SA film going to Fantastic Film Festival

Sapa | 08 September, 2011 13:24

The movie 'How to Steal 2 Million' was 'quick and easy' to put together for director Charlie Vundla. File photo.

'How to Steal Two Million', South Africa director Charlie Vundla's compelling debut feature film, has been selected for this year's Fantastic Fest, the largest genre film festival in the US. The festival runs from September 22 to 29 2011, and is held in Austin, Texas.

"Fantastic Fest is a hugely popular film festival so this is excellent news for everyone involved in the movie," says Jeremy Nathan, producer of How to Steal Two Million.
"The festival specialises in horror, fantasy, sci-fi, and action movies from all around the world. The organisers aim to choose only the best international films, so their selection is a wonderful accolade for How to Steal Two Million, and especially for Charlie Vundla as this is his first feature film."
In the tradition of the heist movie, it has an intricate plot woven around the characters' attempts to formulate a plan, carry it out, and escape with the goods.
The film tells the story of Jack (Menzi Ngubane), who has spent five long years in jail after being arrested for robbery. His partner in crime and best friend Twala (Rapulana Seiphemo) never got caught and Jack never talked. When he is released, Jack decides to go straight.
He wants to start a construction business, but after being rejected for a loan he must find another way to get money. An opportunity presents itself when Twala suggests they rob a home where the take is worth R2-million. The film also stars Terry Pheto, Hlubi Mboya and John Kani.
According to Helen Kuun, CEO of Indigenous Film Distribution, How to Steal Two Million performed 15% better than Jerusalema did on its opening weekend. "This is most encouraging. The film's attendances were also 7% higher at Ster Kinekor cinemas this past Tuesday than on opening Friday.
That means word-of-mouth is working and that audiences are responding well. It's great to see that South African films are becoming increasingly popular."

Tunisia festival revives dream of united Maghreb

At the Cairo International Film Festival last year. The Maghrebian Film Festival at the city of Nabeul, in the north eastern part of Tunisia opens today, September 7, 2011. Photo | SAMIR ABDEL HAMID | CIFF |

By HASSOUNA MANSOURIPosted Friday, September 9  2011 at  10:44

Filmmakers in the North African region have a comeback film festival. Renamed after the region where it will be screening, the Maghrebian Film Festival is scheduled to open at the city of Nabeul, in the north eastern part of Tunisia, to screen between September 7 and 11.

This is seen as a sign of cultural and political revival, in a region where festivals and other cultural productions have been highly censored by governments.

Since last January, North Africa and sections of the Arab world have experienced revolutionary protests that have shaken the power bases, loosening up earlier realities in a way that has widened spaces. This festival is one such space.

Set to screen at the events are professionals from all the countries in the region- Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Libya and Mauritania- but Egypt, whose Cairo International Film Festival was put off as a result of an economic crunch that has hit the country, will is not be participating officially.

Initially Nabeul Film Nights, the event is entirely dedicated to the cinema of the Maghreb as a way of bringing the region under one; of a dream that has been differed over the years, especially due to conflicting interests by leaders.

With a freer environment thanks to the Arab Revolt that has swept through the region, bands of artistes seem to be pushing the regional dream, going back to the initial regional plan of a united Maghreb.

At the screenings under different categories in the festival, debate on region's identity is expected to dominate the festival headlines. Inclusion of co-productions between Maghreb and Europe and the Berber identity issue are some of the provocative items on the programme.

Email: mansourihassouna@yahoo.fr

Television producers in town for meet

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By NATION CORRESPONDENT
Posted  Wednesday, September 7  2011 at  19:08

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More than 400 people from various parts of the world are gathered in Nairobi for this year’s edition of the Discop Africa conference.

The conference brings together television content producers, distributors and content buyers to provide a platform for pushing sales of content.

This year’s event will target Kenyan and the rest of Sub Saharan Africa consumers, at prices of between $200 and $500 depending on the nature of content.

According to Patrick Jucaud founder of Discop, which has been operating for 20 years, the African edition ensures that African consumers can negotiate for fair content prices and get more African content.

“We have been keen on the African market since 2008 when we held the first conference in Africa. Next year we hope to reach a deal where African countries can buy sports content at fair prices, as these have remained above the reach of most consumers,” he said.

This is the third time Kenya is hosting the conference held twice a year. Other countries that have hosted the conference include Ghana and Senegal.

Kenya has remained preferable, as the hub for reaching out to the rest of the East African region.

Other than generating revenue for the hospitality sector, the event also sells Kenya as a tourist destination.

Ghanaian films come under criticism

http://www.africareview.com/Arts+and+Culture/Ghanaian+films+come+under+criticism/-/979194/1189416/-/p7p1nm/-/index.html

Ghana’s growing film industry which has been named “Ghallywood” is struggling to find its place in the theatres. Photo:Courtesy/ GHANA CONCIOUS |

By FRANCIS KOKUTSE in AccraPosted Sunday, June 26  2011 at  18:26

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Ghana’s growing film industry which has been named “Ghallywood” is struggling to find its place in the theatres. The industry has been censured by the government and a cross section of the public for not promoting the country’s culture and for churning out pornography.

However, spokesperson for the producers, Socrates Safo, has dismissed these criticisms saying they are borne out of clear misunderstanding of the industry.

“Times have changed and those who criticise us have refused to understand that the film industry across Africa used to be owned by governments to promote propaganda,” Mr Safo told Africa Review.
The old Ghana Films Industry Corporation (GFIC) was owned by the government and things were done differently. “But within the past decade, private film producers have found new ways of marketing their products and so, it is not fair that we should be condemned for what we are doing,” he added.

“If I spend my money to produce a film, the government has no business to tell me what to do,” Mr Safo said.

He went on to highlight that there are no laws in place to guide the industry and as a result, private producers are investing in what the audience wants to see.

“We should not be expected to promote the country’s culture if that is not what the public wants to see.”

On the screens

The film industry in Ghana has to contend with products from neighbouring Nigeria which has also been aptly named, Nollywood. It has been argued in some quarters that Nigerian films are better produced than Ghanaian ones. An assertion that Mr Safo was quick to dismiss when he said the market in Nigeria is huge while Ghana’s film industry is still facing several challenges.

“Our television stations seem to be screening more Nigerian films because they simply buy them from the streets.”

The First Grader

First Grader to be screened at Durban International Film Festival

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ns030fCDorE

The 32nd Durban International Film Festival (DIFF) kicks off on July 21 with the world premiere of the South African film Otelo Burning, directed by Sara Blecher. Set during the last days of apartheid, the Durban-shot film tells the story of a group of South African township youngsters who discover surfing as an empowering escape from the political violence of the times. There is drama, romance, rivalry, and tragedy in this convincing fulfilment of local filmmaking potential.Between the 21st and 31st of July, the festival will be crammed with great films from around the world, including Kenya’s best export The First Grader.
Skoonheid, Oliver Hermanus’s groundbreaking film that caused a stir at the recent Cannes Film Festival, will have its first South African screening at the festival.DIFF will also present the world premieres of Charlie Vundla’s noir film How To Steal 2 Million, John Barker’s thrilling heist flick 31 Million Reasons, Faith Isiakpere’s crime drama The Algiers Murders, Eldorado by new talents Shaldon Ferris and Lorreal Ferris, the hilarious comedy Taka Takata by Damir Radonic, and The Dream by Zuko Nodada.  Making their African premieres are Mukunda Michael Dewil’s psychological thriller Retribution and Paula van der Oest’s moving film about Ingrid Jonker, Black Butterflies.
African cinema will also be well-represented by Djo Tunda Wa Munga’s striking and unique Viva Riva!, Nigerian director Andrew Donsunmu’s visually beautiful Restless City, Justin Chadwick’s uplifting Kenya-set film The First Grader, and Ebrahim El Batout’s Hawi which first appeared in Durban as a project at the inaugural Durban FilmMart in 2010.
DIFF will focus on two national cinemas this year namely India and Canada. Six films from the great Indian master Satyajit Ray will be presented, alongside daring new works by talented new Indian filmmakers.Leena Manimekelai will present the World Premiere of her film The Dead Sea and other Indian films include Onir’s I Am, Sanjoy Nag’s Memories In March, Kaushik Mukherjee’s Bengali hip hop film Asshole, and Aamir Bashir’s Autumn.
In a very strong year for Canadian cinema, DIFF will present Denis Villeneuve’s Oscar-nominated Incendies, the gritty drama Jo For Jonathan, Ed Gass-Donnelly’s Small Town Murder Songs, Xavier Dolan’s ravishing Heartbeats, and the quirky Familiar Ground by Stephane Lafleur. Canadian documentaries include Barry Steven’s Prosecutor, a fascinating look at the International Criminal Court, and Shannon Walsh’s St. Henri, The 26th Of August.
Local stories in the powerful documentary line-up include World premieres such as Ryley Grunewald’s The Dawn of a New Day where healing is shown as being more than skin deep, Mickey Dube’s Sobukwe, A Great Soul about one of this country’s most influential, but unsung, heroes, the Keith Jones/Deon Maas music revolution collaboration Punk In Africa, and the Dara Kell/Chris Nizza collaboration Dear Mandela about innovative leadership emerging in informal settlements. Not to be missed, DIFF will present the African premiere of Mama Africa, the inspirational film about Miriam Makeba.
With the COP conference on climate change taking place in Durban later in the year, an exceptional range of environmental films is included in this year’s Eco-Lens focus.

Filmaid festival launched in Nairobi

 

Nana Gecaga with Iliane Ogilvie Thompson President FilmAid.

The National Museum in Nairobi was the place to be last Friday night as the FilmAid Festival was officially launched. The festival shows documentary and feature films from around the world. The FilmAid group specialises in giving refugees a chance to achieve their true potential, by training those interested  in the art of filmmaking.  The organisation currently led by Iliane Ogilvie Thompson partnered with the world famous Sundance Film Festival to get together several mouth-watering shows in Nairobi.
The festival kicked off with a feature film called “Boy” - a coming of age story - that depicted 1980s New Zealand. One of the movie’s stars Taika Waititi who had been flown in specifically for this showing fielded questions on the film before everyone headed out for cocktails with filmmakers of all stripes taking the opportunity to mill and bond. In attendance, apart from FilmAid president Iliane Thompson who had to catch a flight to London, was the executive director of the Sundance Film Institute Keri Putnam, the US Ambassador Scott Gration and his wife Judy as well as Kenya International Film Festival director Charles Asiba.  The films will now be screened for disadvantaged areas around the country including Kibera and Kakuma and Dadaab refugee camps.

http://www.nairobistar.com/society/society/32378-filmaid-festival-launched-in-nairobi

The stage is set for this year's Kalasha Film and TV Awards

The stage is set for this year's Kalasha Film and TV Awards which will be held on the  24^th of September. Film Commission CEO Peter Mutie says the awards are designed to allow Kenyans to celebrate their cultural diversity through film and  recognize the role of film in economic sustainability. This year's awards will feature 29 categories covering both film and television. Application forms for entries are available on www.kenyafilmcommission.com

  http://www.nairobistar.com/classicnews/30775-all-is-set-for-kalasha-awards-on-september-24th-

KALASHA FILM AND TELEVISION AWARDS 2011 ENTRY FORM

Use the link below to download a PDF copy on the entry forn for the Kalasha Awards.

http://www.kenyafilmcommission.com/public_site/webroot/cache/article/file/KALASHA_2011_form2.pdf

Kenya Film Commission 2nd Floor Jumuia Place II, Lenana Road P.O Box 76417 – 00508 Nairobi Kenya
Tel 020-2714073/4 Mobile +254 729 407497, +254 733 650068 email:info@filmingkenya.com
www.kenyafilmcommission.com
1
KALASHA FILM AND TELEVISION AWARDS
2011 ENTRY FORM
Please complete the form and submit with the film/programme entry. Complete one entry form per
entry. Submission DVD should include film/programme and trailer.
SECTION 1: PRODUCTION DETAILS
Production Title:
Duration (minutes):
Shooting Format:
Aspect ratio:
Completion Date:
Production Company (where applicable):
Countries where production took place:
SECTION 2: SCREENING HISTORY
List channels/stations where your production has aired (include dates):
List festivals and any other place where your production has screened (include dates):
Kenya Film Commission 2nd Floor Jumuia Place II, Lenana Road P.O Box 76417 – 00508 Nairobi Kenya
Tel 020-2714073/4 Mobile +254 729 407497, +254 733 650068 email:info@filmingkenya.com
www.kenyafilmcommission.com
2
SECTION 3: PRODUCTION CREW
Please complete crew details below. For larger lists you may attach a separate list of cast
and crew details.
Director Details
Name: _______________________________________________________________________
Postal Address: _______________________________________________________________
Physical Address: _____________________________________________________________
Mobile: _____________________________________ Fax No: _________________________
Email: ______________________________________Website: _________________________
Nationality: __________________________________
Producer Details
Name: ________________________________________________________________________
Postal Address: ________________________________________________________________
Physical Address: ______________________________________________________________
Mobile: _____________________________________ Fax No: __________________________
Email: ______________________________________Website: __________________________
Nationality: __________________________________
Director of Photography: _______________________________________________________
Mobile: _____________________________________ Email: ____________________________
Production Design: _____________________________________________________________
Mobile: _____________________________________ Email: ____________________________
Editor: _________________________________________________________________________
Mobile: _____________________________________ Email: ____________________________
Sound Mixer/Editor: ____________________________________________________________
Mobile: _____________________________________ Email: ____________________________
Original Music by: ______________________________________________________________
Mobile: _____________________________________ Email: ____________________________
Scriptwriter: ____________________________________________________________________
Mobile: _____________________________________ Email: ____________________________
Kenya Film Commission 2nd Floor Jumuia Place II, Lenana Road P.O Box 76417 – 00508 Nairobi Kenya
Tel 020-2714073/4 Mobile +254 729 407497, +254 733 650068 email:info@filmingkenya.com
www.kenyafilmcommission.com
3
SECTION 4: CATEGORIES
Please tick the categories the entry should be considered for.
Film
□ Best Lead Actor Name:
□ Best Supporting Actor Name:
□ Best Lead Actress Name:
□ Best Supporting Actress Name:
□ Best Cinematography
□ Best Sound
□ Best Original Score
□ Best Editing
□ Best Scriptwriter in Original Screenplay
□ Best Feature
□ Best Director
□ Best Documentary
□ Best Short Film
□ Best Vernacular Production
Television
□ Best Lead Actor Name:
□ Best Supporting Actor Name:
□ Best Lead Actress Name:
□ Best Supporting Actress Name:
□ Best Cinematography
□ Best Editing
□ Best Scriptwriter in Original Screenplay
□ Best Director
□ Best Documentary
□ Best Short Film
□ Best Vernacular Production
Special Awards
□ Best Student Production
□ Best Animation Production
□ Best Advert
Kenya Film Commission 2nd Floor Jumuia Place II, Lenana Road P.O Box 76417 – 00508 Nairobi Kenya
Tel 020-2714073/4 Mobile +254 729 407497, +254 733 650068 email:info@filmingkenya.com
www.kenyafilmcommission.com
4
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
1. Length: Short Films and/or Documentaries should be a minimum of 12minutes long.
Feature films should be a minimum of 60 minutes. Programs should be between 5 and 60
minutes in length.
Who May Enter: Films and programmes must have at least a Kenyan producer, Kenyan
director, Kenyan cast or crew to qualify. Only the film maker (producer, director or
executive producer) may submit an entry for the Awards.
Production Date: All films/ads must have been completed between June 1st 2009 and
June 30th 2011. All TV entries must have been on air for at least seven episodes before 30th
June 2011.
Film entries should not have entered for the Kalasha Film & TV Awards previously.
Submission: Each submission should include:-
Submission copy on DVD
Completed entry form
Drop off you entry at the address below:-
Kenya Film Commission
2nd Floor Jumuia Place, Lenana Road
P.O Box, 76417-00508
Nairobi, Kenya
For information you may call 020-2714073/4 or email info@filmingkenya.com
http://www.kenyafilmcommission.com
Please do not submit master copy. Kenya Film Commission will not be liable for loss of the
Film. Kenya Film Commission will retain the submitted DVD, which shall not be returned to
you.
Opening Date: Entries can be received with effect from 24th June 2011
Closing Date: All entries must be received by 18th July 2011
Kenya Film Commission 2nd Floor Jumuia Place II, Lenana Road P.O Box 76417 – 00508 Nairobi Kenya
Tel 020-2714073/4 Mobile +254 729 407497, +254 733 650068 email:info@filmingkenya.com
www.kenyafilmcommission.com
5
Copyright: PLEASE NOTE: If the Production uses material (including music) that may be
owned by a third party (or if a third party has any right or interest in such material), you
may be required to give the Kenya Film Commission written proof that the third party has
consented to the use of the material for the purpose of making the production. To promote
fairness to other artistes, Kenya Film Commission may disqualify an entry that lacks
approval for the use of third party materials.
2. Decisions and Awards
(a) An Academy of long serving, well-known Film Lecturers and Technical experts will
review all the entries and nominate them accordingly into the categories they deem
relevant.
(b) The Academy’s decision will be final and no discussions will be entered into.
(c) The Kenya Film Commission accepts no responsibility for late, misdirected, lost,
undelivered or illegible entries.
(d) Awards will not be transferable but winners may appoint representatives to
receive awards on their behalf.
(e) Failure to comply with these Terms and Conditions will result in disqualification
and an alternate may be selected at the discretion of the Academy, the Kenya Film
Commission and the Award’s Board of Trustees.
3. Kenya Film Commission’s Rights
(a) You hereby grant the Kenya Film Commission the non-exclusive and irrevocable
right to broadcast and/or exhibit (and authorize to any third party the
broadcast/exhibition of) submitted trailers of the Film and program in all media (including,
without
limitation, television, video on demand, satellite video on demand, multimedia
distribution systems, ADSL, internet and mobile/handheld devices) during the
nomination and voting process with the aim of promoting the awards.
(b) All material created by Kenya Film Commission featuring excerpts of the
production is and shall remain the property of Kenya Film Commission.
(c) Kenya Film Commission shall have the right to copy the Films and programs (or
clip(s) of it) and to send such copies to the nominating Academy and to journalists for
the purpose of reviewing the Film and of promoting the Competition.
(d) Nominated Films may be screened at selected theatres and/or Broadcast Houses
or Digital TV during the public voting period in the month of February. Entering your
production in Kalasha therefore is deemed be consent for the carriage of the same.
(e) The right to broadcast the entries for publicity to create awareness of the contents
of any entries is hereunder given without prejudice by the appendage of the signature
of the authorized official submitting the entry.
Kenya Film Commission 2nd Floor Jumuia Place II, Lenana Road P.O Box 76417 – 00508 Nairobi Kenya
Tel 020-2714073/4 Mobile +254 729 407497, +254 733 650068 email:info@filmingkenya.com
www.kenyafilmcommission.com
6
4. Third Party Copyright
Please note:
4.1 You warrant and confirm that you own or have obtained all rights and/or
releases necessary including without limitation:
(a) All rights, releases and/or copyright clearance in relation to all material
included in the production owned or controlled by a third party including
music, literary, dramatic and/or artistic works;
(b) Releases for all locations featured in the Film;
(c) Consents from all persons featured in, portrayed or contributing to the
filming and production of the project, including the director;
(d) License to use all copyright work used in the production or required for its
exploitation, including scripts;
(e) In order to allow the Kenya Film Commission to promote the Competition,
the films, or the programs you hereby consent to Kenya Film Commission
(and its partners) editing and cutting the production in order to exercise the
rights granted to them hereunder and to the use by the Kenya Film
Commission any content from the production in conjunction with other
content and materials in the exercise of their rights hereunder granted.
5. Publicity
(a) You agree to provide the name and biography of all those involved in the
production of the Film or program including actors and directors and grant the Kenya
Film Commission the right to use such information in promoting the Film and the
Awards.
(b) You agree, and will use reasonable efforts, to procure that other participants in
the Film or program agree to take part in reasonable publicity for the Awards as
requested by the Kenya Film Commission.
6. Third Parties
(a) You warrant and represent that you have the right to enter into this Agreement
and to grant the rights set out herein.
(b) You warrant and represent that nothing in the Film or program is obscene,
defamatory, libellous or breaches Government rules.
Kenya Film Commission 2nd Floor Jumuia Place II, Lenana Road P.O Box 76417 – 00508 Nairobi Kenya
Tel 020-2714073/4 Mobile +254 729 407497, +254 733 650068 email:info@filmingkenya.com
www.kenyafilmcommission.com
7
7. Indemnity
You indemnify and hold harmless the Kenya Film Commission, and its affiliated
corporations, from and against any and all claims, suits, liabilities, judgments and
damages arising out of a breach by you of any of the obligations, representations or
warranties contained in these Terms and Conditions.
Please note:
DVDs will not be returned
The Kenya Film and TV Awards ceremony should take place on September 24th , 2011.
I ............................................................................... the Producer/Director of
..................................................................................have read the terms and conditions of this
film and understand them fully and agree to abide by them on this the .......................Day
of................................................... 20...........................................
................................................................ ...........................................................................
(Name) (Signature)

Media Release - Great Line-up at the 32nd Durban International Film Festival

Media Release - Great Line-up at the 32nd Durban International Film Festival

The 32nd Durban International Film Festival, supported by the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund (principal funder), National Film and Video Foundation, the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Economic Development and Tourism and other valued funders and partners, kicks off on 21 July with the World Premiere of the South African film Otelo Burning, directed by Sara Blecher. Set during the last days of apartheid, the Durban-shot filmtells the story of a group of South African township youngsters who discover surfing as an empowering escape from the political violence of the times. There is drama, romance, rivalry, and tragedy in this convincing fulfilment of local filmmaking potential.

Between the 21st and 31st of July, the festival will be crammed with great films from around the world. Skoonheid, Oliver Hermanus’s groundbreaking film that caused a stir at the recent Cannes film festival, will have its first South African screening at the festival. DIFF will also present the World Premieres of Charlie Vundla’s noir film How To Steal 2 Million, John Barker’s thrilling heist flick 31 Million Reasons, Faith Isiakpere’s crime drama The Algiers Murders, Eldorado by new talents Shaldon Ferris and Lorreal Ferris, the hilarious comedy Taka Takata by Damir Radonic, and The Dream by Zuko Nodada. Making their African Premieres are Mukunda Michael Dewil’s psychological thriller Retribution and Paula van der Oest’s moving film about Ingrid Jonker, Black Butterflies.

DIFF 2011 includes the African Premiere of the year’s most anticipated film – Terrence Malick’s The Tree Of Life, which just won the Palme d’Or in Cannes. Other highlights include Woody Allen’s Midnight In Paris, which will close the festival, Bela Tarr’s The Turin Horse, Andrey Zvyagintsev’s Elena, Jose Padilha’s Elite Squad 2 – The Enemy Within, Takeshi Kitano’s Outrage, Michel Ocelot’s Tales Of The Night, SJ Clarkson’s Toast, Lee Chang-dong’s Poetry, and Apichatpong Weerasethakul’s Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives.

African cinema will also be well-represented by Djo Tunda Wa Munga’s striking and unique Viva Riva!, Nigerian director Andrew Donsunmu’s visually beautiful Restless City, Justin Chadwick’s uplifting Kenya-set film The First Grader, and Ebrahim El Batout’s Hawi which first appeared in Durban as a project at the inaugural Durban FilmMart in 2010.

DIFF will focus on two national cinemas this year: India and Canada. Six films from the great Indian master Satyajit Ray will be presented, alongside daring new works by talented new Indian filmmakers. Leena Manimekelai will present the World Premiere of her film The Dead Sea and other Indian films include Onir’s I Am, Sanjoy Nag’s Memories In March, Kaushik Mukherjee’s Bengali hip hop film Asshole, and Aamir Bashir’s Autumn.

In a very strong year for Canadian cinema, DIFF will present Denis Villeneuve’s Oscar-nominated Incendies, the gritty drama Jo For Jonathan, Ed Gass-Donnelly’s Small Town Murder Songs, Xavier Dolan’s ravishing Heartbeats, and the quirky Familiar Ground by Stephane Lafleur. Canadian documentaries include Barry Steven’s Prosecutor, a fascinating look at the International Criminal Court, and Shannon Walsh’s St. Henri, The 26th Of August.

Germany is also well-represented at DIFF 2011 with Tom Tykwer’s Three, Pia Marais’ At Ellen’s Age, Ulrich Kohler’s Sleeping Sickness and the stunning documentary El Bulli – Cooking In Progress by Gereon Wetzel.

Local stories in the powerful documentary line-up include World Premieres such as Ryley Grunewald’s The Dawn of a New Day where healing is shown as being more than skin deep, Mickey Dube’s Sobukwe, A Great Soul about one of this country’s most influential, but unsung, heroes, the Keith Jones/Deon Maas music revolution collaboration Punk In Africa, and the Dara Kell/Chris Nizza collaboration Dear Mandela about innovative leadership emerging in informal settlements. Not to be missed, DIFF will present the African premiere of Mama Africa, the inspirational film about Miriam Makeba.

With the COP conference on climate change taking place in Durban later in the year, an exceptional range of conscientising environmental films is included in this year’s Eco-Lens focus. There is heated Irish village resistance to Shell in The Pipe; Blood in the Mobile shows how frightening mining conditions in the DRC produce material for our cellphones; and, fresh from Cannes, The Big Fix exposes corruption and cover-ups surrounding the Mexican Gulf oil spill. Countdown to Zero (by Lucy Walker whose Waste Land won big awards in 2010) is about nuclear weapons and challenges to disarmament, while Into Eternity covers nuclear waste storage. Eco-Pirate- the Story of Paul Watson is about this legendary defender of our oceans and its creatures (Paul Watson will attend the festival).

The riveting Sing Your Song is the story of Harry Belafonte from his music and film career to his involvement in civil rights and anti-apartheid movements. A special highlight will be Leonard Retel-Helmrich’s tracking of an Indonesian family in Position Among the Stars. This masterful film won top awards at both Sundance and IDFA.


Look out also for King Naki, a beautiful story of struggle and achievement set around horse-racing in the rural Transkei, the Cape Town film The Imam and I , and the Durban-shot Street Kids United.

The global financial meltdown is the focus of the 2011 Academy Award winning Inside Job, while John Pilger’s biting The War You Don’t See is a timely investigation into the media’s role in war. Other documentaries cover Bollywood, Robert Mugabe, the Black Power movement in America, organic agriculture, paraplegic musicians in Kinshasa, and West Indian cricket. Packages of short documentaries and short films are also on offer.

Opening with an outdoor screening on the beachfront on 24th July, DIFF will host the Wavescapes Surf Film Festival for the 7th consecutive year – a six-day blast of red-hot wave action, surf stories and groundbreaking cinematography.

INDUSTRY WORKSHOPS

DIFF has become a valued meeting point for filmmakers and industry professionals, local and international, and the seminar and workshop programme is populated with leading experts offering insight and debate on a range of relevant issues. Talent Campus Durban is an intensive five-day programme bringing together nearly 50 African filmmakers from 16 countries on the continent. Durban FilmMart, www.durbanfilmmart.com a partnership with the Durban Film Office, not only facilitates opportunities for African projects selected for meetings with international financiers and potential co-producers, but also provides a seminar and master class programme for registered DFM delegates. 2011 marks the 10th year of DIFF’s partnership with University of KwaZulu-Natal’s AV divison who run the workshop programme for first-time filmmakers from community organizations. There are also a number of presentations by the National Film and Video Foundation.

Special events running conjunctively with DIFF include an exhibition of Bollywood paintings by Ranjit Dahiya, organized in association with Alliance Francaise, and performances by Grammy-nominated Debashish Bhattacharya, a leading exponent of the chaturangui (Indian slide-guitar).

Festival screenings will take place at Nu Metro Cinecentre Suncoast, Ster Kinekor Musgrave, Cinema Nouveau Gateway, the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre, Ekhaya KwaMashu, The Royal Hotel, Luthuli Museum (Groutville) and other venues.

For film synopses, screening schedules and programme details on the 32nd Durban International Film Festival visit www.cca.ukzn.ac.za.

The 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, HIVOS, City Of Durban, German Embassy of South Africa, Goethe Institut of South Africa, Industrial Development Corporation and a range of other valued partners.

-ends

Sharlene Versfeld

Versfeld & Associates: The Communication Works
031-8115628
0833263235
sharlene@versfeld.co.za

Twitter sharvers
Skype: sharlene.versfeld

GO TO DIFF WEBPAGE- www.cca.ukzn.ac.za