South African romantic comedy Fanie Fourie’s Lobola has won the Audience Prize at the 39th Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF), the largest and most highly attended festival in the United States.
The 25-day event, which began on 16 May, featured more than 447 films representing 85 countries, including 49 world premieres (18 features, 31 shorts), 48 North American premieres (38 features, 10 shorts), 17 US premieres (6 features, 11 shorts), and over 700 screenings. Additionally, SIFF brought in more than 400 filmmakers, actors and industry professionals.
“Our most successful festival in the history of SIFF is ending on a high note and setting an exciting precedent for the future with Fanie Fourie’s Lobola from our inaugural African Pictures programming taking home the top audience prize for best film with a Golden Space Needle Award,” said SIFF artistic and co-director Carl Spence.
Fanie Fourie’s Lobola, directed by Henk Pretorius, “is proving to be a favourite with cinemagoers and has won audience awards at the Sedona International Film Festival in Arizona and the Jozi Film Festival in South Africa,’ commented producers Lance Samuels and Kweku Mandela from Out of Africa Entertainment.
“We are very excited that it won this award at the Seattle International Film Festival, which is a high-profile, big event. It is wonderful to see how our film has transcended cultural boundaries. We are so proud and honoured,’ said co-writer and producer Janine Eser.
Fanie Fourie’s Lobola opened in South Africa on 1 March 2013 and tells the tale of what happens when an Afrikaans guy and a Zulu girl fall in love and have to navigate their way through the complicated process of lobola.
The film stars talented newcomer Zethu Dlomo as Dinky and film and comedy favourite Eduan van Jaarsveld as Fanie.
Other cast members include Jerry Mofokeng, Marga van Rooy, Chris Chameleon, Lillian Dube, and Motlatsi Mafatshe. The movie is produced by Lance Samuels, Kweku Mandela and Janine Eser and directed by Henk Pretorius, who also co-wrote the script with Eser.
For more information, visit www.Faniefourie.com, watch the trailer at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHKxbP3lSjU&feature=youtu.be and peek behind the scenes at
