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Big Brother Mzansi in the works

Martie Bester
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From January 2014 Big Brother and millions of television viewers will be watching every move of a group of outgoing, house-bound South Africans.

M-Net announced that its local brand, Mzansi Magic, will produce another South African edition of Big Brother, and the show will suitably be called Big Brother Mzansi.

Yolisa Phahle, M-Net’s director of Local Interest Channels, says hosting a reality show of the magnitude of Big Brother is a logical next step for Mzansi Magic. “The multiple requests over the years for another local version of this supernova television show, together with the overwhelming viewer response to Big Brother Africa signaled that it will be a sure-fire hit in our market.

“Adding Big Brother to our varied, increasing portfolio of general entertainment productions – ranging from telenovelas, soaps, lifestyle shows, comedies to reality and drama – consolidates Mzansi Magic’s commitment to bringing the biggest and the best local shows to our viewers. The format is perfectly aligned to our vision which is to produce the most compelling content for audiences when they want it and where they want it,’ she adds.

M-Net and format owner and production company Endemol SA, introduced the concept of reality television to SA audiences in 2001 with the very first 24/7 Big Brother broadcasts in the southern hemisphere. Big Brother and the inhabitants of the specially-built Big Brother House immediately grabbed the imagination of the nation, inspired newspaper headlines and even led to academic thesis and debates.

Then, after a second South African season in 2002, Big Brother ventured into the entire continent, where it continues to create excitement and viewer participation season after season.

Big Brother The Chase, an M-Net AfricaMagic property, is currently captivating viewers across Africa with just under one million unique website visitors; over 1.5 million video views (online); over 30 million page views (online) and more than one million messages to TV in just two weeks.

Big Brother Africa also boasts more than one million likes on Facebook and generates approximately 300 000 tweets per week.

“We are extremely proud of all the Big Brother editions,’ says Endemol SA managing director, Sivan Pillay. “The brand just keeps on growing and each season has had its own charm. We value our longstanding relationship with M-Net as a company and look forward to be collaborating with another channel in its family of brands.’

However, who will present the show? Who can enter? When will the contestants be chosen? How much cash is up for grabs? And what will the theme be?

“This country-specific Big Brother will be filled with twists and turns, just like the Pan-African ones,’ says Pillay. “More will be revealed at a later stage.’

Big Brother Mzansi will be the 11th season produced by companies M-Net and Endemol SA. This includes two seasons of Big Brother South Africa, and eight seasons of Big Brother Africa and Big Brother Nigeria.

Classic viewing on TCM

Martie Bester
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TCM offers viewers diverse options this week. From Judy Garland to Edinburgh’s gritty underbelly, audiences can choose how they want to be entertained.

The channel features Judy Garland in Meet Me in St Louis (1944) on Wednesday 12 June; A Star is Born (1954) screens on Thursday 13 June and In the Good Old Summertime (1949) on Friday 14 June all at 15h00.

Cult classic Trainspotting starring Ewan McGregor (Renton), Ewen Bremner (Spud), Johnny Lee Miller (Sick Boy) and Robert Carlyle (Begbie) screens on Saturday 15 June at 21h00.

Directed by Danny Boyle and based on the novel by Irvine Welsh, this is the redemption tale of Renton who is deeply immersed in the Edinburgh drug scene but desperately wants to escape this existence and his friends’ influence over his life.

FAWA short films at Encounters 2013

Martie Bester
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Filmmakers Against Women Abuse (FAWA) is the South African Documentary Filmmakers Association’s project at Encounters International Film Festival which runs until Sunday 16 June in Johannesburg and Cape Town.

FAWA is an opportunity for filmmakers to use the skills they have to speak out against the continued violence against women. The following films have been selected and are showing at Encounters:

Flashbacks directed by Jessica Vale

Bendu and Olivia’s Story directed by Jessica Vale

Scars directed by Lerato Moloi

See, Speak and Hear No Evil directed by Twiggy Matiwana

Lobola directed by Mbali Mthethwa

Umalume (My Uncle) directed by Nduduzo Shandu

Unlearning Violence directed by Sara Gouveia and Kofi Zwana

In My Footsteps directed by Guy Hubbard

Tumi produced by Community Media Trust

Read more about the films and filmmakers on http://docfilmsa.com/fawa-films-at-encounters/.

SA movie wins at international film fest

Martie Bester
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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

Khumba celebrates world premiere in France

Martie Bester
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Khumba, the second 3D animated feature from South Africa’s Triggerfish Animation Studios, celebrates its world premiere at France’s Annecy International Animation Festival this week.

Jake T. Austin, Laurence Fishburne, AnnaSophia Robb, Liam Neeson and Steve Buscemi voice the film, a coming-of-age comedy adventure about a half-striped zebra’s search for a magical watering hole.

Beverly Hills-based Cinema Management Group, which represents the film in international markets, has closed pre-sales to Mexico (Gussi), Spain (Antonio Llorens’ Lauren Films), Malaysia (Suraya Films), Thailand (Mono Films), Taiwan (Creative Century) and Vietnam (IPA).

Cinema Management Group’s international sales roll-out for Khumba covers 40 distributor deals, said executive producer and CMG president, Edward Noeltner.

Helmed by Anthony Silverston, and written by Silverston, Raffaella Delle Donne and The Lion King co-scribe Jonathan Roberts, Khumba has already pre-sold to Millennium Entertainment for North America and to heavyweight distributors in key territories, such as France’s Metropolitan, the distributors for DreamWorks and Lionsgate and Russia’s Luxor.

Khumba sales come as Adventures in Zambezia 3D, Triggerfish’s first animated feature, has grossed $24.9m worldwide, with France, where Metropolitan releases 14 August, Spain, most of Latin America and China yet to open.

Results make Zambezia the highest-grossing South African films since 1985’s The Gods Must Be Crazy.

Standout results include Bazelevs/All Media’s $5.7m in Russia, $3m for Bloomage in South Korea, $3.3m in Poland, where Zambezia was distributed by kids’ specialist Kino Swiat, eOne’s $3.3m in Benelux and $2.7m for Sony Pictures in Australia.

At a Khumba marketing reception organised by CMG and Triggerfish Animation in Cannes, Kino Swiat and eOne explained the key to their success, “Treat the film like a major movie. If you treat it big, the kids will know it’s a big event movie and will want to go,’ Noeltner said.

He also argued that Zambezia’s setting was a major plus, “One of the taglines distributors had for the film was “Zambezia – somewhere between Rio and Madagascar’. I always said, when selling it, that it was the cheapest ticket you could get to Africa and distributors used that in their marketing as well’.

Part of Khumba’s appeal, Noeltner added, is “the warmth of its colour and lighting scheme which makes Khumba stand out. What Triggerfish has achieved with both films is that they are culturally distinctive from Pixar, Disney or DreamWorks movies but are technically and visually on the same level.’

Silverston, Delle Donne and producer Mike Buckland will talk the audience through the development and production of Khumba on Thursday 13 June at a Feature Films: 4 Case Studies panel at Annecy Film Festival.

MasterChef SA dishes up round 2

Martie Bester
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The much-anticipated second season of MasterChef South Africa shows on M-Net from Tuesday 11 June at 19h30 on DStv Channel 101.

This year the popular cooking reality show will feature an additional weekly episode on Wednesday nights in the same time slot to make extra room for Master Classes, more rewards and guest chefs. For the first time cameras will follow the contestants into the house they share throughout the competition, sharing in new challenges and culinary adventures.

Lani Lombard, head of communications at M-Net says the second season of MasterChef South Africa is bound to be another runaway success.

“The first season of MasterChef South Africa definitely inspired amateur chefs to get more creative. We noticed very early on during the audition phase that the contestants’ standard of cooking was significantly higher this year and because of that, the show provides pressure-cooker entertainment right from the start,” remarks Lombard.

Andrew Atkinson, Benny Masekwameng and Pete Goffe-Wood, the show’s expert panel of judges, resume their positions to decide will become South Africa’s next MasterChef.

Apart from being declared a “master chef’, the winner of MasterChef South Africa Season 2 will receive a cash prize of R400 000 from Robertson’s, a VW Golf 7, a five-night luxurious Maia Luxury Resort & Spa holiday in the Seychelles two, including business class airfares and spending money courtesy of Tsogo Sun, a year’s free shopping at Woolworths valued at R100 000, as well as a year’s supply of wine and a full sommelier course from Nederburg.

Lombard adds: “MasterChef has been created in over 33 countries globally, and brings people of all ages, cultures and backgrounds together as an uplifting and inspiring series to watch. Food unites people and again season two of MasterChef South Africa will celebrate our country’s diverse culinary heritage and influences.’

Visit www.mnet.co.za more information and exclusive behind-the-scenes footage.

Showcasing Sony’s F65 Digital Cinema Camera

Martie Bester
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SCREEN AFRICA EXCLUSIVE: Sony is showcasing its F65 Hollywood Digital Cinema Camera for DoPs and rental houses in South Africa.

The F65 is Sony’s flagship 4K camera and its 20 megapixel 8K sensor is designed for filmmakers who want to shoot at the height of image quality.

“Sony South Africa is pleased to be able to bring the new F65 Digital Cinema Camera rig to demonstrate to the industry,’ says Jess Goedhals, general manager of Sony’s Broadcast and Professional Department.

“The reaction from all attendees has been extremely positive. The main aim of the trip is to showcase the highest end camera technology that Sony has developed ahead of the arrival of the much talked about PMW-F5 and PMW-55,’ adds Goedhals.

Richard Lewis, product specialist for cinematography at Sony Europe says there are more than 30 commercials and feature films currently in production which have shot on the F65, most notably the upcoming sci-fi movie, Oblivion, shot by Joseph Kosinski. After Earth by M. Knight Shyamalan was also shot on the F65.

Report by Martie Bester

Sony’s new uber-thin tablet

Martie Bester
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Sony’s new Xperia Tablet Z measures only 6.9mm that is thinner than the iPad Mini, which already has a tiny “waist line’.

Thinness is of significance in tablets because the thinner the product, the easier it is to hold and the less it weighs – in the Xperia’s case just 485 grams, according to cnet.com.

The Xperia Tablet Z’s specs are:

  • Display: 10.1 inch, 1 920 x 1 200 display
  • Processor: 1.5GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon
  • Broadband: 4G/LTE (supported in Qualcomm silicon)
  • Camera: 8-megapixel with backside illuminated sensor
  • OS: Android 4.1
  • Near Field Communication
  • Thickness / weight: 6.9mm, 485 grams
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