Poetry Africa Durban Poets

Poetry Africa Durban Poets

The Centre for Creative Arts (UKZN) is very proud to note that the 19th edition of Poetry Africa will feature 9 homegrown Durban poets in this year’s 24 strong lineup.

The Durban participants are: 

Africa Dlamini, Celiswa Majali, Khanyi Shusha, Kwazi Ndlangisa, Matt Vend, Nokulunga Dladla, Nosipho Magcaba, Thando Fuze, Tshebeletso Mohale.

“We are very proud that the city of Durban has produced 9 poets in this 19th edition of Poetry Africa, almost half of this year’s programme. This is truly a testament to our city’s tremendous talent and artistic integrity as well as to the city's developmental programmes focused toward poetry, literature and the arts.” - Guy Redman, Head of Department: Libraries, Heritage, Arts & Culture, eThekwini Municipality.

The Centre for Creative Arts is proud to welcome back to the Poetry Africa stage four previous prelude poets; Khanyi Shusha, Kwazi Ndlangisa, Nosipho Magcaba and Tshebeletso Mophale. 

The annual Prelude Poets programme calls out to the Durban’s creative and undiscovered poets to take part in the festival, the entrants are given the opportunity to audition before a panel of judges and once selected, take to the main stage to showcase their hidden talents to audiences at the country’s premier poetry festival at the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre each night to perform as a prelude to the main programme.

The Poetry Africa festival, now in its 19th edition, takes place from 12 to 17 October 2014. The festival brings together some of the world’s finest poets and musicians to Durban, with artists from the African continent and beyond.

For more information on our 2015 Poetry Africa festival participants please visit www.cca.ukzn.ac.za.

Organised by the Centre for Creative Arts (University KwaZulu-Natal), the 18th 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 and is a special project of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Professor Cheryl Potgieter. 

GENERAL ENQUIRIES: 
Phone: +27 (0)31 260 2506/1867
Fax: +27 (0)31 260 3074 
Email:   cca@ukzn.ac.za 

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[see attached file: Khanyi Shusha 05.jpg] [see attached file: Matt Vend 07.JPG] [see attached file: Kwazi Ndlangisa lr 01.jpg] [see attached file: Nosipho Magcaba 02.jpg] [see attached file: Nokulunga Dladla 02.JPG]

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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Durban film-makers' project selected for Sorfond Pitching Forum in Oslo, Norway

Media Release

Durban film-makers’ project selected for Sørfond Pitching Forum in Oslo, Norway

Hhola Hhola, a film which was a feature project at the inaugural Durban FilmMart (DFM) in 2010, has been selected for the prestigious Sørfond Pitching Forum in Oslo, Norway this year.

Produced by Julie Frederikse and directed by Madoda Ncayiyana of Vuleka Productions, based in KwaMashu in Durban, this is one of only 8 projects selected out of 130 applications from all over the world.

The Sørfond Pitching Forum, hosted by the Sørfond Norwegian South Film Fund, which has as its mission to fund films from developing countries, is held from 14 October during the Films from the South Festival in Oslo.

The aim of the Sørfond Pitching Forum is to give international producers the opportunity to present their projects to potential Norwegian co-producers, with the aim to enter into a co-production agreement and apply for support from Sørfond in March 2016. 

Directed by Ncayiyana and produced by Julie Frederikse, Hhola Hhola is a story about dreams, ambitions and standing for what you believe in. “The new film is a relevant and poignant story of a young boy who dreams of being a celebrity and gets mixed up with a conman in an effort to free his mother from jail.” explains Frederikse. “What is also eye-catching about the film is the setting that is not often seen in African films. It is not poor and dusty Africa, with children holding a begging bowl, at least figuratively. Hhola Hhola is about tech-savvy urban Durban people, especially youth, who don’t have computers but run their social and economic lives on their cellphones. It is also about the notion of celebrity that young people are so taken with all over the world; the main character’s journey is to get past superficial ideas of winning fame and fortune so as to believe in himself and express what is really inside him. The film also delves into contemporary culture and identity, depicting the relevance and importance of it these factors,” she says.

“This is an significant opportunity for the film, and for Madoda to make his second feature film, to follow up Izulu Lami,” says Frederikse, “Approximately 1.6 million Euro will be granted for production support from 2015 to 2018 through an international cooperation between the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Norwegian Ministry of Culture, with the Norwegian Film Institute and the Films from the South Foundation jointly in charge of the administration of the fund. Sørfond grants up to 130,000 Euro per film.”

The feature was first presented at the Durban FilmMart five years ago, when it was in its early development, then entitled Mobile Muti. Since then the film has received development funding from the National Film and Video Foundation in South Africa, the Durban Film Office and the KwaZulu Natal Film Commission. Additional support for a top international script doctor came jointly from Produire au Sud of Nantes, France and the Durban Film Office and International Relations Office of the eThekwini Municipality. As co-writers of the script, Ncayiyana and Frederikse worked with Argentinian-French-English script doctor Miguel Machalski, whose recent credits include acting as script consultant as part of Binger Filmlab on La Tierra y la Sombra by Colombian director Cesar Augusto Acevedo’s debut feature, which won the Camera D’Or and two other awards at Cannes 2015. 

Ncayiyana’s award-winning debut feature film Izulu lami was also co-produced by Vuleka Productions and opened the 30th annual Durban International Film Festival in 2009. A co-founder of Vuleka, he was awarded the KwaZulu Natal Film Commission’s Simon “Mabhunu” Sabelo Award for Directing in 2014 and the eThekwini Mayor’s Achievement Award for his work in South African and international film, TV and theatre, and his contribution to Durban’s cultural scene.  

Julie Frederikse has experience in producing feature film, short film and television programming, and is also director of Vuleka Productions, co-founded in 1993. She has developed and co-written Ncayiyana’s second feature film, Hhola Hhola, and will produce it together with top African film producer Anant Singh’s Videovision Entertainment (Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom).

Says Sanjeev Singh, Videovision Entertainment’s director of Acquisition and Distribution, “We have been tracking the film through its evolution from Mobile Muti to Hhola Hhola in its present form. Madoda brings a gritty sensitivity to the project and together with Julie producing, they will create a unique and impactful film.”

 “The eThekwini Municipality has supported the development of this project since its early inception because as a City, we understand that it is difficult to make your first major feature but even more difficult to make your second feature film.” says Deputy Mayor Cllr Nomvuzo Shabalala “Madoda Ncayiyana is one of the City’s great talents and it is of critical importance that we support such talents to help grow our local industry. The opportunity now offered to Vuleka Productions is also testament to the success of the City funded Durban FilmMart and the impact it can have on our local filmmakers.”

‘We are really thrilled that this film is gaining traction in development,” says Toni Monty, Head of the Durban Film Office which jointly hosts the Durban FilmMart with the Durban International Film Festival. “Film projects take time to develop, and go through many interventions and networking in order to come to fruition, and pitching forums such as these, create opportunities for the film to finally get into production.  The Durban Film Office has believed in Hhola Hhola from its early inception and we wish Vuleka all the best as they travel to Norway to pitch this really wonderful film to the forum.”

For more information about Hhola Hhola visit the websitewww.vulekaproductions.co.za, for more information about the Durban FilmMart go to www.durbanfilmmart.com

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19th Poetry Africa - Participants Announcement

Media Release

19th POETRY AFRICA - PARTICIPANTS ANNOUNCEMENT

A select group of poets from South Africa and around the world will gather together for a week showcasing the face of present day spoken word and storytelling at the 19th Poetry Africa Festival. The festival takes place in Durban from the 12 to 17 October 2015.

Hosted by the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Centre for Creative Arts, Poetry Africa provides a space for intercultural exchange and dialogue by hosting an extensive community outreach programme with poetry readings, performances and workshops in community centres, campuses and also participate in a programme of visits to schools across Durban to share ideas about poetry.

Evening poetry readings and discussions will take place at the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre (Howard College) UKZN. The festival finale will take place on October 17 at the Rivertown Beer Hall in Durban’s CBD, with a closing performance by soulful singer Nakhane Touré.

This year’s festival features 24 poets:

UK-based Kat Francois, is a comedienne, playwright, actress, performer, host, schools and youth facilitator and a well‐known performance poet both in her country and globally. Lebohang 'Nova' Masango, is a Swedish-born writer, poet, activist, feminist and speaker, and UK-based Ghanaian performance poet, writer and sociocultural commentator Nii Parkes.

From South Africa comes the celebrated and prolific poet and actress Lebo Mashile, who, was named one of the Top 100 Africans by New African magazine; Lesego Rampolokeng the  renowned hard-hitting South African writer, playwright and performance poet; Aryan Kaganof a filmmaker, novelist, poet and fine artist, who refers to himself as a project of African Noise Foundation; Ntsiki Mazwai the outspoken and incendiary poet, writer and musician and Thabiso ‘Afurakan’ Mohare one of the pioneers of the modern South African spoken word scene.

KZN-based poets include Africa Dlamini, a slam/spoken word poet who lives in Howick, Durban’s Celiswa Majali whose novel entitled Imbali yentombazanana is used by schools at grade 10 level in the Western Cape and Gauteng Provinces. Also from Durban are Khanyi Shusha a diviner, performance art poet, stylist, designer, facilitator, brown consciousness activist, feminist and writer; Kwazi Ndlangisa a South African award-winning performance poet, vocalist, creative writer and art activist; Matt Vend who is well known across South Africa for his poetically-driven songwriting, unique rhythmic guitar playing and engaging live performances; Nokulunga Dladla who is a passionate recording poetry artist and a storyteller as well as being an educator in the Pinetown District; Nosipho Magcaba, a former “prelude poet” at the festival, who returns this year to the main programme; Tshebeletso Mohale also a former “prelude poet” at Poetry Africa 2014 who is lives and works in Durban; Thando Fuze has twice been nominated  for Best Female Performing Poet at the Original Material Awards and Vus'umuzi Phakathi who  is an award winning South African poet, writer, performer, facilitator and producer.

Other featured poets include Icebound Makhele a spoken word performer, writer, cultural activist and events coordinator from Bloemfontein,Makhosazana Xaba the author of two poetry collections and is a feminist activist with experience in women’s health, philanthropy and the anti-apartheid struggle; Mbali Vilakazi the award-winning South African poet, performer, curator and speaker, with a dynamic style and collaborative experimental approach; Mthunzikazi Mbungwana a poet, writer and storyteller from a small village of Upper Indwana in Cala in the former Transkei;  Mutle Mothibe has spent the last 15 years honing his skills a writer and performer and is also an accomplished workshop facilitator who regularly engages both learners and educators and Limpopo-born Vonani Bila who is poet and musician, who has written eight story-books for newly literate adult readers in Sepedi, Xitsonga and English.

Tickets for the evening sessions, which take place at 7pm at the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre, are R40 (students/ pensioners: R25 at the door) and can be purchased at Computicket or one hour before the performance begins at the box-office. 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. 

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Sharlene Versfeld
Versfeld & Associates
Public Relations and Communications
Mobile: +27 (0) 83 326 3235
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The 2015 JOMBA! Eric Shabalala Dance Champion Award

MEDIA RELEASE

The 2015 JOMBA! Eric Shabala Dance Champion Award

The Centre for Creative Arts and JOMBA! announced on Friday, September 4 that this year’s Eric Shabalala Dance Champion Award goes to a colleague of the late Eric Shabalala and fellow founding member of Siwela Sonke Dance Theatre, Ntombi Gasa, from Clermont, Durban.

The award, now in its 5th year, was created to honour of the memory of Eric Mshengu Shabalala who tragically passed away in 2011. Shabalala was a local dancer, choreographer, teacher and one of the founding dancers of the Siwela Sonke Dance Theatre in Durban. In a fitting tribute, the Centre for Creative Arts and the JOMBA! Contemporary Dance Experience Dance Festival has set up this annual award to honour some of KwaZulu-Natal’s stalwart dancers and dance teachers – all in the name of Eric Shabalala.

The award is given not only in recognition of performance or choreographic excellence, but also most profoundly in recognition of dance practitioners who have worked tirelessly to help grow a culture of dance and dance training in Durban – who have supported the growth of dance as an art form at both community and regional level.

In selecting recipients, the Jomba! committee look for those gifted individuals who have gone above and beyond – often without funding – to dedicate themselves to the cultural industry and to put KZN dancers and dance on the national and international map.

Past recipients of this prestigious award include Jarryd Watson who was the first recipient in 2011 for his work with the Wentworth Dance Movement, Sifiso ‘Kitsona’ Khumalo in 2012 for his dedicated work in growing the Flatfoot Dance Company’s dance education and development programmes, as well as developing his own community’s dance programme in Clermont.

In 2013, the award was given jointly to Byron ‘Bizzo’ Tifflin and Preston ‘Kayzo’ Kyd who, often having to operate in a situation with no funding, and these two dancers still manage to grow a community of dancers and their Bboy dance crew, the 031 Floor Assassins, is testament to this.

In 2014, the award was jointly given to Jabu Siphika, Julia Wilson and Zinhle Nzama. They are especially honoured for the dance development work they are doing though FLATFOOT DANCE COMPANY with young girls and women in KZN and with using dance to address a society fraught with difficult gender politics that often makes the lives of young women so challenging.

Ntombi Gasa is a choreographer, dancer and dance teacher. She serves as a director on the company’s board and heads Siwela Sonke’s Training and Development Programmes. She began her dance career in 1994 at the Natal Playhouse Youth Development Programme under the directorship of Alfred Hinkel and then Jay Pather. Gasa obtained a Dance in Education certificate from the University of KwaZulu Natal in 2000.

Gasa has performed and travelled extensively with Siwela Sonke. Some notable performances include Ahimsa Ubuntu, Kitchen(winner of the Brett Kebble Art Prize), Republic, South African Siddharta, Cityscapes, The Beautiful Ones Must be Born, Body of Evidence, Qaphela Caesar! and rite under the direction of Jay Pather.

She has a long international performance career as well which spans New York, Bombay, New Delhi, Sri Lanka, Dusseldorf, Madras, Madagascar, Copenhagen, Los Angeles, Den Haag and London. She (together with the late Eric Shabalala) led twelve young South Africans to tour 17 cities in the Netherlands as part of the World Children’s Festival.

Throughout her career, Gasa has valued working with both young children and the elderly. She currently runs classes and teaches students from 6 years to 75 years. Her strong focus on development has seen her bringing dance and dance education to various communities in KwaZulu Natal, both rural and urban, from KwaMachai in the South Coast to KwaMashu

“In all of this she remains, humble and modest. She best epitomizes what Eric Shabalala himself showed us: a hidden treasure that has enriched the world yet someone that remains KwaZulu Natal’s very own.” says the JOMBA! committee.

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18th Poetry Africa Schools Poetry Writing Competition

18th POETRY AFRICA

SCHOOLS POETRY WRITING COMPETITION

DEADLINE: 19 September 2015

The Centre for Creative Arts (University of KwaZulu-Natal), with principal funding from the City of Durban invites all students to submit their poems as part of the 19th POETRY AFRICA Schools Competition.

Poetry Africa is committed to nurturing a culture of reading and writing poetry, especially among the youth of KwaZulu-Natal. The festival invites primary to high school learners to take up this exciting opportunity of submitting material for the poetry competition which is held in conjunction with the festival. The poems can be written in either English or isi Zulu and since there is no topic, writers have the licence to get creative. The Festival will accept up to two poems per learner; - illegible entries will not be considered. 

Poems must be submitted either by hand at the Centre for Creative Arts (CCA), UKZN, Howard College Campus, Mazisi Kunene Avenue, Glenwood, Durban, 4001 or via email to poetryafrica@cca-ukzn.co.za or by fax to (031) 260 3074 - deadline is 19 September, 2015.

The Poetry Africa festival, now in its 19th edition, takes place from 12 to 17 October 2015 in Durban.

Winners will read their poems on the main stage of the Poetry Africa festival on the evening of 16 October. Prizes will be awarded by Adams Booksellers and the Centre for Creative Arts (UKZN).

Entrants must ensure that the following information is on the front page of all submissions and that all pages are numbered:

Full name and surname.

School Name.

School Contact Details. (Email / Phone/ Address)

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Media enquiries:

Sharlene Versfeld 

Versfeld & Associates

sharlene@versfeld.co.za

August 30, 2015

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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Multi-award winning doccie The Shore Break to have cinema screenings in Jozi and Camps Bay before becoming available on DVD and online

Media Release

Multi-award winning doccie The Shore Break to have cinema screenings in Jozi and Camps Bay before becoming available on DVD and online

The multi-award winning documentary, The Shore Break, about the proposed titanium mine and tolled highway on the Wild Coast, will be screened followed by a Q and A with the editor Kerryn Assaizky, at The Bioscope, in Johannesburg on the 28 August with daily screenings until 3 September. This is ahead of the launch of the DVD and Video on Demand sales, which begin on September 4.

The Shore Break, directed by Ryley Grunenwald, and co-produced with Odette Geldenhuys, has garnered a series of top awards since it premiered at IDFA in Amsterdam earlier this year.  Awards now include the Best Feature Length Documentary at the 2015 International Environmental Film Festival (FIFE) in Paris, the Backsberg Audience Choice Award from Encounters, the Amnesty International Durban Human Rights Award and the overall Audience Award from DIFF, and was nominated for Best Documentary atSilwerskermfees taking place this weekend in Camps Bay.

Described by the jurors of the Amnesty International Durban Human Rights Award as a “powerful portrayal of a struggle within a local community regarding foreign mining rights in a pristine environment…(and) concisely and movingly uncovers this complex and urgent matter, which is still under investigation and in need of public support.”

“We are both delighted about these accolades, not only for ourselves but for the fact that these issues are being highlighted and the community’s challenges are made visible to an external environment other than the one in which they exist,” say Grunenwald and Geldenhuys.

It is for this reason the two have made a decision to release the film as a DVD andon the Video on Demand platform Vimeo, as part of an endeavour to highlight the issues at play to a broader audience.

From September 4, the film will be distributed via direct sale of DVDs in South Africa viawww.theshorebreakmovie.com for R100 for individuals and R1000 for organisations, institutions and associations who require a wider range of screening rights.

The Shore Break will also be available throughout Africa for Video on Demand online rentals viawww.theshorebreakmovie.com or https://vimeo.com/ondemand/theshorebreak also from September 4. Pre-orders are available now.

To book for the Bioscope screenings go to: https://tickets.tixsa.co.za/event/TheShoreBreak

To book for the film at Silwerskermfees go to www.ticketpros.co.za

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NOTE TO EDITORS:

For more information go to www.theshorebreakmovie.com

The Shore Break on The Bioscope site: http://www.thebioscope.co.za/2015/06/29/the-shore-break/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/theshorebreakmovie

Twitter: http://twitter.com/theshorebreak

Johannesburg’s Tebogo Masehla wins Maritzburg SPAR Women’s 10/5km

Maritzburg SPAR Women’s 10/5km

Johannesburg’s Tebogo Masehla took top honours today (Sunday, August 23) at the Maritzburg SPAR Women’s 10/5km in a confident win with a time of 36.10 chased by a determined and feisty Makhosi Mhlongo to the finish line with 10 seconds separating them.

Early on in the race the two established a comfortable lead ahead of the field, and by half way were jostling for dominance. Going through the 5km mark Masehla was one second ahead with Mhlongo in her slipstream. A relaxed and focused Masehla loped to the finish only after nudging ahead of Mhlongo as she entered the stadium.  As she entered the finishing chute the victorious runner did not waste time looking back, and hopped joyfully as she broke the tape.

This is the second Maritzburg SPAR race that the upcountry athlete Masehla has run, her first in 2010 where she came second to the dynamite package of Poppy Mlambo in 37.37. Currently on the SPAR Grand Prix log, a delighted Masehla was pleased with her race. “It was a tough run, but I really enjoyed it. The hilly route did play with my mind a bit, especially as I was running neck and neck with Makhosi. I know that I would not have done so well if I did not have her to push me.”

The diminutive Mhlongo from Hammarsdale, KZN agreed that it was a tough but good race, largely due to the pressure from Masehla  “I was really feeling so strong, and I was desperate to pull away from Tebogo, but she just would not give me the gap; she just resisted. I loved that I was able to use this as an incentive to push myself. I also appreciated the fantastic support from the spectators along the route.”

Masehla’s last race was the Totalsports Women’s Race on August 9 in Johannesburg where she came second in a time of 36.34 behind Lebogang Phalula. Next up for is the Mandela 21 km and the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon at the end of September .

Rounding off the top three was Muden runner, Lindokuhle Gabela after almost a three minute gap in 39.17. All of the podium finishers had competed in the KZN Cross Country Championships yesterday (Saturday, August 22).

The cool, overcast weather made for comfortable race conditions for the record field of 4000 participants.

“Once again Maritzburg did us proud,” says Rob Philipson, MD of SPAR KZN. “We have had great reports back from the participants that the support on the road was fantastic as they encouraged people along the way. It is this kind of camaraderie that makes the Maritzburg race such an inviting and special event.”

Results:

Open

1 Tebogo Masehla 36,10, 2 Makhosi Mhlongo 36.20, 3 Lindokuhle Gabela 39.17, 4. Nomcebo Mthethwa 39.22, 5 Nobuhle Shange 39.46, 6 Janene Carey 40.06, 7 Thobile Mkhize 40.24,  8 Shani Silver 40.30, 9 Nonsikelelo Mbambo 41.26, 10 Jeannie Bomford Dreyer 41.37 

15 -19

1 Nobuhle Shange 39.46, 2 Thobile Mkhize 40.24, 3 Momusa Xaba 42.20

35-39

1 Nonsikelelo Mbambo 41.26, 2 Precious Duma 42.49, 3 Rhonwyn Brayley 49.24

40-49

1 Janene Carey 40.06, 2 Shani Silver 40.30, 3 Sibongile Ziqubu 44.20

50-59

1 Xolisile Mwelase46.51, 2 Philisiwe Khuzwayo 49.53, 3 Jenny Taylor 49.56

60 plus

1 Sandy Fismer 48.46 2 Judith Grove 50.27, 3 Jane Dickinson 51.10

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 PHOTOS BY ROGAN WARD

Road Closures for the Maritzburg SPAR Women’s 10/5km Race - Sunday, August 23

Road Closures for the Maritzburg SPAR Women’s 10/5km Race

4,000 athletes will take to the roads around the Alexandra Park precinct for the annual SPAR Women’s 10/km Race on 23 August, which means a number of roads will be closed in the morning.

The roads will gradually start being cordoned off from 04.00am with traffic being diverted away from the route. All roads will be free flowing by 11.00am. Access to the Park from Alan Paton (Durban Road) will be unobstructed for the duration of the event, except for a short period to start the runners off between 07:30am and 08:30am.

There will be one start for both the 10km and 5km races, with the start time scheduled for 08.00am. The course is an ‘out and back’ starting and finishing in Alexandra Park, the finish is at The Oval Cricket Stadium. The cut-off time for the 10km race is 2hrs30min and for the 5km race the runners will have 2hrs to complete the event. There is a cut-off at 09:15 at the Park Drive entrance to the Mayor’s Garden for the 10km runners.

Roads that will be affected by the race are:

Balmoral  – closed from 04:00 – 11:00

Princess Margaret  – closed from 04:00 – 11: 00

Park Drive between Princess Margaret and Princess Elizabeth  - closed from 04:00 – 11:00

Princess Elizabeth    - closed from 04:00 – 11:00

Park Drive from College Road to Princess Elizabeth  - closed from 07:30 – 11:00

Alexandra Road from Cross Road to Alan Paton Ave    - closed (inbound only) from 07:30 – 10:00

Alan Paton Avenue from Alexandra Road to Burger Street   - closed (inbound only) from 07:30 – 08:30

Alexandra Road will be closed in both directions from 08:00 until approximately 08:45 to accommodate the large field.

Entries are limited to 4,000 and the 10km race is open to entrants 14 years and older and the 5km 9 years and older. Entry fees are R85 for the 10km licensed athletes and for the 5km runners. R95 is the entry fee for the non-licensed athletes; the extra R10 includes a temporary licence for the day. Entries will still be accepted at The Oval Cricket Stadium (Subject to the 4000 limit not having been reached).

Entrants who have already entered online can collect their race bibs, T-Shirts and promo bags from the Oval Cricket Stadium, Alexandra Park on Friday, 21 August from 10:00 to 17:00 and on Saturday, 22 August from 10:00 to 15:00. Manual entries can still be done at the same time, for those who have not registered online. No packs will be given out on race day. All finishers will receive a free breakfast pack on the day.Payment options at Registration include cash, credit card and debit card. NO CHEQUES

This great value event includes t-shirts and goodie bags to all female entrants and breakfast for all finishers as well as over R43,000 in lucky draw prizes.

 For more info contact the race organisers on maritzburg@sparwomensrace.co.za or visit the official race website www.sparwomensrace.co.za/pmb-home.html.

ENDS

Full JOMBA! Contemporary Dance Experience Programme →

Click on title above to go to full JOMBA! Programme

The GO!Durban Foot Fuelling Station at the Sustainable Living Expo, 14 - 16 August 2015, Exhibition Centre

Media Release

 The GO!Durban Foot Fuelling Station at this year’s

Sustainable Living Expo

August 14 – 16, 2015, Durban Exhibition Centre

This year, GO!Durban, the eThekwini Municipality’s new integrated rapid public transport network, which is currently under construction, will present visitors to the Sustainable Living Expo, with an opportunity to experience the world’s first Foot Fuelling Station.

The fuelling station, is a place where the avid walkers and riders of Durban’s streets can go to fuel their feet. Here visitors will be able to enjoy foot rubs, reflexology, shoe shining and cleaning, and an opportunity to refresh themselves while imbibing in the exciting information about the City’s vision for public transport in GO!Durban and how it adds to creating a more liveable, caring and sustainable environment for all.

As part of GO!Durban, much planning has gone into the creation of non-motorised transport networks which includes bicycle lanes, walkways and bridges for pedestrians for commuter and recreational purposes, which are being developed at the same time as the integrated rapid transport network. This will provide a safer, more efficient, reliable and cost-effective public transport network, which will reduce the need for people to rely on vehicles, and therefore propel the reduction of vehicles on the roads.

“We are currently constructing a dedicated bus lane from Bridge City to Pinetown as part of the first route to be developed in the public transport network which covers the entire municipality.” explains Thami Manyathi, Head of the eThekwini Transport Authority. “This new route will cut down travel time from Bridge City to Pinetown by half.  Ultimately, its efficiency and reliability with appealing security and cleanliness will hopefully reduce the number of people using their own cars and opting to use public transport instead. With fewer cars on the road there will be more space for walking and cycling lanes. With more people riding and cycling and fewer cars on the road, our carbon footprint will decrease in the long run.  A greater walking and cycling culture will encourage healthier, active citizens, and a more enriched culture of tourism, all adding to the future sustainability of the City. We have already seen how effective the various cycling and pedestrian walkways in the City have been, including the infrastructure already in place from uShaka to Durban North and from uShaka to Albert Park.”

The eThekwini Municipality will be implementing bicycle workshops in 2016 and 2017 as well as building new parks to give the public more space to learn to cycle. More information about these initiatives will be available at the Expo.

Durban citizens are invited to “fuel their feet” as a forward looking theme that aims for a time when people rely more on their feet as a mode of transportation encouraged by the holistic approach of GO!Durban, and find out more about this exciting project at the GO!Durban stand at eThekwini Municipality’s Sustainable Living Expo, which showcases the myriad ways in which we as citizens can work together towards a more sustainable future.

The Expo takes place at the Durban Exhibition Centre from Friday, August 14 to Sunday, August 16 from 9am to 5pm. Entrance is free and all are welcome.

For more information on GO!Durban go to www.godurban.co.za or for the Sustainable Living Expo go to www.durban.gov.za

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Sharlene Versfeld
Versfeld & Associates
Public Relations and Communications
Mobile: +27 (0) 83 326 3235
Tel: +27 (0) 31 811 5628
Post: P O Box 30547, Mayville, 4058
Email: sharlene@versfeld.co.za
Twitter: sharlvers
Website: www.versfeld.co.za

Happiness is a Four-Letter Word movie – start of shoot

Happiness is a Four-Letter Word movie – start of shoot  

The South African film industry is about to get a dose of happiness. The multi-award winning novel Happiness is a Four-Letter Word has been turned into a screenplay and filming commenced on 13 July in and around Johannesburg.

The film, titled Happiness is a Four-Letter Word, tells the story of three friends trying to find their happiness while maintaining images of success and acceptability. The complex, distinctive voices of the characters developed by novelist Cynthia Nozizwe Jele continue to be the guiding lens for the movie. The three women in Happiness is a Four-Letter Word were destined to jump from the pages into full colour when the novel was awarded the 2011 M-Net Literary Award in the Film category.

The story revolves around perfectionist lawyer Nandi, glamorous housewife Zaza and trendy art gallery owner Princess, who seem to be living the new South African dream: money, success, and loving partners. The three friends juggle life’s surprising changes as they come to learn that “happiness doesn’t come with a manual.” The three will have to find out what truly makes each of them happy and then fight to get it in their unique way.

The movie is being produced with part funding from the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) and forms part of the Junaid Ahmed Productions slate of films that aim to develop key areas of black talent in the film industry. The NFVF/Junaid Ahmed Productions slate programme has had great success with the 2014 release of Hard to Get, which garnered various awards, and was the opening night film of the 2014 Durban International Film Festival.

At the helm of the production team are Hard to Get producers Junaid Ahmed and Helena Spring, and first time feature film producer Bongiwe Selane who says “I’m excited to be producing my first feature film with two formidable producers, whom I consider doyens in the industry. I was a fan of Happiness is a Four-Letter Word when it was first published and immediately knew that it is the kind of story that lends itself to screen adaptation.” Junaid Ahmed adds “It’s important for us to grow black excellence in the film industry. The fact that Happiness is a story about ambitious black women is an added and much-welcomed layer. Helena Spring added: “It’s wonderful for me to watch the great achievements in the South African film industry and to be part of showcasing black talent in full colour.”

While Busisiwe Ntilintili adapted the novel into a screenplay, Cynthia Nozizwe Jele, who is currently busy with her second novel, kept a strong hand on the adaptation and has been integral in the film production. An excited and humble Nozizwe says, “I’m thrilled about the film. The novel received tremendous support and still gets attention. I’m also excited about the developing trend of local books being turned into films and television dramas. The content and depth of South African writers is relevant and of a high calibre. I wish the cast and production team all the best, and I can't wait to see the final product."

The director Thabang Moleya whose accolades include Vuka Awards, SAFTA Awards, and an Emmy Nomination leads a stellar cast including Mmabatho Montsho as Nandi, Khanyi Mbau as Zaza, and Renate Stuurman as Princess. Happiness is a Four-Letter Word will elevate the state of South African cinema, and raise the volume on the stunted representation of black females in film both behind and in front of camera.

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Beats of the Antonov wins Artwatch Africa Award at DIFF

Beats of the Antonov wins Artwatch Africa Award at DIFF

During the closing Award Night ceremony at the 36th Durban International Film Festival on Saturday night, Arterial Network’s Artwatch Africa Award was presented to Beats of the Antonov, directed by Hajooj Kuka. The Award honours an African film that meaningfully engages with issues of Freedom of Expression and is accompanied by a R15,000 cash prize.

The Artwatch Africa Jury issued the following statement:

War has brutally divided the peoples of Sudan. This compelling film shows how the power of music, dancing and culture sustains the displaced people living in the remote war-ravaged areas of Southern Sudan. In the face of bombs dropping from the Antonov aeroplanes above, their songs of liberation and militancy are a means of identity affirmation and mobilization. “I want to dance, play, and have a normal life” they say, as they exert their claim to freedom and freedom of expression even under the harsh circumstances of war.

Arterial Network’s Artwatch Africa project promotes and defends artist rights and freedom of creative expression and this award celebrates the transformative and conscientising power of cinema. The Jury acknowledged film director Hajooj Kuka’s remarkable two year commitment in providing witness to the spirited resilience of local communities and ethnic cultures whose rights have been denied within the country of their birth.

The Jury comprised Junaid Ahmed - Award winning filmmaker, René Alicia Smith - Executive Dean of Faculty of Arts and Design at Durban University of Technology, Gcina Mhlophe - Award winning author, poet, playwright, director, performer and storyteller, and Peter Rorvik - Secretary-General of Arterial Network.

Artwatch Africa is supported by Swedish Foundation for Human Rights, Swedish Postcode Lottery, Swedish Institute, HIVOS, Mimeta, Goethe Institute and Doen Foundation.

With representation in more than 40 African countries Arterial Network is engaged in building sustainable networks, information dissemination, training, policy ormulation, advocacy, and African-centred research, all geared towards growing and strengthening the cultural and creative sectors in Africa. Visit www.arterialnetwork.org or call 021-4612023 for more information.

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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SPAR KZN Regional Hockey Tournament

SPAR KZN Regional Hockey Tournament

St Mary’s DSG and Thomas More College: Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 July

Durban Girls’ College made it three in a row as they claimed the title for the 2015 SPAR KZN Regional Hockey Tournament in convincing fashion at St Mary’s DSG on the weekend.

College met Pietermaritzburg Girls’ High in the gold/silver final where the defending champions hammered in four goals, making it an impressive consecutive trio of golds in the five years of the tournament. Girls’ High entered the medal game as the “in-form” team but nerves seemed to get the better of them.

The tall, impressive forward Teagan McFall playing for College proved to be a slippery customer for the Girls’ High back line as she managed to shake the defence off and score two spectacular goals. The second shot, a reverse stick sweep, rocketed into the top corner of GHS’s net.

Captain for College, Kelsey Scott said, “We have been working hard for a while in preparation for the SPAR tournament. It was a bit of a shock to us where we drew in two of our pool games but that only made us more determined for today. We were extremely focused and pulled together to work as a solid unit when it counted against Girls’ High.”

The road to the 2015 finals for College had a bit of a bumpy start with a 1 all draw against a young and spirited King Edward High School team. And then in a classic Durban derby against rivals St Mary’s DSG in their second last pool game ended in a 2 all draw in a highly competitive, riveting game in the pouring rain at Thomas More College. 

The team from Pietermaritzburg Girls’ High were the most consistent out of all the competitors with five games played, 14 goals scored and no goals conceded. In their semi-final against home team, St Mary’s DSG, Girls’ High Katie Corf slotted the goal that counted in a game dominated by the visitors.

Lead by SA Women’s Indoor Hockey star, Taryn de Winnaar, Girls’ High resumed their unfortunate streak of always being the bridesmaid and never the bride, being awarded their fifth medal in the five years of the tournament.  This is their third silver they have won, to add to that they have two bronzes in their trophy cabinet.

MD for SPAR, Rob Philipson stated, “The welcomed torrential rain did not dampen the spirits of all the teams who took part. In freezing conditions, the girls took to the pitch with smiles on their faces as they valiantly represented their schools and their regions. It was heartening to see the eagerness that each of the teams displayed as they tackled each game during the tournament. Congratulations to each and every one of them.”

For the third position, it was a battle of the Saints with St Anne’s College managing to get two goals beating St Mary’s DSG in a hard fought game for the bronze. Both these teams have won previously and both team had similar results leading up to the bronze medal game.

Tournament Director, Les Galloway said, “Our tournament just keeps getting better and better. We really acknowledge the effort and energy that all the players put into their games to make this final weekend a success. We also acknowledge and thank all the coaches and managers who stand on the side-lines, endlessly supporting and guiding their teams, the superb commitment of the umpires, and the parents who spend countless hours making it possible for their girls to play.” 

Results

1 Durban Girls’ College, 2 Pietermaritzburg Girls’ High, 3 St Anne’s College, 4 St Mary’s DSG, 5 Ferrum HS, 6 Wartburg Kirchdorf, 7 Ashton International College, 8 King Edward HS, 9 Empangeni HS, 10 Amanzimtoti HS

Sunday Play-Offs

King Edward HS 1 Ferrum HS 2

Wartburg Kirchdorf School 1 Ashton  International College 0

Pietermaritzburg HS 1 v St Mary’s DSG 0 

Durban Girls College 2 St. Anne’s College 0

Match for 9/10: Empangeni HS 2 Amanzimtoti HS 0

Match for 7/8: Ashton International College 0 (Ashton won 3-1 on penalties) King Edward HS 0

Match for 5/6: Ferrum HS 1 Wartburg Kirchdorf 0

Match for 3/4: St Anne’s 2 St Mary’s DSG 0

Final: Durban Girls’ College 4 Pietermaritzburg Girls High 0

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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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Durban International Film Festival Announces Award Winners for 2015

Durban International Film Festival Announces Award Winners for 2015

The Durban International Film Festival announced its award-winners tonight (July 25) at the closing ceremony of the festival’s 36th edition at the Suncoast Cinecentre, prior to the screening of the closing film, The Prophet directed by Roger Allers. The festival officially closes tomorrow (Sunday) evening after a successful ten days of 255 screenings at 13 venues around the City of Durban, with many sold out houses.

The international jury this year was led by former Manager of the DIFF and current Director of the Sydney Film Festival, Nashen Moodley and included prolific and award-winning South African filmmaker Robbie Thorpe, South African producer of numerous award-winning films who sits on the advisory panel for NFVF, Moroba Nkawe and award-winning Nigerian filmmaker, Newton Aduaka.

The South African feature film jury consisted of film-makers Lizelle Bischoff, Thandeka Zwana and Jenna Cato Bass while the documentary jurors were film-makers Annalet Steenkamp and Sylvia Vollenhoven and the short film jurors were film-makers Darryl Els, Zandi Tisani and Terrence Dalisu Ngobese.

The award for the Best Feature Film, which carries a R50 000 cash prize from the DIFF went to Sunrise directed by Partho Sen-Gupta. The film was described by the jury as “an uncompromising, brilliantly-crafted film that takes us through a fragmented mind, into a shady world allowing us to enter the reality of Mumbai’s underbelly”.

The award for Best South African Feature Film, which carries a prize of R25 000 courtesy of Film Finances SA, went to Necktie Youth directed by Sibs Shongwe-La Mer, described by the jury as “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.”

Shongwe La-Mer also won the award for Best Direction, for Necktie Youth, “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.”

The Best Documentary and Best SA Documentary awards which carries a prize of R25 000 each in cash, courtesy of the National Film and Video Foundation went to Beats of the Antonov directed by Hajooj Kuka and The Dream of the Shahrazad directed by Francois Verster, respectively. The jury awarded Beats of the Antonov “for its story, characters, relevance and visual interpretation,” and for a “story told with grace, while honouring the integrity of the people who gave them access as well as the subject matter.”

The Dream of the Shahrazad was awarded for the way in which “the filmmakers pushed themselves beyond their comfort zone, taking mythology and bringing it into the centre of modernity,” and for being “an ambitious film..(that) addresses life post revolution and what is left after heartbreak.”

Didier Michon for his charismatic and captivating performance in Fevers directed by Hicham Ayouch received the Best Actor Award of R20 000 in cash from the KwaZulu–Natal Film Commission.

The award for Best Actress, who also received R20 000 in cash from the KwaZulu–Natal Film Commission, went to Anissa Daoud for her portrayal of a determined activist who takes a stand, in an important film Tunisian Spring directed by Raja Amari.

Best African Short Film award went to The Aftermath of the Inauguration of the Public Toilet at Kilometre 375 directed by Omar el Zohairy., which won R20 000 courtesy of the Gauteng Film Commission. The jury described this as an “exceptional film explores and pushes new avenues in political satire and the cinema.” 

Unomalanga and The Witch directed by Palesa Shongwe, and cited by the jury as “a gentle and unexpected film (that) sheds light on the subtleties of relationships between women”, won the Best South African Short Film award also receiving R20 000 courtesy of the Gauteng Film Commission.

A new award, the Production Merit Award, sponsored by Hollard carries a R25 000 cash prize and goes to Rights of Passage directed by Ntombizodwa Magagula, Mapula Sibanda, Lerato Moloi, Valencia Joshua, Zandile Angeline Wardle, Tony Miyambo, Rethabile Mothobi, Yashvir Bagwandeen.

Sabrina Compeyron and David Constantin, won the Best Screenplay Award for “craftily tracking the age-old struggle between capital and labour spanning the end of industry and the disenfranchisement of a society” in Sugar Cane Shadows directed by David Constantin.

Jean-Marc Ferriere, took the honours for Best Cinematography “for creating a distinctive, atmospheric, highly-crafted and visually dynamic world depicted almost entirely in the dark”, in Sunrise directed by Partho Sen-Gupta.

Special Mention for Direction was made of Kivu Ruhorahoza for Things Of The Aimless Wanderer, “for a courageous and single-minded attempt by a director harnessing all means at his disposal to tell a personal, intricate and political story.”

A Special Mention for Best Film was given to Tunisian Spring by Raja Amari, “for it’s powerful depiction of an event that has, and continues to have, resonance in the world.”

Democrats directed by Camilla Nielsson, got a Special Mention for a Documentary, which is “commended for putting a human face on a story that is complex and sometimes almost opaque.”

The Amnesty International Durban Human Rights Award for the film that best reflects human rights issues which comes with a cash prize of R10 000 donated by the Artists for the Human Rights Trust went to The Shore Break, directed by Ryley Grunenwald. The jury citation reads “The film powerfully portrays a struggle within a local community regarding foreign mining rights in a pristine environment…(and) concisely and movingly uncovers this complex and urgent matter, which is still under investigation and in need of public support.”

A further Amnesty International Durban Human Rights Honorary Award was given to The Look of Silence directed by Joshua Oppenheimer, a film that “bravely uncovers the genocide in Indonesia in the 1960’s.”

The jurors for these awards were Nonhlanhla Mkhize, Betty Rawheath, Professor Lindy Stiebel and Coral Vinsen, convener of the jury panel.

Arterial Network’s Artwatch Africa Award, for an African film that meaningfully engages with the issues of freedom of expression, went to Beats of the Antonov, directed by Hajooj Kuka, who was presented a cash prize of R15 000. The jury citation said  “This compelling film shows how the power of music, dancing and culture sustains the displaced people living in the remote war-ravaged areas of Southern Sudan.”

The Jury included Junaid Ahmed, Gcina Mhlophe, René Alicia Smith, and Peter Rorvik.

The DIFF Audience Award went to The Shore Break directed by Ryley Grunenwald.

For more information go to www.durbanfilmfest.co.za for details of the remaining screenings.

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The Shore Break takes two awards at Durban International Film Festival

The Shore Break takes two awards at Durban International Film Festival

Multi award-winning documentary, The Shore Break, about the proposed titanium mine on the Wild Coast, garnered an additional two awards to its already impressive resume, at this year’s Durban International Film Festival.

The Shore Break won the Amnesty International Durban Human Rights Award and The DIFF Audience Award 

The Amnesty International Durban Human Rights Award for the film that best reflects human rights issues which comes with a cash prize of R10 000 donated by the Artists for the Human Rights Trust went to The Shore Break, directed by Ryley Grunenwald. The jury citation reads “The film powerfully portrays a struggle within a local community regarding foreign mining rights in a pristine environment…(and) concisely and movingly uncovers this complex and urgent matter, which is still under investigation and in need of public support.”

All festival goers are given a DIFF voting slip after every screening to ascertain which film the audiences appreciated the most. Out of a total of 202 films (features, docs, shorts), this year the DIFF Audience Award went to The Shore Break.

"To have been voted as 'Best' by the DIFF audience, who I have always loved because they are loyal, diverse and exacting, is a real honour and a privilege," enthuses co-producer Odette Geldenhuys.

“Ultimately we make films for the audience so it is incredibly rewarding to have won another Audience Choice Award. We are so happy that the jury selected The Shore Break for the Amnesty International Durban Human Rights Award. Representatives from the community affected by the N2 Wild Coast Toll Road and the Xolobeni Mineral Sands Project have said that it will certainly help their cause that their struggle is indeed being recognized as a human rights issue”, said director Ryley Grunenwald.

The Shore Break is an award-winning film that unpacks the dilemma faced by a rural community on South Africa’s Wild Coast as to whether to support or resist a proposed titanium mining project that could fundamentally change their lives forever.

Directed by Ryley Grunenwald, The Shore Break was a selected project at the 2012 Durban FilmMart, the IDFA WorldView Summer School 2013, the Hot Docs Forum 2012 and the Hot Docs Dealmakers 2013. It is co-produced by two South African companies, Grunenwald’s Johannebsurg-based Marie-Vérité Films and Odette Geldenhuys’ Cape Town-based frank films. It was incompetition at the recent International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IFDA), and was named the Best Feature Length Documentary at the 2015 International Environmental Film Festival (FIFE) in Paris.

The issues raised in the film have become more urgent following the announcement of the Wild Coast Toll Road which has been given the go-ahead following a statement by Minister Nkwinti on 9 July. It is the belief of many community stakeholders that this announcement is a pre-cursor to the introduction of mining in the area.  

For more information go to www.theshorebreakmovie.com

Trailer: http://vimeo.com/102621491

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/theshorebreakmovie

Twitter: http://twitter.com/theshorebreak

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Digital stills, EPK and links to articles and reviews are available online: http://theshorebreakmovie.com/press/

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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 .