The 4th annual Africa on Screen Film Festival Kicks Off
Africa on Screen
Shout-Africa Entertainment
The 4th annual Africa on Screen Film Festival will take place in Newtown from June 24th – July 3rd at Museum Africa, the Sci Bono Discovery Centre, and Art on Main in the CBD. With over 30 films including features, documentaries and shorts, the festival also includes a host of soccer related films in celebration of the 2010 World Cup.
The Festival includes free daily screenings and workshops at Museum Africa from 10:30am – 4:30 pm daily. In addition to the main programme at Museum Africa, the Sci Bono Discovery Centre will host a schedule of films as part of the Soccer Film Festival. Three free evening events will also take place at Arts on Main.
A unique programme of workshops will also run daily at noon with a programme that includes the following:
June 24th: Focus on Francophone Films A full day of Francophone films will include an expert panel discussion on the role of Francophone films in African film culture. Updates on the recent co-production agreement between France and South Africa will also be discussed. The panel will include filmmakers and lecturers Claude Haffner and Katarina Hedren amongst others. Films to be screened include: Ramata, Sex, Okra & Salted Butter, and Princess of Africa. Screenings start at 10:30am with workshop discussion at noon.
June 25th: Soccer Film Day
A full day of soccer films from across Africa including, Game of My Life, More than Just a Game, Search for Glory, Drogba Fever, One Goal, and the public South African premiere of The Team that Never Played, an Australian and South African co-production about the legends of South African soccer during the Apartheid era. Screenings start at 10:30am
June 26th: The Gauteng Film Commission Representatives from the Gauteng Film Commission will share with aspiring filmmakers the services they provide and the host of opportunities available to young filmmakers in Gauteng. Workshop at noon.
Sunday June 27th
Special Event: South African premiere of the film: The Cradock Four by David Forbes. The event will take place on the 25th anniversary of their deaths. Following the screening Cool Politics will lead a discussion about the film with the Director David Forbes and others involved in the film. In addition Steve Kwena Mokwena will be on hand to take part in the discussion and to premiere his new film Come Guerilla, a unique insight into the lives of the cadres of MK who left the country to train abroad during the apartheid era. Also to be screened will be the historically insightful Sivelaphi Siyaphi by filmmaker Busisiwe Ntintili who will also be in attendance. Screenings start at 10:30am.
June 28th: The National Film & Video Foundation NB: Note time 10am – 1pm The workshop will focus on NFVF Funding and also talk about the Spark Scriptwriting Programme. The trainers of Spark will take the participants through the principles of screenwriting.
June 29th: Filmmakers Round Table with Visiting Director Kunle Afolayan
A host of South African film premieres including Michael Rix’s Mad Cow, and Kunle Afolayan’s award winning The Figurine will be screened. At noon a round table including local directors Michael Rix, Pascal Schmitz, Steve Kwena Mokwena, Nigerian Director Kunle Afoloyan, and the producers of the award winning short, Pumzi, Hannah Slezacek and Simon Hansen will share their knowledge and diverse experience in filmmaking. Screenings start at 10:30am with workshop at noon.
June 30th: Student Film Day:
A full day of screenings of student short films will include Wits, AFDA, City Varsity, UJ, Big Fish and others. From noon till 4:00pm.
July 1st: Focus on Alternative Production and Distribution This fascinating day is a must for all innovative filmmakers and aspiring filmmakers. The legendary artist and filmmaker Aryan Kaganof will join us from Cape Town to screen his unique, SMS Sugarman and to discuss the various alternative means of production. Also joining us will be Pule M, the man behind Soweto Drift and whose short film Tumelo will also be screened. The Crazy Entertainers will also be part of this memorable day of movies and discussions. Nigerian Director Kunle Afolayan will also share his knowledge of the Nigerian film industry and its successful model. Screenings start at 10:30am and workshop discussion is at noon.
July 2nd: Academic Approaches to African Film Top academics from Wits, City Varsity, AFDA, UJ and other films schools will discuss their varying approaches to teaching African film within an academic environment. The implications and importance of these varying approaches will be investigated. Workshop discussion is at noon.
South African Film Premieres
A number of South African film premieres will also take place including the premiere of the film, The Team that Never Played, an Australian and South African co-production that focuses on the un-sung soccer legends of the apartheid era and The Cradock Murders: Matthew Goniwe and the Demise of Apartheid, Come Guerilla, Steve Kwena Mokwena’s newest film about MK cadres, Mad Cow, an hysterical horror movie spoof from Michael Rix, Unhinged: A Survival Guide to Johannesburg from Pascal Schmitz and the award winning Nigerian film from Kunle Afolayan, The Figurine.
Scheduled screening times will be as follows:
Museum Africa:
Daily: June 24th – July 3rd
10:30am
12:30pm
1:30pm
3:00 pm
Sci Bono Discovery Centre Soccer Film Festival
NB: Admission to the Discovery Centre is R25.
25 – 27 June & 2- 4th of July: 11:30 am and 2:30 pm
Art on Main
Sat June 26th 8pm: Moving to the Beat
Wed June 30th: 8pm: Princess of Africa
Sat June 3rd; 8pm Festival Closing Party: Jozi
Films to be screened will include:
>From a Whisper: Wanuri Kahiu, Kenya / USA
Ramata: Léandre-Alain Baker, Senegal
Moving to the Beat: Caleb Heyman & Abdul Fofanah, Sierra Leone / USA
Glorious Exit: Kevin Merz, Switzerland / Nigeria
Victoire Terminus: Renud Barett, DRC
The Team That Never Played: Greg Appel, Australia / South Africa
Search For Glory: Rod Hay, South Africa
More than Just a Game: Junaid Ahmed South Africa
Fintar O Destino (Dribbling Fate): Fernando Vendrell, Cape Verde
The Game of My Life: Dumisani Vusi Nhlapo, South Africa
13 Months of Sunshine: Yehdego Abeselom, Ethiopia
Sex, Okra & Salted Butter: Mahamat Saleh Haroun, Chad / France
Adera: Nega Tariku, Ethiopia
Princess of Africa: Juan Laguna, Senegal / Spain
Ancient Astronomers of Timbuktu: Sharron Hawkes, South Africa
The Cradock Murders: Matthew Goniwe and the Demise of Apartheid, David
Forbes, South Africa / UK
SMS Sugarman, Aryan Kagonof, South Africa
Come Guerilla, Steve Kwena Mokwena, South Africa
Mad Cow, Michael Rix, South Africa
Africa on Screen has been made possible by support from key partners:
The Gauteng Film Commission
The Spanish Embassy
The Australian High Commission
The French Institute and French Embassy
The Commonwealth Foundation
Sci Bono Discovery Centre
Museum Africa
Newtown 2010
South African Courier Systems
Visual Studio Productions
Art on Main
Saffron TV
