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Meerkat Maantuig trailer

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<em>Meerkat Maantuig</em> trailer

The film Meerkat Maantuig, to be released nationwide in South Africa on 16 March 2018, has already been accepted to screen at eight international film festivals.

The film’s writer and director, Hanneke Schutte, used the youth novella Blinde Sambok by well-known South African writer Riana Scheepers, as a point of departure and transformed it into a cinematic story set in the wonderful woods of Magoebaskloof in South Africa.

The film tells the story of Gideonette de la Rey, a frightened 13-year-old girl who believes in her family’s generational curse and is convinced she is next in line to die a premature death. Scared and desperate, she’s not able to escape from this story which has defined her reality. Finally, it’s only by facing her fears that she can overcome them.

The local premiere for Meerkat Maantuig took place at the annual Silwerskerm Fees in Camps Bay, Cape Town in 2017 where the film was nominated for Best Cinematography, Best Production Design and Best Director. The cinematographer Willie Nel walked away with the prize for Best Cinematography.

In November 2017 Meerkat Maantuig had its North American premiere at the prestigious Austin Film Festival in Texas. Director Hanneke Schutte attended the festival and she was overwhelmed by the positive response. The film garnered so much attention at the festival that it was given an additional encore Buzz screening.

Meerkat Maantuig was also listed as the number one film on US film festival critic Jesse Knight’s list of Top 10 Undistributed Films in the US. 

The film has also landed on US Film Bloggers Bill and Bill Movies’ list of top films of 2017 alongside an impressive list of blockbusters and Oscar nominees.

The film has been officially selected by a list of prestigious international film festivals including the Austin Film Festival, Oxford Film Festival, Sedona Film Festival in Arizona, The Kids First Film Festival (the biggest kids’ film festival in the world), The Bay Area Children’s Festival outside San Francisco, Omaha Film Festival, Nebraska, Calcutta International Cult Film Festival and the GUKIFF International Kids Film Festival, Seoul, Korea.

Meerkat Maantuig, a film by The Film Factory, is produced by André and Dries Scholtz, and has been adapted for the screen by writer and director Hanneke Schutte. The film is distributed by Ster-Kinekor Entertainment and will screen from 16 March 2018 countrywide in theatres. Rooi Rose is the proud media partner of the film.

Nommer 37 set for its World Premiere in Texas

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<em>Nommer 37</em> set for its World Premiere in Texas

Nommer 37, produced by Gambit Films, is heading for the international big screen and is set for its World Premiere at the SXSW (South by South West) Film Festival, in Texas, during the week of 9 to 16 March 2018.

The film is one of only 44 films, by first-time filmmakers, that were included from the 8 160 submissions they have had from across the world. The short film version of this gripping tale has already won a SAFTA Award in 2016 for Best Short Film and promises to continue making waves in the film industry – both locally and abroad.

“With a title like Nommer 37 and set in a fictional Cape Flats area, you would think that this is a film about gangsters – it’s not. What it is, is an out-and-out crime thriller that tightens the screws of tension with every minute. It’s about everything that could go wrong for a couple when depression, curiosity, greed, fear and horrific bad decision-making collide,” says director and writer Nosipho Dumisa about her debut feature film. Originally from Durban but based in Cape Town, Dumisa has directed countless commercials, television pilots, reality TV pilots, lifestyle shows and short films. She has recently directed two episodes of danZ, featured on kykNET & Kie, and is also one of the producers of the hit kykNET soap opera, Suidooster.

Set in Haven Mansions, a fictional block of apartments in Dumisa’s imagined suburb of the Cape Flats, Nommer 37 looks through the eyes of a former petty criminal, who has been spat out by the very world he once thrived in and left to observe it from the outside.

“Having grown up watching genre films like thrillers, horrors, action and romance, it was exciting to work on a film that unapologetically explored important themes that confront us as a society today, through equally unapologetic entertainment,” Dumisa says.

Entrapped in his apartment, Randal Hendricks (Irshaad Ally), a recent paraplegic, is given a gift of binoculars by his devoted girlfriend, Pam (Monique Rockman). But he is in financial debt to Emmie (Danny Ross), a sadistic loan shark, and when he witnesses a powerful gangster, named Lawyer (David Manuel), commit murder while observing his neighbours through his binoculars, he initiates a dangerous blackmail scheme in an attempt to settle his debt. With deception and greed around every corner, what follows is a thrilling ride that puts both their lives in mortal danger… as the world around Randal deteriorates further and further into chaos.

Irshaad Ally, who is best-known as Rhafiek in Suidooster and Gasant in Four Corners, is thrilled about starring in the film. “I have been involved with this project since we made the short film in 2014 and it has faced a lot of obstacles since then. Now, four years later, the feature film is being released and the joy is inexplicable,” he shares. About playing Randal, he adds: “I have a brother-in-law who is a paraplegic. I’ve lived with him through his depression and wanting to leave my sister just like Randal wanted to leave Pam. He has many friends who’ve become part of our family. A rowdy, foulmouthed bunch of wheelchair-bound guys who are like my older brothers. I sat them down and asked intimate questions about what it felt like being a disabled man and it was met with tears and laughter. So that’s how I prepped (for the role) basically. It was both a wonderful and terrible experience, but I’ll do it all over again because I learnt so much. I absolutely loved being directed by Nosipho!”

The story, mainly told from Randal’s apartment until the detective shows up, is cleverly constructed to highlight and maintain suspense and an aura of dysfunction throughout the film. It also boasts a very talented cast, including an impressive performance by Monique Rockman, who makes her big screen debut as leading lady, Pam. Sandi Schultz (Binnelanders, Noem My Skollie), Deon Lotz (Hansie, Faan se Trein), Elton Landrew (Die ek, Anna, Dryfsand, 7de Laan), Ephraim Gordon (Class Act), Danny Ross (Broken Vows, Suidooster), David Manuel (The Outsiders, Noem My Skollie), and Amrain Ismail-Essop (This Life, Forgiveness) can also be seen in the movie.

Nommer 37 is a thrilling big-screen cinematic experience that will keep viewers on the edge of their seats until the credits start rolling. “My hope is that this film will be seen by all South Africans because the story is so universal and relatable, whilst giving us a peek into a world that’s familiar to some but unknown by most through the lens of a voyeur. By the time the audience walks out of the cinema, they will have been thoroughly entertained, surprised and quite possibly (though questionable) looking to buy a pair of binoculars,” Nosipho concludes.

This Gambit Films Production was produced in association with kykNET Films, M-Net and the DTI. The film will be distributed by Ster Kinekor Entertainment locally and by XYZ Films internationally. Nommer 37 will be in local cinemas on 1 June 2018.

Africanews launches its App for Android

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Africanews launches its App for Android

Africanews free app allows Android device users to access the latest Pan-African and international news everywhere, anytime.

The app also provides two special features such as the OFFLINE mode and the DATA SAVING option, both of which can be combined to keep you informed without an internet connection or to save money on the internet bundle.

A leading multilingual and Pan-African news outlet, Africanews is now available to all device mobile owners through its apps designed to run on iOS and Android.

All users in Africa or in the world, can use their smartphone or tablet, to follow the information prepared by Africanews Editorial from Pointe-Noire. These users join the digital community who already follow Africanews in French or English, via its website www.africanews.com , its YouTube channels and its Facebook and Twitter accounts @africanews.

Previously available for free on the AppStore for six months, Africanews application is now available on Google Play in French and in English.

The Africanews app offers to all users of Android devices, free access to all news from the African continent through reports and magazines published on the website africanews.com, as well as all programs and live TV.

Africanews app is available for free on Google Play in both English and French languages. To download the application, click here.

Zulu Wedding release date postponed

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<em>Zulu Wedding</em> release date postponed

There is good news, and bad news for fans who have been looking forward to director and producer, Lineo Sekeleoane’s much-anticipated rom-com, Zulu Wedding.

It has been announced that the film, initially scheduled for release later this month, will now only premiere on 20 April 2018.

Sekeleoane explains: “While we were extremely excited about the February release date, several new ideas started to take shape in recent months and we needed time to mobilise the right people to launch these initiatives. As such, we had no choice but to move the release date to April.”

The first of these initiatives is that instead of only showing the film locally, Zulu Wedding will be released simultaneously throughout Africa, with VIP screenings in several countries.

“We are currently working on a surprise screening in Los Angeles, but our goal is to tour the African continent with Zulu Wedding and premiere it in as many countries as possible,” says Sekeleoane.

“With the support of our funders, Tsoga Afrika Lifestyle, we will also be launching a pop-up cinema campaign to ensure that people in rural and low access township areas will be able to watch the film. This is aimed at starting new township economies that will rebuild the ‘bioscope’ moviegoing culture that was so popular in the townships during the 1980s,” she adds.

Furthermore, inspired by Casper Nyovest’s Fill up the Dome, the team behind Zulu Wedding is hoping to sell 1 million tickets for the film – a goal that will be driven by the #1MillionTicketsSoldforZuluWedding social media campaign.

All these initiatives will be supported by a star-studded soundtrack, curated by DJ Maphorisa and featuring Afrotainment’s Tira and Prince Bulo, Kelly Khumalo, Goapele, Shekhinah and JR, among others.

Watch the Zulu Wedding trailer here.

ELEMENTS to implement Veritone AI functionality in media storage and server solutions

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ELEMENTS to implement Veritone AI functionality in media storage and server solutions

ELEMENTS, the developer of advanced solutions for unrestricted collaboration in shared media workflows, is releasing a ground-breaking new option to its Media Library at NAB 2018. Beyond managing, sharing, and annotating media assets, the highly-efficient MAM is now capable of analysing, dissecting, and indexing video and audio assets through automated monitoring utilising cognitive Artificial Intelligence (AI) engines. ELEMENTS, a first-time exhibitor at NAB, will demonstrate the AI functionality on Booth #SL14508 throughout the show.

ELEMENTS has developed and configured an interface that unlocks the power of a multitude of recognition engines, based on Veritone, to detect faces, objects, logos and much more. Even automatic speech-to-text transcriptions are possible, which enables the user to search assets stored on the central media storage in the most productive and intuitive way. Without the need for manual tagging and logging, the AI accessible through ELEMENTS Media Library indexes the media assets automatically.

“We are genuinely excited to unleash this revolutionising feature,” says André Kamps, CEO of ELEMENTS. “This is a game-changer not only in terms of accuracy and diversity of meta-tags attached to the media assets but also regarding the speed. Every frame of video and audio is analysed and indexed automatically, adding meta-data to the files that human beings had to spend many hours to achieve the same level of tagging assets.”

A truly unique differentiator: ELEMENTS AI functionality is accessible directly through Adobe Premiere; hence, editors can leverage the full spectrum of benefits by searching ELEMENTS Media Library directly from the Premiere workstation, without using a separate browser.

ELEMENTS’ entire range of media storage and server appliances will be demonstrated for the first time at NAB (booth# SL14508). Visitors can experience the full set of workflow enhancement tools embedded in every ELEMENTS appliance, including the Media Library that incorporates many one-of-a-kind features, including an embedded media player that can playback up to four videos simultaneously – selectively synchronous and asynchronous, allowing comparison of four editing versions concurrently. The Media Library also contains a Rough-Cut Editor comparable to other professional editing tools that cover a spectrum of editing rough-cut functionalities. In addition, the Media Library editor enhances and simplifies approval and communication processes during projects by allowing for frame-accurate comments and even drawings on the source material to indicate areas of interest.

 

 

Film and Publication Board to destroy confiscated illegal DVDs in Cape Town

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Film and Publication Board to destroy confiscated illegal DVDs in Cape Town

The Film and Publication Board’s (FPB) Cape Town regional office in partnership with the South African Police Services, City of Cape Town Informal Traders Unit, City of Cape Town (Economic Development) and Cape Town Metro Police will on Thursday, 8 February destroy close to 65 000 DVDs and CDs estimated to be collectively worth at more than R12 million. The material to be destructed was seized at various raids conducted by the FPB Cape Town compliance monitoring team in conjunction with the Law Enforcement Agencies officers and it contains over 110 000 film titles.

The DVDs earmarked for destruction are from exhibits of concluded court cases from raids  conducted in Cape Town CBD, Bellville, Kuilsriver, Mitchells Plain, Khayelitsha, Wynberg and Athlone. Majority of the confiscated material comes from Cape Town CBD, Bellville and Khayelitsha area and consists of international series and mainstream movies.

“The destruction process is conducted purely to prevent the confiscated DVD’s and CD’s in finding their way back to the market. Most of the confiscated material was unclassified and contained pornographic material as well as bestiality which were sold on the streets and taxi ranks and carries the risk of exposing children to harmful material,”  says Sandile Nene, FPB’s acting chief executive officer.

He continues to say, “The impact of illegal distribution of DVDs and CDs is a scourge that negatively impacts on the industry as well as the economy of the country. Piracy peddlers steal intellectual property; they steal revenue due to destitute families by depriving them of royalties. People lose their jobs as more DVD shops close due to poor business.”

The Films and Publications Act 65 of 1996, as amended (Act) prohibits the distribution of unclassified films and games.  The Act further requires the classification decisions to be clearly and conspicuously displayed, the failure of which could render one liable upon prosecution to a period of imprisonment of up to six months, a fine or both.

The FPB values partnerships with various stakeholders in the industry including the general public in order to ensure the protection of children against the distribution or viewing of potential harmful, disturbing or inappropriate material.

The FPB is constantly conducting outreach and awareness campaigns with an intention to educate the public on, among other things, the significance of age ratings, a process informed by the classification process. The FPB has also developed a training manual that is aimed at informing educators, who will in turn impart knowledge to the learners. By engaging in these efforts the ultimate aim of the FPB is to create a self regulating society that understands the impact of illegal distribution on the society and the country at large

 

 

Times Media Films re-branded to Empire Entertainment

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Times Media Films re-branded to Empire Entertainment

Times Media Films, a leading film distributor in South Africa and equally, a key distributor across Africa, announced that it has re-branded to Empire Entertainment – a division of The Tiso Blackstar Group. As a collector of both local and international films, the business is committed to releasing the latest films to South African audiences and beyond. Empire Entertainment is the proud custodian for prestigious international film studios Warner Bros. Pictures International and 20th Century Fox, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) and boasts the largest collection of leading Independent films, acquired from studios such as Lionsgate, STX, Amblin Entertainment, Studio Canal, Participant Media and many more.

The name change reflects a new chapter in movie distribution on the African continent, moving beyond borders and beyond screens. Their mission is to bring the best of international entertainment to Africa and share authentic African stories with the world.

“Since the company started more than 25 years ago, we have placed great value in premium content and will continue to share this with an even wider audience,” said Cameron Hogg, commercial executive for Empire Entertainment.   “We believe that the new name is testament to this vision,”

Empire Entertainment has major plans for the future, especially considering the properties it will be releasing this year including Tomb Raider with Alicia Vikander, which was shot in South Africa last year, Gringo starring homegrown talent Charlize Theron and Sharlto Copley alongside David Oyelowo, Amanda Seyfried and Joel Edgerton as well as the much-anticipated sequel to Deadpool from the X-Men franchise, Deadpool 2.

Apart from this, Empire Entertainment is also exploring the future of entertainment in Africa and how it can continue to share the best in local and international content with today’s audiences.   The company distributes its independently acquired content into Southern Africa (Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia), West Africa (Nigeria and Ghana), East Africa (Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Zambia) as well as Seychelles.

Empire Entertainment is a division of the Tiso Blackstar Group.

 

 

 

Tedial appointments Brian Hamblinas director in its global expansion strategy

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Tedial appointments Brian Hamblinas director in its global expansion strategy

Tedial, the leading independent MAM technology solutions specialist, has appointed Brian Hamblin as director of Media Architecture.

Hamblin, based in Los Angeles, will be responsible for defining solution guidelines to fulfil customer business requirements, and educating customers in the use of best-practices for broadcast and media operation/workflows. As an experienced post-production executive, he will guide and align Tedial’s solutions and roadmap according to new market trends and technology evolution.

Prior to joining Tedial, Hamblin held the position of director of Engineering at 20th Century Fox Film. There he led a cross-functional team of systems, video, and sound engineers responsible for supporting a broad range of the studio’s post-production and digital supply chain services and for implementing new technologies and solutions. Earlier in his career, he held leadership positions in post-production for feature films, television, and visual effects.

“It’s great to join the innovative Tedial team at this exciting time in the company’s development,” says Hamblin. “Tedial has been instrumental in delivering state-of-the-art MAM solutions to the media and entertainment industry and I look forward to helping the team further develop strategies as the company continues to expand.”

Esther Mesas, Tedial’s chief sales officer/chief marketing officer adds, “Brian’s extensive experience working with top studios and facilities in Hollywood makes him ideally suited to support our growing media and entertainment customer base. His appointment will enable us to further expand in the US, building on our strong contacts and best business practices.”

 

Rushworks’ NAB 2018 line-up

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Rushworks’ NAB 2018 line-up

Rushworks, provider of technology for production, playback and streaming since 2001, will demonstate a line-up of “K.I.S.S.” solutions at NAB 2018. Each product focuses on the company’s mission to “Keep It Super Simple”, combining powerful but simple to use feature sets and functionality that insure high-quality production for TV, radio and Internet – on a budget that virtually anyone can afford.

Comprising the show line-up of new, upgraded and enhanced products are: A-LIST Streamster, Rushworks new IP only automation system; the three-in-one multi-function video camera; an expanded PTX universal PanTilt head series;  RUSHDOLLY, a tiny but versatile track dolly; VDEPO video deposition recording system, and VDESK robotic camera video production system for television and radio.

“At this year’s NAB we have two clear messages for attendees,” says Rush Beesley, Rushworks president. “One is that Rushworks is the very definition of different, with unique technology that empowers a single operator to create sophisticated multi-camera video productions with no compromise in technical or production value. Second, we ‘Keep It Super Simple’, meaning it’s all so user-friendly that even non-techies can operate it. Our gear can literally go from broadcast to boardroom, classroom to congregation and always deliver quality beyond expectations with minimal operator involvement.”

Some Rushworks NAB highlights:

A-LIST Streamster

Recognising the dramatic increase in demand for OTT content management and distribution, Rushworks has created an “IP only” configuration of its industry-leading A-LIST Broadcast Automation System. The tiny form factor supports URL and NDI input and output, making this scheduling and playback engine the technology of choice for Internet TV stations.

 

PTX Universal PanTilt Heads

These unique pan and tilt heads, available in two sizes, provide a new dimension of production functionality and versatility. Using VISCA and DMX controllers with your favorite camera or camcorder, remotely control most camera operations with cameras from AJA, ARRI, Blackmagic, Canon, Datavideo, JVC, Marshall, Panasonic, RED, Sony and others.

RUSHDOLLY for PTZ & PTX Production

RUSHDOLLY is a tiny but versatile track dolly designed to interface with PTZ and PTX cameras for creating scripted, multi-dimensional moves that integrate all motion axes into shots. RUSHDOLLY, equally at home on the floor or suspended, can creep or maintain a walking pace in the studio or on location, with super simple software for preset creation and speed-defined transitions.

VDEPO Video Deposition Recording System

VDEPO meets the needs of those specialising in the production of on-location video depositions. Lightweight and small, it’s optimised for quick setup and noiseless touch-screen operation. It has four inputs, supports Picture-in-Picture (PiP), a graphic and video File Browser with search and playback, and ISO recording of all inputs as well as the switched programme.

 

NBC Olympics selects Harmonic for 2018 Olympic Winter Games

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NBC Olympics selects Harmonic for 2018 Olympic Winter Games

NBC Olympics, a division of the NBC Sports Group, has selected Harmonic to provide MediaGrid shared storage systems and Spectrum MediaDeck integrated media servers for its production of the XXIII Olympic Winter Games, which take place in Pyeongchang, South Korea, from 9 to 25 February. The announcement was made on 8 February by Jim Miles, director of Digital Workflow Systems NBC Olympics, and Tim Warren, the senior vice president of Video Business at Harmonic.

NBC Olympics will use Harmonic solutions for a variety of production applications, including broadcast, on-demand, digital, news operations and long-term archive. Harmonic Spectrum MediaDeck media servers deployed by NBC Olympics in Pyeongchang will enable on-the-fly capture and proxy generation for all incoming materials. Harmonic MediaGrid shared storage systems located inside NBC’s studios at the International Broadcast Center in Pyeongchang, as well as at NBC Olympics’ headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut, will provide centralised shared storage with tremendous bandwidth and capacity.

“For over a decade, Harmonic’s media servers and shared storage systems have been a cornerstone of our content acquisition and production workflow during the Olympics,” said Miles. “During NBC Olympics’ coverage of the Pyeongchang Games, Harmonic equipment will enable us to deliver more content from the host city to multiple linear television channels than any previous Winter Games.”

“With Harmonic infrastructure at the heart of its Olympics production workflow, NBC can deliver content faster, more cost-effectively and to multiple viewing platforms,” said Warren. “As a trusted partner of NBC Olympics, Harmonic is excited to play a role in bringing the Games to viewers across the United States.”

For the production workflow at NBC Olympics, Harmonic MediaDeck media servers will simultaneously record as many as 60 incoming venue feeds, giving NBC personnel at the Stamford facility independent control over 60 additional channels of ingest for locally produced Olympic content. Each recording’s proxy will be replicated in real time on a Harmonic MediaGrid storage system connected via two 10-Gigabit circuits to a second MediaGrid installed at the Stamford facility. In less than a minute, high-res content created on the Pyeongchang MediaGrid system can be replicated on the Stamford MediaGrid system for immediate use in streaming, VOD and traditional broadcast editing.

 

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