7th Durban FilmMart Full Programme Announced

Media Release

7th Durban FilmMart Full Programme Announced

Durban, South Africa: The 7th Durban FilmMart (DFM), Africa’s premier film finance and co-production forum has announced its full programme for this year’s edition, which takes place at the Tsogo Sun Elangeni Hotel from June 17 to 20 during the Durban International Film Festival.

An insightful industry programme has been scheduled for this year’s DFM, which has as its objective to stimulate the development of project collaboration between African filmmakers in order to kindle the creation of film on the continent and increase the visibility of African cinema on a global platform.

This year’s DFM industry development programme has a strong focus on story development, the essential starting point for any film, and so a number of sessions will delve into topics that will address the subject of “What is an African story and how to sell these African stories”. South African film-makers Junaid Ahmed and Akin Omotoso will share their experiences of developing their latest films – Happiness is a Four Letter Word and Tell Me Sweet Something respectively. United Kingdom-based Selina Ukwuoma, a script consultant who has worked extensively with the likes of Curtis Brown and projects ranging from 2008’s BAFTA winning Boy A to the more recent Teddy and FIPRESCI Prize-winning Hoje Eu Quero Voltar Sozinho will presenting a masterclass on storytelling. South African author and entrepreneur, GG Alcock, will present an unusual Masterclass under the banner of "Authenticity is Key – Building Credibility with Audiences”, where he will talk about the vital necessity of engaging with an audience on their own terms through an authentic understanding of local narratives. Then the Business Model Canvas Programme based on Alex Osterwalder’s book Business Model Generation will demystify the business model design for film which to help businesses to get their first principles right – starting with who their customer might be.

Another key highlight of this year’s industry programme “Packaging for the US Market” with Hollywood producer director Jeff Byrd, a protégé of Spike Lee (Byrd worked on Mo’Better Blues, Jungle Fever and Malcolm X with Lee). Byrd is joined by well-known SA Producer Themba Sibeko Managing Director of Ziya Pictures who has over 25 years of experience in film, television and video and has worked with the likes of Bill Duke (A Rage in Harlem, Deep Cover, Sister Act 2), Danny Glover (Lethal Weapon, The Color Purple), Ruby Dee (American Gangster, Do The Right Thing), and Isaac Hayes (Shaft) to name a few. 

Hot topic at the moment for film-makers is the subject of Virtual Reality and how this will play out in the film space. Leading a workshop on this topic is Ingrid Kopp who is Director of Digital Initiatives at the Tribeca Film Institute in New York City where she overseas the TFI New Media Fund and leads the Institute’s digital and interactive programs including TFI Interactive and the national Tribeca Hacks hackathon programme. 

Todd Brown, founder of the international film website TwitchFilm.com, and director of international programming at Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas, USA, will present a masterclass on “Using Short Films to Build Brand and Audience”.

Other workshops and masterclasses include “Video on Demand - How Filmmakers can access this New Distribution Stream”, “Where Social Media and Marketing Meet”, “New Strategies for Financing Independent Film”, “Presales Agreements: Creating value for your investors”, “Talking Through Completion Bonds with Film Finances SA”, “Building Relationships, Building Stories: What to expect and what you get in the editor/director collaboration” with SA Guild of Editors and "How to Pitch and Not Fall Flat on Your Face" with Restless Talent. Round table discussions will include “Finding the Right Partner for Film” with industry professionals and “Window to the World” with international festivals and markets to enable delegates to grow and establish their networks across the continent and further afield.

The National Film and Video Foundation of South Africa, will present a number of sessions including “Financing Film through Distribution” and “Marketing and Co-Production with Netherlands”.

“We are really pleased with the programme for this year’s DFM,” says Toni Monty, Head of the Durban Film Office which partners with the DIFF to present the DFM. “The topics and speakers are all on point in terms of what is happening in the industry on a global level and we look forward to hosting delegates for an exciting four day programme, networking, negotiating and film loving!”

Partners and supporters of this year’s DFM include AfriDocs, Berlin Talents Campus, Business Model Canvas, Callsheet, CineMart, Documentary Filmmakers Association, DTI, Durban Tourism, Dutch Film Fund, Film Finances SA, Film and Publications Board, French Embassy, German Embassy, Goethe-Institut, Hot docs Blue Ice Fund, Institut Francais, International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam, KUMISA, KZN Film Commission, Mnet, National Film and Video Foundation, Opdocs, OIF, Produire au Sud, Restless Talent Management, SABC, SAGE, Screen Africa, Sonoton, Sørfond, Sundance Institute, Talents Durban, Tsogo Sun, Tribeca Institute, Versfeld & Associates, Variety and VideoVision Entertainment. 

For registration or for more information view the delegate registration process online at the official website - www.durbanfilmmart.co.za.  Early Bird registration closes on 30 May 2016. 

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Photos attached: Credit: Supplied by DFM

Blackbyrd to Perform at South Africa's Most Beautiful Race in Durban: 5 June 2016

Media Release

Blackbyrd to Perform at South Africa’s Most Beautiful Race in Durban

Sunday, 5 June 2016

The gorgeous all-women country-pop band Blackbyrd, will entertain participants at the finish of the Durban SPAR Women’s 10/5km Challenge that takes place on Sunday, 5 June 2016 at Growthpoint Kings Park Stadium Outer Fields.

Musically innovative, Blackbyrd features lead-singer, singer-writer and guitarist Tarryn Lamb, award-winning dancer, back-up vocalist and guitarist Tamsyn Maker, and second-lead vocalist and lead guitarist Axene Chaberski-Loubser.

The multi-award winning trio which has had seven hit singles since they started out in 2012, has made a significant impact on the South African music scene with their interesting combination of pop and country ballads.

Catch them after the race on June 5 prior to the prize-giving on the stage at the finish. SPAR will be giving away lucky draw prizes including SPAR vouchers after the race. To qualify participants must be present at the actual draw on the day.

Online entries are open at www.sparwomensrace.co.za with payment by credit card or EFT. Manual entries will only be accepted at the race registration on the three days prior to the event. Entries are limited to 18,000 athletes. Entry forms are available from participating SPAR stores in KwaZulu-Natal and at registration. No entries will be taken on race day.Black

For more info email durban@sparwomensrace.co.za  or like the Facebook page KZN SPAR Women’s 10/5km Race or follow on Twitter for up to the minute postings. #run031

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DFM WELCOMES THE SØRFOND NORWEGIAN SOUTH FILM FUND AS A NEW PARTNER

The Durban FilmMart, the joint programme of the Durban Film Office (DFO) and the Durban International Film Festival (DIFF),  has added the Sørfond Norwegian South Film Fund to its roster of strategic partners for its 7th edition, which runs from 17-20 June. As part of the partnership, Sørfond will provide a new DFM award which will give the selected project the opportunity to pitch at the Sørfond Pitching Forum in Oslo later this year. The main objective of Sørfond is to increase film production in countries where filmmakers face political or economic restraints.

The Pitching Forum is held every year in October during the Films from the South Festival in Oslo. The event gives international producers from countries in the South the chance to present their projects to potential Norwegian co-producers, with the aim of entering into a co-production agreement and applying for further support from Sørfond. The DFM award consists of a confirmed seat at the pitching forum, a pitch course, coverage of hotel and meals, and a substantial contribution towards travel expenses.

"Since its first round of grants in 2012, Sørfond has become an increasingly important player in the tough market of co-financing film productions beyond the western hemisphere,” said Lasse Skagen, artistic director of Sørfond. “Through engaging in a new co-operation with Durban FilmMart in 2016, giving a seat to an emerging African director at the pitching forum in October, and promoting the possibility of Sørfond funding at the market, we hope to increase the presence of African applicants in the 2017 round of Sørfond grants. We are very grateful to Durban FilmMart for giving us this opportunity to join forces with one of the most prestigious film markets on the African continent." 

Although the partnership with DFM only kicks off this year, the fund has already established a link to DFM. Last year Durban-based Vuleka Productions was selected to pitch at the forum with their project Hhola Hhola, which was selected as a DFM project in 2014. Vuleka producer, Julie Frederikse, spoke enthusiastically about the forum. "Being selected to participate in the Sørfond Pitching Panel in Norway was a tremendously valuable experience. The calibre of the projects and producers was very high. The coaching sessions to prepare for pitching were really helpful. And it was extremely rewarding to interact with producers and directors from other countries who face the same kinds of challenges in making authentic local feature films that we do in South Africa."

The DFO's Toni Monty said she was excited about the newly established relationship with Sørfond. “This new partnership further extends the reach of the Durban FilmMart and will no doubt help to stimulate further development of the rapidly growing film industry on the African continent.”

To register for DFM and to find out more about the delegate registration process, visit the official website at www.durbanfilmmart.co.za.  An Early Bird registration discount for the 4-day event is available to delegates who book before 30 May at a cost of R1 485, which includes access to allocated sessions, a daily luncheon, DFM networking events, entrance into festival screenings (subject to ticket availability), listing in the DFM Industry Manual, and access to Masterclasses and the Africa in Focus programme. After 30 May 2016, the cost is R2035. Daily passes to the event cost R605. (This does not include tickets to the DIFF screenings or access into the opening and closing events.)

Blue-chip cinema on the red carpet at 2016 European Film Festival

Media Release

Blue-chip cinema on the red carpet at 2016 European Film Festival

The Oscar-winning documentary Amy, an intimate portrait of late British singer-songwriter Amy Winehouse, is among the gems on offer at the European Film Festival, which heads to Cinema Nouveau screens in four cities from 6 to 15 May 2016.

Ster-Kinekor will be screening 11 feature length films from across the continent at Cinema Nouveau theatres in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Cape Town and Durban during the festival. These multi-awarded films, which have been the toast of the international film festival circuit, have never been screened before in South Africa.

This, the third local edition of the European Film Festival, sees the introduction of documentary films, with three non-fiction offerings on the programme.

Festival Director Katarina Hedrén says: “We wish to contribute to the ongoing story of Europe. This story is one of a diverse continent in an interconnected world, which seems to be spinning faster and not always in the right direction.”

Topping the list of films at the 2016 European Film Festival is Amy (UK), directed by Asif Kapadia, which won the 2016 Academy Award and BAFTA for Best Documentary Feature. The documentary tracks the life of the gifted but self-destructive jazz-soul singer until her tragic death from alcohol poisoning in 2011, aged just 27.

Other decorated offerings on the European Film Festival menu are the dramas Macondo (Austria), Body (Poland), Montanha (Portugal), Flowers (Spain), Something Must Break (Sweden) and Labyrinth of Lies (Germany).

Also gracing the silver screen during the festival are the musical comedy Belgian Rhapsody (Belgium), biopic Chocolat (France) and documentaries Fire at Sea (Italy) and A Family Affair (the Netherlands).

The European Film Festival is coordinated by the Goethe-Institut South Africa, hosted by Ster-Kinekor Cinema Nouveau, and organised in partnership with the European Union and 11 other European cultural agencies or embassies in South Africa: the General Representation of the Government of Flanders, the French Institute, the Italian Cultural Institute, the Camões Institute, the British Council, and the Embassies of Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain and Sweden.

Says Norbert Spitz, Director of the Goethe-Institut, on behalf of the European partners:  “Katarina Hedrén has put together a selection of feature films and documentaries that allows us to discover unconventional, surprising and moving portraits of life in the multifaceted place that Europe is.”

Adds Lola Gallant, Brand Manager of Cinema Nouveau: “As the festival exhibitor, we are delighted to be partnering with the Goethe-Institut and its partners to host the third annual European Film Festival. As Cinema Nouveau, we pride ourselves on providing a platform to screen a wide variety of foreign-language films. We believe the eleven films, lined up for this year’s festival, which would otherwise not be accessible to local cinema audiences, are must-see content for any film lover.“

The European Film Festival screenings will take place at Cinema Nouveau Rosebank, Brooklyn, Gateway and V&A Waterfront. Bookings open on 15 April 2016, with tickets priced at R55. Secure your seat by visiting www.cinemanouveau.co.za or www.sterkinekor.mobi, or call0861 668 437. For more information, visit www.eurofilmfest.co.za or join the conversation on Twitter and Facebook: #EuroFilmFestSA.

Festival Trailer: https://youtu.be/zraEw3_KByM

Bookings:
 
www.eurofilmfest.co.za   
www.cinemanouveau.co.za 
sterkinekor.mobi
0861 668 437

Standard ticket price: R55
Normal benefits and ticket discounts apply to members of SK Club, Discovery Vitality and Edgars Club.
 

Venues:

Cinema Nouveau - Rosebank Mall, Johannesburg
Rosebank Mall (Level 1), cnr Bath & Baker Streets, Rosebank

Cinema Nouveau - Brooklyn, Pretoria
Brooklyn Mall (Lower Level Shop 12), Bronkhorst Street, New Muckleneuk

Cinema Nouveau - V&A, Cape Town
King Warehouse, Red Shed, Victoria and Alfred Waterfront

Cinema Nouveau - Gateway, Durban
Gateway Theatre of Shopping (Expo/Explore Floor), 1 Palm Blvd, Umhlanga Rocks

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ISSUED ON BEHALF OF THE GOETHE-INSTITUT SOUTH AFRICA

MEDIA QUERIES:

National Publicity:  Bridget van Oerle / BUZ PUBLICITY: 

buz@buz.co.za / 083 263 6991 / 011 673 0264 / 011 477 0923

Durban Publicity: 

Sharlene Versfeld : Versfeld & Associates

sharlene@versfeld.co.za 083 3263235/ 031 8115628

Note to editors:

Media Preview Screenings:

Johannesburg
Venue: Rosebank Nouveau, Cinema 6

12 April / 14.00       
Welcome by the Festival Director
Preview of AMY
(additional screenings same day 18.00 and 20.00)

19 April / 14.00 & 18.00 & 20.00
Preview of LABYRINTH OF LIES

Cape Town
Venue: V&A Nouveau, Cinema 3         

12 April / 18.00 & 20.00
Preview of LABYRINTH OF LIES

19 April / 14.00 & 18.00 & 20.00
Preview of AMY

Durban
Venue: Gateway Nouveau, Cinema 3

12 April / 18.00 & 20.00
Preview of AMY

19 April / 14.00 & 18.00 & 20.00
Preview of LABYRINTH OF LIES

PLEASE RSVP TO Bridget van Oerle / BUZ PUBLICITY: 
buz@buz.co.za / 083 263 6991 / 011 673 0264 / 011 477 0923

FILM SELECTION - SYNPOSES

MACONDO (Austria)

Director: Sudabeh Mortezai
Cast: Ramasan Minkailov, Aslan Elbiev, Kheda Gazieva
Genre: Drama
98min ½ German & Chechen with English Subtitles (2014)

Following the death of his father, 11-year old Ramasan and his family live in the Macondo refugee settlement outside Vienna. As the oldest child and the only male, he is the head of the household – a role which comes with more responsibility and autonomy than Ramasan is equipped to handle. The arrival of his father’s best friend, Isa, allows Ramasan to be a child again, but it also means losing some of the freedom he has gotten used to.

Macondo was part of the official competition of Berlin International Film Festival 2014 and won Sudabeh Morezai the award for best emerging filmmaker at the Hong Kong International Film Festival.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCs3qOL5eqE

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BELGIAN RHAPSODY (Belgium)

Director: Vincent Bal
Cast: Amaryllis Uitterlinden, Arthur Dupont, Jos Verbist, Tom Audenaert
Genre: Musical comedy
95min ½  Flemish & French with English Subtitles (2014)

’50% Flemish, 50% Walloon, 100% Belgian’, is the tagline of this musical take on the divide between Dutch-speaking and French-speaking Belgium. The Flemish brass-band Saint Cecilia and their Wallon counterpart, En Avant, compete for the title of Europe’s best brass-band. The sudden loss of Saint Cecilia’s soloist just before the finals, prompts the conductor’s daughter, Elke, to recruit En Avant’s star-soloist, the self-absorbed Hugues. What follows is a hot mess of grudges, stereotyping, good music and a budding love story.

Seasoned filmmaker Vincent Bal started out as an actor, before shifting to directing for film and TV. His 2012 film, The Zigzag Kid earned him the European Film Academy’s Young Audience Award.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zoUYll9Ft8

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CHOCOLAT (France)

Director: Roschdy Zem,
Cast: Omar Sy, James Thierrée, Clotilde Hesme
Genre: Drama
110min ½  French with English Subtitles (2016)

Starring Omar Sy from The Intouchables (2011) and Swiss circus-artist (and Charlie Chaplin’s grandson) James Thierrée, this bio-pic tells of Cuban-born Rafael Padilla, who rose to fame in France in the late 1800s. Under the stage-name Chocolat and together with the white clown Footit, Padilla gains popularity with racist circus-routines that reduce him to a buffoon. When he tries to carve out a more dignified niche for himself, the same audiences that loved the racist cliché turn their back on him.

Roschdy Zem has explored the theme of racism both as an actor and director. He continues to do so in this bio-pic, praised for its historically accurate feel. 

(Courtesy of Ster Kinekor)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=692hOJq1KJE

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LABYRINTH OF LIES (Germany)

Director: Giulio Ricciarelli
Cast: André Szymanski, Alexander Fehling, Friederike Becht
Genre: Drama
122min ½  German with English Subtitles (2014)

Johan Radmann is a newly appointed public prosecutor in Frankfurt, Germany, in 1958. Through a journalist, he learns that many Nazis returned to ordinary life with impunity after the war. Inspired by the memory of his late idolized father, Radmann decides to make sure that justice is done. The young idealist soon realizes that many of the war-criminals occupy powerful positions in society, and are prepared to go to great lengths to make sure that he does not succeed in his quest.

Labyrinth of Lies was Germany’s submission for the 2016 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.

(Courtesy of Ster-Kinekor)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5ovcBGMLEs

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FIRE AT SEA (Italy)

Director: Gianfranco Rosi
Cast: Samuele Pucillo, Pietro Bartolo
Genre: Documentary
108 min ½  Italian with English Subtitles (2016)

Gianfranco Rosi moved to Lampedusa, where he documented not primarily the catastrophe lived by those who seek refuge in Europe, but the curious absence of disruption in the lives of ordinary Lampedusans. Rosi follows Samuele, the precocious 9-year old son of a fisherman, who goes to school, loves hunting and suffers from sea-sickness. Parallel to the boy’s life, Rosi invites us into that of Pietro Bartolo, a medical doctor, who does not only attend to Samuele’s lazy eye, but also to the fleeing women, men and children arriving at Lampedusa.

Rosi’s gentle, poetic and unprejudiced touch won him the Golden Bear for Best Film at the 2016 Berlin International Film Festival.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCEsWslaLKw

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A FAMILY AFFAIR (Netherlands)

Director: Tom Fassaert
Cast: Marianne Hertz, Rob Fassaert, Rene Fassaert
Genre: Documentary
120min ½  Dutch & English with English Subtitles (2014)

When his 95-year old grandmother – a former model and socialite – invites Tom Fassaert to visit her in South Africa, he seizes the opportunity to find out more about the dynamics and events that have left his father greatly disillusioned and his uncle Rene scarred for life. During his time with the conflicted and divisive matriarch, Fassaert gains insight into a history and psyche more complex and surreal than he could have imagined, and into the inner workings of a woman who challenged preconceived notions of motherhood long before it was fashionable to do so.

Fassaert’s family document opened the 2016 edition of the prestigious International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZvBsyh6d4sY

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BODY (Poland)

Director: Malgorzata Szumowska
Cast: Janusz Gajos, Maja Ostaszewska, Justyna Suwala
Genre: Drama
90min ½  Polish with English Subtitles (2015)

A fascination for bodies (“physical, astral and dead, objectified, adored and hated”) lies behind Szumowska’s sombre comedy about three people trapped in individual universes of pain and absence.  Olga’s unprocessed grief over her dead mother manifests in self-hatred and severe anorexia. Her distant coroner father - a coroner - seems as unaffected by his daughter’s distress and the loss of his wife as by the dead bodies he deals with on a daily basis. Anna is a kind but lonely physical therapist with psychic abilities, who seeks to help the reluctant family to heal.

Body won Malgorzata Szumowska the awards for Best Director at Berlin International Film Festival and the European Film Awards in 2015.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cOAHoj327Q

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MONTANHA (Portugal)

Director: João Salaviza
Cast: David Mourato, Maria João Pinho, Rodrigo Perdigão  
Genre: Drama
91min ½  Portuguese with English Subtitles (2015)

The death of David’s grandfather is imminent, yet the 14-year-old does not feel prepared to visit him in hospital. This mature coming-of-age drama unfolds during the course of a couple of days in Lisbon, during which David severs ties with his childhood. He roams around aimlessly as if he is looking to dissolve, killing time with a friend and his crush Paulinha - the only one David cares to hold on to. The further he drifts from his past, the closer he connects with the present and the notion of a future he never used to think of.

João Salaviza’s award-winning drama, which follows David’s transition into adulthood, is regarded by the filmmaker as his farewell to cinematic adolescence.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=kKTc8qkrH3g

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FLOWERS (Spain)

Director: John Garrano & Jose Mari Goenaga
Cast: Nagore Aranburo, Itziar Ituño, Itziar Aizpuru
Genre: Drama
99min ½  Spanish with English Subtitles (2014)

One day a bouquet of flowers appears at Ana’s doorstep, the subsequent week another bouquet arrives, and the week after that, yet another one. The anonymous sender upsets Ana’s partner, with whom she shares her flat and meals, but not much more. He holds the flower shop accountable for allowing just anybody to send flowers to anyone. After the death of a crane operator, his mother and his ex-wife are equally surprised to regularly find fresh flowers at the spot where he succumbed.

Flower bouquets at the sites of road accidents, as anonymous love letters or as mere proofs of existence, inspired this award-winning film.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFZYvh7uT2A

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SOMETHING MUST BREAK (Sweden)

Director: Ester Martin Bergsmark
Cast: Saga Becker, Iggy Malmborg, Shima Niavarani
Genre: Drama
81min ½  Swedish with English Subtitles (2014)

Based on an auto-fictional novel by Eli Levén, who co-wrote the movie-script, Something Must Break, tells of Sebastian, a passionate, but self-destructive gender-queer 20-something. About to be beaten up, Sebastian is saved by Andreas. Despite Andreas identifying as straight, a complicated and intense love story develops between the two. Though a provocateur defiant in the face of conformity, Andreas is still troubled by his feelings for Sebastian. Sebastian struggles to not be overcome by the feelings for a non-committal, anxious lover, and also gets ready to let Ellie out – the woman inside, who is growing stronger every day.

Ester Martin Bergsmark’s debut feature has screened at festivals across the world and won numerous awards.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXeZ0y4SAic

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AMY (UK)

Director: Asif Kapadia
Cast: Amy Winehouse, Mitch Winehouse, Yasiin Bey
Genre: Documentary
128min ½  English (2015)

Asif Kapadia’s much talked about documentary follows Amy Winehouse from the early days of her extraordinary career, until the heart-breaking end. Relying mainly on never before shown footage, this intimate document traces the journey of the talented jazz-singer/songwriter until she achieved levels of fame no one could have dreamed of and the impacts on Winehouse and her family. Where media headlines focused on the drug-addict, who was a singer, Kapadia’s attention is on the extraordinarily gifted artist, who got stuck in drug abuse and self-destruction.

Among the many awards Asif Kapadia has won, are the 2016 Academy Awards for Best Documentary and the British Academy Film Awards equivalent.  

(Courtesy of Ster Kinekor)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2yCIwmNuLE

Images permission to use: Getty Images

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ISSUED ON BEHALF OF THE GOETHE-INSTITUT SOUTH AFRICA

MEDIA QUERIES:

National Publicity:  Bridget van Oerle / BUZ PUBLICITY: 

buz@buz.co.za / 083 263 6991 / 011 673 0264 / 011 477 0923

Durban Publicity: 

Sharlene Versfeld : Versfeld & Associates

sharlene@versfeld.co.za 083 3263235/ 031 8115628 

2 April is Autism Awareness Day: Pledge to be Silent

Media Release

Action in Autism:

2nd of April is Autism Awareness Day: Pledge to be Silent

People with autism experience difficulty with verbal and non-verbal communication and social interaction. Over 50 % of people with autism struggle with verbal communication and spoken language. For people who cannot express their basic needs or experiences in a way that the rest of the world understands, life can be isolating and extremely lonely.

Action in Autism has committed to acknowledging World Autism Day on April 2 by asking people to make their pledge to be non-verbal for one hour – from 10am to 11am. To respect, acknowledge and accept difference, we ask you to join us and thousands of our people with autism, and pledge to use an alternative means of communication – signs, gestures, pointing, typing or drawing – during this time.

“Speaking is not the only form of communication. Honour those who are different from you and experience their world.” says Liza Aziz, Chairperson of Action in Autism. “Our organisation does not receive any funding from government, so we would like to encourage people to us either in cash, kind or through volunteering time.”

Action in Autism will host a fundraiser on 30 April at 7pm at St. John’s Hall.  Tickets are R70 and are available from our offices.  For more information about Action in Autism and the support to parents and families provided by the organisation, please call 031 207 4858 or emailinfo@actioninautism.org.za.

Ends.

Further information:

Kirsten Miller

ACTION IN AUTISM

031 207 4858/083 7774468

info@actioninautism.org.za

New Director for African Art Centre - Durban

Media Release

New Director for African Art Centre

Over the past 56 years the African Art Centre has earned the reputation of being the longest surviving South African organization involved in the development and promotion of African artists and crafters.  Following on this rich history the Centre is proud to announce fresh impetus as it welcomes Magdalene Reddy as its new Executive Director.

Magdalene Reddy holds an Honours Degree in Music and has been a manager in a number of sectors within the arts and culture industry over the past 10 years. 

Most recently, Reddy worked with the SA Seasons’ team on promoting South African arts and culture in both France and the United Kingdom in the SA-UK Seasons and the SA-French Seasons, which were projects of the Department of Arts and Culture that saw thousands of South African artists perform and exhibit their work across these countries.  Prior to this, she worked at the Centre for Creative Arts playing a vital role in the implementation the CCA’s four iconic festivals – the Durban International Film Festival, Poetry Africa, Time of the Writer and the Jomba! Contemporary Dance Experience.

“Although my first love for the arts was through music, my work at the Centre for Creative Arts developed my interest and experience across all artistic genres of  African culture.  I was privileged to have been part of creating a platform for African and international artists to share the beauty of their expertise with Durban audiences.  This intercultural exchange of artists and arts practitioners had helped me appreciate all forms of art in a special way,” says Reddy.

Reddy now brings her passion and experience to the African Art Centre helping to steer the ship into the next era.   “The wealth of local South African art needs to be shared with the world, we need to create processes and platforms for our artists to thrive.  The African Art Centre is here to help grow South Africa’s creative economy by developing market access and professional exhibition platforms for cutting-edge and relevant work by the artists and crafters of KwaZulu-Natal.”

“Our vision is to create an enabling environment for the sustainable development, promotion and preservation of  African arts and crafts with special focus on KwaZulu-Natal.  Our focus now is to strengthen the economic benefit for local KZN artists.   This will be achieved through three primary pillars – local and international exhibition platforms, development programmes focusing on the creative and business aspects of the art and the provision of a retail and wholesale outlet for artists and crafters.”

Part of freshness at the Centre is its new, energetic and diverse board lead by Yanni Vosloo, Merchandise Director for Mr Price Home, “It is an immense privilege for us to be able to provide a safe and nurturing platform for the emerging creatives of KZN, at the African Art Centre. The challenges we face are common to many businesses and non-profit enterprises where budget and funding for creative endeavours are limited, commitment is scarce and participation intermittent, BUT we remain focused on the needs of our artists and crafters, determined to ferret out true talent and develop those eager for knowledge and experience. It is for these qualities that we appointed Magdalene and the Board is delighted in her delivery and for the development she’s achieved in a very short time.”

To kick off the 2016 exhibition programme, the African Art Centre recently released a call inviting local KZN artists to be part of a Human Rights exhibition themed 20 Years Later:  A Fresh Look at the Bill of Rights.  This group exhibition, curated by Carol Brown, will be opened by the Hon. Justice Albie Sachs.

Twenty years ago South Africa was full of hope looking towards a new future.  The Bill of Rights, which was the cornerstone of the Constitution of SA, was widely celebrated as being one of the most progressive in the world.  Justice Albie Sachs (one of the architects of the Constitution) launched the Images of Human Rights Print Portfolio at the Durban Gallery in 1996.  A proud moment. Where are we now? Much has improved while much remains a work in progress. 

South Africa today is a beautiful but complex country and this exhibition aims to celebrate this beauty whilst bringing some of the complexities to the fore.  A group of artists, who attended a workshop on the Bill of Rights, will be showing new works highlighting how artists envision the present which is built on the past.

Justice Albie Sachs will launch this exhibition of prints, drawings, paintings and photographs, all created especially for the exhibition by well known artists as well as unknown young talent. The exhibition opens on Thursday 10 March at 17:30 at the African Art Centre, 94 Florida Rd, Durban, and will run for 3 weeks.

For more detail contact the African Art Centre on 031 312 3804/5,  email africanartcentre@afri-art.co.za or go to www.afriart.org.za .

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Photo : Magdalene Reddy : Director of the African Art Centre by Val Adamson.

Bow Music Jam at the opening of the 1st International Bow Music Conference at UKZN

 BOW MUSIC JAM at the opening of the 1st INTERNATIONAL BOW MUSIC CONFERENCE at UKZN

The First International Bow Music Conference, opens at the University of KwaZulu-Natal on Wednesday 24 February. Running until 27 Februaryover three venues (The Innovation Centre and Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre at University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Howard College Campus as well as the KZNSA in Bulwer Road, Glenwood), events include several academic paper presentations, an evening of film screenings, as well as bow music performances – all of which are open to public participation and attendance.

The Innovation Centre (Gate 9 - Rick Turner Road) will be the platform for the presentation of a number of research papers gathered from the call for proposals late last year, and will feature presenters from South Africa, Germany, USA, Brazil and United Kingdom. Registration takes place on Wednesday (24 February) from 08:00 – 10:30 and an optional fee of R200 will include tea and lunch.

The exciting performance programme kicks off on Wednesday with the staging of a Bow Jam in partnership with the Centre for Jazz and Popular Music regular Wednesday night concert series at the Centre. The Bow Jam will feature Grupo Percussao, a berimbau ensemble from the Federal University of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Led by percussionist, composer and Northern Illinois University academic Gregory Beyer, the group will perform excerpts of works from its Arcomusical Project for sextet, quintet, quartet, trio, duet and solo berimbau. Part of the evening’s entertainment will see conference delegates introducing themselves and their favourite musical bows in song.

The Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre on Thursday (25 February) will host screenings of the films “The Traditional Music of Mali, West Africa” by Salil Sachdev and 'Jogo de Corpo' (Body Games) - The Angolan Roots of Capoeira, directed by Richard Pakleppa, tickets are R10. Friday and Saturdayevening (26 & 27 February) will see an extensive bow music performance programme, with Xhosa bow legends Madosini Mpahleni and Mantombi Matotiyane sharing the stage with other veteran exponents of the rich southern African bow music traditions: such as Lesotho’s Mme ‘Matlali Kheoana and Makhetha Setlaba, Sekuru Muradzikwa from Zimbabwe, Bhemani Magagula and Khokhiwe Mphila of Swaziland, Bavikile Ngema of Zululand and Mozambicans Ernesto Mathusi and Maneto Tefula. Friday will see another presentation of Brazilian berimbau ensemble Grupo Percussao. Tickets are R50 and available from Computicket or at the Box Office.

On Saturday 27th, the KZNSA is the venue for an interactive session of bow music workshops, a Capoeira Angola Roda led by Mestre Cobra Mansa (Brazil) and an exhibition of musical bows curated by the conference convenor Dr Sazi Dlamini. All are welcome to attend. Workshops start at 10am. Early arrival is recommended to ensure availability.

For further details, programme and updates on the Bow Music Conference and Concerts visit www.bowconference.com

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Flatfoot Dance Company presents "love is cruelty" at the KZNSA Gallery

MEDIA RELEASE

“loves own cruelty”

FLATFOOT DANCE COMPANY @ the KZNSA Gallery

Friday (one night only!) 19th February 2016

6pm

 Durban’s inimitable FLATFOOT DANCE COMPANY forges a wonderful new partnership with the KZNSA Gallery and starts its 2016 performance calendar with a one-off specially conceptualised performance work that uses all the spaces of the KZNSA to evoke a journey through a site; a journey through the tricky inner and outer terrain of love relationships that echo in the big and small spaces of the gallery.  

Titled “loves own cruelty”, FLATFOOT take as wry, fierce and sometimes humorous look at love relationships that never backs down from honestly and truth; and all the grey area in between that is the very fabric of human connections. FLATFOOT has a reputation for offering politically charged dance theatre and this work is no exception. Small site-specific relationship vignettes play our between dancers who seamlessly move and flow between one another in close encounters. The gallery space allows for a more intimate engagement with the dance work and is ideal for a slightly voyeuristic look into the lives of others.

Choreographed by Lliane Loots in collaboration with the 5 resident dancers (Sifiso Khumalo, Jabu Siphika, Tshediso Kabulu, Sanele Maphumulo and Zinhle Nzama), catch this award winning dance company up close and personal.

The cast also includes UK guest dancer, and artist in residence with FLATFOOT DANCE COMPANY, Iona Waite on exchange from Birmingham’s ACE MUSIC and DANCE COMPANY. Iona has a BA in Dance and Professional Practice from the University of Wolverhampton (UK). She holds the positions of Youth Co-coordinator with ACE and dancers with the professional company. She comes to FLATFOOT as part of an on-going collaboration between the two companies and has spent the month of February 2016, working, teaching and dancing alongside FLATFOOT and all their various KZN based arts development programmes. She is a gifted and beautiful dancers and shines in Loots’s new work “loves own cruelty”.

As Loots says “it is always great getting new guest dancers in the company as they bring with them another history, another kind of body and another kind of movement; all of which we learn and grow from. Iona has been great as she is incredibly open and, at heart, is a dancer who takes huge risks; so for me as choreographer, this has been fantastic!”

“loves own cruelty” is for one night only so don’t miss it! The Performance begins at 6pm on Friday the 19th February at the KZNSA Gallery and tickets can be purchase up to one hour before the show.

The KZNSA coffee bar will be open!

 

PICS:

#1: FLATFOOT dancers Jabu Siphika and Sifiso Khumalo in “loves own cruelty” KZNSA GALLERY 19 Feb 2016 @ 6pm

#2: FLATFOOT dancers Jabu Siphika, Sifiso Khumalo and Sanele Maphumulo in “loves own cruelty” KZNSA GALLERY 19 Feb 2016 @ 6pm

Realness Welcomes New Partner + Spotlght at World Cinema Fund Day at Berlinale 2016

REALNESS – An Africa Screenwriter’s Residency

 REALNESS WELCOMES NEW PARTNERS + SPOTLIGHT AT WORLD CINEMA FUND DAY AT BERLINALE 2016

In November 2015, Urucu Media announced the call for submissions for REALNESS, a Pan African screenwriter’s residency. Thus far over 80 submissions have been received, with 40% of them coming from outside of South Africa. The scope of writers ranges from established writer/directors to self-taught, emerging talent. Realness recently partnered with EAVE and Torino Film Lab.

The aim of REALNESS is to provide the continent's best emerging writing talents with the necessary time, space and support to develop their unique cinematic vision. Residents will receive a stipend of R15,000 and all food and accommodation expenses will be covered for the duration of their stay. Realness claims no rights over the developed work. They stay with the writers.

EAVE is Europe’s leading training, development and networking organization for audiovisual producers. EAVE has committed to selecting one of the five projects and its producer to participate at the EAVE 2017 PRODUCERS WORKSHOP, consisting of three one week residential workshops in Europe. The EAVE scholarship would cover the participation fee, room and board for all three workshops.

Torino Film Lab is a year-round, international laboratory that supports emerging talents from all over the world – with a special attention to those working on their first and second fiction feature films – through training, development, funding and distribution activities. TFL has come on board with an award for one of the projects’ producers to attend their co-production market in November 2016. Torino Film Lab will provide accommodation, meals and accreditation for the participating producer and a representative of Realness.

Next March Elias Ribeiro, founder of Urucu and Realness, will attend TalentX, Realness was awarded a scholarship to attend this conference held in Amsterdam hosted by Creative England in partnership with the Danish Film Institute, the Irish Film Board and Netherlands Film Fund, and with the support of the Creative Europe - MEDIA Programme of the European Union. Talent developers will take part in a learning and ideas exchange focusing on the challenges and opportunities facing feature film talent in the ‘real world’. Elias will be part of discussions with other development initiatives about how the industry can collectively shape a fresh approach to supporting film talent from first feature to second, third and beyond.

The final selection of the 5 residents will be announced at an event hosted by the pavilion Les Cinemas du Monde in Cannes, 2016. Residents will prepare to present their projects in the framework of Durban Film Mart, starting on the 16th of June. And then settle into the idyllic Nirox Artist Residency in the Cradle of Humankind, where over 6 weeks, they will work on a new draft their feature screenplays.

Submissions close on the 31st of January. More information regarding submission materials can be found at www.urucumedia.com/realness

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REALNESS - An African Screenwriters Residency

REALNESS - An African Screenwriters Residency

CALL FOR ENTRY

Urucu Media, under the mentorship of Berlinale Talents, in partnership with Nirox, Durban FilmMart, Restless Talent Management, The French Institute in South Africa and Institute Français's Cinémas du Monde proudly presents REALNESS, a screenwriters residency for a new generation of African cinema.

From June to August 2016, 5 screenwriters will be invited to attend a seven-week residency to develop a new draft of their original feature screenplays. The aim of REALNESS is to provide the necessary time, space and support to help the continent's best emerging writing talents hone their unique cinematic vision.

Week 1 The residency will kick off on 16 June 2016 with an introductory week at Durban Filmmart, Africa's top co-production market. Residents will have the opportunity to immerse themselves in films, attend seminars and present their projects to industry professionals for feedback. Each resident will prepare a public presentation of their project at the end of the week.

Week 2-6 Residents will be transported to the Nirox artists residency inthe Cradle of Humankind, where they will spend six weeks working in a tranquil and nurturing living environment. During the first week, top international script consultants will conduct workshops and one-on-one sessions with the residents. Thereafter, residents will work at their own pace, with ongoing support in the form of workgroups with fellow writers, curated film screenings, producer-led case studies and discussions with visiting industry speakers. 

Week 7 In the final week, residents will have a debriefing and follow up Skype-sessions with their consultants. After leaving the residency, writers will be invited to submit a new draft of their screenplay by 30 September 2016. The most promising project to emerge from REALNESS will be invited and funded to participate in the prestigious La Fabrique des Cinémas du Monde in Cannes, 2017. 

REALNESS recognizes the real-life demands of most writers and that taking time to develop a screenplay is not always economically viable. To this end, residents will receive a stipend of R15 000 and all food and accommodation expenses will be covered for the duration of their stay. Please note that residents will be responsible for their own travel costs to and from the residency. We will assist in efforts to obtain sponsorship from country culture desks, embassies & other interested institutions.

While the residency will be conducted in English, REALNESS facilitators are also able to do the training in French and/or Portuguese if participants are from Francophone or Lusophone African countries.

SUBMISSIONS

Please note, the submission window is from 1 November 2015 - 31 January 2016 (or until 120 applications have been received, whichever comes first)

Applicants must submit ONE PDF dossier containing:

• a motivation for wanting to participate in REALNESS (1 page) 
• a synopsis of the proposed feature project (1 page)
• a treatment of the proposed feature project (6 pages)
• a draft of the screenplay 
• a writer's note of intention (1 page)
• a short biography (1 paragraph)
• two links to samples of previously produced work, uploaded to vimeo. If selected, residents will be required to donate one copy of their previous work to the Nirox film library. 

The call is open to screenwriters from across the African continent and selection will be based on artistic merit. REALNESS will hold no legal claim over the work once the residency is completed.

All submitted material must be in English. A committee appointed by Urucu and their partners will read the project entries and conduct interviews with a shortlist of candidates early in March. The REALNESS selection will be announced at an event hosted by the pavilion Les Cinemas du Monde in Cannes, 2016.

Please submit dossiers to realness@urucumedia.com

http://www.urucumedia.com

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Two poets, some slam, and a whole bunch of other important stuff

Media Release

I to I

Two poets, some slam, and a whole bunch of other important stuff

Square Space Theatre, UKZN - 29 October – 1 November 2015

Two international artists come together on stage in an original and explosive Spoken Word theatre piece entitled ! to I at the Square Space Theatre from 29 October to November 1.

Iain EWOK Robinson (SA) is everything that Kat Francois (UK) is not.  He is the White African European Man to her Black European African Woman.  Together they tackle issues of ancestry and identity using the humour, passion and energy of their unique styles of writing and performing poetry.  Whether talking to themselves, each other or the audience, these two veterans of the SLAM and the stage are fully engaged in carving out a new space for race to identify itself, using cutting humour and sharp tongues. 

Kat Francois is a comedienne, poet, playwright, actress, performer, host, schools and youth facilitator. She was the first person to win a televised poetry slam competition in the UK, winning the BBC3 TV Slam holds the 2005 title for the World Slam Champion in Rotterdam. She is resident poet at Theatre Royal, Stratford East, London, where she hosts and organises a monthly poetry and music night called Word4Word.

EWOK needs no introduction to SA audiences, with a body of work that includes five Spoken Word theatre shows, two poetry anthologies and numerous recorded works. This self-styled "Spoken Word flavoured Hip Hop activist" began his career as a freestyle battle rap and Poetry Slam champion.  He is an award winning actor and an educator.  His latest show "YOBO" premiered on the Main program at this years Standard Bank National Arts Festival.

Respected artist and film-maker Karen Melissa Logan who directs the ensemble piece, is also tasked with the creating the multi-faceted layering of audio and visual, establishing a mixed-media canvas that blends the body of the performer with the audio-visual elements, and synthesizing the score with what’s spoken on stage. The work also makes use of photography by UK-based Robert Covell.

“I have been interested for some time in what part I could best play in international Black History Month and where I fit into the story that is being told.” explains Robinson, “This personal journey has in many ways been sparked by the impassioned #RhodesMustFall movement and other similar campaigns where young black South Africans are owning their history. The more I read, the more I challenge my own concept of history, the more I try to rethink these stories, and the more I come to realise how bizarre the whole notion of history is. So this piece for me is about confronting my own understanding of history, face to face with someone as strong as Kat whose version would be quite different from mine. We are interested to see how we collectively get to reformat, or recalibrate the stories for future generations – and we hope that as we unpack and challenge each other that we will be able to laugh at ourselves as we do so.”

Kat Francois, who recently participated in the 19th Poetry Africa Festival in Durban, met Ewok at the 2005 Poetry International World Slampionship in Rotterdam, where she took the title.  She says "Iain is an artist I respect.  He is willing to pose questions and explore racial divisions.  Challenging his perceptions of race will be an exciting and necessary process."

Produced by Amehlo Productions, I to I is supported by the SA-UK Seasons 2014 & 2015, a partnership between the Department of Arts and Culture, South Africa and the British Council.

I to I runs for 60 minutes at the Square Space Theatre, UKZN, from Thursday 29 October to Sunday 1 November (Thursday/Friday evening performances 7pm; Saturday/Sunday matinee performances 3pm). Tickets are R50 or R30 for student/block-bookings (over 10) and can be purchased at the door.

For more info contact Karen at karen@amehlovideo.com or 074 102 1371.

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Photo credit: Sloetry Photography

Kat Francois (UK) and Iain EWOK Robinson (SA)

Poetry Africa Theatre Showcase this Saturday at DUT

Media Releas

Poetry Africa Theatre Showcase this Saturday

Poetry Africa in partnership with the DUT drama department presents a theatre showcase onSaturday 17 October at the DUT Courtyard Theatre from 11:00 – 15:00.

The 6 day long festival (12 – 17 October) presents two productions that demonstrate the power of the spoken word through both current and previous participants of the festival in thought provoking and stimulating poetry based and dialogue driven productions.

The first showpiece is entitled Raising Lazarus, by the UK poet Kat François. Raising Lazaruswas first developed in 2009 with the Theatre Royal Stratford East, London as part of their yearlong Spoke-Lab series, under the direction of Dawn Reid whose credits include, The Harder They Come, Funny Black Women on the Edge, Family Man, and Clockwork Orange.

The second theatrical piece is a local production entitled Aiden’s Rose. Aiden’s Rose is written by Thuli Zuma and features Page Ngwenya and Kwazi Ndlangisa. This poetry-in-performance play explores young men’s passionate, confused and even self-destructive response to love.

These two productions are open to the public and are free of charge.

For more information go to www.cca.ukzn.ac.za or like the Facebook page PoetryAfrica or follow on Twitter @PoetryAfrica. 

Presented by the Centre for Creative Arts (University of KwaZulu-Natal) and made possible by support from the eThekwini Municipality, KZN Department of Arts and Culture, National Arts Council and the Goethe Institute. The Centre for Creative Arts is housed in the College of Humanities at the University of KwaZulu-Natal and is a special project of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Professor Cheryl Potgieter. 

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[see attached file: 1. Kat Francois.lr.jpg] [see attached file: 1. Kwazi Ndlangisa lr.jpg]

GENERAL ENQUIRIES: 
Phone: +27 (0)31 260 2506
Fax: +27 (0)31 260 3074 
Email:  cca@ukzn.ac.za

Poetry Africa 2015 Finale with Nakhane Toure

Poetry Africa 2015 Finale with Nakhane Toure

The 19th Poetry Africa international poetry festival, which begins next week on Monday, (October 12) will close next Saturday (October 17) with a festival finale with Nakhane Toure at the Rivertown Beerhall.

The programme begins at 4pm with the annual Poetry Africa Durban Slam Jam event where Durban slam poets will compete for the title of Poetry Africa Slam Jam champion.

Running for over a decade, the Poetry Africa Durban Slam Jam remains one of the festival’s highlights, providing the audience with a rush of rhythm and rhyme from both Durban and abroad. The Slam Jam participants for 2015 are: Sfundo Sibisi, Kgune Dlamini, Zethembile Nkabinde and Andile Nyembezi. 

DJ Rawkidd Mpangase will be in the house and there will also be performances by Many Moore and Lu Dlamini prior to the final performances from all the 19th Poetry Africa participants:

Africa Dlamini(South Africa), Aryan Kaganof (South Africa), Celiswa Majali (South Africa), Icebound Makhele (South Africa), Kat Francois (United Kingdom), Khanyi Shusha (South Africa), Kwazi Ndlangisa (South Africa), Lebo Mashile (South Africa), Lebohang ‘Nova’ Masango (South Africa), Lesego Rampolokeng (South Africa), Makhosazana Xaba (South Africa), Matt Vend (South Africa), Mbali Vilakazi (South Africa), Mthunzikazi Mbungwana (South Africa), Mutle Mothibe (South Africa), Nii Parkes (United Kingdom/ Ghana), Nokulunga Dladla (South Africa), Nosipho Magcaba (South Africa), Ntsiki Mazwai (South Africa), Thabiso Mohare (South Africa), Thando Fuze (South Africa), Tshebeletso Mohale (South Africa), Vonani Bila (South Africa), Vus'umuzi Phakathi (South Africa).

The programme concludes with a performance from award winning Johannesburg based artist Nakhane Touré.  His debut music video for the single, Fog was nominated for a Design Indaba ‘Most Beautiful Object’ award. And at the 2014 MTV Music Awards he received a Best Alternative nomination. His album Brave Confusion was nominated for four SAMAS at the 20th SAMA awards and went on to win the Best Alternative Album. Touré’s debut novel Piggy Boy’s Blue will be launched at 14:00 at 8 Morrison Street on 17 October.

Tickets for the festival finale at Rivertown cost R70 (pre-sale or R80 at the door) and can be purchased from www.computicket.com.

For more information go to www.cca.ukzn.ac.za or like the Facebook page PoetryAfrica or follow on Twitter @PoetryAfrica. 

Presented by the Centre for Creative Arts (University of KwaZulu-Natal) and made possible by support from the eThekwini Municipality, KZN Department of Arts and Culture, National Arts Council and the Goethe Institute. The Centre for Creative Arts is housed in the College of Humanities at the University of KwaZulu-Natal and is a special project of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Professor Cheryl Potgieter.

Midlands Cyclists doing it for MS at Amashova

Midlands Cyclists doing it for MS at Amashova

According to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society website, Multiple sclerosis is an unpredictable, often disabling disease of the central nervous system that disrupts the flow of information within the brain, and between the brain and body.  

Hilton resident Pete Sinclair explained to the group of cyclists clad in orange that in South Africa there are 3 500 cases of MS. Whereas In Canada there 53 000. There is a very large population of Indian patients globally affected by MS.  In Canada major MS Awareness campaigns take place all of the time.

Sinclair’s son Oliver was diagnosed with MS in 2004 and according to his blog, he hoped for another 8 good years.  Things are possibly more hopeful though as he undergoes a new treatment at the moment involving Chemotherapy and stem cell harvesting to “reboot” his immune system, and hopefully put an end to the MS “attacks”.  

At the time of going to press Oliver’s stem cells have been successfully harvested and he awaits further procedure in October. In his blog he explains why he took the “risk” of this new treatment “So why Chemo? Well, it offers me the chance of living out the rest of my life free from any further MS Attacks. I may still have all the symptoms I currently have, there may be slight improvements but even if I just stay the same I will be able to walk to the edge of the field and watch my son play sport. I will be able to hold my new baby in my arms. Living life not knowing if you are going to wake up tomorrow being able to walk, talk, see or hold in your pee is not a pleasant way to live and so if there was a chance that you could change that wouldn’t you?”  Follow his journey on https://mtugudzi.wordpress.com/2015/08/25/why-chemotherapy/

This leads us back to the subject of the cyclists in orange!  Oliver’s wife Michelle is coordinating the MS Awareness in the Charity batch of the 35km Tsogo Sun Amashova Durban Classic in order to raise funds, but more than that, to create an awareness of the condition by doing the race (the downhill section into Durban) along with the thousands of competitive cyclists.  

Coordinated by Hilton business owner Cornelia Puler, the group of Midlands cyclists are very happy to be having some fun together, raising some funds, and getting people to take note of MS!  Look out for them on the road on the 18th of October.  You will NOT miss them!   

Should you wish to contribute in some way to the MS cause contact Michelle on 082 8706 144 (cell) or email her on michelle@polarairkzn.co.za

To meet Oliver Sinclair on facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/oliver.sinclair.5680

To find out more about Multiple Sclerosis go to:  http://www.multiplesclerosis.co.za 

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Prelude Poets Auditions

Media Release

Prelude Poets Auditions

The Centre for Creative Arts (University of KwaZulu-Natal), presented with principal funding from the City of Durban, calls out to Durban’s emerging poets to take part in the 19th Poetry Africa Festival as Prelude Poets.

Poetry Africa,  which takes place from 12 to 17 October brings together some of the world’s finest poets and musicians to Durban, with artists from the African continent and beyond. 

Four Durban poets are needed to perform "curtain raisers” for the festival. The programme gives the city’s poets the opportunity to showcase their work to audiences at the country’s premier poetry festival. Many poets performing in this space have gone on to be invited as festival participants in Poetry Africa and other platforms in subsequent years.

Participants will be required to audition original works with a five minute limit. Auditions will take place at The Centre for Creative Arts (University of KwaZulu-Natal Howard College Campus) on 3-4 September 2015. Auditions slots will be assigned by booking. To book an audition time, applicants must send an email with their full name and contact details with Poetry Africa Prelude Auditions in the subject line to poetryafrica@cca-ukzn.co.za.

Organised by the Centre for Creative Arts (University KwaZulu-Natal), the 18th Poetry Africa is funded by the City of Durban. The Centre for Creative Arts is housed in the College of Humanities at the University of KwaZulu-Natal and is a special project of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Professor Cheryl Potgieter. 

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17th annual JOMBA! Contemporary Dance Experience

The Centre for Creative Arts and the College of Humanities of the University of KwaZulu-Natal proudly present the 17th annual JOMBA! Contemporary Dance Experience
26 August – 6 September 2015

The University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Centre for Creative Arts, is proud to present its 17th annual JOMBA! Contemporary Dance Experience.  This year’s JOMBA! is an international and national treat for dance and theatre lovers with dancers, dance companies and choreographers making their way to Durban from all corners of the globe. For 12 full days, the Centre for Creative Arts offers some of the world’s best dance theatre work that will provoke, entertain, delight and challenge.

With the long term vision of using the JOMBA! platform to honour the African continent and to continue to make artistic connection with the rest of Africa, the festival opens with two works from West Africa. Lagos based Nigerian choreographers Adedayo Liadi and Qudus Onikekeu offer JOMBA! the world premiere of their new duets called “City of God, City of Man”. Imagining the stage as the “city” the audience enters this performance world where these two virtuoso dancers work both in and out of harmony in a conversation about contemporary Africa. This is followed by the rare and beautiful dance theatre vision of Kisangani (Democratic Republic of Congo) based Faustin Linyekula. No stranger to JOMBA! (this is his third visit), Linyekula’s unique and critical vision of contemporary Africa has always made his work the key taking point at any festival. He comes to JOMBA! with his internationally acclaimed solo work “Le Cargo”. In this dance work, Faustin addresses the colonial and postcolonial African legacy of decades of war, terror, fear … all of which settle on the body; and his body specifically. He tackles, with the clarity of speaking truth to power, the legacies of memory and forgetting.

Dutch company, INTRODANS, join JOMBA! to offer a stellar programme (3 performances only) of dance works from their award winning repertoire. Considered one of Europe’s leading touring companies, INTRODANS works in a neo-classical ballet idiom that will definitely delight both ballet and contemporary dance lovers alike. They have titled their JOMBA! 2015 programme JOY4DANCE and it features two works by Dutch master Jiří Kylián where he display his delicate and profound ability to make partner work. The programme also includes a short quirky worked called “Psycho Killer” by choreographed Daniel Ezralow in which dancers are tied together with elastic bands and yet still manage to perform the whirlwind choreography. The programme concludes with a dynamic work by Robert Battle. Since 2011 Battle has been the artistic director of the famous Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre in New York. Battles major qualities as a choreographer is his dynamic and physically challenging dance idiom and, of course, his imagination. “Bon Appétit!” was created especially for INTRODANS in 2007 and offers 12 dancers full of energy and dynamism.

Supporting the local dance industry, JOMBA! is proud to offer Siwela Sonke Dance Theatre celebrating its 20th year this year, a platform to present its most recent and controversial offering called “rite”. Directed and conceptualised by Jay Pather and choreographed jointly by him and the full cast, “rite” premiered at this year’s Dance Umbrella in Johannesburg in February, and caused a storm of critical discussion. No stranger to controversy and sitting on the cutting edge, Pather’s “rite” is a re-imaginations of Stravinsky’s Le Sacre du Printemps (Rite of Spring), first presented with Nijinsky’s choreography of 1913. Using the vehicle of ancient ritual to probe the contemporary, “rite” is a journey into a deep and dark contemporary Africa and is dance theatre at its most profound!

JOMBA! 2015 is also extremely proud to host the outcome of the 3rd year of a long term dance collaboration between Deeply Rooted Dance Theatre (Chicago, USA) and Durban’s celebrated FLATFOOT DANCE COMPANY. This collaboration began in 2013 at the JOMBA! platform, went on to continue in Chicago in July 2014, and returns to Durban for 2015. Despite the huge challenges of finance, navigating the distance (spatially and in the head and heart) of North/South hemispheres, and 24 hour flights across numerous time zones, these two companies have found each other in a space of mutual respect and recognition of the dance and art education work they do. This JOMBA! 2015 programme is a testament to some audacious personal and artistic will to keep the connection alive and offers 5 unique works; some from the Deeply Rooted repertoire, and some from the collaborative space shared by these two companies, dancers and choreographers. The programme features dance work by Chicago’s Kevin Iega Jeff, Nicole Clarke Springer, Anthony Marshall, Gary Abbot and Durban’s Lliane Loots.

Finally, on the main platform performance front, JOMBA! continues its long-standing relationship with artSpace (durban) Gallery where Johannesburg based dance and performance artist Nhanhla Mahlangu will perform his acclaimed work “CHANT”.  Directed by Gerard Bester, the work is a site-specific dance theatre response to contemporary manipulations of nature, the use of technology, religion, tradition and politics to the point where our only spaces (living and in the mind) are crippled. It is a heartfelt and very beautiful word, sound and physical danced work that honours Mahlangu’s desire to leave a better world to his two daughters.

The artSpace event also offers a site responsive viewing of the outcome of a collaborative exchange between the Floating Outfit Project (Durban, South Africa) and Studios Kabako (Kisangani, Democratic Republic of Congo). Guided by Faustin Linyekula and Boyzie Cekwana, this laboratory programme has featured 9 dancers from both West and South Africa. Cekwana and Linyekula see this artistic space – intriguingly called  “Redefining … Homework” - as part of an on-going 15 year long conversations that asks the young artist involved to find their truth as they share (homework style?) what it means to be an artist living and working in Africa.

JOMBA! hosts its usual platforms of the Fringe (Tuesday 1 September) with 10 new works of 10 to 15 minute each, and the Youth Fringe (Sunday 30 August ). With over 30 entries for a coveted place in this year’s JOMBA! Fringe, the selection of only 10 works was a difficult task but means that the final selection offers a standard of dance theatre that is growing. The JOMBA! Youth Fringe takes place at the UKZN Open Air Theatre (entrance is free) and is a celebration of over 20 KZN based youth dance groups and the incredible dance work that they are doing.

JOMBA! also offers a full programme of workshops and master classes by all of the participating dancers and choreographers. For a full listing go the JOMBA page on www.cca.ukzn.ac.za. These workshops and classes are offered free of charge but booking is essential.

And a first for JOMBA! is a special dance lighting workshop hosted by USA based Christian Epps. Epps comes to JOMBA! with Chicago’s Deeply Rooted Dance Theatre team and his willingness to be here has him taking on a vital role in the technical team for the whole of the festival, and offering this dedicated lighting workshop for choreographers on the 31 August at the EliZabeth Sneddon Theatre. 20 participants were chosen from a very rigours application process.

Tickets are R60 and R45 (scholars/students/pensioners). Booking through Computicket (or at venue from one hour before).

All shows take place at the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre at 7.30pm except on Wednesday  2 September at 6.30pm where it takes place at artSpace (Durban).

For more information, please go to www.cca.ukzn.ac.za and join us on Facebook  (JOMBA! Contemporary Dance Experience) and Twitter (Twitter@Jomba_dance).

JOMBA! Contemporary Dance Experience is organised by the Centre for Creative Arts (UKZN) with valuable support from the eThekwini Municipality.

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Necktie Youth Wins Best SA Film & Best Director at DIFF

NECKTIE YOUTH WINS BEST SOUTH AFRICAN FILM AND BEST DIRECTOR AWARDS IN DURBAN

Urucu Media's hugely anticipated drama Necktie Youth walked away with top honours at the Durban International Film Festival on Saturday night, winning both the best South African feature award and the international jury award for best director for director Sibs Shongwe-La Mer.

Said the jury in their report on Necktie Youth: “a film desperate to reconcile the seemingly disparate realities of its country, and whose urgent questions about South African life are posed with such mischievous energy that they cannot help provoke debate, itself one of the most important responsibilities of cinema.”

The international jury commented that newcomer Shongwe-La Mer (who has recently been signed by top international agents LBI and Casroto) was awarded the best director accolade “for displaying a unique, contemporary voice weaving together poetic images and a striking view of South African youth with a boldness seldom seen in South African cinema.”

Necktie Youth, which follows the hedonistic antics of Johannesburg's affluent new-born generation, had a successful career before it's South African debut, selling out all festival screenings at its world premier at Berlinale International Film Festival as well as Tribeca and Sydney International Film Festivals. Cineuropa named it best in show at Berlinale and the film went on to gather rave reviews in Variety, IndieWire, Elle, The New York Times, Le Monde and Dazed & Confused who called it the "South African Kids", a comparison to Larry Clark's 1995 cult classic.

SterKinekor has confirmed the South African release of Necktie Youth on the 18th of September and Urucu is in advanced negotiations with M-Net for the TV broadcast.

The week has been a busy one for producers Elias Ribeiro and John Trengove from Urucu Media who also announced REALNESS, a pan-African screenwriter's residency that will launch in 2016. “We are very excited to have the backing of the French Institute and Durban FilmMart for this initiative. The aim of REALNESS is to nurture a new crop of talented African film writers by offering them a 3 month incubation to develop their feature scripts". These projects will be presented to a jury and independent producers at Durban FilmMart 2016.

As part of their commitment to bringing more quality art-house films from across the world to South African screens, Urucu has started a partnership with Cannes' La Semaine de la Critique competition (Critics Week). This year, five diverse films from the competition had screenings in Durban, with one of the directors, Boris Lojkine (Hope) travelling to Durban to conduct a masterclass with local filmmakers. The five films will go on to have limited runs this weekend (31st August - 2nd September) in Johannesburg's Rosebank Cinema Nouveau and in Cape Town's W&A Waterfront Cinema Nouveau. La Semaine de La Critique are responsible for launching the careers of such giants in the art film world as Ken Loach, Won Kar Wai and Alejandro Gonzales Iñaritu (Birdman).

Urucu's next feature film slated for production is The Wound the highly anticipated first feature by John Trengove. The film, which deals with a gay teenager who undergoes the Xhosa circumcision initiation ritual, has collected several development and production awards from French broadcaster Arte, Torino Film Lab, the Hamburg Regional Fund and Hubert Bals in Holland. The film, which is slated to start shooting later this year and has been denied support from the NFVF despite the fact World Sales Agent Pyramide believes so much in the festival and market potential of the film that they are also investing in the film with a Distribution Minimum Guarantee. Urucu is currently seeking local private equity investment to close it's financing.

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2015 Durban FilmMart Award winners

Media Release

2015 Durban FilmMart Award winners

After a packed four day programme of project pitching, industry masterclasses, seminars and workshops, and networking, the 6th Durban FilmMart (DFM) comes to a close with the announcing of the market awards and grants at the awards and closing function sponsored by Videovision Entertainment.

The DFM saw around 550 guests from 26 countries, 32 workshop and panel discussion sessions presented by various local and international industry experts and professionals.

“It has been an extremely productive and pleasing market this year, with over 900 official business meetings documented in the Finance Forum.” says Toni Monty, Head of the Durban Film Office, which partners with the DIFF to present the DFM. “The Durban FilmMart is considered one of Africa’s most important film finance platforms: this is borne out of the fact that we have been able to track the progress of many of the projects which had their beginnings at the market which have successfully made it to the screen. This year the Durban International Film Festival was able to screen six DFM alumni films, a concrete indication that this model is working well.”

“Once again we are honoured to have hosted this important film event, which brings together industry representatives from around the globe.” says Monty. “Besides the many levels of business that is conducted at this market, we are also proud to be able to showcase the City as a film destination on a global level to the hundreds of delegates attending.”

The closing night awards dinner sees key local and international partners of the annual co-production market, award a number of projects with development support through cash grants, invitations to partner markets or business support, to take the projects through the next stages of development.

This year 8 awards were made by an evaluation panel made up of local and international film industry experts. Recipients of the 2015 DFM awards are as follows:

The Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program award for a documentary film project that demonstrates potential for strong storytelling craft, artistic use of visual language, originality, feasibility, and relevance went to The Other Half of The African Sky directed and produced by Tapiwa Chipfupa which receives a cash award of $7000 for further development.

Afridocs, the broadcast stream that sees African and other international documentaries screened across 49 countries of sub-Saharan Africa on a weekly basis, awarded a €3000 grant for an outstanding documentary project to Truck Mamadirected and produced by Zipporah Nyaruri and co-directed by Peggy Mbiyu.

The CineMart Award, sponsored by the co-production market of the International Film Festival Rotterdam, awarded the fiction project Sunflowers Behind a Dirty Fence directed by Simon Mukali and produced by Nathan Magoola, with an opportunity to attend the Rotterdam Lab, a five-day training and networking event bringing together producers from all over the world.

The International Documentary Film Festival of Amsterdam (IDFA) awarded the most promising documentary project at the DFM, Truck Mama directed and produced by Zipporah Nyaruri and co-directed by Peggy Mbiyu, with an opportunity to attend the  IDFA Forum, the largest and most influential meeting place for documentary filmmakers, producers, commissioning editors, funds, private financiers and other documentary stakeholders in Europe, from November 23 to 25.

The New Cinema Network awarded Riot Waif directed by Zinaid Meeran and produced by Jean Meeran an opportunity to attend the 10th edition NCN in Rome, where the producer/director will be able to present the project to film companies at an international level.

Produire au Sud of Festival des 3 Continents (Nantes), awarded the fiction project Inkabi "The Hitman" directed by Norman Maake and produced by Peter Pohorsky with an opportunity to attend its developmental workshop program, PAS, where they will be given tools, expertise, and opportunities to develop European networks.

The Restless Pitch awarded, a one-on-one consultation with Restless Talent Management co-founder Tendeka Matatu, to two projects: Brace Yourself by Thati Peele, and Lucky by Jacobus van Heerden. The company will provide development services such as image-building and positioning, project packaging, PR, and advice on film sales, distribution and promotion. Restless Talent Management also made a special mention of Mark Waambui forHeterophobe for an edgy and challenging concept.

Durban’s Videovision Entertainment, awarded the “Best South African Film Project” Inkabi “The Hit Man” directed by Norman Maake and produced by Peter Pohorsky a prize which guarantees the films release once it is completed. The prize includes marketing and distribution support from Videovision Entertainment and is valued at R75 000.

Five of these projects have emanated from film-makers that are either Durban- or Berlin Talents alumni – the industry development programme of the Berlin International Film Festival, with which DIFF is a partner. These are Tapiwa Chipfupa (The Other Half of the African Sky) - Talents Durban (2013) and Talents Berlin (2015); Truck Mama filmmakers - Zipporah Nyaruri – Talents Berlin and Talents Durban (2011) and Peggy Mbiyu Talents Durban (2011) and Talents Berlin (2012), Nathan Magoola (Sunflowers Behind a Dirty Fence) Talents Durban (2013) and Talents Berlin (2012) and Jacobus van Heerden (Lucky) Talents Durban (2013).

“We had a very strong line up of projects this year,” says Monty. “We were pleased with the diverse topics and themes that have been explored in both the fiction and documentary sections, and with strong representation of filmmakers collaborating across the continent. The DFM has been placing emphasis on the telling of African narratives, and in doing so hope to continue to discover new African projects.”

 “We have seen numerous filmmakers pitching projects at the DFM over the past 6 years go from strength to strength. They are engaging more confidently with the many financiers, funders, sales and distribution agents, showing a maturing of the market.”

“We would like to thank our new and old sponsors and partners who have supported the DFM. It is through their continued interest and support that we are able to assist African filmmakers develop the industry and access the local and international market.” says Monty.

For more information on the Durban FimMart visit www.durbanfilmmart.com

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Issued on behalf of the DFM by:

Sharlene Versfeld

Versfeld & Associates

083 326 3235

July 20, 2015

NOTE TO MEDIA 

We have individual images of the awardees - which we will email independently .

Dis Ek, Anna to Debut at DIFF 2015

Media Release

DIS EK, ANNA TO DEBUT AT DIFF 2015

Palama Productions will debut their latest feature film Dis ek, Anna at the Durban International Film Festival this year.  Based on the fictionalised autobiographical best-sellers Dis ek, Anna and Die Staat teen Anna Bruwer by Anchien Troskie, written under the pseudonym Elbie Lötter, and adapted for screen by Tertius Kapp, the film is produced by Niel van Deventer (Suurlemoen, Anderkant Gister) and directed by Sara Blecher (Ayanda, Otelo Burning). 

The film is a harrowing, but ultimately uplifting story of a young woman who finds the strength to pick up the pieces of her shattered world and forge a new life.  Anna Bruwer is sexually abused by her stepfather over a period of 8 years.  Unable confide in anyone, she is rendered voiceless and inhabits a shadow world of shame, foreboding and secrecy, until she is finally able to break free from her tormentor.

Dis ek, Anna stars Charlenè Brouwer (Vrou Soek Boer, Erfsondes, Binnelanders) in the title role with Marius Weyers (Faan se Trein, Die Wonderwerker), Nicola Hanekom (Hollywood in My Huis, Faan se Trein), Izel Bezuidenhout (Agent 2000), Morné Visser (Long Walk to Freedom, Skoonheid), Eduan van Jaarsveldt (Fanie Fourie’s Lobola,Long Walk to Freedom) and Drikus Volschenk (Long Walk to Freedom, Skoonheid).  Rounding out the cast is Dawid Minnaar, Elize Cawood, Hykie Berg, Kara van der Merwe and Fezile Mpela.

“Bringing this film to screen has been a labour of love,” says producer Niel van Deventer.  “It is very important to me to find projects that have the potential to become films that transcend the borders of our language and country.  Anna is certainly such a story.”

“We are thrilled to have Dis ek, Anna as part of our slate of films for 2015.  It is a remarkable film that raises the bar in terms of quality and performance,” says Driki van Zyl, General Manager: Times Media Films. “

Dis ek, Anna is being released by Times Media Films and will open at cinemas across the county on 30 October 2015.

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david alex wilson

Mad Moth Communications

Cell: 27 83 629 2587

e-mail: davidalex@madmoth.co.za

Business Model Canvas Boot Camp at DFM 2015

Media Release

Business Model Canvas  Boot Camp at DFM 2015

The Durban FilmMart (DFM), in partnership with the Documentary Filmmakers' Association, the Canadian Film Center (CFC) Media Lab and the National Film and Video Foundation, will be hosting one-and-a-half day closed workshops on the powerful Business Model Canvas (BMC) tool for South African filmmakers at this year’s DFM which takes palce during the Durban International Film Festival from July 17 to 20.

The success of Alex Osterwalder’s book Business Model Generation and subsequent workshops based on the book has resulted in the demystification of business model design. With BMC, licensed under Creative Commons, Osterwalder and his associates have created a visualisation tool to help business owners determine which set of business models may work for their product. The Business Model Canvas is a design tool to help businesses to get their first principles right – starting with who their customer might be.

The BMC Boot Camp will walk participants through the Business Model Canvas using methods developed by Osterwalder and further evolved by the CFC Media Lab for the creative content industries. The workshop will take a participatory approach in order to create an empowering and interactive working environment that fosters understanding, discussion, creativity and analysis. The workshop team will lead content producers through a series of exercises in order to help participants identify their various business models and provide blueprints for their current and future projects.

Filmmakers will learn how to apply BMC to each individual project, identifying the different elements, connecting them, and learning how to integrate them in order to enhance their work and deliver an optimal final product. Due to its visual and narrative approach to business planning, the model is easy to understand and interpret for those who lack training in business management theory.

In addition to this practical application to current projects, six South African trainers will learn to train content producers how to use the tool, thus expanding the legacy of the programme beyond the Durban FilmMart. It is anticipated that BMC will become a widely used tool in the South African and African film industries.

Tshego Molefe, a member of the Documentary Filmmakers Association who participated in a BMC workshop in 2014, had this to say:  “The Business Model Canvas allowed me to view the documentary process in a different form. Pulling back from the story and getting a bird’s eye view of the entire process was refreshing and helpful, especially to a producer who wants to maintain a sustained business around production.”

The 6th Durban FilmMart takes place in Durban, at the Tsogo Sun Elangeni from 17 to 20 July 2015, during the 36th edition of the Durban International Film Festival (16-26 July 2015).

For more information on the Durban FilmMart and to register as a delegate visit www.durbanfilmmart.com

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Issued on behalf of The Durban FilmMart by:

Sharlene Versfeld

Versfeld & Associates

 031-8116528/ 083 326 3235

Sharlene@versfeld.co.za/ info@versfeld.co.za

Note to Editors:

The Durban FilmMart (DFM) is a co-production and finance market and is a joint programme of the Durban Film Office (DFO) and the Durban International Film Festival (DIFF). DFM provides filmmakers from across Africa with a valuable opportunity to pitch projects to financiers, distributors, sales agents and potential co-producers, and to participate in meetings, project presentations and a series of master classes and workshops on the latest industry trends. www.durbanfilmmart.com

The Durban Film Office (DFO) is the film industry development arm of the eThekwini Municipality, mandated to position Durban as a world-class film production destination and facilitator for the development of the local film industry. The DFO drives activity and development in the sector in order to boost tourism, job creation and the development of core skills and SMMEs in the region.www.durbanfilmoffice.com

 The Durban International Film Festival (DIFF) presents over 250 screenings from different countries and cultures with a special focus on Africa. The festival includes development programmes such as Talents Durban and a rich schedule of workshops. DIFF is a flagship project of the Centre for Creative Arts, University of KwaZulu-Natal, which facilitates creative platforms and economic opportunities for artists and related industries, intercultural exchange and network development, training, audience development and strategic Pan-African and international cooperation in the cultural sectors. www.cca.ukzn.ac.za