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The $24m production, Flood, marks the feature film debut of international London-based production/distribution company Power and is being done in association with South Africa’s Moonlighting Films and Muse Entertainment Enterprises of Canada.

Set for theatrical release in early 2007, Flood is a disaster thriller about London flooding and will shoot for 13 weeks on location in London and in studios in SA. It is produced by Power’s Justin Bodle and independent producer Peter McAleese. The co-producers are Michael Prupas (Muse Entertainment) and Philip Key and Genevieve Hofmeyr for Moonlighting.

Power is responsible for some of the UK’s most critically acclaimed mini-series over the past three years, including International Emmy winning Henry VIII and Colditz for ITV and Archangel, Casanova and The Virgin Queen, which were all co-productions with the BBC.

Announcing the project, Justin Bodle said: “After three successful years producing high end quality television drama for the global TV market, the move into feature films was a natural one for Power.

“Flood is a very ambitious project based on our capital city being hit by the catastrophic flooding predicted by scientists. It is highly topical with global warming and rising sea levels creating a real threat to London. It is a very fast moving thriller and we are delighted to have so much great talent attached.”

Timely yet terrifying, Flood predicts the unthinkable. When a raging storm coincides with high seas it unleashes a colossal surge, which travels mercilessly down England’s East Coast and into the River Thames. Overwhelming the Barrier, torrents of water pour into the city. The lives of millions of Londoners are at stake. Top marine engineers and barrier experts Rob, his ex-wife Sam and his father Leonard Morrison, have only a few hours to save the city from total devastation. A real probability in a real location. It is not a question of if, but when, London floods.

The cast includes Robert Carlyle who came to prominence for his role of Begbie in Danny Boyle’s Trainspotting. He won a BAFTA award for his role in 1997’s The Full Monty and has since featured in productions including The 51st State, Angela’s Ashes and The World is Not Enough.

Jessalyn Gilsig is best known for her role of Gina Russo in the hit TV series Nip/Tuck. Tom Courtenay won a BAFTA award for his role in The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner, a Golden Globe and Academy Award nomination for The Dresser and an Academy Award nomination for Doctor Zhivago. His distinguished list of credits also includes Nicholas Nickleby and Last Orders. David Suchet (Poirot, The Way We Live Now, Get Carman) also stars alongside Joanne Whalley, Nigel Planer and Tom Hardy.

The director is Tony Mitchell who is making his feature film directorial debut following highly acclaimed drama-documentaries which include Supervolcano and Ancient Egyptians, which won a BAFTA Award for Best Photography.

The Virgin Atlantic Airways Love Story commercial directed by Greg Gray of Velocity Films for Net#work BBDO has been nominated as the best international television commercial worldwide.

The survey was carried out by leading UK publication Campaign magazine for commercials outside of the UK and features Virgin as the number one spot in a list of the Top 10 Best International TV ads.

In addition, Virgin Love Story has also been named in the recently published annual Gunn Report as being one of the Top 50 commercials worldwide. The Gunn Report is the definitive annual rankings guide based solely on poin ts gained from wins at the world’s most important awards contests such as Cannes Lions, Clios, One Show and Loeries. “Thus upon the totality of votes and decisions of nearly 500 of the top advertising men and women of our day, all around the world.”

Virgin Love Story won at the Cannes Lions, Clios and One Show awards in 2005 as well as walking away with the coveted Loeries Grand Prix.

Anamazing Workshop and its partners in the Animation Production Training Initiative (APTI), the Department of Arts and Culture, the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), SABC and NEMISA are hosting a world class animation writing workshop in Johannesburg on March 13th and 14th.

Highly regarded animation writers and mentors Penelope Middleboe and Martin Lamb will lead the workshop. Middleboe and Lamb of the UK based company Right Angle have written and script edited around 90 animated films. They work solely in the areas of adaptation and fiction for adult and family audiences and are respected for their work on projects that embrace cultural diversity. They are currently completing the world’s largest co-production, the 39 part series, Animated Tales of the World.

Their works includes the Oscar nominated Canterbury Tales, the Banff winner, Moby Dick and BAFTA winner Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.

The APTI workshop follows on the selection of 16 writers from across the country. These writers had submitted their projects to a national call for 3 minute animation film concepts for children. Intensive script and production development will result in 13 short films due for broadcast and distribution early 2007.

Writers and animation fans keen to develop their animation writing skills are invited to reserve their place for the workshop by contacting cati@anamazing.co.za

Big Momma’s House keeps its hold on the South African box office by retaining top spot for the third week running. Takings thus far are R5 798 076.

The Jane Austen classic romance, Pride & Prejudice, is still at number two, followed by Charlize Theron’s futuristic new release, Aeonflux. Derailed and Fun With Dick and Jane are in fourth and fifth spots respectively. The South African Oscar-nominated Tsotsi is in sixth place, having made R2.5m to date – a terrific result for a local arthouse film.

South Africa features in an article in the 1 March issue of hollywoodreporter.com in which it states that the Oscar-nominated Tsotsi “points the way toward the developing South African film industry, which now isn’t only a host for foreign filmmakers but also has begun to support homegrown projects”.

The article, by Borys Kit, gives a brief history of the SA film industry and quotes Tsotsi director Gavin Hood as saying that “there is a long road ahead” and that there needs to be a greater focus on screenwriting. “The real need we have is to generate more and more trained screenwriters. Without good screenplays, there is no industry,” said Hood.

Kit points out that as in Latin and South American films as Amores Perros, Y Tu Mama Tambien and City of God, Hood and his producers insisted on making a film with dialogue in street slang and no-name actors. Hood is then quoted as saying that it is unlikely that these films would have achieved their commercial and critical success had they been shot in English with international stars.

South Africa features in an article in the 1 March issue of hollywoodreporter.com in which it states that the Oscar-nominated Tsotsi “points the way toward the developing South African film industry, which now isn’t only a host for foreign filmmakers but also has begun to support homegrown projects”.

The article, by Borys Kit, gives a brief history of the SA film industry and quotes Tsotsi director Gavin Hood as saying that “there is a long road ahead” and that there needs to be a greater focus on screenwriting. “The real need we have is to generate more and more trained screenwriters. Without good screenplays, there is no industry,” said Hood.

Kit points out that as in Latin and South American films as Amores Perros, Y Tu Mama Tambien and City of God, Hood and his producers insisted on making a film with dialogue in street slang and no-name actors. Hood is then quoted as saying that it is unlikely that these films would have achieved their commercial and critical success had they been shot in English with international stars.

Ogilvy Johannesburg creative team Karin Barry (art director) and Derek Shevel (copywriter) have won the annual Street Pole Ads Award, for work submitted on behalf of DStv History Channel.

The ads, which literally stopped traffic wherever they were shown, used headlines such as “Mandela arrested in Joburg” and “Prince Charles to Divorce” to capture the attention of passing motorists, only to reveal in the following posters that they were, in fact, advertising the History Channel and its ability to bring history back to life.

The award, which is held annually to recognise creative excellence and the appropriate application of this creativity to the Street Pole medium, is judged by members of the Creative Circle.

Fran Luckin, creative director at Ogilvy Johannesburg and one of the judges on the panel, comments that this particular campaign walked off with the win primarily because it used the medium in an intelligent manner.

“So many of the entries were very gimmicky, and used street pole posters in all the ways we’ve seen before – so there were skinny people hiding behind poles, and scared people climbing up poles. But this particular campaign used the medium in a fresh way – not only taking advantage of its similarity to newspaper hoardings, but also of the consecutive run of posters to allow a reveal. It was really intellectually rewarding.”

The winning team will wing their way to the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival in 2006, courtesy of Street Pole Ads, where their work will be entered into the Outdoor category. In addition, to demonstrate their thanks to the winning client for their support of the medium, Street Pole Ads has presented DSTV with space to the value of R100 000 for their next campaign.

Other judges on the Street Pole Ads Award judging panel included: Asheen Naidu (Net#work BBDO), Brett Morris (FCB), Festus Masekwameng (TBWA Hunt Lascaris), John Davenport (Ireland-Davenport) and Mike Barnwell (Grey Worldwide).

MOONDANCE 2006
Info, guidelines and entry forms are available on the website now.
Click Here for Details! Moondance info at: www.moondancefilmfestival.com

MOONDANCE FILM FESTIVAL DATES: JUNE 9-11, 2006

LOCATION: RALEIGH STUDIOS, HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA

Hollywood: A Marvelous Town for a Moondance!

Yes! Moondance is moving to Hollywood for 2006 (and beyond), to the Raleigh Studios, our new film festival venue, which will accommodate our ever-popular, growing and expanding film festival. The Los Angeles-area venue will give festival attendees the opportunity to more easily get exposure for your work and make contact with the film industry movers and shakers: agents, producers, distributors, directors, actors, studios and production companies, while attending the Moondance. The Moondance office will remain in Boulder.

THE MOVIE IS ONLY THE BEGINNING! Moondance International Film Festival?s primary goal is to present films and scripts which have the power to raise awareness about vital social issues, educating writers and filmmakers, as well as our film festival audiences, and inspiring them to take positive action. Through meaningful films, we begin to realize that our routine perspectives can give way to new ways of seeing the world, ourselves and others. Moondance believes in the unique power of the world entertainment media to create great social and environmental change. Our goal is to deliver compelling entertainment that will inspire and encourage people to actively get involved in the issues that affect all of us.

THE FILM FESTIVAL: The Moondance International Film Festival, popularly known as the “American Cannes”, is one of the premier venues for the exhibition and promotion of feature and short films in the US, and one of the leading indie film festivals in the world. Dedicated to celebrating and sharing with international audiences the absolute best in the world of films and screenplays, film scores, and some 25 other genres, the festival features special presentations, retrospectives, workshops, pitch panels, a gala awards reception and ceremony, and many of the world?s top indie film screenings.

MOONDANCE BENEFITS: Here’s what you can get by participating in the Moondance: promotion and exposure of your work on an international level; a forum in which to share your knowledge, experience and talents with your peers; an opportunity to network with professional movers and shakers from Hollywood; learn something new and valuable; and get some great pointers on advancing your own entertainment industry career, in this professional, world-class forum. Moondancers are part of an amazing community; a unique collaboration of multi-talented writers and filmmakers.

OUR OBJECTIVE for this competition and film festival is to promote and encourage independent filmmakers, screenwriters and playwrights, and the best work in films, screenplays, stageplays, TV scripts, radioplays, film scores, lyrics, librettos, musical videos, & short stories.

INTERNATIONAL INDUSTRY FORUM: Moondance provides a forum in which those creative, talented & dedicated artists can have the opportunity for their work to be viewed and accepted by the powers that be, within the international film and entertainment community. The Moondance film festival offers everyone a unique opportunity to come together with other writers, directors and producers to create new opportunities, develop tools for success and forge new alliances within the international film and entertainment industry.

INTERNATIONAL PARTICIPANTS at the Moondance film festivals come from Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Costa Rica, Denmark, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, India, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, Latvia, Mexico, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Palestine, Philippines, Portugal, Russia, Singapore, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, UK, Uruguay, Viet Nam, and other countries!

OUR MISSION: Moondance promotes, encourages, educates and rewards non-violent conflict resolution in writing, the theatre arts & film. Moondance also promises to raise awareness of the invaluable contributions of women to the entertainment community, and to encourage environmental conservation & protection.

OUR REPUTATION: We are eager to continue to be one of the most important film festivals in the world by being innovative, risk-taking, and open to new thinking, new concepts, new talent, and new ways of telling stories.

OUR VISION: The long-term vision of the Moondance International Film Festival is to preserve and revitalize our intangible heritage, cultivate creative diversity, develop an intercultural dialogue, and stimulate this creative resource in screenwriting and film. Our mission is to present a vibrant and growing collection of films, screenplays, short stories, stageplays and other writings, which are an ideal means for communication across perceived boundaries of race, culture, age and gender.

FIRST-LOOK OPPORTUNITIES: Many top-of-the-line film and television production companies, based in L.A. and internationally, ask to be notified of the Moondance winners and finalists each year, before the winners are publicly announced, to guarantee their companies get a first look at the scripts & films. Moondance gets calls from other important production companies throughout the year, and we make sure the winners’ and finalists’ work and contact information is available to all legitimate, interested parties.

Moondance is proud to be a founding member of Without a Box, the premiere film festival submissions website.

Visit the website at: www.withoutabox.com

2006 MOONDANCE COMPETITION CATEGORIES:
> Feature Screenplays > Short Screenplays
> Stage Plays > Screenplays For Children’s Films
> Short Stories > Short Stories For Children
> Feature Films > Children’s Films
> Short Films > Animation Films
> Documentary Films > Multi Media Films
> Environmental Films > Music Videos
> TV Pilots > TV MOWs
> Libretti > FilmScores
> Radio Plays > Short Films By 18 & Under Filmmakers
> Short Screenplays By 18 & Under Writers

Thanks a million to all the many talented filmmakers, writers and composers who have already submitted their work to the 2006 Moondance competition! We’re inspired by your creativity, skill and vision, and are grateful for the overwhelming support of the writers and filmmakers who have become Moondancers over the years.

FOREIGN-LANGUAGE SCREENPLAYS:
If you would like to submit your screenplay in Italian, Dutch, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Africaans, or French to the Moondance competition, please contact Elizabeth English at: moondanceff@aol.com, with MIFF FOREIGN LANGUAGE in the subject line, and you will receive special instructions for sending your Moondance screenplay submission to one of our professional readers. Foreign-language scripts are judged equally with English-language scripts and there is no extra fee for this service.

2006 FESTIVAL SEEKS SPONSORS!
CORPORATE & INDIVIDUAL SPONSORSHIPS:
Moondance International Film Festival is offering the opportunity for corporate and individual sponsorship and co-funding of the 2006 film festival. Your name or company name and your sponsorship of the Moondance International Film Festival will be acknowledged and appreciated by entrants, festival attendees and audiences. Your logo and web link will appear prominently in the Moondance publicity, advertisements, festival program and newspaper articles, on our website, and in all media, television interviews and other means of public announcement, before, during and after the festival. We are now accepting applications to sponsor the Moondance International Film Festival with individual and corporate donations of funding &/or goods and services, special prizes and awards for winners of the festival, sponsoring screenings and parties, and for general and administrative expenses. Please contact Festival Director Elizabeth English at: info@moondancefilmfestival.com, with MIFF SPONSOR in the subject line.

Longtime corporate sponsors of Moondance are: FINAL DRAFT, INKTIP.COM, MOVIEBYTES.COM, CELESTIAL SEASONINGS, ELDORADO SPRINGS NATURAL SPRING WATER, STARBUCKS, WRITERS GUILD OF AMERICA (West), and Francis Ford Coppola’s ZOETROPE ALL-STORY literary magazine.

FESTIVAL INTERNS & VOLUNTEERS:
Moondance seeks local Los Angeles-area unpaid interns and volunteers for film festival assistance. Must have some prior film festival work experience, a knack for problem-solving, a people-friendly, professional and positive attitude, and a desire to learn. Includes general pre- and post-festival work and assisting the director and festival staff, PR & marketing, film coordination, filing, and general festival assistance. Interns and volunteers receive school credit for work, and free passes to attend the film festival, based on hours worked. Please contact Festival Director Elizabeth English at: info@moondancefilmfestival.com, with MIFF VOLUNTEER in the subject line.

MOONDANCE NEWS:

An independent English brewery, TRIPLE FFF BREWING COMPANY LTD.’s best-selling beer is called ‘Moondance’! The brewery has offered to supply Moondance Film Festival with their very special beer, which has won the prestigious award for being champion bitter of Britain. This would be the first time the “Moondance” beer would appear in the US!

The gala Moondance Wrap Party, Sunday, June 11, 10:PM-midnight, will be a benefit event for the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, CA.

MOONDANCERS WRITE US:

I am so moved by your newsletter. It really contains the essence of what you have been working so hard towards, never wavering in your courage and vision. And I am also excited to see about the SoundPost music sponsorship. At any rate, your newsletter is so exciting I just had to let you know what an inspiration you continue to be in my life.
– Rosalee Mayeux, Moondance short story & Columbine Award winner for Coyote Nights

I had my screenplay, Reviving Holiday, optioned last year by a Hollywood producer. It had placed as a semi-finalist at Moondance in the feature screenplay category… it was great to have it optioned.
– Gena Ellis

I have been keeping up with Moondance’s goings on from afar, and happily watched as it grew. I have vowed to make it to this year’s fest- I see that you are headed to Hollywood, and I am all for it and I still am intent on getting there. Moondance’s mission and goals are so in line with my next film project, AGAINST ALL THE ODDS, (and) when finished, I will of course send it to you for submission in the fest. As always, I thank you for your support – you gave me the boost I so desperately needed at a very important time in my life – and I love you for that.
– Sandra Pfeifer, Moondance documentary film winner

Congratulations on Moondance’s Hollywood debut. It’s sad not to have it in beautiful Boulder and gorgeous Chautauqua Park, but then its a lot more advantageous for the filmmakers and writers to have access to Hollywood’s resources.
– Beverly Brooks, NYC, Moondance volunteer

An update on some of our short film, “Confessions of a Late Bloomer”‘s successes since we entered your film festival: Most recently, we were honored with a Zoom-In Award for Best Student Editing that was presented to us by none other than the great Dede Allen at a super cool ceremony in New York last weekend.And our wonderful actors are having success as well. Our lead, Tylor Chase, has since gone on to play on the hit TV show “Everybody Hates Chris” and our female lead, Christina Stacey, just wrapped filming on a feature in which she stars Lucy Lui’s little sister. Film Threat gives Confessions of a Late Bloomer Three Stars!
– Jen McGowan, co-director

THOUGHTS FOR THE DAY:

If I accept you as you are, I will make you worse; however, if I treat you as though you are what you are capable of becoming, I help you become that.
– Goethe

While you are dreaming of the future or regretting the past, the present, which is all you have, slips away from you and is gone.
– Hilaire Belloc. 1870-1953, UK writer, poet, nicknamed “Old Thunder”

Mankind staggers through life yapped at by reason, pulled and shoved by appetites, whispered to by fears, and beckoned by hopes.
– Eric Hoffer, American writer

MOONDANCE 2006:
Info, guidelines and entry forms are available on the website now:
Click Here for Details!

REMINDER:
The final deadline for submissions is postmark April 1, 2006
(The submissions period will NOT be extended!)

IMPORTANT: If you’d like to be on the mailing list, or want to unsubscribe, please let us know. If you add a spam-blocker, be sure to add moondanceff@aol.com & moondance@nndmail.com to your list of email addresses from which you’ll accept mail! Always remember to type MIFF or MOONDANCE in the subject line, if you email us, or your email will probably be deleted as unrecognized spam.

After four weeks, South African drama, Tsotsi, has grossed over R2, 5 million on the local circuit, outperforming comparative films, such as Whale Rider, Hotel Rwanda and Yesterday.

Tsotsi maintained its position on the SA Top 10, and has held onto its number 3 position on the Cinema Nouveau screened by Jamesons Top 10 for three consecutive weeks.

The best performing site continues to be Ster-Kinekor’s Sterland cinema in Pretoria, where more than 10 000 people a week are coming through the doors to see Tsotsi. Actors Presley Chweneyagae and Zenzo Ngqobe recently spent a day at the cinema where they met and spent time with fans.

Miramax released Tsotsi in the United States this past weekend (24 February 2006) and the UK release is scheduled for mid March 2006.

Tsotsi was the first South African film to receive a Golden Globe and two Bafta nominations.

With the Academy Award nomination in the Best Foreign Language Film category, all of South Africa is now holding its breath in anticipation of bringing home another golden statuette on 5 March 2006.

The Academy Awards ceremony will be broadcast live at Emperors Palace
Monsoon Lagoon on 6 March from 3:00am. Listen to YFM for further details on the broadcast, or send an e-mail to Tsotsi@gmail.com if you would like to attend.

The film is distributed in South Africa by Ster-Kinekor Distribution and is supported by KFC, SABC Corporate Marketing, YFM, The Sowetan, Sunday World, Primedia, and the Johannesburg Metropolitan Council and Emperor’s Palace.

The phenomenon of product placement is becoming a new avenue for raising production finance and it will be interesting to observe how Darrell Roodt has incorporated various products in his new feature film Number 10, which opens countrywide on 7 April.

CineMARK, the cinema advertising sales company responsible for the advertising sales for Ster-Kinekor cinemas, secured Nashua Mobile, Mecer, SAA, Replay and Clean and Clear, to come on board with product placement in Number 10.

“It’s great to see that local companies are beginning to support films in this way. The most exciting development though is a retail partnership with Spur, it’s a first for a local film from our stable. The NUMBER 10 cast will be appearing in a Spur advertisement shortly,” says Helen Kuun, marketing manager, local content, at Ster-Kinekor Distribution.

Number 10 is also supported by AMD, EMI, MonteCasino, SAA, Replay, Mazda, Primedia Broadcasting, Megapro, Commutanet, and Primedia Outdoor.

Number 10 is a romantic drama about a provincial rugby player who strives to earn a place on the national team. In the lead is Colin Moss, described by the film’s producer Anton Ernst as having the perfect combination of good looks and boyish charm. “As an accomplished actor, Colin brings a great level of depth and intensity to the role, enabling the audience to share in the joys, setbacks and pressures that James, his character, experiences,” says Ernst.

Moss is a seasoned entertainer. A presenter of Idols and Fear Factor, he also appeared in the teen comedy CRAZY MONKEY. This will be his first leading role in a film.

Kwaito star Mandoza, one of the biggest names on the local music scene, makes his acting debut in Number 10, and also features on the soundtrack. Ian Roberts takes on the role of James’s estranged father Marius, with whom he has a difficult relationship. Jenna Dover and Shannon Ezra play the love interests in the film.
To ensure authenticity, rugby hero Naas Botha provided technical advice on the film.

Darrell Roodt has directed some of South Africa’s top films, including Yesterday which was nominated for Best Foreign Language film at the 2005 Academy Awards, Cry, The Beloved Country, Sarafina and The Stick.

The film is backed by a bumper 20-track strong soundtrack featuring the music of Karen Zoid, Watershed, Mandoza, Steve Hofmeyer, and a rock ballad by Colin Moss himself called “Give it a try”.

The film will be distributed in South Africa by Ster-Kinekor Distribution, a division of Ster-Kinekor (Pty) Ltd.