The screen adaptation of South African Nobel Prize-winning author JM Coetzee’s Disgrace won the FIPRESCI (Federation of International Critics) Award for “Special Presentations” at the recent Toronto International Film Festival.
Disgrace was directed by Australian filmmaker Steve Jacobs and co-produced by Brigid Ol”n and Marlow de Mardt of Cape Town-based DO Productions. It was mostly shot in South Africa with a predominantly local crew.
Says Ol”n: “Winning the FIPRESCI Award was quite significant as it distinguished the film from the 350 or so other films at Toronto in terms of critics” recommendations. At Toronto our sales agent Fortissimo was able to sell the film directly to Maximum and the North American territory, as well as to Europe, Mexico and Turkey.
“The Toronto screening was the film’s world premiere and it was a phenomenal launch pad. Toronto is an audience friendly community and the accolades for Disgrace were brilliant; the film was really well received. International distribution is now very much in Fortissimo’s hands but I do know that the film will be released in South Africa by Videovision Entertainment in the first quarter of next year year. It is an arthouse release with commercial legs.”
Read more in the October 2008 issue of Screen Africa
