Tsotsi star and Kwaito artists top the bill at Durban Youth in Film Youth Day concert and launch of a contest to find new KZN screenwriting talent.
Tsotsi star Presley Chweneyagae and top hip hop and Kwaito artists will be the main draw-cards at an event-packed Youth Day concert in Durban, promoted by the Durban Film Office. The brainchild of Durban Film Office’s CEO, Mandle Ndimande, the concert will be enjoying it’s third successful year and is part of the Durban Film Office’s strategy to broaden the horizons of today’s youths by introducing them to the world of motion picture. This year’s event has been made possible through sponsorship by EThekwini Municipality, Unilever’s AXE brand and Gagasi FM.
And for young creative types interested in breaking into the big time, there’s an extra attraction a€” a shot at writing a story to be turned into a short film. Lebo Mathosa, ProKID, Slikour, Tri Vendetta and other artists will keep music fans entertained at the Youth in Film concert, while Chweneyagae and various filmmakers will head an exciting film-oriented programme.
Durban Film Office Film Co-ordinator Toni Monty said various short films would be screened, with the highlight being the launch of the story-writing competition.
“The competition is called a€˜Lights, Camera, Action!’ and it presents a fantastic opportunity for a creative young person to break into the world of film, because the winner stands the chance of seeing their story turned into a short film,” Monty said.
The competition – organised under the auspices of the Durban Film Office, SABC, Mindpool, and the Durban International Film Festival – is open to 10-15 year-olds from KwaZulu-Natal and will be officially launched at the June 16 concert.
“The aim is to stimulate the creative talents of the younger generation,” Monty said.
“For a vibrant film and television industry to thrive in KwaZulu-Natal, we need to identify and nurture new talent. This competition is one of several pro-active strategies we and other stakeholders have to achieve that goal.”
“We also believe that to create a vibrant economy, we need to increase our exports. In this case, we need to tell our local stories to our people and the world.”
The launch includes the screening of three previous prize winning short films from a project of similar nature: Lucky, Mbiya and His Cow and Strangers.
The concert runs from 10am to 5pm on June 16 at the Gugu Dlamini Park next to The Workshop shopping centre in central Durban. Entrance is FREE.
Check the website of the Durban Film Office www.durbanfilmoffice.com for further competition details. The Durban Film Office is the film promotion arm of the EThekwini Municipality.
