Strangers, the film based on the story Stranger written by Bonolo Cebe, winner of the CIAK Junior 2006 story writing competition, will be competing in Italy at the CIAK international awards festival from 24 to 27 May. Cebe will attend together with co-stars Thobile Sibiya and Lindani Phumlomo from Ekhaya Multi Arts Centre Durban.
Produced for SABC Education, Strangers is described as “scary, gripping and heart wrenching”. On a fateful rainy night, two sisters discover that their mother who they believed had died years ago in a horrific fire is still alive.
Project Manager at SABC Education Jacqui Hlongwane-Papo says: “The children will spend a week in Italy where they will meet other young storytellers from around the world and share each other’s stories. They will view all the film entries and then vote with participating broadcasters from around the world, for their favourite film. South Africa won this competition for the past two years with the films Lucky and Mbiya & His Cow, both produced for SABC Education by Mindpool Productions.”
The CIAK competition gives children aged between 10 and 15 the chance to write a story about anything in any language, with the winning story made into a film that involves the writer from beginning to end.
