One SA film will feature at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) and one SA filmmaker will attend the TIFF talent lab. Taking place between 8 and 16 September 2016, TIFF is universally regarded as a vital platform for filmmakers to launch their careers.
The South African film Vaya has been selected to have its world premiere at TIFF. Vaya is the story of small-towners engrossed by the dangerous world of big city Johannesburg and Soweto. The film stars SA talent and was produced with Akin Omotoso, Rethabile Molatela Mothobi, Harriet Perlman, Robbie Thorpe and Ronnie Apteker with Kabelo Thathe as cinematographer.
“The film is a culmination of eight years of passion, dedication and the commitment to tell a unique South African story that resonates with the public. We’re thrilled to present our work to TIFF audiences, but most importantly we cannot wait for our South African consumers to see it. We anticipate that the film will hit local cinemas in 2017,” says director Omotoso, chairperson of the Independent Producers Organisation.
Zamo Mkhwanazi is one of only 10 international filmmakers who have been selected to participate in the TIFF talent lab this year. Held annually during the festival, the lab is an artistic development programme. It provides 20 young directors and screenwriters with an intensive learning experience that seeks to further develop their creativity, artistic process, and voice.
Mkhwanazi is a filmmaker working between South Africa and Switzerland. She has written more than a hundred hours of aired television on over twenty-five television shows. She is currently developing her first feature, Laundry, a film based on her family’s experiences during apartheid in the 1960s.
Along with Vaya, Nigerian flick 93 Days will premiere at TIFF, both films hail from the Johannesburg post production facility Ladies & Gentlemen Films. They specialise in colour grading, online and deliverables. Final colour finishing is completed on the latest Baselight TWO, supporting 4K and 6K workflows. Their colour suite includes Barco 2K projection and a Doremi digital cinema server, allowing full testing and colour matching for seamless integration between grading suite and cinema.
They have had their hands on the box office hits Tell Me Sweet Something which debuted in the US at the Pan African Film Festival, joined by Ayanda and Happiness Is A Four-Letter Word which is screening at Berlinale.
Managing director at Ladies & Gentlemen Films, Marc Baleiza, has been involved in the local and international film and television industries for 14 years. He says, “We are delighted with the announcement of Vaya’s Toronto selection, it is a testament to the vision of the writers, director and producers who have been developing this for several years. We have been privileged to work on this important film based on true events. It is part of an exciting new wave of South African films and we relish the opportunity to showcase Vaya to an international audience.”
The Nigerian film 93 Days will too have its world premiere in Toronto and will be released in Nigeria in September 2016. The film stars Danny Glover who has previously worked with director, Steve Gukas and was attracted to the script, penned by Paul S Rowlston. The film is about the outbreak of Ebola in Nigeria and the efforts of the government and the world health organisation to curb its spread.
Baleiza was approached by Gukas to work on his film 93 Days. He says, “At Ladies & Gentlemen we believe in the long term success of our local industry. To that extent, we have worked with both established and aspiring filmmakers.” Adding that “Every project is a challenge to raise the bar and elevate what we do. We have had a phenomenal year so far, and are looking forward to putting out more phenomenal films in the near future.”
