skills transfer and talent identification, making it a truly unique event. The festival, is expected to attract an audience of around 20,000 people over the three days, and will provide between 400 direct and 1,000 indirect jobs. The festival will actively target an eighty percent share of festival staff and festival related spend to flow into the iLembe region thus stimulating economic development. In time, we aim to stimulate tourism along the ILembe Region which boasts majestic hills, warm beaches and a rich cultural mix of Zulu, European and Indian people and historic heritage sites”.

The Festival will be launched in style on the 27th March at the Sibusisiwe Community Centre in Mandeni, with the example of “taking the music to the people in the communities”, being taken quite literally with a unique “concert of a lifetime” by US Jazz legend Kirk Whalum, who will bring his much celebrated series “The Gospel According to Jazz” to Africa for the very first time. The tenor saxophonist has collaborated with industry greats such as Al Jarreau, Quincy Jones and Barbara Streisand and it is his passionate sax solo that is heard on Whitney Houston’s mega-hit, “I Will Always Love You”. Kirk considers himself as a “man of the people”, and is the recipient of numerous awards and acknowledgements for his musical excellence, and won his first Grammy award for Best Gospel Song “It’s What I Do”, featuring Lalah Hathaway. He recently recorded the next chapter in his series (Chapter IV) in New York to be released worldwide in September. He will preview some of those new songs as well as perform his anthems from the past.

For further information on the Festival, or for anyone in the ILembe region who would like to be involved, please visit the web site www.awesomefestivals.com or call Gabi Nkabinde on 084-3578860.

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Janet van Eeden's Double Shot At The Big Time

AFDA Durban Campus lecturer in Production Course, Academic Coordinator and Script Writing, Janet van Eeden has been invited to pitch her project at this year’s London Screen Writers Festival from 25 to 27 October and her lead actor Bradley Backhouse will pitch A Shot at the Big Time at the SME Funding Fair which will also be held in Pietermaritzburg on Friday, 25 October at the Pietermaritzburg Chamber of Business.

Hosted by Regent’s University in the heart of London, the London Screen Writer’s Festival is considered the greatest screen writers festival in the world. The festival is for writers & filmmakers, with insights into the screenwriting and filmmaking process as well as workshops and talks from top industry professionals along with pitching sessions. The Festival which is owned and operated by London Creative Festivals Ltd was launched in 2010 by Chris Jones, the filmmaker and director of The Guerilla Hanbook. Janet van Eeden and seventeen other writers and filmmakers from around the world have been selected to ‘Meet the Experts’ at this year’s festival out of 150 entries. “It is a great opportunity for me to pitch my project and find out different ways to source funding for the feature film, I am completely excited about going to this wonderful event,” said the screenwriter of White Lion, Janet van Eeden.

The panel of experts which David Nicholas Wilkinson has run annually since 1999 makes its debut at the LSF. The panel includes Producer David Nicholas Wilkinson, the founder and current owner of the Guerilla companies, David has participated in almost one hundred film panels chairing over thirty of them at the BAFTA, Screen Yorkshire, Screen South, Bradford, Galway Film Fleadh and many more. He also has devised and chaired MEET THE EXPERTS at the Edinburgh Film Festival with senior financiers, producers, commission editors and sales agents for over a decade.

British screenwriting team Richard Kurti and Bev Doyle also form part of the panel of experts, they first broke into the business by writing and selling a spec script, Newton’s Law, which then led to 14 further movie commissions from US studios such as Warner Bros, Universal, Laika and Intermedia; and UK companies such as Working Title, Pathe and BBC Films. Their shows have earned numerous awards and nominations, including… three BAFTA nominations, two Royal Television Society Awards and two RTS nominations for Going Postal; nomination for Outstanding Motion Picture Made for TV at the US Satellite Awards for Kidnapped; nomination for Best TV Series Drama at the Satellite Awards for Primeval.

Wrapping up the panel is Financier Gavin Poolman, born in Canada, Gavin graduated with an Honours B.A. in French Language and Literature from Trinity College, University of Toronto. Originally a software developer working on government and private sector contracts, after moving to the UK and graduating from the London Film School, he worked as an acquisitions and finance executive within Oscar-winning producer Jeremy Thomas’s Film Trustees/Glinwood Group, where he was involved in the financing and licensing of The Sheltering Sky, Naked Lunch, A Rage In Harlem, Howard’s End and The Crying Game. In 1994, Gavin was appointed Head of Development at sales agency Mayfair Entertainment International (Jefferson in Paris, Vanya On 42nd Street, Richard III).

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17th Poetry Africa - International Poetry Festival Workshops

The 17th Poetry Africa – International Poetry Festival presented in partnership with the City of Durban and the KZN Department of Arts and Culture announced the festival line up, which promises to be an exhilarating showcase of diverse voices and sounds. Organised by the Centre for Creative Arts (UKZN) to take place from 14-19 October, this festival is a critical platform for self-expression that gives a platform for cultural exchange in the city of Durban.

The Poetry Africa festival, now in its 17th edition, takes place from 14 to 19 October 2013. The event brings together some of the world’s finest poets and musicians to Durban, with artists from India, Benin, Nigeria, Ireland, Italy, Canada and The United States of America.

The Pre-Festival Creative Writing workshops taking place from 7-11 October, at the Centre for Creative Writing (University of KwaZulu-Natal) offers 15 aspiring writers an extensive week-long programme which offers to develop their creative writing tools to hone their craft. The department which is headed by poet and Poetry Africa alumni Poppy Seed, who is a lecturer in English Literature and Media, with 25 years of experience, as well as a songwriter / composer, playwright and is an internationally acclaimed performance poet.

Our extensive workshop programme also includes a pre-festival tour of Durban by the festival finale musical act, Canadian hip-hop and spoken word poet Ian Kamau.  The interactive week-long workshops will take place in various venues across the city, and is a must for all poetry lovers. Kamau is a writer, visual artist, hip hop and spoken word artist from Toronto whose discography lists five collections, including the popular album One Day Soon (2011).

Kamau’s Rhythm, Rhyme & Reasons workshops will take place on the following dates: 

Tuesday 8 October:  Ekhaya Multi-Arts Centre, 14:00-15:00.

Wednesday 9 October: BAT Centre, 17:00-18:00.

Thursday 10 October: Lindelani Arts Centre, 13:00-14:00.

 Friday 11 October: Alliance Francaise, 14:00-15:00.

To take part in the workshops presented by Ian Kamau, contact poetryafricaworkshops@gmail.com.

Along with a diverse line-up of performers, the festival has an extensive workshop programme taking place before and during the festival. Aspiring poets and poetry lovers have the opportunity to engage with Poetry Africa participants, past and present to help hone their craft with creative writing workshops that they will be hosting. The Poetry Writing Workshop at the BAT Centre Saturday 19 October, headed by Raphael D’Abdon (Italy) and Kobus Moolman (South Africa), offers poetry lovers an opportunity to discuss reading, writing and the performance aspects of poetry. D’Abdon is an Italian scholar, writer, editor and translator and a post-doctoral fellow in the English Studies Department at UNISA. As an editor D’Abdon recently published Marikana - A Moment in Time as well as an anthology of poetry about the massacre as well as his own collection Sunnyside Nightwalk. Kobus Moolman is a lecturer of creative writing and languages at the University of KwaZulu-Natal and author. Moolman has a diverse portfolio of published work and his latest collection Left Over is currently enjoying rave reviews is the press.

This year the festival will also host a workshop in partnership with Poetry Potion on Saturday 29 October at the BAT Centre, to discuss and analyse the work of their third quarterly publication Poetry is not a Luxury. Inspired by Audre Lorde’s work of the same title, this anthology of poems written by respected poets Tereska Muishond, Ayabulela Tutuse, Morula wa Kutukgolo, Mandy Mitchell, Monique Barnard, and Saurell Boyers; contemporary poets using their words to tackle and engage topics of every-day life, while discovering who they are through the art of poetry. Our panel discussion will feature 17th Poetry Africa participants Natalia Molebatsi, Malika Ndlovu, and Mandi “Poefficient” Vundla, creating a dialogue about the work and influence of female poets in the country.

For more details about this year’s Poetry Africa, visit www.cca.ukzn.ac.za or call (031) 2602506

Organised by the Centre for Creative Arts (University KwaZulu-Natal), the 17th Poetry Africa is funded by the City of Durban, the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Arts and Culture, and The French Institute. The Centre for Creative Arts is housed in the College of Humanities at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. The CCA is a special project of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Professor Cheryl Potgieter, in the College of Humanities at UKZN.

Caption: Canadian Poet and Hip-Hop Artist Iain Kamau will be in Durban hosting workshops as part of the Poetry Africa International Poetry Festival prior to the opening of the Festival. 

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Poetry Africa - Prelude Poet Programme

17th Poetry Africa

International Poetry Festival

14-19 October 2013

Poetry Africa Prelude Poet Programme

The Centre for Creative Arts (University of KwaZulu-Natal), with principal funding from the City of Durban and the Department of Arts and Culture, calls out to the Durban’s creative and undiscovered poets to take part in the festival Prelude Poets programme as part of the 17th Poetry Africa International Festival.

The Poetry Africa festival, now in its 17th edition, takes place from 14 to 19 October 2013. The festival brings together some of the world’s finest poets and musicians to Durban, with artists from India, Nigeria, Ireland, Italy and The United States of America.

The 17th Poetry Africa, International Poetry Festival is looking for four of Durban’s brightest undiscovered poets to take part in Poetry Africa Prelude Poet programme. The programme gives the city’s creative and original poets the opportunity to showcase their hidden talents to audiences at the country’s premier poetry festival.

Participants will be required to audition original works with a five minute limit. Auditions are to take place at The Centre for Creative Arts (University of KwaZulu-Natal Howard College Campus) on 13 September 2013. Auditions and will be assigned on a first-come-first-serve basis. To book an audition time, please send an email with your name and contact details with the Poetry Africa Prelude Auditions in the subject title to paprelude2013@gmail.com

For more details about this year’s Poetry Africa, visit www.cca.ukzn.ac.za or call (031) 2602506

Organised by the Centre for Creative Arts(University KwaZulu-Natal), the 17th Poetry Africa is funded by the City of Durban and the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Arts and Culture. The Centre for Creative Arts is housed in the College of Humanities at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. The CCA is a special project of the newly appointed Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Professor Cheryl Potgieter, in the College of Humanities at UKZN.

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General Enquiries:

Phone: +27 (0)31 260 2506/1816

Fax:+27 (0)31 260 3074

Email: cca@ukzn.ac.za

Media Enquiries:

Kwazi Ngubane/ Nolwazi Magwaza

Mobile: +27 (073) 442-9347/ + 27 (076) 638-3546

Phone: +27 (031) 811-5628

Email: kwazi@versfeld.co.za or nolwazi@versfeld.co.za

Website: www.versfeld.co.za

15th Annual JOMBA! Contemporary Dance Experience 28 August - 8 September 2013

The Centre for Creative Arts and the University of KwaZulu-Natal proudly present the

15th annual JOMBA! Contemporary Dance Experience

28 August – 8 September 2013

Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre: 7.30pm

artSPACE (durban) Monday 2 September: 6.30pm

Tickets:

R50.00 or R35.00 (scholars/students/pensioners)

Booking through computicket (or at venue from one hour before)

The University of KwaZulu-Natal’s arts gateway to Africa and the world, the Centre for Creative Arts, is proud to be presenting its 15th annual JOMBA! Contemporary Dance Experience.  This year’s festival is a delight of local and international dance theatre that has on show the best the world has to offer. Dancer from Holland, Switzerland, America, Portugal and France will be gracing the JOMBA! stages alongside some of South Africa’s most cutting edge dance makers.

On the local front, JOMBA! is very proud to be hosting  the 2013 Standard Bank Young Artist award winner for dance, Fana Tshabalala. His new work, INDUMBA, premiered at the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown to critical acclaim. Working with his home dance company, Johannesburg based Forgotten Angle Theatre Collaborative; Tshabalala’s dance work is poetic encounter with African ritual and contemporary sensibility. Considered one of South Africa’s most fluid and elegant dancers, Tshabalala’s vision is a startling reminder of the confluence of style, form and African sensibility.

One of the gems of this years’ festival is the collaboration between local Durban based dancer and choreographer Desiré Davids who joins forces with French based Hélène Cathala in a soulful duet called B.L.E.N.D. These two experienced women artists, one ‘coloured’ and South African,  and one white and French, share the stage in a confrontation of their divergent histories. This drives them to really get to know one another but also, sometimes, drives them both into a void of personal and artistic incomprehension.

On the international front, this 15th edition of JOMBA! has a number for firsts! This will be the first edition of JOMBA! to host an American company, and in partnership with the U.S. Consulate in Durban and the U.S. Department of State’s Arts Envoy Program, JOMBA! is delighted to be hosting the Chicago based company Deeply Rooted Dance Theatre. Deeply Rooted will spend two weeks in Durban and will be part of JOMBA’s extended dance education and development programme run in conjunction with Flatfoot Dance Company. Deeply Rooted will travel to Flatfoot’s numerous dance programmes run in Umlazi, KwaMashu and Tugela Mouth. Over the two weeks, Deeply Rooted will share their dance skills and philosophy with over 600 KZN young dancers in an enriching cultural exchange.

Deeply Rooted’s invitation to JOMBA! will culminate in two stellar performances on the closing nights of the festival on 7 and 8 September. In a style that oozes memory, and the jazz history of the African American experience, Deeply Rooted, will present choreography that thread together some of their key signature dance works. Their partnership with Flatfoot Dance Company for JOMBA! will also see the six resident dancers of Flatfoot  joining Deeply Rooted in their performances after having spent two glorious weeks learning their repertoire and sharing styles and working methods.

Another first for JOMBA! 2013, and yet another  coup de grace of the festival, and an unprecedented treat for ballet and neo-classical dance lovers, is the featuring of Holland’s magnificent INTRODANS. World renowned for skill and virtuosity, INTRODANS bring a programme suitably titled “SUPERSTARS” which features five choreographies by five of Holland and Europe’s most influential dance makers in the form of Anaphase by Ohad Naharin, Evening Songs by Jiří Kylián, Nacho Duato’s Sinfonía India, Pas de Danse by Mats Ek and Polish Pieces by the Dutch Maestro Hans van Manen. INTRODANS’s reputation precedes them and Durban should be fighting to get tickets!

Europe’s finest come to JOMBA! in the form of firstly, Portuguese dancer Francisco Camacho and his EIRA dance company. Camacho, performing on the opening night of JOMBA!, brings a hard hitting solo dance theatre work called “The King In Exile”. Drawing its inspiration from the figure of Dom Manuel II, the last king of Portugal, this solo work is an exploration of contemporary political power that will no doubt speak to Africa. In this solo work, Camacho explores the transgressive power of the dancing body’s ability to shift identities that are captured in the traps of history and representation. This work is sure to be one of JOMBA! 2013’s most contentious talking points.

Secondly, European finery comes in the form of Swiss duo T42. Made up dancers Misato Inoue and Félix Duméril, their dance work is a confrontation with difference and the old ideas that European identity is singular. Misato’s own Japanese roots become the starting point of much of T42’s work and is the witty and sometimes ironic danced encounter between cultural misunderstanding.  Known for their technical virtuosity and dexterity as contemporary dancers, T42’s work has been singled out for its humour and for allowing space for laughter in battling the misunderstandings between East and West.

Another first for JOMBA! 2013, is an event collaboration with Durban’s artSPACE (durban) Gallery. Monday 2 September is a one off evening of site-specific dance work made for an audience who would like an up-close and personal encounter with dance. Featuring Musa Hlatshwayo and Vusi Makanya’s latest local dance offerings, the evening also features a specificially created solo by T42’s Swiss dancer Misato Inoue. Called “Swan”, this work hints at Misato’s Japanese Kabuki roots and is a very contemporary encounter with the duel nature of being ; the harking back to Swan Lake’s infamous black and white swans and to a female body caught in oppositions. Also on view at the JOMBA! @ artSPACE event , is a collection of award winning short one minute dance films from all over the globe curated by Jeannette Ginslov’s ScreenDance Africa.

JOMBA! hosts is usual platforms of the Fringe (Sunday 1 September) and the Youth Fringe (Saturday 31 August). With over 60 entries for a coveted place in this year’s JOMBA! Fringe, the selection of only 10 works was a difficult task but means that the final selection offers a standard of dance theatre that is growing. The JOMBA! Youth Fringe takes place at the Wiggins Community Hall in Cato Manor/Umkhumbane and is a celebration of over 28 KZN based youth dance groups and the incredible dance work that they are doing.

JOMBA! also offers a full programme of workshops and master classes by all of the participating dancer and choreographers. For a full listing please go to www.cca.ukzn.ac.za and go to the JOMBA! page. These workshops and classes are offered free of charge but booking is essential!

Finally, in promoting critical arts dialogue and writing about dance and the arts, JOMBA! runs its 4th year of the Dance Writing Residency. Six applicants have been selected and will be mentored through the festival as they create critical writing for both the JOMBA! Blog and for the JOMBA! Khaluma festival newspaper. JOMBA’s artistic director, Lliane Loots will also host the anticipated “JOMBA! Talks Dance” platforms with the various dancers and choreographers presenting work at JOMBA! These will be held directly after performances so please check the schedule for details.

For more information, please go to www.cca.ukzn.ac.za and join us on Facebook (JOMBA! Contemporary Dance Experience) and Twitter (Twitter@Jomba_dance).

Ten Days To Go To SA's Top Film Event - The 34th Durban International Film Festival

It’s juts ten days to go to the start of the 34th Durban International Film Festival , South Africa’s premier film industry event which sees a host of local, continental and international filmmakers and film-lovers converge in the city to feast on everything to do with film from July 18 to 28.

The festival, is hosted by the Centre for Creative Arts, University of KwaZulu-Natal, a special project of the Deputy Vice Chancellor and Head of the College of Humanities, Prof Cheryl Potgieter, with principal funding by the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund. Over the years, the fest has grown in global stature to being one of the most important global festivals for viewing African and South African films, as well as offering audiences the best of the most recent international films. The full programme with schedule of films and workshop and seminar as well as all synopses of films is now up on the web –www.durbanfilmfest.co.za.

Eleven venues around Durban will host 170 films in 250 screenings in a smorgasbord of the best of contemporary cinema, and film-lovers and aspiring and experienced film-makers can enjoy a comprehensive workshop and seminar programme that facilitates the sharing of knowledge and skills by film industry experts.

This year the theme focus areas are African cinema with 12 world premieres of South African films including the opening night film Of Good Report directed by Jahmil Qubeka; Contemporary Europe, American Independent films, films about sexual identifies and sexuality, a Zombie fest as well as a broad variety of films showcasing the best of world cinema.

For film-lovers, this is an opportunity to go see films from firm favourites as well as to explore new and first time directors, films from new places and foreign language films; to discuss and debate the films, and get to meet the people who make them. Festival-goers will be delighted to hear that the DIFF has created a new free public marquee with refreshments for sale in front of the Blue Waters Hotel, as a social meeting point.

For film-makers there is the Fourth Durban FilmMart, a partnership project with the Durban Film Office, and supported by the City of Durban, which is a film finance and co-production market presented in three strands – Finance Forum, Master Classes and the Africa in Focus seminars. The DFM master class and networking programme is open to registered delegates only. See www.durbanfilmmart.com for further details.

For the ninth year, DIFF partners with Wavescape – a feast of surfing cinema and shark stories including 11 features and 5 shorts with a free outdoor screening at the Bay of Plenty Lawns on Sunday 21 July, before locating at Ster-Kinekor Musgrave Monday 22 July to Friday 26 July.

The 6th Talent Campus Durban brings together the creativity of 50 selected filmmakers from 18 different countries in Africa, chosen from over 450 submissions, who will take part in a series of masterclasses, workshops and industry networking opportunities during the DIFF.

Running parallel to the DIFF is Durban Wild Talk Africa, the continent’s most respected Natural History Film Festival and Conference which takes place at the Docklands Hotel in Durban from July 23 to 26.  For more info www.wildtalkafrica.com.

Principal screening venues are Suncoast Cinecentre; Ster Kinekor Musgrave, Cinema Nouveau – Gateway, Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre; Ekhaya Multi-Arts Centre in KwaMashu; and the Blue Waters Hotel. Other venues include the Bay of Plenty Lawns, the Upstairs at Spiga D’oro and the Luthuli Museum on the North Coast, which will have a special programme of screenings.

Tickets are through the respective venues and prices range from R25 to R35 (R50 for 3D screenings), except at Luthuli Museum, Blue Waters, Ekhaya and Bay of Plenty lawns, which are free of charge.  The Short Film programme at Upstairs at Spiga d’Oro  costs  R20.

Programme booklets with the full screening schedule and synopses of all the films are available free at cinemas, and other public information outlets. Full festival details can also be found on www.durbanfilmfest.co.za or by calling 031 2602506.

Organised by the Centre for Creative Arts in the College of Humanities (University of KwaZulu-Natal) the Durban International Film Festival is supported by the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund (principal funder), National Film and Video Foundation, KwaZulu-Natal Department of Economic Development and Tourism, City of Durban, German Embassy, Goethe Institut, Industrial Development Corporation, KwaZulu-Natal Department of Arts and Culture, and a range of other valued partners.

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34th Durban International Film Festival 18-28 July 2013

2013 sees the Durban International Film Festival (DIFF), with principal funding by the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund, return for its 34th year to celebrate the beauty and diversity of global cinema. From 18 to 28 July, Durban will be illuminated by the glow of the silver screen, with over 250 screenings in 11 venues across the city. Alongside this smorgasbord of the best of contemporary cinema from around, comprising 72 feature films, 48 documentaries and 45 short films, the festival offers a comprehensive workshop and seminar programme that facilitates the sharing of knowledge and skills by film industry experts. 

African Focus

The burgeoning African film industry will once more be represented at DIFF 2013, although South African film retains the key focus, with 12 feature films, as well as 16 documentaries and a number of short films – most receiving their world premieres on Durban screens in July.

This year's opening film is the ground-breaking African-noir work Of Good Report by Jahmil XT Qubeka. Telling the story of a serial killer obsessed with beautiful young girls, the film expands the language of African cinema. The festival’s closing film acknowledges Angela Davis, an important figure in the African diaspora, with the film Free Angela - and all political prisoners, directed by Shola Lynch.

High-profile South African films being showcased include Layla Fourie, The Forgotten Kingdom which is set in Lesotho, Felix, about a young township boy intent on following his dreams of being a musician, and The Good Man, an intriguing look at a globalised reality. 

Other SA films include Ian Robert’s Everyman's Taxi, Andrew Worsdale's long-awaited Durban Poison, Khumba, from animation studio Triggerfish. Blood Tokoloshe from Amariam Productions, Actorholic by Oliver Rodger, who gave us last year's Copposites, and African Gothic based on the Reza de Wet play Diepe Grond. 

From further afield, there are some cinematic gems, dealing with significant issues around life on the continent including Tall As The Baobab Tree, (Senegal), Yema, (Algeria), Virgin Margarida (Mozambique), The Battle Of Tabato (Guinea-Bissau, Portugal), Something Necessary (Kenya) and It's Us (Kenya) among others.

Contemporary Europe

This year’s programme showcases the multiple perspectives that define the cultural landscape of contemporary Europe and the diverse ways in which the continent's narratives are rendered. With support from organisations and partnerships such as EUNIC, World Documentary Exchange and Festival Scope, audiences can expect some superb European films, including Sally Potter’s Ginger and Rosa, Michael Winterbottom’s The Look of Love and Bernardo Bertolucci’s Me and You, his first film in more than a decade. 

American Independents

There is a strong showcase of American independent films at this year's DIFF including Wrong the latest film from Quentin Dupieux who gave us the DIFF cult-hit Rubber in 2011 and Spring Breakers from Harmony Korine. Francine tells the small and delicately drawn story of a socially inept woman who has just come of out prison, while The Place Beyond the Pines is the highly anticipated new drama from director Derek Cianfrance who gave us Blue Valentine. 

Sexual Identities

This year DIFF acknowledges the wide diversity of sexual identities being explored on contemporary screens, no doubt a reflection of a global trend towards a broader dialogue around sexual difference. The selection of both documentaries and features include Dennis Cotes’ drama Vic+Flo Saw a Bear which chronicles the relationship between an ex-convict and her younger female lover, Valentine Road which provides a sociological post-mortem on the death of a young transgender boy, and The Future in which a young girl becomes a sexual companion to a blind former action hero. Then there’s Pussy Riot - A Punk Prayer, about the infamous Russian girl group, I Am Divine a biopic about the gender-bending singer and artist Divine and Born This Way, about the lives of gay and lesbian people in Cameroon.

ZombieFest!

With literally hundreds of Zombie films currently scheduled for release around the world, DIFF 2013 showcases a selection of films from the current Zombie wave. Headlining this mini-focus area is the long-awaited remake of the Evil Dead which conforms in many ways to the classic zombie genre.

World Cinema

A host of award-winning films from around the world will screen at DIFF 2013, including works from some of contemporary cinema's most luminous talents. From Chinese director Wong Kar Wai comes The Grandmaster, which opened Berlin this year, while Canadian director David Cronenberg descends once more into the darkness with Cosmopolis based on the Don deLillo novel. Takeshi Kitano, the king of stylised violence, delivers Outrage Beyond, while the enigmatic Closed Curtain comes from banned Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi. Deepa Mehta gives us a gorgeously sprawling rendition of Salman Rushdie's Midnight's Children while Danish director Thomas Vinterberg's The Hunt will chill you to the bone. Then there's the exciting news that Ashgar Farhadi,  whose A Separation  won both the best Foreign Picture Oscar this year as well as best film at DIFF 2012, returns with his latest film The Past. 

Feast of Doccies

There is a wealth of documentaries to satisfy a spectrum of tastes and interests at this year’s festival. And of course, there's a strong selection from South Africa, where the documentary form is growing in stature and volume. Riaan Hendrick's  The Devil's Lair transports us deep into a claustrophobic drug den on the Cape Flats, while celebrated local documentary-maker Damon Foster gives us a window into the life of a very special crocodile with Touching The Dragon. Angels in Exile is a moving documentary about two proud yet impoverished children who live on the streets of Durban and The Creators pays tribute to the creative power of South Africa's youth, including acclaimed graffiti artist Faith 47. From further afield African Metropolis is a collection of short slices of reality from around the continent. The Spirit of 45, from British feature director Ken Loach looks at the enduring influence of the labour movement during the war years while More Than Honey tells of the importance of maintaining the earth's bee population and Algorithms presents the riveting story of blind chess players in India.

Wavescape Surf Film Festival

For the ninth year, DIFF partners with Wavescape to present a feast of surfing cinema, including 11 features and 5 shorts. Wavescape opens with a free outdoor screening at the Bay of Plenty Lawns on Sunday 21 July.

The Films That Made Me

For the first time this year, DIFF presents a repertory section in which film fans and filmmakers have the opportunity to access a slice of film history. In ‘The Films That Made Me’, South African director Jahmil XT Qubeka presents five films that have been influential in his growth as a filmmaker. 

Talent Campus

The 6th Talent Campus Durban will bring together the creativity of 50 selected filmmakers from 18 different countries in Africa, chosen from over 450 submissions, who will take part in a series of masterclasses, workshops and industry networking opportunities during the festival. 

Durban FilmMart

Now in its 4th year, the Durban FilmMart, a partnership project between DIFF and the Durban Film Office, supported by the City of Durban, is a film finance and co-production market presented in three strands – Finance Forum, Master Classes and the Africa in Focus seminars.  The DFM master class and networking programme is open to registered delegates only. See www.durbanfilmmart.com for further details.

Wild Talk

DIFF is pleased to announce that a strategic partnership has been formed with Durban Wild Talk Africa, the continent’s most respected natural history film festival and conference, which takes place from July 23 to 26.  A selection of nine natural history films have been chosen from 445 entries from across the globe, to be screened at the festival. Registration for the Wild Talk conference is available at http://wildtalkafrica.com/register/.

Venues and Tickets

The festival hub is at the Blue Waters Hotel, with principal screening venues at Suncoast Cinecentre, Ster Kinekor Musgrave, Cinema Nouveau Gateway, Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre and Ekhaya Multi-Arts Centre in KwaMashu. Programme booklets with the full screening schedule and synopses of all the films and ticket prices will be available free at cinemas, and other outlets. For full festival details see www.durbanfilmfest.co.za or call 031 260 2506. Programme will be available online from July 1.

Organised by the Centre for Creative Arts (University of KwaZulu-Natal) the Durban International Film Festival is supported by the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund (principal funder), National Film and Video Foundation, KwaZulu-Natal Department of Economic Development and Tourism, City of Durban, German Embassy, Goethe Institut, Industrial Development Corporation, KwaZulu-Natal Department of Arts and Culture, and a range of other valued partners.

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Durban FilmMart Project Selected for prestigious Paris Project in June/July 2013

DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA: Flatland, a 2012 selected Durban FilmMart (DFM) Project, produced by David Horler of Proper Film, and directed by Jenna Cato Bass has been chosen to take part in Paris Project, the coproduction and financing forum of the Paris Cinema International Film Festival.

Flatland was the recipient of a number of awards at last year’s DFM where it received a €5000 grant for development as WorldView’s Most Promising Feature, was selected for Rotterdam Lab in February, and won the EAVE prize enabling the producer to attend the European Producers Workshop in March this year. 

The DFM, is a joint programme of the Durban Film Office (DFO) and the Durban International Film Festival (DIFF), and has as one of its core objectives to act as a valuable feeder platform to bring African projects to other recognized international co-production markets.

The DFM has recently entered into a strategic partnership with Paris Project, which looks at co-production potential for carefully selected worldwide feature projects destined for French and European coproduction. This year a 2012 DFM project was selected, and going forward a project will be selected from the 2013 DFM to go to Paris Project in 2014.

“Flatland is a really strong well-positioned film project which really shone at last year’s DFM, and we are delighted that Paris Project has selected it to further develop its potential.” says Toni Monty of the DFO. “David has really grasped at all the opportunities given and we believe that this experience will be a valuable stepping stone in the project’s journey.”

“These markets are incredible in helping us fine-tune our product” says Horler. “The DFM was so helpful in aligning our overall strategic goals for the project, and Rotterdam Lab was a similarly great experience. The intensive schedule of master classes, panel discussions and workshops imparted very useful information and gave a very distinct perspective on the international marketplace relative to independent and low-budget productions. The European Producers Workshop was a truly fantastic initiative that is incredibly supportive and nurturing of independent filmmakers.”

Horler goes on to say that the development grant from WorldView has been earmarked to help with the location scouts and recces intended for the project once they are closer to pre-production.  “So we are really overwhelmed that we have received this opportunity to go to Paris Project, as every chance we have to present, discuss and develop Flatland, is another step up on the ladder to its creation.”

Both the director and the producer of Flatland have been awarded a complimentary return air ticket and four nights’ accommodation to participate in the market, which takes place from June 30 to July 3, to enable them to increase their networks and meet international partners.

In addition to personalized meetings with industry professionals, Paris Project offers a series of specialized events like seminars and workshops. In 2012, 350 professionals from 140 companies attended Paris Project, with more than 500 meetings scheduled.

“We are really pleased to welcome Flatland onto Paris Project, as we believe it offers a uniquely South African perspective to the mix.” says Aude Hesbert, Head of Paris Cinema International Film Festival. “This year as our country embarks on the South Africa France Season 2013, we look forward to opportunity to support the inaugural DFM/Paris Project entry, and are eager to see how it fares.”

The 4th Durban FilmMart will take place from 19 to 22 July 2013 during the 34th edition of the Durban International Film Festival (18-28 July) and will present an official selection of about 10 fiction projects and 10 documentary projects. 

Delegate registration for the DFM opens next week.

For more information on the Durban FilmMart visit www.durbanfilmmart.com.  

For further enquires contact info@durbanfilmmart.com

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The 34th Durban International Film Festival announces its opening night film

Raising the curtain at the 34th Durban International Film Festival, which is principally funded by the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund, is the challenging and evocative, yet humorous film, Of Good Report, from South African director Jahmil XT Qubeka. In what he describes as “a passionate homage to classic film noir”, Qubeka’s latest offering, which has its world premiere at the festival on July 18, tells the sombre tale of a small-town high-school teacher with a penchant for young girls. The director’s third feature is an hypnotically engaging journey into the soul of a mentally troubled man.

The trouble for Parker Sithole (Mothusi Magano) begins when he accepts an invitation to a drinking session at the local tavern. Here, he meets the undeniably gorgeous Nolitha Ngubane (Petronella Tshuma). Captivated by her beauty, Parker experiences an ecstasy he’s never known before and truly feels like a man reborn. From this mutual attraction, an illicit affair ensues. However, there ’s just one problem: the beautiful Nolitha is one of Parker’s pupils and just sixteen years old. Parker quickly spirals into a deep obsession that ultimately turns to a tragedy.

Six months later, the sociopathic Parker has moved on from his previous job. Trudging along the barren landscape, he stumbles upon an opportunity for a fresh start. According to a caption on an old strewn newspaper, there is a shortage of teachers in Zimbabwe. A qualified educator like him shouldn't struggle to find a post; after all, he does come ‘of good report’.

In Qubeka’s words, Of Good Report, which is produced by Mike Auret and Luzuko Dilima (Spier Films), “is a serial killer origins story about how a social misfit turns into an inadequate man hell-bent on satisfying his shameful lust. It is Little Red Riding Hood, told from the wolf’s perspective.”

The director of television programmes and documentaries for production houses such as Ochre Media and Urban Brew Studios, Qubeka’s documentary and feature film work has screened at festivals around the world. He has directed Talk to Me, an hour-long HIV/Aids documentary special with Sesame Street New York, which won the Peabody Award for best Actuality Programming. He also produced the low budget feature film uMalusi, which was released by Ster Kinekor in March 2009. His second feature, A Small Town Called Descent enjoyed its world premiere at the 31st Durban International Film Festival, and won the Founders' Award for Narrative Feature at the Pan African Film Festival.201

Says Peter Machen, newly appointed manager of the Durban International Film Festival: “We are extremely happy to be opening DIFF 2013 with Jahmil's brave and remarkable film. Of Good Report does so much more than simply telling a South African story – the film redefines the local filmmaking landscape and extends the language of African filmmaking while acknowledging the rich history of global cinema”.

The Durban International Film Festival takes place from July 18 – 28, 2013. The Festival includes 170 theatrical screenings, a full seminar/workshop programme as well as the Wavescape Film Festival and industry initiatives: the 6th Talent Campus Durban (in cooperation with the Berlin Talent Campus) and the 4th Durban FilmMart (the co-production market in partnership with the Durban Film Office), with the Wild Talk Africa Festival taking place in the city from July 23 to 26. For more information go to www.durbanfilmfestival.co.za

The 34th Durban International Film Festival is organised by the Centre for Creative Arts (University of KwaZulu-Natal) with support by the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund (principal funder), National Film and Video Foundation, KwaZulu-Natal Department of Economic Development and Tourism, City of Durban, German Embassy, Goethe Institut, Industrial Development Corporation, KwaZulu-Natal Department of Arts and Culture, and a range of other valued partners.

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John Gale appointed to the Ogilvy & Mather South Africa Board

John Gale, Managing Director of Ogilvy Durban, has been appointed to the Ogilvy & Mather South Africa (O&M SA) Executive Committee (ExCo) Board.

With over 21 years with the Ogilvy group and, more recently, 13 years at the helm of the Durban office, Gale brings a wealth of knowledge and insight to the O&M SA Board. 

A passionate brand-builder, Gale has, in turbulent global economic conditions, seen the Ogilvy & Mather Durban office, which incorporates Ogilvy & Mather Advertising, Ogilvy Action and Digital@Ogilvy, grow into one of the region’s advertising powerhouses.

“Most of South Africa’s industry hubs are concentrated in Johannesburg and Cape Town, and as such enjoy the lion’s share of the country’s advertising revenue. This presents some unique challenges for the industry in Durban,” says Gale. “Given these challenges, and the fact that we are currently in a global economic trough, we are enormously proud to have been able to not only sustain the business, but significantly grow it."

Growth of the business in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), coupled with some exciting new contracts on the horizon, means that O&M SA, a world-class multinational communications company, has a strong foothold in all three of South Africa’s economic hubs.

“We realise it is important for Ogilvy to have a footprint in each of the major business regions in the country,” says Gale. “It is also important from the perspective of a global brand that we are aligned when it comes to the implementation of the company’s processes and structures, not to mention those of our global clients.”

“While we work independently of each other, it is important and enriching to remain connected and involved in important areas of the business such as implementation of group strategy, human resources, training and technology. My appointment to the ExCo will ensure our Durban and KZN interests are synergized with the rest of the group.”

"I am thrilled to become a member of the ExCo as I have gained important insights over the years as MD in Durban,” says Gale. “I believe I will be able to add further perspectives and value to the continued success of one of South Africa's leading advertising groups."

Some of the Point Waterfront-based Ogilvy Durban current clients include Boxer Superstores, Decorland, Defy, eThekwini Transport Authority, Field Band Foundation, Game, Lesotho Milling, Marico, SABMiller, Sun International (Sibaya Casino & Entertainment Kingdom and the Wild Coast Sun), The Sharks and Unilever.

Gale has worked on major brands such as Castle Lager, Castle Lite, Hansa Pilsener, Debonairs Pizza, Volvo, Mica, Continental. While at Ogilvy Africa (1998/9), he was primarily involved in managing brands for key clients with business interests and activities in Sub-Saharan Africa.

African Renaissance Youth Conference

The Elangeni Hotel: Tues May 21

IgniteSA.com in association with the African Renaissance Trust, is hosting a one day youth oriented conference “The Future Speaks” in Durban at the Elangeni Hotel on Tuesday 21 May 2013 focused around the themes of Developing Knowledge, Opportunities and Sustainable Leadership Today.

The festival delegates and speakers will debate and examine broad issues relating to re-defining and re-building the African continent through access to and the development of  the continents own rich, economic, infrastructure, civic and political resources.  There are four components to the festival - starting with the Youth Conference, followed by the main Conference which takes place on May 23 and 24; a Gala Banquet on May 24 at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Conference Centre,  and the Africa Day Concert at the ICC Arena on May 25.

The Youth Conference features an outstanding line-up of speakers who will speak on matters of relevance to young and aspirant scholars, graduates, professionals and entrepreneurs.

The programme features prominent speakers including: 

Bonnke Shipalana – CEO of The Communications Firm, Inspirational Speaker and the Programme Director

Vusi Thembekwayo – The Rockstar of Public Speaking!

Napo Ramodibedi – MD of Mendi Maritime Services and Mendi Rail and Engineering

Eleanor Potter – GM: Branded Retail Channel MTN  

Vuyisa Qabaka – CEO of Abaphumeleli Business Consultants and Non Executive Director of SABEF

Ryan McFadyen – MD of Have You Heard Marketing

Mweli Ndaba – Manager: Corporate Finance Advisory Deloitte

Olivier Barbeau – Managing Partner: Moore Stephens

Also attending the conference will be The Chairperson of the Organising Committee of the African Renaissance, Prof Sihawu Ngubane and the Minister of Correctional Services, Dr Sibusiso Ndebele.

The IgniteSA.com team will be launching their new brand and digital media platforms on the day and Lynette Ntuli will be presenting an insight on the position and opportunity of youth in South Africa and the continent.

The founding directors of IgniteSA.com are Lynette Ntuli, Lyle Krause; Dax Barker and Marc Rosenberg. They are a collective of young entrepreneurial South Africans, who have worked and become leaders in various industries and their own ventures, but are united in their common love and belief in their country – South Africa.

The team is committed to creating opportunities for youthful entrepreneurs through IgniteSA.com, a value-based movement and mass digital and mobile media platform that aims to mobilise young and established leadership within South Africa towards active citizenry through networking and collective dialogue on socio economic matters, business, leadership, educational and development issues, share relevant and topical information, create empowering initiatives and avail access to key personalities and thought leaders in various industries and organisations.

“We wanted to walk our talk and more importantly, we wanted to make a difference through proactively taking on the challenges and opportunities facing our country and its people,” said Lyle Krause.

“Our vision is to carve a future orientated pipeline of empowered, informed young leaders, aged between 16 and 30 now, who will rise to create opportunities for themselves and for the communities they will come to influence, he continued.

Entry is free and all are welcome. Registration opens at 07:30 until 08:30am and the conference will end at 16h30. For more information, contact Lynette Ntuli and Lyle Krause from IgniteSA.com on 031 562 1582 / 083 311 7643 / 083 657 0178 | F: 086 270 7912 | lynette@ignitesa.com andlyle@ignitesa.com