Durban International Film Festival (DIFF) calls for entries 2014

The Durban International Film Festival (DIFF) will celebrate its 35th edition from 17th to 27th July 2014 with over 250 screenings of cutting-edge cinema from around the world with a special focus on films from South Africa and Africa. The largest of Southern Africa’s film festivals, and the most important film festival in Africa, DIFF has a film competition component and also presents screenings in township areas where cinemas are non-existent.  

The festival will consider films completed in 2013 and 2014, and there is no charge for entry. All submissions must be entered via the Eventival online system at http://vp.eventival.eu/cca/diff2014. In order to submit a film you will need to create a free visitor account (if you have not already done so in previous years), then follow the online process. Finally, send us your DVD screener before the deadline. We are accepting submissions of both short and feature length fiction and documentary films. The deadline for all entries is 28th March 2014.

“We look forward to once again receiving a wealth of top quality films from around the globe,” says festival manager Peter Machen. “We also welcome input from and engagement with current and potential partners who support the development of the film industry on the continent. It is through collaboration that we can offer film-makers and the public a festival of brilliant film and a worthwhile industry development programme.”

Specific streams of programming for 2014 will include a focus on 20 years of democracy in South Africa, as well as films that explore architecture in various ways. This latter stream of programming acknowledges the World Congress of Architects, which will take place in Durban in 2014 the week after DIFF.

DIFF 2014 will also offer extensive seminar and workshop programmes, which will feature local and international filmmakers and industry professionals. These include the 7th Berlinale Talents Durban (18th to 22nd July), in cooperation with Berlinale Talents, and the 5th Durban FilmMart (18th to 21st July), in partnership with Durban Film Office.

For more information visit: www.durbanfilmfest.co.za or email diff@ukzn.ac.za. Follow the festival on twitter: @DIFFest.

The festival is organised by the Centre for Creative Arts at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, and is supported by the National Film and Video Foundation, the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Economic Development and Tourism, the City of Durban and other valued funders and partners. The CCA is a special project of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Professor Cheryl Potgieter, in the College of Humanities at UKZN.

The Greatest Love of All - The Whitney Houston Show

Showtime Management is proud to present, direct from the USA, The Greatest Love Of All - The Whitney Houston Show starring Belinda Davids, playing Sibaya Casino & Entertainment Kingdom's iZulu Theatre and other venues this Festive Season from December 5.

A tribute to a woman who has long been held as an icon of pop music and vocal ability, The Greatest Love Of All – The Whitney Houston Show will present and celebrate a catalogue of Houston’s most loved songs from the span of her 29 year career. The 2 ½ hour concert and stage show includes hits such as ‘How Will I Know’, ‘I Wanna Dance With Somebody’, ‘Where Do Broken Hearts Go’, ‘Didn’t We Almost Have It All’, ‘I’m Every Woman’, ‘Exhale (Shoop Shoop)’, ‘Step by Step’ and of course, ‘I Will Always Love You’.

In the wake of Whitney Houston’s tragic passing in 2012, her timeless music and awe-inspiring voice have received renewed appreciation from her legion of long-time fans and garnered a new generation of admirers who appreciate Whitney’s unique voice, undeniable talent and pervasive charm as a welcome contrast to the artists prevalent in today’s contemporary music.

Davids’ ethereal voice and long music career - as a solo recording artist and as a support act and backing vocalist for such acts as The Temptations, Keri Hilson, Keyshia Cole, Monica and Johnny Gill – make her a natural performer, but it’s her intimate knowledge and love of Houston’s music that give this show a personal, heart-felt feel.

Exposed mainly to R&B and gospel as a child, Davids was innately drawn to Houston’s musical style, and paid homage to her idol through her dress, hairstyle and by including Houston songs in almost every one of her live shows. Davids now understands the music so well that her performances are unbelievable for some audiences. One audience in Hong Kong demanded she sing ‘I Will Always Love You’ acapella to prove she wasn’t lip-syncing; Davids obliged and was greeted with looks of disbelief, closely followed by a standing ovation.

Davids will be directed by Showtime Management CEO John Van Grinsven Snr. and joined on tour by Artistic Director Kenny Wizz, Musical Director Dale Scheepers and Purple Ear Productions’ Director Jon Van Grinsven Jr., the team also responsible for the worldwide hit showMichael Jackson HIStory.

Belinda Davids was born in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, and began performing professionally at the age of 14. She has never had vocal training and is blessed with a 4 octave vocal range, and hence the ability to sing any genre. Her musical heart has always been R&B; Belinda's inspirations as a child were Aretha Franklin, Anita Baker, Chaka Khan, Donny Hathaway, Michael Jackson and the one artist whom she still, to this day, honours in every show she performs – Whitney Houston.

As a young girl one of the very first LP’s Davids ever owned was a song called “Hold Me” by Teddy Pendergrass and Whitney Houston. The quality and style Whitney portrayed in this song struck a cord and Davids’ fascination with the icon grew. She sang Whitney’s music at every chance: at family gatherings, talent competitions and to friends whilst playing on the street. Like many young girls at that time her bedroom walls were plastered with posters and magazine cut-outs of the icon. Whitney’s influence was so strong it inspired everything from her dress sense to her hairstyles.

As a young woman Belinda had the burning desire to live out her dreams and follow in her idols footsteps. She took on the club circuit and her performances left many people amazed at how similar she sounded to the icon.

In the mid 90’s Belinda caught the eye of record executives at Tusk Records, which spawned the album “Belinda Davids”. Three of the songs on this album, which Belinda wrote, were released as singles: “This I Swear”, “This Is My Life” and “We Go Together”. The latter was number one for six weeks in South Africa.

Davids promoted her album all over South Africa for a number of years at various hotels, clubs and cabarets. She opened shows for many international acts when they visited South Africa including Michael Jackson’s History Tour, The Manhattans, The Temptations and Peaches and Herbs. Years after her debut album Davids decided to travel abroad to expand her musical career, which took her to Dubai, London and Hong Kong to perform in major hotels and clubs, with renowned success.

Whilst performing “I Will Always Love You” at a hotel in Hong Kong she was requested by the audience to sing acapella as they thought she was lip-syncing to the original Whitney Houston song, after which she received a standing ovation.

After many years on the road she finally settled in Los Angeles where she started to focus on getting her solo career back on track. In L.A she collaborated with R&B singer/producer Sam Salter who worked on a couple of her promotional tracks. She also caught the attention of many R&B artists who asked her to perform and tour with them, such as Keyshia Cole, Monica, Johnny Gill, Kelly Price and Keri Hilson. She appeared on The Jay Leno Show and The George Lopez Show as a back-up vocalist for Monica.

Belinda Davids will once again showcase her exquisite voice as she takes on the lead role in the brand new Showtime Management production,The Greatest Love of All – The Whitney Houston Show - a show dedicated to keeping alive the music and spirit of the late, great and incomparable Whitney Houston.

The tour dates are as follows, Sibaya Casino, Durban on 5 December to 5 January and Wild Coast Sun Resort & Casino on 30 December. Other dates include Boardwalk Casino, Port Elizabeth on 7 January, Grand West Casino on 10 January. Tickets from Computicket:www.computicket.com or 0861 915 8000.

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17th Poetry Africa - International Poetry Festival

The 17th Poetry Africa – International Poetry Festival presented in partnership with the City of Durban and the KZN Department of Arts and Culture is proud to announce the festival line-up, which promises to be an exhilarating showcase of diverse voices and sounds. Organised by the Centre for Creative Arts (UKZN) to take place from 14-19 October, this festival is a critical platform for self-expression that offers a space for cultural exchange in the city of Durban.

The festival’s line-up features a ground-breaking poetry project – a 12 track recorded album entitled Insurrections – featuring poets and ethnomusicologists from India and South Africa. The project sees the rich sounds of the Indian music tradition blend with African instruments accompanying radical poetry from both continents. The Insurrections ensemble will be performed by musicians Sumangala Damodaran (India), Jürgen Brauninger (South Africa), Neo Muyanga (South Africa), Pritam Ghoshal (India), Brydon Bolton (South Africa), Bettina Schouw (South Africa), Sazi Dlamini (South Africa) and Paki Peloeole (South Africa). The poetry contingent for Insurrections will comprise of Ari Sitas (South Africa), Malika Ndlovu (South Africa), Sabita TP (India) and Vivek Narayanan (India). The ensemble will perform on Thursday, 17 October.

Keeping with the musical theme of this year’s edition, the festival will feature five poets who also work as recording musicians. Kabomo Vilakazi is a singer, songwriter and actor who also features in South African poetry circles. Nominated four times for the SAMAs and a former editor of youth culture magazine Y-Mag, his credentials in the entertainment industry are indeed formidable. Kalawi Jazmee artist Busiswa Gqulu returns to Poetry Africa in the middle of her impressive reign on the music charts throughout Africa. She first graced the Poetry Africa stage as part of the all-women poetry collective Basadzi Voices in 2008 and has also performed solo in 2010. South African poet Natalia Molebatsi is also a writer, facilitator and programme director who recently founded a South African-Italian music project with the band Soul Making. Her poetry is published in the books We Are. (2008) and Sardo Dance (2009). Durban-born poet, performer and MC (Ashleigh La Foy) is well-known on Durban stages for both her poetry and her musical prowess. Having earned her stripes as a female rapper, she will indulge Durban audiences with her poetic oeuvre ahead of her much-anticipated debut album. Hailing from the Eastern Cape, Pura Lavisa is a writer, performer and poet whose musical arrangements incorporate percussion and African sounds. Lavisa will be presenting a collection of poems mostly in isiXhosa.

Returning to the Poetry Africa stage, well-respected Soweto-born dub-poet and writer, Lesego Rampolokeng, will deliver an infectious brand of poetry influenced by Black Consciousness and rooted in the lived experience of people on the margins. Also from Soweto, Khulile Nxumalo will present works from his first title ten flapping elbows, mama and his latest collection fhedzi, published by Die Hard Press. Critically acclaimed, Nxumalo was twice named the recipient of the DALRO prize for poetry. Nigerian-born poet Kole Odutola will also be reading his latest work at the festival. Odutola teaches at the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures at the University of Florida and has published extensively both in academia and literature. Another participant with a background in teaching languages is Kobus Moolman, based at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. Moolman’s latest collection Left Over is currently enjoying rave reviews in the press and his performance will allow an eager Durban audience a chance to celebrate his vast canon of works.

Johannesburg-based performance and slam poet Mandi Poefficient Vundla forms part of the Word n Sound collective and is featured on the online and print publications of Poetry Potion. Crowned ‘Queen of the Word and Sound Mic’ in 2012, she has graced numerous poetry stages including Arts Alive and Jozi Book Fair. Another young female voice featured in the line-up is Sanelisiwe Ntuli, a wordsmith from Hammersdale who writes and performs in isiZulu. Ntuli is a graduate of the Kwesukela Storytelling Academy and regularly features as a storyteller and voice artist on educational programmes of Ukhozi FM. Also writing in isiZulu is Professor Langalibalele F. Mathenjwa is holding a Doctor of Literature and Philosophy from UNISA. He is a published writer of isiZulu poetry, novels, short stories and folklore and has chair Usiba Writers Guild, South African Geographical Names Council, IsiZulu National Language Body and the United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names-Africa South Division.

Four poets from the Irish poetry collective O’Bheal will present their work at the festival. This contingent consists of Paul Casey, Afric McGinchey, Billy Ramsel and American-born Raven. Completing the international line-up will be Ian Kamau (Canada), Barnabe Laye (Benin) and Raphael d'Abdon (Italy/ South Africa). Kamau is a writer, visual artist, hip hop and spoken word artist from Toronto, whose discography lists five collections, including the popular album One Day Soon (2011). He will be presenting additional workshops in advance of the festival. A poet and novelist, Laye has published a dozen books and is the recipient of the Nelligan Prize his lifetimes work. His most recent work is entitled Poems in Absent, a long wait (2010). D’Abdon is an Italian scholar, writer, editor and translator and a post-doctoral fellow in the English Studies Department at UNISA. As an editor, D’Abdon recently published Marikana - A Moment in Time, as well as an anthology of poetry about the massacre and his own collection, Sunnyside Nightwalk.

The festival’s community outreach programme will see poets visit over twenty community centres, campuses and tertiary education departments across Durban and beyond. In addition, participating poets will visit twenty schools to discuss reading, writing and the performance aspects of poetry.

For more details about this year’s Poetry Africa, visit www.cca.ukzn.ac.za or call (031) 260 2506.

Organised by the Centre for Creative Arts (University of KwaZulu-Natal), the 17th Poetry Africa is funded by the City of Durban and the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Arts and Culture. The Centre for Creative Arts is housed in the College of Humanities at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. The CCA is a special project of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Professor Cheryl Potgieter, in the College of Humanities at UKZN.

17th Poetry Africa International Poetry Festival - Schools Poetry Writing Competition

The Centre for Creative Arts (University of KwaZulu-Natal), with principal funding from the City of Durban and the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Arts and Culture, calls out to high school pupils to submit poems as part of the 17th POETRY AFRICA Schools Competition.

The POETRY AFRICA festival, now in its 17th edition, takes place from 14 to 19 October 2013. To set the Durban stage alight this year, are a range of popular international poets including Ari Sitas, Malika Ndlovu, Lesego Rampolokeng, Kabomo Vilakazi, Busiswa Gqulu, Natalia Molebatsi, Kobus Moolman, Khulile Nxumalo and many more.

With its long-standing commitment towards nurturing a culture of reading and writing poetry, especially amongst the youth, Poetry Africa invites high school learners to take up the exciting opportunity of submitting material for the poetry competition which is held in conjunction with the festival. There is no particular topic for the poems and they can be written in English, Zulu or Afrikaans. No more than two poems per learner will be accepted, with a maximum length of one A4 page per poem - illegible entries will not be considered.

Poems must be submitted to the Centre for Creative Arts or faxed to (031) 260 3074 by 20 September 2013. Winners will read their poems on the main stage of the Poetry Africa festival on the evening of 18 October. Prizes will be awarded by Adams Booksellers, with the Mazisi Kunene Foundation awarding the prizes for the Zulu winners.

Participants can send their poems to the Centre for Creative Arts via e-mail on cca@ukzn.ac.za or can post their poem to the Centre for Creative Arts on: Centre for Creative Arts, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Howard College Campus, Durban, 4041, South Africa. For more details about this year’s Poetry Africa, visit www.cca.ukzn.ac.za or call (031) 260 2506.

Organised by the Centre for Creative Arts (University of KwaZulu-Natal), the 17th Poetry Africa is funded by the City of Durban and the KwaZulu Natal Department of Arts and Culture and the French Insitute of South Africa. The Centre for Creative Arts is housed in the College of Humanities at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. The CCA is currently a special project of the newly appointed Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Professor Cheryl Potgieter, in the College of Humanities at UKZN.

Caption: Last year’s winners in the isiZulu Poetry Competition Zoleka Maluleka (Umbelebele Secondary School) for Isibani Sami, Nombulelo Gumede (King Shaka High School) for Thingo Lwenkosazane, Zizikazi Dlamini (Durban Girls High) for Zikhohlisana Zihlomile. English winners in the schools Poetry Competition Julia van der Riet (St. Annes College) for Preparation for a Poem (A work in progress), Zamangwane Zikhali (Durban Girls High School) for Cold Sunlight and Jenna Dunford (Westville Senior Primary School) for The Graveyard

15th Annual JOMBA! Contemporary Dance Experience 28 August - 8 September 2013

The Centre for Creative Arts and the University of KwaZulu-Natal proudly present the

15th annual JOMBA! Contemporary Dance Experience

28 August – 8 September 2013

Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre: 7.30pm

artSPACE (durban) Monday 2 September: 6.30pm

Tickets:

R50.00 or R35.00 (scholars/students/pensioners)

Booking through computicket (or at venue from one hour before)

The University of KwaZulu-Natal’s arts gateway to Africa and the world, the Centre for Creative Arts, is proud to be presenting its 15th annual JOMBA! Contemporary Dance Experience.  This year’s festival is a delight of local and international dance theatre that has on show the best the world has to offer. Dancer from Holland, Switzerland, America, Portugal and France will be gracing the JOMBA! stages alongside some of South Africa’s most cutting edge dance makers.

On the local front, JOMBA! is very proud to be hosting  the 2013 Standard Bank Young Artist award winner for dance, Fana Tshabalala. His new work, INDUMBA, premiered at the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown to critical acclaim. Working with his home dance company, Johannesburg based Forgotten Angle Theatre Collaborative; Tshabalala’s dance work is poetic encounter with African ritual and contemporary sensibility. Considered one of South Africa’s most fluid and elegant dancers, Tshabalala’s vision is a startling reminder of the confluence of style, form and African sensibility.

One of the gems of this years’ festival is the collaboration between local Durban based dancer and choreographer Desiré Davids who joins forces with French based Hélène Cathala in a soulful duet called B.L.E.N.D. These two experienced women artists, one ‘coloured’ and South African,  and one white and French, share the stage in a confrontation of their divergent histories. This drives them to really get to know one another but also, sometimes, drives them both into a void of personal and artistic incomprehension.

On the international front, this 15th edition of JOMBA! has a number for firsts! This will be the first edition of JOMBA! to host an American company, and in partnership with the U.S. Consulate in Durban and the U.S. Department of State’s Arts Envoy Program, JOMBA! is delighted to be hosting the Chicago based company Deeply Rooted Dance Theatre. Deeply Rooted will spend two weeks in Durban and will be part of JOMBA’s extended dance education and development programme run in conjunction with Flatfoot Dance Company. Deeply Rooted will travel to Flatfoot’s numerous dance programmes run in Umlazi, KwaMashu and Tugela Mouth. Over the two weeks, Deeply Rooted will share their dance skills and philosophy with over 600 KZN young dancers in an enriching cultural exchange.

Deeply Rooted’s invitation to JOMBA! will culminate in two stellar performances on the closing nights of the festival on 7 and 8 September. In a style that oozes memory, and the jazz history of the African American experience, Deeply Rooted, will present choreography that thread together some of their key signature dance works. Their partnership with Flatfoot Dance Company for JOMBA! will also see the six resident dancers of Flatfoot  joining Deeply Rooted in their performances after having spent two glorious weeks learning their repertoire and sharing styles and working methods.

Another first for JOMBA! 2013, and yet another  coup de grace of the festival, and an unprecedented treat for ballet and neo-classical dance lovers, is the featuring of Holland’s magnificent INTRODANS. World renowned for skill and virtuosity, INTRODANS bring a programme suitably titled “SUPERSTARS” which features five choreographies by five of Holland and Europe’s most influential dance makers in the form of Anaphase by Ohad Naharin, Evening Songs by Jiří Kylián, Nacho Duato’s Sinfonía India, Pas de Danse by Mats Ek and Polish Pieces by the Dutch Maestro Hans van Manen. INTRODANS’s reputation precedes them and Durban should be fighting to get tickets!

Europe’s finest come to JOMBA! in the form of firstly, Portuguese dancer Francisco Camacho and his EIRA dance company. Camacho, performing on the opening night of JOMBA!, brings a hard hitting solo dance theatre work called “The King In Exile”. Drawing its inspiration from the figure of Dom Manuel II, the last king of Portugal, this solo work is an exploration of contemporary political power that will no doubt speak to Africa. In this solo work, Camacho explores the transgressive power of the dancing body’s ability to shift identities that are captured in the traps of history and representation. This work is sure to be one of JOMBA! 2013’s most contentious talking points.

Secondly, European finery comes in the form of Swiss duo T42. Made up dancers Misato Inoue and Félix Duméril, their dance work is a confrontation with difference and the old ideas that European identity is singular. Misato’s own Japanese roots become the starting point of much of T42’s work and is the witty and sometimes ironic danced encounter between cultural misunderstanding.  Known for their technical virtuosity and dexterity as contemporary dancers, T42’s work has been singled out for its humour and for allowing space for laughter in battling the misunderstandings between East and West.

Another first for JOMBA! 2013, is an event collaboration with Durban’s artSPACE (durban) Gallery. Monday 2 September is a one off evening of site-specific dance work made for an audience who would like an up-close and personal encounter with dance. Featuring Musa Hlatshwayo and Vusi Makanya’s latest local dance offerings, the evening also features a specificially created solo by T42’s Swiss dancer Misato Inoue. Called “Swan”, this work hints at Misato’s Japanese Kabuki roots and is a very contemporary encounter with the duel nature of being ; the harking back to Swan Lake’s infamous black and white swans and to a female body caught in oppositions. Also on view at the JOMBA! @ artSPACE event , is a collection of award winning short one minute dance films from all over the globe curated by Jeannette Ginslov’s ScreenDance Africa.

JOMBA! hosts is usual platforms of the Fringe (Sunday 1 September) and the Youth Fringe (Saturday 31 August). With over 60 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 Wiggins Community Hall in Cato Manor/Umkhumbane and is a celebration of over 28 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 dancer and choreographers. For a full listing please go to www.cca.ukzn.ac.za and go to the JOMBA! page. These workshops and classes are offered free of charge but booking is essential!

Finally, in promoting critical arts dialogue and writing about dance and the arts, JOMBA! runs its 4th year of the Dance Writing Residency. Six applicants have been selected and will be mentored through the festival as they create critical writing for both the JOMBA! Blog and for the JOMBA! Khaluma festival newspaper. JOMBA’s artistic director, Lliane Loots will also host the anticipated “JOMBA! Talks Dance” platforms with the various dancers and choreographers presenting work at JOMBA! These will be held directly after performances so please check the schedule for details.

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).

Videovision Entertainment Returns as Durban FilmMart Sponsor

Videovision Entertainment Returns as Durban FilmMart Sponsor

Internationally renowned, Durban-based film production and distribution company, Videovision Entertainment has continued its association with the Durban FilmMart as the sponsor of the Best South African Film Project Award which was introduced at the FilmMart in2011. The objective of the award is to nurture and develop emerging South African filmmakers. 

The prize, valued at R75 000, will go towards the print, advertising and marketing costs related to the release of the film.  Additionally, Videovision Entertainment guarantees distribution of the film in South Africa and will provide strategic advice to the filmmakers on the marketing and distribution of the film, and evaluate the potential of the film for international distribution after viewing the final cut of the successful project. 

The Durban FilmMart (DFM) which is considered Africa’s premier film finance and co-production forum, is a joint project of the Durban Film Office and the Durban International Film Festival in South Africa. The DFM comprises a finance forum, master-classes and Africa in Focus workshops.  Nineteen feature and documentary projects have been selected for the Finance Forum and filmmakers will pitch their projects to a panel of producers and financiers. One of the South African projects will be in line to receive the Videovision Entertainment prize. 

Videovision Entertainment is among the leading independent film production and distribution companies in Africa, having produced some of South Africa’s best known films, including the Oscar Nominated Yesterday. The company is currently in post- production with the much-anticipated big screen adaptation of Nelson Mandela’s autobiography, ‘Long Walk To Freedom’. 

“We have a firm commitment to the South African Film Industry,” says Sanjeev Singh Videovision’s Director of Acquisition and Distribution, “As a successful industry player it is incumbent on us to nurture and develop emerging filmmakers. As part of the prize which will be effective on completion of the film, we will also guarantee to acquire the local distribution rights, and provide funding for P&A for the release of the film in South Africa.”

“We are really pleased to have forged this partnership with Videovision,” says Toni Monty of the Durban Film Office. “One of DFM’s objectives is to contribute significantly to the development of the African film industry to boost opportunities for film-makers. Videovision’s positioning as a global player in the industry offers emerging filmmakers a unique opportunity to set their goals on the completion of their projects. Additionally, as they are a Durban-based company, this partnership further cements the commitment we have to the development of the film industry in the City.”

The 4th edition of Durban FilmMart takes place from 19 - 22 July 2013 during the Durban International Film Festival.  For more information and to register visit www.durbanfilmmart.com

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Ten Days To Go To SA's Top Film Event - The 34th Durban International Film Festival

It’s juts ten days to go to the start of the 34th Durban International Film Festival , South Africa’s premier film industry event which sees a host of local, continental and international filmmakers and film-lovers converge in the city to feast on everything to do with film from July 18 to 28.

The festival, is hosted by the Centre for Creative Arts, University of KwaZulu-Natal, a special project of the Deputy Vice Chancellor and Head of the College of Humanities, Prof Cheryl Potgieter, with principal funding by the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund. Over the years, the fest has grown in global stature to being one of the most important global festivals for viewing African and South African films, as well as offering audiences the best of the most recent international films. The full programme with schedule of films and workshop and seminar as well as all synopses of films is now up on the web –www.durbanfilmfest.co.za.

Eleven venues around Durban will host 170 films in 250 screenings in a smorgasbord of the best of contemporary cinema, and film-lovers and aspiring and experienced film-makers can enjoy a comprehensive workshop and seminar programme that facilitates the sharing of knowledge and skills by film industry experts.

This year the theme focus areas are African cinema with 12 world premieres of South African films including the opening night film Of Good Report directed by Jahmil Qubeka; Contemporary Europe, American Independent films, films about sexual identifies and sexuality, a Zombie fest as well as a broad variety of films showcasing the best of world cinema.

For film-lovers, this is an opportunity to go see films from firm favourites as well as to explore new and first time directors, films from new places and foreign language films; to discuss and debate the films, and get to meet the people who make them. Festival-goers will be delighted to hear that the DIFF has created a new free public marquee with refreshments for sale in front of the Blue Waters Hotel, as a social meeting point.

For film-makers there is the Fourth Durban FilmMart, a partnership project with the Durban Film Office, and supported by the City of Durban, which is a film finance and co-production market presented in three strands – Finance Forum, Master Classes and the Africa in Focus seminars. The DFM master class and networking programme is open to registered delegates only. See www.durbanfilmmart.com for further details.

For the ninth year, DIFF partners with Wavescape – a feast of surfing cinema and shark stories including 11 features and 5 shorts with a free outdoor screening at the Bay of Plenty Lawns on Sunday 21 July, before locating at Ster-Kinekor Musgrave Monday 22 July to Friday 26 July.

The 6th Talent Campus Durban brings together the creativity of 50 selected filmmakers from 18 different countries in Africa, chosen from over 450 submissions, who will take part in a series of masterclasses, workshops and industry networking opportunities during the DIFF.

Running parallel to the DIFF is Durban Wild Talk Africa, the continent’s most respected Natural History Film Festival and Conference which takes place at the Docklands Hotel in Durban from July 23 to 26.  For more info www.wildtalkafrica.com.

Principal screening venues are Suncoast Cinecentre; Ster Kinekor Musgrave, Cinema Nouveau – Gateway, Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre; Ekhaya Multi-Arts Centre in KwaMashu; and the Blue Waters Hotel. Other venues include the Bay of Plenty Lawns, the Upstairs at Spiga D’oro and the Luthuli Museum on the North Coast, which will have a special programme of screenings.

Tickets are through the respective venues and prices range from R25 to R35 (R50 for 3D screenings), except at Luthuli Museum, Blue Waters, Ekhaya and Bay of Plenty lawns, which are free of charge.  The Short Film programme at Upstairs at Spiga d’Oro  costs  R20.

Programme booklets with the full screening schedule and synopses of all the films are available free at cinemas, and other public information outlets. Full festival details can also be found on www.durbanfilmfest.co.za or by calling 031 2602506.

Organised by the Centre for Creative Arts in the College of Humanities (University of KwaZulu-Natal) the Durban International Film Festival is supported by the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund (principal funder), National Film and Video Foundation, KwaZulu-Natal Department of Economic Development and Tourism, City of Durban, German Embassy, Goethe Institut, Industrial Development Corporation, KwaZulu-Natal Department of Arts and Culture, and a range of other valued partners.

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BASA's Artist Sponsorship Toolkit now available

BASA’s Artist Sponsorship Toolkit set to significantly strengthen role of arts in business.

Strategic integration of the arts and business partnership is at the heart of the recently launched Business and Arts South Africa’s Artist Sponsorship Toolkit. 

The Artist Sponsorship Toolkit provides a way for the management team of an arts organisation to review, refresh and enhance their sponsorship practice – and acts as a complement to the Business Sponsorship Toolkit that was launched by BASA in 2012. 

Conceived as a step-by-step way for arts organisations to engage in the sponsorship environment, the Artist Sponsorship Toolkit was created by Michael Goldman, Senior Lecturer at the Gordon Institute of Business Science, in partnership with the BASA team. 

“South African arts organisations and projects continue to have a significant impact on our society, although many of the leaders of these organisations are less familiar with the marketing and sponsorship management practices required to access the financial and other resources needed to sustain and grow their organisations,” explains Goldman. 

“The Artist Sponsorship Toolkit provides arts organisation managers with a set of practical templates, exercises and techniques that can be used to develop more successful sponsorship-raising strategies.” 

Goldman points to the fact that the sponsorship environment is becoming more competitive, requiring arts organisations to be more clear and strongly define their value to audiences, participants, sponsors and society. 

“Arts organisation managers therefore need to demonstrate how their proposed partnership with a corporate sponsor will provide specific and relevant value to the company's business.” 

The Artist Sponsorship Toolkit provides a way for arts organisations – particularly those with less of an established track record - to build a long-term relationship with corporate sponsors. 

Arts organisations are now able to use the toolkit to guide a more strategic integration between the partners involved in a sponsorship relationship. This includes a fusion between the core values of the arts organisation and the sponsoring business, and an exploration of the areas and functions of the sponsoring business in which the involvement in the arts can have an impact. 

The Artist Sponsorship Toolkit now acts as a superb complement to the Business Sponsorship Toolkit. 

Launched in 2012, this toolkit is already being used by many South African businesses as a way of navigating through a sponsorship cycle and, ultimately, the ability to measure the effectiveness of an arts sponsorship as a strategic part of any business.  

Both toolkits are available for free download off the BASA website as part of Business and Arts South Africa’s commitment to stimulating excellence, innovation and value in the business and arts partnership. 

The BASA website is www.basa.co.za 

About Business and Arts South Africa NPC: 

Business and Arts South Africa NPC is an internationally recognised South African development agency which incorporates the arts into, and contributes to, corporates' commercial success. With a suite of integrated programmes, Business and Arts South Africa NPC encourages mutually beneficial partnerships between business and the arts. Business and Arts South Africa NPC was founded in 1997 as a joint initiative of government and the business sector, to secure the future development of the arts industry in South Africa, through increased corporate sector involvement. Established as a Non Profit Company, Business and Arts South Africa NPC is accountable to both government and its business members.

Change to the musical line up of 15th African Renaissance Africa Day Concert. Zonke withdraws, Lira steps in...

Change to the musical line up of 15thAfrican Renaissance Africa Day Concert.

Zonke withdraws, Lira steps in...

Durban ICC Arena - May 25, 2013

DURBAN: The African Renaissance Festival and Conference have had to make an urgent change to their line up for the Africa Day concert on Saturday, with Zonke withdrawing from the concert following the unexpected passing of her sister, to be replaced by Lira who joins  Mafikozolo and Professor on Saturday, May 25 at 6.30pm at the ICC Arena in Durban.

Zonke – who had been booked to perform – is disappointed to have to withdraw, but has to put her family ahead of her professional commitments at this difficult time. She is shattered at unexpectedly losing her sister, Busisiwe (Busi) Dikana, on Saturday evening, 18 May.

Zonke and her family are devastated at this sudden loss, but she wishes to extend her greatest apologies to the media and fans out there and thanks them for the continuous support.

Lira, known for her emotional ballads and uplifting songs about journeying and self fulfilment, didn’t hesitate to step in to support a fellow musician in her hour of need. Lira  performed at the African Renaissance concert last year and is delighted to be back at this significant annual event. “The quest for unity in Africa is an important one. That music has been identified as one of the ways we can continue to engage with this concept, is hugely significant and an immense honour for us musicians,” said Lira.

Africa Day (May 25), marks the founding day of the Organisation of African Unity in 1963 and for many years has been a celebration of African unity. This was the first time that African Heads of State and Government got together in an effort to define Africa on its own terms and to be responsible for the continent’s shared destiny.

The African Day Concert takes place during the African Renaissance Festival, which began 15 years ago in an endeavour to reignite Africa’s own belief in itself and in its potential to develop its own resources. Joining Lira, the concert will feature some of the biggest names on the SA music scene: award-winning vintage-inspired Afro-Pop outfit Mafikizolo and Professor with Ukhozi Fm’s Mr Magic Linda Sibiya as the host and MC.

The concert will start at 6.30pm until late at the Durban ICC Arena and tickets are R100 and are available from Computicket. For more information and the full African Renaissance programme, contact reception@wozani.co.za or telephone 031-266 9792

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New Manager of Durban International Film Festival Announced

NEW MANAGER ANNOUNCED -  Durban International Film Festival

Peter Machen, is the new DIFF manager

Plans are well underway for the 34th Durban International Film Festival (DIFF), South Africa’s largest and longest running film festival hosted by the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Centre for Creative Arts (CCA), reports Kishore Gobardan Director of Professional Services in the College of Humanities at UKZN in which the CCA is housed. The CCA is currently a special project of the newly appointed Deputy Vice Chancellor, Professor Cheryl Potgieter, in the College of Humanities.

“We are pleased to announce the appointment of well-known film critic and arts journalist, Peter Machen, as the DIFF Manager,” says Gobardan.

“Peter has been working with the Durban International Film Festival for the last seven years as a programme advisor,” says Gobardan. “He comes to the Festival with a wealth of institutional knowledge which provides much needed continuity.  Along with a solid knowledge of the programming requirements, Peter has also been responsible for writing synopses in the festival publications and editing and designing the festivals' Reel Times daily newsletters. He has appeared on various DIFF panels, as well as introduced directors and facilitated Q&A sessions during festivals. So we are pleased to welcome him on board the team and look forward to the significant value he will add to the mix.”

Machen, who has a BA Honours degree in economics from UKZN, is one of South Africa's leading arts writers and communication consultants. A talented publication designer, Peter has produced a range of publications and is author and designer of two coffee-table books Durban - A Paradise and its People and Durban - A Return to Paradise. He is currently Sunday Tribune's resident film columnist.

Earlier this year Machen attend the Rotterdam and Berlin Film Festivals as part of his research as a programme advisor for DIFF, and is excited about the challenges that lie ahead. “It is quite a daunting task to step into someone else’s programming shoes,” he says, “but because I have been so intimately involved in the festival for some time now, I know my way around and look forward to creating a programme that will be interesting and varied for our audiences.” To that end, Peter will be heading off to the Cannes Film Festival next month to seek out additional cinematic treasures for the DIFF 2013 programme.

“The Assistant Film Festival Manager position will be announced within the next few weeks, and the CCA Director’s post has been advertised and should be filled soon.”

It’s business as usual for the Durban FilmMart, the co-production project of the Durban Film Office and DIFF, this according to Toni Monty of the Durban Film Office. “We have had a great response to the call out for projects for this year’s Durban FilmMart. Submissions are now with adjudicators and we await their selection. We are proceeding with the plans to present a strong fourth market, and we are pleased to receive continued support from our partners and supporters, Rotterdam Film Festival’s CineMart, IDFA, Arte France, Hot Docs and EAVE, as well as the inclusion of other awards from new strategic partners, Paris Project, the co-production and development platform of the Paris Cinema International Film Festival,  Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF) and No Borders, a co-production market of the Independent Filmmakers Project In the USA.”

The 34th Durban International Film Festival will take place from July 18 to 28. The full programme will be in the www.durbanfilmfestival.co.za website five weeks before the festival begins.

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BASA Launches Sponsorship Toolkit for the Arts

This May sees Business and Arts South Africa launch a new partnership with Shanduka Black Umbrellas’ Incubator Programme as well as unveil the much-anticipated BASA Sponsorship Toolkit for the Arts.

Taking place on May 6th at the Soweto Theatre, the launch of BASA’s partnership with Shanduka Black Umbrellas is part of BASA’s ongoing commitment to providing arts organisations and practitioners with the skills to run their own business.

Says Mark Frankel CEO of Shanduka Black Umbrellas, “All business owners, no matter which sector they operate in, should have the requisite skills in place to operate their businesses effectively and profitably

“In addition to the skills required, businesses from previously disadvantaged backgrounds should be provided with assistance to access networks, markets and finance to help ensure their sustainability. This is the nature of the work we do at Shanduka Black Umbrellas.

“The partnership with BASA enables us to jointly identify potential high impact businesses in the arts sector and provide these businesses with the skills, support and development they require in order to become sustainable and create jobs.”

The newly minted BASA Sponsorship Toolkit for the Arts – also launching on May 6 – is additionally set to play an important role in the sustainability of arts organisations. With a strong focus on providing a way for the management team of an arts organisation to review, refresh and enhance their sponsorship practice, the toolkit is likely to become an indispensable part of the way arts organisations work. The BASA Sponsorship Toolkit for the Arts is a complement to the BASA Arts Sponsorship Management Toolkit for business that was launched last year.

The BASA Sponsorship Toolkit for the Arts has been created for both arts organisations with existing sponsorship relations and those looking for new and additional partners.

For arts organisations with existing sponsorship relationships, the toolkit provides an opportunity to assess the depth and breadth of their practices, as well as develop the ability to nurture a more sustainable arts partnership approach.

For organisations searching for new or additional partners, the toolkit provides a step-by-step guide and set of exercises to craft a well-considered, longer-term arts partnership strategy.

For more information and to RSVP for the launch of the Shanduka Black Umbrellas’ Incubator Programme and unveiling of the BASA Sponsorship Toolkit for the Arts contact: Jessica Dennison at Jessica@basa.co.za or 011 447 2295

Date and Time:
Monday 6 May 2013
9h30 for 10h00

Venue:
Soweto Theatre

Durban to host BASA Business Breakfast and Education Programme

With a new KwaZulu-Natal representative on the ground and an increased focus on the relevance, advancement and sustainability of the arts in the region, the upcoming Business Arts SA - BASA Education Programme, supported by Etana Insurance, are not to be missed by arts practitioners.

The first Durban series of workshops in the 2013 BASA Education Programme, supported by Etana Insurance, take place on April 11th at the KZNSA Gallery in Bulwer Road, Glenwood and are free to pre-registered participants.

Businesses will also be able to take part in the focused activities on April 11th by attending a business breakfast also at the KZNSA Gallery.

The business breakfast will include national and regional Business and Arts South Africa representatives and will give insight into a number of initiatives aimed at business. These include the first-of-its-kind BASA Arts Sponsorship Management Toolkit, which gives South African businesses a tool to navigating the sponsorship cycle and, ultimately, the ability to measure the effectiveness of arts sponsorship as a strategic part of any business.

The Durban workshops are also a chance for businesses and arts practitioners to connect with newly appointed Business and Arts South Africa representative in the region - Sharlene Versfeld of Versfeld & Associates.

Versfeld has been involved professionally in the South African arts sector since 1987 and has a long-standing reputation for her extensive work as an arts marketer most notably with the various festivals hosted by the Centre for Creative Arts at the University of KwaZulu-Natal.  In 2012 Versfeld undertook research for the British Council, with Nicolette du Plessis of Cultural Radius, on the South African arts landscape in relation to international agencies and collaborations. She is additionally a Board member of the Flatfoot Dance Company and does pro bono marketing for Action in Autism in KwaZulu-Natal.

“This is a challenging chapter in the arts industry in South Africa,” Versfeld says of her new tenure.

“Tough as it may be, we truly believe that businesses are looking for new and innovative ways to leverage their brands, whether from a sponsorship point of view or from a meaningful corporate social responsibility perspective.

“The research that BASA has done, the relationships developed with business and the inroads made into professionalising the arts industry provides a solid foundation for the further development of arts and business relationships, and we look forward to being part of a motivated and skilled team to help facilitate this in KZN.”

The Durban BASA Education Programme workshops, supported by Etana Insurance, are divided into three sessions and will cover social media, publicity basics (as part of the Back To Basics programme) and fundraising.

Are you all aTwitter and LinkedIn to Facebook? 11:00-12:30

Alma Maxwell of Outsourced Communications will share some insights about Social Media and how arts organisations can use these "versatile free-to-use" platforms to get the conversations going.

Back to Basics 13:00-14:30

Publicity and the Art of getting your message across in a very cluttered media space. Sharlene Versfeld and Kwazi Ngubane of Versfeld & Associates, unpack the basics of publicity and share some useful tips in getting media coverage.

Fundraising 14:45-16:00

Gordon McDonald, Director of Community Chest will look at hints and tips to increase your opportunity of raising funds for your organisation/project.

The BASA Education Programme, supported by Etana Insurance, has seen workshops already held in Johannesburg and Cape Town and upcoming workshops planned for the Eastern Cape as well as Limpopo regions.

To be part of the BASA Education Programme, supported by Etana Insurance, and attend these important, insightful and stimulating workshops contact: Kwazi Ngubane on 031-8115628 or email kwazi@versfeld.co.za.

16th TIME OF THE WRITER International Writers Festival Durban: 18 - 23 March 2013

Media Release

16th TIME OF THE WRITER International Writers Festival

Durban: 18 - 23 March 2013

The written word will envelop Durban as nineteen writers from South Africa, Africa and abroad, gather for a thought-provoking week of literary dialogue, exchange of ideas and stimulating discussion at the 16th Time of the Writer International Writers Festival (18 - 23 March). The festival, hosted by the Centre for Creative Arts (University of KwaZulu-Natal), with principal support by National Lottery Distribution Fund, will feature a diverse gathering of leading novelists, social commentators, activists, playwrights and short story writers.

Opening night will feature all participating writers as they make brief presentations at the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre, while the newly appointed Deputy Vice Chancellor of the School of Humanities, Prof Cheryl Potgieter will make a keynote address. A tribute to the late Phyllis Naidoo will be read by struggle veteran Ella Ghandi. The rest of the week’s evening presentations will be panel discussions with writers talking about their writing and the issues dealt with in their work. The musical act opening the festival is Zimbabwean band Tanga Pasi.

The panel discussion titled Perspectives in South African Writing on Tuesday 19th March will feature South African writers Kabelo Duncan Kgatea and Jo-Anne Richards. Trained as a journalist and working as a miner, it was after Kgatea’s first book Njeng manong fa ke sule! (Devour me, vultures, when I’m dead!) was published and won the Sanlam Prize Youth Literature (silver) in the Sotho category, that he got promoted to communications officer and no longer worked below ground. When The Innocence of Roast Chicken, the debut novel of internationally published author and journalist Richards first appeared, it topped the South African best seller list in its first week and remained there for 15 weeks. This discussion will be facilitated by Zukiswa Wanner.

Controversial human rights issues are brought to the fore in the evening’s second panel titled Africa Writing Queer Identity, featuring leading Nigerian writer Jude Dibia and Graeme Reid of South Africa, and will be facilitated by Sarojini Nadar. Dibia’s books address issues which range from sexuality, gender roles, race to the stigma of HIV/AIDS in modern day Africa. Reid, the director of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Rights Programme and founding director of the Gay and Lesbian Archives of South Africa, explores gay identities in South Africa in his book How to be a Real Gay. Music by Durban duo Njeza and Siphelele Dlamini will commence the evening proceedings at 19h30. 

Book launches take place at the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre’s Wellington Tavern deck prior to the evening shows, from 18h45. The first book launch of the festival is the UKZN English/IsiZulu Book (UKZN Press) – a collaborative venture of stories by various authors. 

On Wednesday 20th March, the first panel, titled Reflections on the Palestinian State, features Palestinian-born American-based novelist and essayist, Susan Abulhawa, in an interview discussion with Lubna Nadvi. Abulhawa’s Mornings in Jenin was translated into 24 languages worldwide and hailed by The Times as the “first English-language novel to express fully the human dimension of the Palestinian tragedy”. Exploring Genre in African Literature is the topic of the second panel, featuring South African author, photographer and filmmaker, Zinaid Meeran, alongside Nnedi Okorafor, award-winning author born in the United States and of Nigerian descent. Meeran was awarded the European Union Literary award for his debut Saracen at the Gates in 2009. About a curious exploration of living raceless in a country where just about everybody seems to have one, this debut was also shortlisted for the Sunday Times fiction prize in 2010. A professor of creative writing, Okorafor has received numerous accolades for her books, which are often characterized by African culture infused with reminiscent settings and memorable characters. This panel will be facilitated by True Love books editor and publisher Melinda Ferguson. Music by Durban duo Nhlanhla Zondi and Zulublue will kick start the evening presentation, while Molope’s book, This Book Betrays my Brother launches prior to the show.

On the evening of Human Rights Day, Thursday 21st March is the panel titled Perspectives in SA Writing, with a panel which features Elana Bregin and Damon Galgut, and facilitated by Siphiwo Mahala. Galgut’s In a Strange Room, a novel which follows the journey of an isolated South African traveler seeking a deep satisfaction in life, was shortlisted for several awards, including the 2010 Man Booker Prize and M-Net Literary Award. Bregin is well known for her award-winning young adult titles, which include The Kayaboeties and The Red-haired Khumalo, which all deal with the social realities of a changing South Africa. 

Under the title The Reporter as Writer, Jackee Batanda from Uganda and Aman Sethi from India, both novelists and journalists, feature in the evening’s second panel discussion. Together with the numerous awards for her fiction writing, Batanda also featured in the London Times alongside 19 young women shaping the future of Africa. A seasoned journalist working as a correspondent for The Hindu, a newspaper in India with a daily readership of about 2.5 million, Sethi has also contributed articles to various publications, around health policies in India. The evening’s musical act is the pair Mike Muyo and Tom Watkeys. 

Following the book launch of The Imagined Child (Picador) by festival participant Jo-Anne Richards, and a music performance by the band Nje, the presentation of prizes to winners of the schools short story competition will take place on Friday 22nd March. The first session titled Youth Literature, similarly puts a spotlight on young people, and features writers Elieshi Lema from Tanzania and BD Khawula from South Africa. Lema started off writing poetry before moving on to children’s books. Her first novel Parched Earth - A Love Story received an honorable mention in the Noma Award for Publishing in Africa and forms part of the curriculum in various universities. Based in Durban, Khawula’s inspiration to write stems from his love for his country. His debut novel Yihlathi Leli, won a silver award in the African Languages category at the Sanlam Youth Literature Awards. 

The second panel for the evening, Writing Transformation, features South African critical thinkers and writers Andile Mngxitama and Prof Sampie Terreblanche. While Mngxitama writes significantly around the philosophy and writings of late Black Consciousness leader, Steve Biko, Terreblanche’s focuses lies on the history of economic thought and policy matters in South and Southern Africa. 

The Saturday evening book launch is On Being Human featuring contributions by various writers and edited by Duduzile Mabaso (Black Letter Media). Music and song by Durban songbird Skye Wanda will precede the discussion Writing the Other, featuring the South African panel of Ashwin Desai and Jonny Steinberg. An activist intellectual, Desai is celebrated the world over, for his poignant articulation of stories about struggle, oppression and resistance. Award-winning author Steinberg, writes about experiences about everyday life in the wake of South Africa’s transition to democracy. His debut novel Midlands, about the murder of a white South African farmer, won the Sunday Times Alan Paton Prize in 2003. This panel discussion will be facilitated by Dr. Frederico Settler from the Philosophy department at UKZN.

The festival closes with a look at the pertinent issue with South African writers Shafinaaz Hassim and Kagiso Lesego Molope, in a panel titled Writing Gender Violence. Hassim, a writer, poet and sociologist and driving force behind Johannesburg-based publishers, WordFire Press, recently published a novel on domestic violence titled SoPhia in November 2012, while Molope’s third novel This Book Betrays my Brother raises many gender equality issues prevalent in South Africa, amongst them the perception that women who wear revealing clothing invite sexual advances. Molope's first novel, Dancing in the Dust, was put on the IBBY (International Board on Books for Young People) list for 2006, making her the first Black South African to make the list. 

Publishing is undoubtedly one of the central elements in the development of a local literary culture. That said a notable event that has become a significant part of the annual Time of the Writer international writers’ festival, is the Publishing Forum.  Taking place on Wednesday, 20th March between 10h00 – 14h00 at the Centre for Creative Arts, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Howard College Campus, this year’s forum will feature a range of panels on salient issues within the publishing landscape. Topics discussed will cover the magazine industry, maximizing exposure in the world of digital publishing, converting your PhD thesis into a book and what publishers look for in a manuscript.

In addition to the nightly showcases at the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre, a broad range of day activities including seminars and workshops are formulated to promote a culture of reading, writing and creative expression. This includes the educator’s forum with teachers on the implementation of literature in the classroom, the community writing forum with members of the public interested in literature, visits to schools, and a prison writing programme.

Tickets are R25 for the evening sessions, R10 for students, and can be purchased through Computicket or at the door one hour before the event. Workshops and seminarsarefree. 

The full programme of activities, biographies, and photos of participants is available on www.cca.ukzn.ac.za. For more information contact the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Centre for Creative Arts on 031 260 2506/1816 or e-mail cca@ukzn.ac.za 

Organised by the Centre for Creative Arts (University of KwaZulu-Natal), the 16th Time of the Writer festival is supported by the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund (principal funder), City of Durban, Adams Campus Books, Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre and the University of KwaZulu-Natal. 

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For Media Queries: 

Sharlene Versfeld/Kwazi Ngubane

Mobile: +27 (0) 83 326 3235/ (073) 442 9347

Tel: +27 (0) 31 811 5628

Email: sharlene@versfeld.co.za or kwazi@versfeld.co.za

AFDA Durban (The South African School of Motion Picture Medium and Live Performance) to host Open Day

AFDA Durban (The South African School of Motion Picture Medium and live Performance) to host Open Day

AFDA (The South African School of Motion Picture Medium and Live Performance) Durban will host an Open Day on Saturday, 2 March from 10am to 12noon.

This is the third AFDA campus to open in South Africa and was officially opened  by Mayor of eThekwini Cllr James Nxumalo on February 11 with an enrolment of 63 students. 

The AFDA Durban Campus is situated in Glen Anil, Durban North, and boasts a strong line up academic staff drawn from the film and live performance industries. Franco Human, an experienced producer and film maker, is Dean, with film-maker Richard Green Head of the Film School, director, actor and playwright Rajesh Gopie, Head of the Live Performance School, and scriptwriter and film-maker Janet van Eeden, as production course administrator and script writing lecturer. 

At the open day students will be shown around the warship-themed campus, given introductions to the curriculum and course work and on how to apply and there will be a chance to discuss potential job opportunities and career options in entertainment.  There will also be an opportunity to view students’ films and to meet and chat to current and past students.

Prospective students can contact Durban-based Marketing Officer, Milena Gevers for more information on milenag@afda.co.za or call 031 569 2252. For more info about the school go to www.afda.co.za

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Durban FilmMart Project Snapped up by Three International Film Festivals

Durban FilmMart Project Snapped up by Three International Film Festivals

A film, which was one of the officially selected projects in the 2011 Durban FilmMart (DFM), a joint programme of the Durban Film Office (DFO) and the Durban International Film Festival (DIFF), recently enjoyed its World Premiere at the Gotebord Film Festival in Sweden and has been snapped up by two other major international film festivals.

Imbabazi: the Pardon, produced and directed by Rwandan film-maker Joel Karekezi, was one of the features that was selected for the 2011 Durban FilmMart, where the film was also awarded the CineMart Rotterdam Lab Award at the DFM, which provided the up and coming producer with accreditation, accommodation and transportation to attend the Lab, an incubator for producers of new projects which ran concurrently with the 2012 International Film Festival of Rotterdam.

Imbabazi: the Pardon had its USA premiere at the San Diego Black Film Festival in January and this month will enjoy its Los Angeles premiere at the prestigious Pan-African Film Festival.

Clearly Karekezi is a young film-maker to watch. With a diploma in film directing from Cinecours Canada, he has fast garnered accolades, awards and notice for his work. In 2010 his short film The Pardon won the best short film award at Silicon Valley African Film Festival (SVAFF), California. In 2012 he had a second project, The Mercy of the Jungle, in the DFM, which was awarded the Canal France International (CFI) Award for the Most Promising Project with a prize of 5000 Euros. 

Imbabazi: the Pardon tells the story of the Tutsi Genocide through the friendship and separation of two protagonists and carries a deep reconciliation message. 

“As an African and Rwandan director, I am proud to have helped bring this story to a wider audience.” explains Karekezi, who is himself a genocide survivor. “I was honoured to work together with my team through pre-production, production and post-production to bring this story to life. I hope that audiences will embrace the message of hope and forgiveness that is at the heart of the film.”

 “Over the past three years, we have seen how the Durban FilmMart has provided important stepping blocks for film projects.” says Toni Monty, of the Durban Film Office. “The process of creating film is long and arduous, and it is vital that emerging film-makers and projects are given the creative space to be able to develop their ideas and vision in the right kind of environment. Joel has clearly grasped at all the opportunities presented to him to develop this film. So we are truly pleased to see this, one of our selected projects, make it through to multi-festival festival releases. ”

The 4th edition of Durban FilmMart takes place from 19 – 22 July 2013 during the Durban International Film Festival (18 – 28 July) and is open for documentary and fiction project submissions.  The closing date for project submissions is the 15 February 2013. 

For more information on the Durban FilmMart and to submit a project visit www.durbanfilmmart.com

For further enquires and submission correspondence contact info@durbanfilmmart.com

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February 10, 2012

Issued on behalf of the Durban FilmMart by:

Sharlene Versfeld / Kwazi Ngubane

Versfeld & Associates

031-8115628/ 083 326 3235

sharlene@versfeld.co.za / kwazi@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 a valued opportunity to pitch projects to financiers, distributors, sales agents and potential co-producers, and participate in meetings, project presentations and a series of master classes and workshops on 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 SMME’s in the region.   www.durbanfilmoffice.com

The Durban International Film Festival (DIFF) presents over 250 screenings from different countries and cultures with special focus on Africa; it includes development programmes such as Talent Campus Durban. 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

Sizzling Salsa on Durban's Beachfront

The heat is on as Salsa hits the beachfront this Sunday

Feel the Heat with Durban's much-talked about salsa band, Manteca at Suncoast's Beach Promenade on Sunday, February 10 at 3pm until 6pm.  The vibrant, 12-piece Afro-Caribbean band will perform in a fun-filled, salsa-inspired mini-festival featuring dancing, dance lessons and sizzling sounds as part of Suncoast's Valentine's entertainment line up. 

The fest  is free and audience members can join in the fun and learn the basic steps of this exciting dance form with beginner and intermediate classes by a Cuban dance instructor. Professional dancers from local salsa dance schools will be taking to the dance floor in demos too .    

Manteca features vocalists Liana Allegra Barciela and the legendary Sam Marais from KZN, Raul Rodriguez from Cuba and Kelly Burrows from Madagascar, award winning Durban pianist David Langely, Durban's own Mark Momple on bass, another Durbanite Jonathon Judge and Johan van der Molen from Holland on saxophones, local jazz trumpeter Daniel Sheldon, and percussionists John Drace from California and Alberto Chemane from Mozambique

The band plays a classic salsa repertoire from New York, Puerto Rico and Cuba, plus their own adaptations of jazz and funk classics.

For more info contact Daniel on

daniel@beat-route.co.za

or call 082 622 6902.

BRIDGES – AN EXHIBITION OF PHOTOGRAPHY @ DURBAN ART GALLERY

BRIDGES – AN EXHIBITION OF PHOTOGRAPHY AT THE DURBAN ART GALLERY

Bridges, the exhibition of photographs by documentary photographers South African Andrew Tshabangu and Ren-Paul Savignan from Reunion Island, currently on at the Durban Art Gallery has been extended to January 27, 2013.é

The exhibition which is part of the France/South Africa Season, has as its focal point of the work spiritual and religious practices in South Africa and Reunion Island, and represents a 15 year collaboration between the two artists. The artists spent time researching and documenting in both countries. The presence of a rich diversity of religious practices is common to both locations. On Reunion Island, due to a long history of inhabitation by people of diverse ethnicities, a complex range of religious beliefs is found. The focus in South Africa has been the many ways in which Christianity is interpreted and experienced by Africans.

Savignan, who was born in Le Port in 1970, began his career working in a ‘fast lab’; after two years of workshop studies he started his own laboratory and his works are regularly exhibited on Reunion Island and internationally. Tshabangu was born in Soweto, in 1966, and currently teaches photography at the Alexander Community Art Centre and is represented by Johannesburg gallery MOMO.

The photographers agreed to a unique and interesting approach: they would always take photographs at the same time and place. In visiting each other’s countries the artists were able to connect with their respective history and culture as well as revising their awareness of their own.  “Reunion Island can be considered as a laboratory of the meetings of civilizations,” says Savignan, who observed that the diversity of religious beliefs connected people rather than divided them, with many islanders embracing more than one belief system without prejudice.

“The religious ceremony is a critical vehicle through which the community and the individual communes with the creator and with nature,” says Tshabangu. “In this body of work, I am portraying Christian practices from an African perspective and expressing the passion for a brand of faith steeped in both the Western Christian doctrine and African religions. This brew of spirituality is rooted in the heart of African communities.”

BRIDGES comprises eighty black and white photographs selected from thousands of images captured over the years. Together they explore and document that most fundamental of human needs: the expression of spiritual longing through communal ritual. 

 For more information contact Jenny Stretton on 031-3327286 or email jenny.stretton@durban.gov.za