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Carly Barnes

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SA short wins US award

Carly Barnes
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South African short, Kanye Kanye, has won the Audience Choice Award for Best Short
Film at the 49th Chicago International Film Festival in the USA.

Inspired by the Dr Seuss children’s book, The Sneetches, the film is a township fairytale
about two characters divided by preconceived notions. When the two fall in love despite
an age-old feud, they devise a way to overcome community segregation.

Says film director Miklas Manneke: “The fact is Kanye Kanye was always going to be
based in South Africa’s racially divided history. I felt from the beginning that the way an
international audience sees South African township stories has always been negative,
crime, poverty, violence and all of that.

“People are born there, they learn to live there, they learn to love there, and many of
them are happy there and that’s the story we wanted to tell.’

View the trailer at https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10151310606032008.

SA cinematographer to shoot Star Wars film

Carly Barnes
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South African cinematographer, Daniel Mindell, is collaborating with American producer J.J. Abrams as director of photography on the next instalment of the Star Wars film series, releasing in 2015.

Mindell, who previously teamed up with Abrams on Mission: Impossible III, 2009’s Star Trek and Star Trek Into Darkness, is shooting Star Wars: Episode VII on 35mm Kodak film stock 5219.

Says Mindell about shooting on film: “The idea of having a 35mm frame with chemicals that react to a focused beam of light, and turning that into a picture – that is one of the most incredible things I can imagine. I try to excite and stimulate the film with light so that it does something that it’s not supposed to do. Those imperfections can give the images an unquantifiable magic. They put another layer of illusion onto something that is already artificial; tricking the audience into thinking it’s real.’

Starting his career in the film industry as a loader at a production house, Mindell progressed to director of photography for the Tony Scott feature film, Enemy of the State. Since then he has headed cinematography on various feature films including Shanghai Noon, The Skeleton Key, John Carter, Spy Game and The Bourne Identity.

SAE Institute launches new film production degree

Carly Barnes
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Higher education organisation, SAE Institute, launches their widely recognised Bachelor of Arts in Film Production degree in Cape Town in February 2014.

The new campus at the Woodstock Exchange provides state-of-the-art facilities that offer students ample space and technology to commence their careers in film, video, and television. The facilities include a film studio that employs the latest hardware, an infinity curve, green screen and lighting grid, three Mac Labs and individual edit suites.

Guided by highly credible lecturers, film students work closely with the sound department to create productions and professional show reels that provide practical preparation for employment in the film industry.

For more information, email capetown@sae.edu.

Visit www.capetown.sae.edu for more information.

Schuster looks for SA’s best prankster

Carly Barnes
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South African filmmaker and practical joker Leon Schuster is looking for an expert local prankster to feature in the DVD and Blu-ray versions of his new movie, Schuks! Your Country Needs You, which releases nationwide in South African cinemas on 29 November.

Throughout December the public will vote for their top prankster, and entrants will stand the chance to win special prizes and receive giveaways. Along with Schuster’s input, the winner will be selected in January 2014 when the DVD and Blu-ray versions of the movie release.

Says Schuster: “I can’t wait to see what fun my fans will have for us and I am certainly looking forward to having a great laugh with all of South Africa. Keep it safe, keep it clean, don’t get hurt and remember – laughter is the best medicine!’

Schuks! Your Country Needs You stars Schuster along with Alfred “Shorty’ Ntombela (Mr Bones 2, Schuks Tshabalala’s Survival Guide to South Africa), comedian Rob van Vuuren (Khumba, Spud 2: The Madness Continues) and newcomer Lare Birk in a series of pranks that catch some of the country’s most well-known celebrities by surprise.

Directed by Gray Hofmeyr and produced by Andre Scholtz, Schuks! Your Country Needs You is distributed by The Walt Disney Company Africa under the Touchstone Pictures banner.

Fans have until 26 November to submit their pranks by logging on to the official Facebook page at www.facebook.com/SchuksYourCountryNeedsYou.

View the trailer at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erDXvHDj_zQ&feature=youtu.be.

See www.facebook.com/SchuksYourCountryNeedsYou for full competition terms and conditions.

Controversial SA doccie screens in Jo’burg

Carly Barnes
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On 8 November 2013, the provocative South African documentary Fatherland opens at
the Bioscope Independent Cinema in Johannesburg.

Produced and directed by Tarryn Lee Crossman, the film follows three boys who spend
nine days inside the Afrikaans nationalistic “Kommandokorps’ military boot camps. In
these camps, teenage boys are indoctrinated into a pre-Apartheid way of thinking
that results in them struggling to find their own identity within their communities and
the rainbow nation at large.

The film explores the fine line between patriotism and racism as preached by parents
and camp leaders who pressure the children to participate in a physically and mentally
grueling process.

Says Crossman: “Fatherland was a difficult film to make, because the last thing I
wanted to do as a filmmaker was to perpetuate the racial stereotypes about South
Africa. Racial relations are still sensitive in a country where its policies segregated its
people for generations. I resolved to produce the film that will create open debate
and allow us to stop pretending that these issues don’t exist.’

The camp leaders, who were proud to share their philosophies with the rest of South
Africa, gave Crossman unprecedented access to film for the duration of the camp.

Visit http://www.thebioscope.co.za for more information and to buy tickets.

View the trailer at http://www.screenafrica.com/page/industry-interviews/1636123-
Fatherland.

Idols Top 6 Extravaganza

Carly Barnes
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Lasers, pyrotechnics, special effects, a Top 6 group number and a performance by South African Music Award nominee Chiano Sky set the tone for the Idols Spectacular show on 27 October the Moreleta Park Church Auditorium in Pretoria.

A co-production between M-Net and Mzansi Magic, Idols SA airs on Sundays at 17h30 and Tuesdays at 19h30.

Sonke Mazibuko received positive feedback from the judges after his performance of Mafikizolo’s Khona. Judge Gareth Cliff praised the singer saying: “You were terrific, man.’ Fellow judge Unathi Msengana added that she was impressed with Mazibuko’s fitness levels and third judge Randall Abrahams concluded: “Your singing tonight, I would say was the best I have heard on the show.’

Though Abrahams wasn’t moved by Crystalene Nair’s performance of Rihanna’s Right Now, Msengana and Cliff thought she looked confident and that it was her best performance in a while.

Accompanied by the drummers from First Project, Brenden Ledwaba entertained the audience by singing Lengoma by Zahara. Msengana told Ledwaba that he was very smart to sing his first vernacular song at this stage of the competition. Cliff also found the performance entertaining but Abrahams complained that “the singing was a bit flat.’

Cliff was amazed by Zoe Zana’s performance of Jessie J’s Wild saying there were very few people who could have pulled off the choreography and energy that she gave to the performance. “You are a freakin’ star!’ Msengana told Zana, and Abrahams agreed by saying: “You were glorious.’

Bunny Majaja sang Raise Your Glass by Pink and Abrahams said it was refreshing to see Bunny do something “very 2013′, and that he also enjoyed seeing her having fun. “You brought it. You brought every last nickel and dime of it,’ Cliff commented and Msengana added that the performance was relevant and true to the singer’s style.

Musa Sukwene closed the show by singing Via Orlando by Vetkuk vs Mahoota featuring Dr Malinga. Msengana applauded the fact that Sukwene honoured the original version as well as the more current version of the song. “It was ayoba!’ she said. Abrahams applauded the singer for a dynamic performance and Cliff said Musa was a great and authentic performer.

Voting for the Top 6 closes on Monday 28 October at 22h00.

Visit the Idols website at www.mnet.co.za to vote

A fresh face for SA’s MTV Base

Carly Barnes
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On 31 October at 18h00 IT consultant, Sandile Ntshingila, begins his career as a fully-
fledged video jockey (VJ) on the new urban chart show MTV Base Official SA Top 10,
airing weekly on DStv Channel 322.

The chart is compiled by an influential panel of South African broadcasters, music
specialists and trendsetters and features guest appearances of South Africa’s top
radio DJs, bloggers, TV personalities, journalists, celebs and comedians.

Sandile counts down the music videos that get the most airplay and highest rating
and generate the most buzz on the streets of South Africa, while highlighting the
biggest artists and music videos on the local contemporary scene.

In each episode, a video which stands out from the crowd or is about to become a hit,
is featured in the segment One2Watch.

Viewers stand the chance of winning a prize hamper each week by requesting their
favourite past music video via the @MTVBaseAfrica twitter site using the hashtag:
#ZAThrowback.

Visit www.mtvbase.com for more information.

Follow Sandile Ntshingila on Twitter: @sandileGQ_23.

Follow MTV Base on Twitter: @MTVBaseAfrica using the hashtag: #SATop10.

SA filmmakers know their Shnit

Carly Barnes
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Hosted by Cape Town festival manager Sean Drummond, the Shnit Short Film Festival celebrated the closing of its 2013 festival at an exclusive Soho loft in New York City.

Winners of the Shnit Open International Competition as well as filmmakers who received the international theatrical Audience Award and the Festival Award were in attendance and received Flaming Faun trophies along with a $22,000 (R220,000) cash prize.

The international jury included, among others, Asger Hussain (Precious, The Paperboy), US-based filmmaker Kelly Nyks (Legally Blonde, Split: A Divided America), acclaimed South African actress Moshidi Motshegwa (The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency, Wild at Heart) and Durban International Film Festival manager Peter Machen.

Cape Town’s festival and offering of local films attracted significant attention from Shnit’s international audience this year. The Realtime Competition, which involved creating a short film from script to screen in 72 hours, resulted in Alasdair McCulloch, head of Realtime, looking to expand the competition to participating cities in South and Central America.

Shnit is proudly supported in Cape Town by the Cape Film Commission, the National Film and Video Foundation and the National Lottery Distribution Fund (through new partner the Cape Town International Film Festival).

Out of a selection of 6,729 short film entries from 141 countries, the winners are:

• Jury Award Category up to 10 min: Happily Ever After by Yonni Aroussi and Ben Genislaw from Israel

• Jury Award Category up to 20 min: Nashorn Im Galopp (Rhino Full Throttle) by Erik Schmitt from Germany

• Jury Award Category up to 40 min: Great by Andreas Henn from Germany

• Audience Award International Competition: La Prima Legge Di Newton (Newton’s First Law) by Piero Messina from Italy

• Festival Award International Competition: Dit is Ronald (This is Ronald) by Jules Comes from Germany

Samsung Digital Village bridges digital divide

Carly Barnes
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Samsung Electronics Africa has devised an initiative which combats the economic challenges around limited access to electricity in Africa by harnessing solar power.

The campaign, Digital Village, makes use of renewable and environmentally friendly resources for socio-economic upliftment in both rural villages and urban neighbourhoods that are subjected to fluctuating electricity supply and as a result have limited access to education, healthcare and connectivity.

On average, less than 25% of rural areas on the continent benefit from electricity.
Ntutule Tshenye, head of public affairs and shared value creation at Samsung Electronics Africa says: “Everyone speaks of the need to bridge the digital divide but we can only really achieve this if we focus on the core objective of changing lives for the better. Like many businesses, our challenge was to look at what was needed versus what was available and devise a plan that connected the two.

He continues: “The critical need for alternatives to the current electricity shortage problem has prompted us to develop products, under our Built For Africa umbrella, that capitalise on the sun’s energy and we once again demonstrate how we are using our core business strengths as an enabler to positively impact lives.’

All solutions within the Samsung Digital Village have been developed to be low- maintenance, cost-effective, mobile, easy to set up, suited to the harsh African climate and built with extended lifecycles.

The Digital Village comprises of various solar powered initiatives:

• Internet schools with mobile and completely independent classrooms.
• Generators that can be deployed in less than an hour or daisy chained for homeowners, small businesses, remote border posts and schools.
• A Telemedical centre for the treatment of basic illnesses.
• LED lanterns that are expected to provide lighting for more than 10 years while producing no greenhouse gases.

“The initiative is an example of Samsung’s investment in CSR on the continent: a keen focus on education, healthcare and access and harnessing the company’s legacy of innovation to respond to the felt needs of people on the continent,’ concludes Tshenye.

SA winner of the Banff Mountain Film Fest

Carly Barnes
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SCREEN AFRICA EXCLUSIVE: Nick Bennett, marketing manager of Cape Union Mart and organiser of the South African leg of the Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour 2013, announced the local winner of the competition and spoke about the event that screens countrywide from Friday 25 October at select Ster-Kinekor theatres.

“The winning entry to the Cape Union Mart Adventure Film Challenge is a short film called Path into the Future. It is a film about vulture conservation, and features a South African female narrator, Kerri Wolters, paragliding with the endangered Cape Vulture,’ says Nick Bennett.

He continues: “The content of the South African entries was extremely varied and included fishing, hiking, mountain biking, travelling, longboarding, conservation and climbing.’

According to Bennett, Banff averages a 95% attendance rate. “In 2012, we sold out at three of the four cinemas. It is extremely popular. We most often receive complaints… that tickets sell out too fast!’

He says Cape Union Mart’s preferred film at the festival is entitled Crossing the Ice. “It is a magnificent film that follows two Australians as they try to become the first expedition to walk to the South Pole and back, unassisted.

“We like it so much because it is the quintessential “man vs. nature’ narrative, and because the two heroes of the expedition are so likeable,’ concludes Bennett.

Report by Martie Bester

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