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.

-ends

Janet van Eeden's Double Shot At The Big Time

AFDA Durban Campus lecturer in Production Course, Academic Coordinator and Script Writing, Janet van Eeden has been invited to pitch her project at this year’s London Screen Writers Festival from 25 to 27 October and her lead actor Bradley Backhouse will pitch A Shot at the Big Time at the SME Funding Fair which will also be held in Pietermaritzburg on Friday, 25 October at the Pietermaritzburg Chamber of Business.

Hosted by Regent’s University in the heart of London, the London Screen Writer’s Festival is considered the greatest screen writers festival in the world. The festival is for writers & filmmakers, with insights into the screenwriting and filmmaking process as well as workshops and talks from top industry professionals along with pitching sessions. The Festival which is owned and operated by London Creative Festivals Ltd was launched in 2010 by Chris Jones, the filmmaker and director of The Guerilla Hanbook. Janet van Eeden and seventeen other writers and filmmakers from around the world have been selected to ‘Meet the Experts’ at this year’s festival out of 150 entries. “It is a great opportunity for me to pitch my project and find out different ways to source funding for the feature film, I am completely excited about going to this wonderful event,” said the screenwriter of White Lion, Janet van Eeden.

The panel of experts which David Nicholas Wilkinson has run annually since 1999 makes its debut at the LSF. The panel includes Producer David Nicholas Wilkinson, the founder and current owner of the Guerilla companies, David has participated in almost one hundred film panels chairing over thirty of them at the BAFTA, Screen Yorkshire, Screen South, Bradford, Galway Film Fleadh and many more. He also has devised and chaired MEET THE EXPERTS at the Edinburgh Film Festival with senior financiers, producers, commission editors and sales agents for over a decade.

British screenwriting team Richard Kurti and Bev Doyle also form part of the panel of experts, they first broke into the business by writing and selling a spec script, Newton’s Law, which then led to 14 further movie commissions from US studios such as Warner Bros, Universal, Laika and Intermedia; and UK companies such as Working Title, Pathe and BBC Films. Their shows have earned numerous awards and nominations, including… three BAFTA nominations, two Royal Television Society Awards and two RTS nominations for Going Postal; nomination for Outstanding Motion Picture Made for TV at the US Satellite Awards for Kidnapped; nomination for Best TV Series Drama at the Satellite Awards for Primeval.

Wrapping up the panel is Financier Gavin Poolman, born in Canada, Gavin graduated with an Honours B.A. in French Language and Literature from Trinity College, University of Toronto. Originally a software developer working on government and private sector contracts, after moving to the UK and graduating from the London Film School, he worked as an acquisitions and finance executive within Oscar-winning producer Jeremy Thomas’s Film Trustees/Glinwood Group, where he was involved in the financing and licensing of The Sheltering Sky, Naked Lunch, A Rage In Harlem, Howard’s End and The Crying Game. In 1994, Gavin was appointed Head of Development at sales agency Mayfair Entertainment International (Jefferson in Paris, Vanya On 42nd Street, Richard III).

Ends_

Poetry Africa Schools Competition Winners

The Poetry Africa – International Poetry Festival, hosted by the Centre for Creative Arts UKZN announced the winners for the annual Poetry Africa Schools Competition on Friday, 18 October on the last evening at the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre before the finale at the BAT Centre on Saturday, 19 October 19h00.

 The Schools Poetry Competition provides learners with the exciting opportunity to showcase their poetry-writing skills in the schools poetry competition, which is a popular component of the festival. Entrants from high schools in KwaZulu-Natal were invited to submit original poems in a theme of their choice, in English, isiZulu or Afrikaans and a panel of adjudicators that included Sakhile Gumede, Sphindile Hlongwa, Noxolo Matete, Carole Gumede, Mitchell Harper and Nomfundo Xolo selected winners for both the English and Zulu competition sections. “This year we had a total of 78 English, 93 isiZulu and 1 Afrikaans poems that were submitted from schools within Durban and the surrounding areas. The selection process was difficult as the scholars brought creativity, originality and inspiration in all of their poems and selecting the winners was difficult” said Tiny Mungwe Project Manager of the Festival. The winners who presented their poems and received prizes during the Poetry Africa evening session on Friday, October 18 at the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre are:

In the English section:

1st place: Yuvti Rampersad (Westville Girls High) for ‘We Poets’

2nd place: Amanda Hadebe (Westville Girls High) for ‘The Silent Spectator’

3rd place: Laura Pirjol (Durban Girls College) for ‘Guilt’

In the Zulu section:

1st place: Sibongile Ngidi (Mzingezi Secondary School) for ‘Impela Uyimpicabadala’

2nd place: Latha Philani (Umbelebele Secondary) for ‘Olukamageba’

3rd place: Lee-Ann Jantjies (Umlazi Commercial High) for ‘Awami Amaphutha Ma, Wami!’

The winners were presented with cash prizes and book voucher awards thanks to the long standing sponsorship with Adams Bookshop UKZN Howard College. A further component within the Poetry Africa – International Poetry Festival is the long-standing commitment to nurture a culture of reading and writing amongst the youth of KwaZulu-Natal. The schools’ visits initiative that took place during this year’s festival took place in over fifteen schools within Durban and the surrounding areas.

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 currently a special project of the newly appointed Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Professor Cheryl Potgieter, in the College of Humanities at UKZN.

Website: www.cca.ukzn.ac.za

Twitter @PoetryAfrica

Facebook: Poetry Africa

AFDA Johannesburg Head of Live Performance Greg Homann is the Standard Bank Young Artist of the Year 2014 in Drama

AFDA Johannesburg Lecturer & Head of Live Performance Greg Homann has been named by the National Arts Festival as the 2014 Standard Bank Young Artist Award Winner for Theatre.

Greg Homann joined AFDA Johnnesburg in January this year as head of the Live Performance School on that campus. He has quickly made his mark as a valuable member of the AFDA team, working to grow and strengthen stage acting, screen acting, and musical performance with his counterparts in Cape Town and Durban.

His professional theatre productions have been nominated for 34 awards and have won 9 Naledi Awards including for Best Cutting Edge Production (The Pirates of Penzance and Delirium), a Standard Bank Ovation Award (One-Woman Farce), and a Silver Standard Bank Ovation Award (Brothers in Blood).

This year alone he has presented three of his award-winning productions across the country. Mike van Graan’s Brothers in Blood, produced by Artscape, has enjoyed seasons in Cape Town, The Playhouse in Durban and at the National Arts Festival.  At the Witness Hilton Arts Festival last month he restaged his five-man version of Gilbert & Sullivan’s The Pirates of Penzance as well as One-Woman Farce which he directed and co-wrote with actress, Louise Saint-Claire. Both were highlights of the Festival, with One-Woman Farce playing to Sold Out houses.

AFDA is proud to have facilitated Homann’s research trip to Brussels in September to advance his editorial work on an international book publication focusing on South African theatre, performance, and drama. As an academic and researcher, his primary area of research is in contemporary South African theatre with an emphasis on post-apartheid plays. He is the editor of a collection of plays entitled At This Stage: Plays from post-apartheid South Africa (Wits University Press, 2009) which includes two of his essays on contemporary South African theatre. He is also working on an international book publication that surveys South African plays and playwriting from 1994 to the present.

Homann’s views on the Arts in South Africa are well matched to AFDA’s values. He says, “I have always believed that theatre should challenge and entertain, and that these need not ever be separated. I wish to make people think while being emotionally engaged, whether that is through tears or laughter, or ideally both.” He adds, “I think it is the need to learn and connect that keeps me motivated. In a rehearsal room we become part of a family for a short time, and the text or project always results in an opportunity to learn something about ourselves or our world. I love that. I am also driven by a desire to prove that my choice to create a career in the arts is a viable one and that preconceived ideas of being an arts practitioner (poor, struggling, a dreamer, ungrounded, etc.) are simply not true.” says Homann.

AFDA founding executive member, Deon Opperman, was the winner of the Standard Bank Young Artist Award for Drama in 1992.

Under Homann’s management, the AFDA Live Performance School in Johannesburg is currently completing a well-equipped 75-seater theatre that will become operational within the next few weeks.

About The Standard Bank Young Artist Awards:

The Young Artist Awards were started in 1981 by the National Arts Festival to acknowledge emerging, relatively young South African artists who have displayed an outstanding talent in their artistic endeavours. These prestigious awards are presented annually to deserving artists in different disciplines, affording them national exposure and acclaim. Standard Bank took over the sponsorship of the awards in 1984 and has presented Young Artist Awards in all the major arts disciplines over their 30-year sponsorship, as well as posthumous and special recognition awards. The winners feature on the main programme of the National Arts Festival, Grahamstown and receive financial support for their Festival participation, as well as a cash prize.

ENDS

17th Poetry Africa - International Poetry Festival Workshops

The 17th Poetry Africa – International Poetry Festival presented in partnership with the City of Durban and the KZN Department of Arts and Culture announced 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 gives a platform for cultural exchange in the city of Durban.

The Poetry Africa festival, now in its 17th edition, takes place from 14 to 19 October 2013. The event brings together some of the world’s finest poets and musicians to Durban, with artists from India, Benin, Nigeria, Ireland, Italy, Canada and The United States of America.

The Pre-Festival Creative Writing workshops taking place from 7-11 October, at the Centre for Creative Writing (University of KwaZulu-Natal) offers 15 aspiring writers an extensive week-long programme which offers to develop their creative writing tools to hone their craft. The department which is headed by poet and Poetry Africa alumni Poppy Seed, who is a lecturer in English Literature and Media, with 25 years of experience, as well as a songwriter / composer, playwright and is an internationally acclaimed performance poet.

Our extensive workshop programme also includes a pre-festival tour of Durban by the festival finale musical act, Canadian hip-hop and spoken word poet Ian Kamau.  The interactive week-long workshops will take place in various venues across the city, and is a must for all poetry lovers. 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).

Kamau’s Rhythm, Rhyme & Reasons workshops will take place on the following dates: 

Tuesday 8 October:  Ekhaya Multi-Arts Centre, 14:00-15:00.

Wednesday 9 October: BAT Centre, 17:00-18:00.

Thursday 10 October: Lindelani Arts Centre, 13:00-14:00.

 Friday 11 October: Alliance Francaise, 14:00-15:00.

To take part in the workshops presented by Ian Kamau, contact poetryafricaworkshops@gmail.com.

Along with a diverse line-up of performers, the festival has an extensive workshop programme taking place before and during the festival. Aspiring poets and poetry lovers have the opportunity to engage with Poetry Africa participants, past and present to help hone their craft with creative writing workshops that they will be hosting. The Poetry Writing Workshop at the BAT Centre Saturday 19 October, headed by Raphael D’Abdon (Italy) and Kobus Moolman (South Africa), offers poetry lovers an opportunity to discuss reading, writing and the performance aspects of poetry. 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 as well as his own collection Sunnyside Nightwalk. Kobus Moolman is a lecturer of creative writing and languages at the University of KwaZulu-Natal and author. Moolman has a diverse portfolio of published work and his latest collection Left Over is currently enjoying rave reviews is the press.

This year the festival will also host a workshop in partnership with Poetry Potion on Saturday 29 October at the BAT Centre, to discuss and analyse the work of their third quarterly publication Poetry is not a Luxury. Inspired by Audre Lorde’s work of the same title, this anthology of poems written by respected poets Tereska Muishond, Ayabulela Tutuse, Morula wa Kutukgolo, Mandy Mitchell, Monique Barnard, and Saurell Boyers; contemporary poets using their words to tackle and engage topics of every-day life, while discovering who they are through the art of poetry. Our panel discussion will feature 17th Poetry Africa participants Natalia Molebatsi, Malika Ndlovu, and Mandi “Poefficient” Vundla, creating a dialogue about the work and influence of female poets in the country.

For more details about this year’s Poetry Africa, visit www.cca.ukzn.ac.za or call (031) 2602506

Organised by the Centre for Creative Arts (University KwaZulu-Natal), the 17th Poetry Africa is funded by the City of Durban, the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Arts and Culture, and The French Institute. 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.

Caption: Canadian Poet and Hip-Hop Artist Iain Kamau will be in Durban hosting workshops as part of the Poetry Africa International Poetry Festival prior to the opening of the Festival. 

Ends__

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.

AFDA Film School at the Witness Hilton Arts Festival

AFDA Durban Campus, The South African School of Motion Picture Medium and Live Performance will be at this year’s Witness Hilton Arts Festival hosting two workshops aimed at scholars from grade 10 to 12 to help them make decisions about a possible career in the film industry on Friday, 13 September at 10:30am and at 13:00pm with a repeat of the 13:00pm workshop on Saturday, 14th and Sunday, 15th both at 12:30pm.

Richard Green, the head of film school at the AFDA Durban Campus will be hosting one of the two workshops on Friday, 13 September at 10:30am titled “Directing and Shooting a Film”. Having studied at the London International Film School from 1977 to 1979, Richard Green comes with loads of experience and expertise having worked as a cameraman, production manager, 1st director, director and producer. Richard has been involved in numerous well known films such as Sara Blecher’s award winning film ‘Otelo Burning’, Donovan Marsh’s novel based film ‘Spud’, ‘District 9’ and Anant Singh’s ‘Long Walk To Freedom’ which is currently in post production along with other award winning films that he has personally directed and produced through his company Richard Green and Associates.

AFDA Alumni and Durban Campus Lecturer, Amy Barns will host the second workshop on Friday, 13 September at 13:00pm titled “Performance for the stage VS performance for the Screen”. Local Actress Amy Barns has a huge passion for acting and her documentary style Honours film 'The Brave Unseen' (2012) recently received the ‘Best South African Short Film’ award at the 34th Durban International Film Festival.

Prospective students for the New Year are also welcome to meet and engage with the lecturers and staff of the film, television and performance school about enrolling into one of the degree courses offered at AFDA. For parents and students looking to book an interview with the lecturers of the campus they can e-mail Milena Gevers on milenag@afda.co.za or contact her on (+27) (031) 569-2252.

Ends_

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

Poetry Africa - Prelude Poet Programme

17th Poetry Africa

International Poetry Festival

14-19 October 2013

Poetry Africa Prelude Poet Programme

The Centre for Creative Arts (University of KwaZulu-Natal), with principal funding from the City of Durban and the Department of Arts and Culture, calls out to the Durban’s creative and undiscovered poets to take part in the festival Prelude Poets programme as part of the 17th Poetry Africa International Festival.

The Poetry Africa festival, now in its 17th edition, takes place from 14 to 19 October 2013. The festival brings together some of the world’s finest poets and musicians to Durban, with artists from India, Nigeria, Ireland, Italy and The United States of America.

The 17th Poetry Africa, International Poetry Festival is looking for four of Durban’s brightest undiscovered poets to take part in Poetry Africa Prelude Poet programme. The programme gives the city’s creative and original poets the opportunity to showcase their hidden talents to audiences at the country’s premier poetry festival.

Participants will be required to audition original works with a five minute limit. Auditions are to take place at The Centre for Creative Arts (University of KwaZulu-Natal Howard College Campus) on 13 September 2013. Auditions and will be assigned on a first-come-first-serve basis. To book an audition time, please send an email with your name and contact details with the Poetry Africa Prelude Auditions in the subject title to paprelude2013@gmail.com

For more details about this year’s Poetry Africa, visit www.cca.ukzn.ac.za or call (031) 2602506

Organised by the Centre for Creative Arts(University 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 newly appointed Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Professor Cheryl Potgieter, in the College of Humanities at UKZN.

-ends-

General Enquiries:

Phone: +27 (0)31 260 2506/1816

Fax:+27 (0)31 260 3074

Email: cca@ukzn.ac.za

Media Enquiries:

Kwazi Ngubane/ Nolwazi Magwaza

Mobile: +27 (073) 442-9347/ + 27 (076) 638-3546

Phone: +27 (031) 811-5628

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

Website: www.versfeld.co.za

25th Standard Bank Jazz Jol at Centre for Jazz and Popular Music

25th Standard Bank Jazz Jol

The Centre for Jazz and Popular Music located at the University of KwaZulu-Natal will host the 25th Edition of the very popular Standard Bank Jazz Jol on Saturday, 31 August at 19:00pm with the likes of Cape Town resident Shane Cooper, Kesivan Naidoo, Africa Plus and Mozambican quartet Afro Latino to take the stage.

With the event having become a popular feature on the Durban calendar, this year’s event will feature the recipient of the Standard Bank Young Artist Award 2013, bassist Shane Cooper with the event having featured last year’s Standard Bank Young Artist Award winner Afrika Mkhize. Sharing the stage with Shane Cooper will be members of his band which consist of previous Standard Bank Young Artist winner Kevisan Naidoo on the drums, Reza Khota on the guitar and Justin Bellairs on the alto saxophone.

The young and exciting Durban based trio of Africa Plus consist of Prince Bulo on the bass, Sphelelo Mazibuko on the drums and Lungelo Ngcobo on the piano and keyboards. Their musical influence is drawn from rich traditional African elements with the base drawn from Western advanced harmonies. Formally trained at the University of KwaZulu-Natal this vibrant outfit full of rhythmic complexities and melodies that include mainly original music composed by the band are sure to entertain audiences.

The Mozambican quartet of Afro Latino will bring the night to a close and they consist of guitarist and vocalist Milton Chissano who provides the Latin grooves to the group, Ildo Nandja as percussionist and bassist, Alberto Chemane on the percussion and drums and lastly Njabulo Shabalala on the percussion.

Proceeds from the concert go towards the Ronnie Madonsela Scholarship which is a scholarship that assists disadvantaged jazz students at the University of KwaZulu-Natal with general support, financial aid, and bursaries. The scholarship also helps fund the travelling and accommodation costs for educational festivals such as the National Youth Jazz Festival held annually in Grahamstown along with workshops and conferences.

Tickets are R 100 (R 80 for pensioners and R 50 for students) there are early bird discounts of R 80 and group discounts for pensioners at R 75 for groups of ten. To book your tickets you can call Thulile Zama on (031) 260-3385 or e-mail her on Zamat1@ukzn.ac.za, tickets will also be available at the door on the night.

Ends_

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).

New Zealand Film Commission Delegation Attends DFM to Promote Co-Production Treaty with South Africa

Photo by Nathi Xulu

The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) hosted a networking breakfast at the Durban FilmMart on Saturday to promote the South Africa/New Zealand Co-Production Treaty.

The New Zealand Film Commission and a delegation of producers are at the FilmMart to research potential co-production opportunities and begin conversations with local producers around developing projects.

The NFVF and NZFC briefly spoke about the workings of the treaty, which was signed between the two countries in 2011, and the opportunities and support that are available in each country.

“Treaties are government trade instruments whose main objective is to promote cultures of the countries and help filmmakers to access markets of their international counterparts.” explains Terrence Khumalo, Manager of Film Certification of the NFVF. “They enable filmmakers to access finance, distribution and exhibition in co-producer’s territory. Treaties also serve to expose local talent to international markets.”

“Since 1997 there have been 8 treaties signed with Australia, Canada, Germany, France, Ireland, Italy, UK and New Zealand. This translates into 95 projects of just under R5 billion in South Africa.”

“New Zealand has co-production agreements with 13 countries, and out of these about 60 co-productions have been made, with a production budget value of around NZ$660 million.” says Mladen Ivancic, Deputy CEO of New Zealand Film Commission. “We have brought three producers and one film-maker to South Africa to start the process of co-production with this country.”

“I see my role, as facilitating opportunities for our film-makers and backing them up with technical advice, as well as meeting as many people as I can who might want to connect with the New Zealand Film industry.” says Ivancic.  “We have a particularly good connection with South Africa, in a way that we possibly don’t have with some of the other treaty countries, as we share a common language, have a historical connection and there is a healthy SA migrant population in New Zealand.”

 “This was an initiative supported by the NFVF to kickstart talks between the South African and New Zealand film industry,” says Toni Monty of the Durban FilmMart. “So we are really pleased to report that already out of this session, two producers have been able to begin discussions on possible co-productions. We look forward to more delegates from New Zealand attending the FilmMart next year and we will be holding similar initiatives at future DFMs against the backdrop of other co-production treaties that South Africa has in place.”

The Durban FilmMart ends this evening with an awards ceremony at which awards and grants are given to projects that were selected to pitch at the finance forum. 

For more information go to www.durbanfilmmart.com

-ends

Film & Publication Board Refuses Classification to DIFF opening night film - Of Good Report

MEDIA RELEASE

OPENING NIGHT FILM OF THE DURBAN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL REFUSED SCREENING BY THE FILM AND PUBLICATION BOARD

Durban: South Africa: July 18, 2013: The opening night film of the 34th Durban International Film Festival, the much-anticipated film noir Of Good Report, directed by Jahmil XT Qubeka was refused classification by the Film and Publication Board, and as such the festival was unable to screen it.

Instead of the opening credits the following words were displayed on the screen: “This film has been refused classification by the Film and Publication Board, in terms of the Film and Publications Act of 1996, unfortunately we may not legally screen the film, Of Good Report, as doing so would constitute a criminal offence.”

The film tells the sombre tale of a small-town high-school teacher with a penchant for young girls. The result is an hypnotically engaging journey into the soul of a mentally troubled man. The trouble for the protagonist, Parker Sithole begins when he meets the undeniably gorgeous Nolitha Ngubane at a local tavern. Captivated by her beauty, an illicit affair ensues. However, there’s just one problem: Nolitha is one of Parker’s pupils and is just sixteen years older. Parker quickly spirals into lethal obsession.

The manager of the film festival, Peter Machen gave this statement: “Unfortunately, the film and publication board has refused to allow the release of Of Good Report. According to their communication to the festival, the film contains a scene which constitutes child pornography and we are unable to legally show the film. I am very sorry about this. Out of respect for the director of the film, we will not be showing an alternative film tonight.”

“We chose the film because it was challenging, powerful and artistically successful, and particularly because it was such a strong expression of an individual voice .” said Machen. “It presents a story of a very real and troubling social problem of rampant abuse of position in our country.”

Qubeka, who had taped his mouth shut, chose not to comment as an act of defiance, instead his wife, Dr Lwazi Manzi spoke on his behalf, describing the horrors of abused young women by older men that she encounters daily as a doctor at a government hospital. “Just because they (the FPB) don’t want to see it, does not mean it does not happen.” she said. “We shall not not talk about it. I am very proud of my husband, and the cast and crew. This is a pivotal day in the history of film in our country, one which will resonate in history.”

Professor Cheryl Potgieter, Deputy Vice Chancellor and Head of the College of Humanities at UKZN, under whose curatorship the organisers of the Festival, The Centre for Creative Arts is a special project said. “We chose to not show another film in deference to the filmmaker, and to ensure there was critical mass to carry this debate and discourse forward.”

Qubeka and UKZN intend to appeal against the decision, failing which, the producer Mike Auret, himself a lawyer, will take it to the Constitutional Court. Auret said “It is not the function of state to moralise.”

The festival screenings of all other films, will continue as planned for the next nine days.  For more information about the DIFF go to www.durbanfilmfest.co.za.

Finalists of 16th BASA Awards Announced

The finalists of the 16th Annual Business Day BASA Awards, supported by Anglo American, have been announced.

This year’s finalists offer a fascinating snapshot of the varied ways businesses of different sizes can work with art projects that cover everything from visual arts to music, film, dance, architecture and much more. 

From the small PENMAC Audio Visual, which is nominated for a Small Business Award, to the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, whose work with the Three2Six School for Refugee Children has seen it nominated for an Increasing Access to the Arts Award, the spectrum of business and arts partnerships celebrated by this year’s nominations is impressive. 

A leading contender is Rand Merchant Bank, which this year has earned nominations in the Long Term Partnership Award category for the Johannesburg Youth Orchestra Company’s Instrumental Training and Development project, as well as two nods in the Youth Development Award category, for the Durban Music School and the Dance XChange Project. 

Another multiple nominated finalist is PPC Ltd, which earned three nominations – Innovation Award, Long Term Sponsorship Award and Youth Development Award, the latter two for the PPC Young Concert Sculptors Award and the first for Re-imagine Concrete: Suzaan Heyns Spring/Summer 2012. 

National radio station, Ukhozi FM, got two nods (Innovation Award and Media Sponsorship Award) for Unyaka Wesethembiso Season 2. 

Diverse businesses nominated for projects in various categories include Bidvest Group Limited, Adidas, Estee Lauder Companies, the MTN Group and Arcelor Mittal. 

“What we are clearly seeing with the nominations for several big and medium sized enterprises is the ROI that partnering with an arts project can bring,” comments Michelle Constant, CEO of Business and Arts South Africa.

“This is a strong signal to South African business that working with an arts project is far more than a feel good exercise but brings shared value.” 

The organisers of the only awards celebrating business and arts partnerships in South Africa report seeing a noticeable increase in entries in 2013. Just under 170 arts and business projects entered this year, an increase on the 2012 figure. 

Chairman of the judging panel, Dr Andrew Human, notes the evolution in the range and quality of entries this year. 

“There is definitely far more recognition of the mutual benefit and value that arts can lend to business, as opposed to seeing a partnership with the arts as a charitable sponsorship. BASA is also looking at the strategic value that the arts can play in business – and that is reflected in the kind of entries we are starting to get.

“I was surprised by the scope of work,” comments judging panel newcomer Fikile Moeti aka FIX. “It makes you realise how much is happening, how much people are doing and how much originality is being applied. Art is not only sitting in galleries. It’s everywhere – in the CBD and out on the streets.” 

A total of 12 categories were open for entry in the 16th Annual Business Day BASA Awards. The Art Champion and Chairman’s Premier Award will also be presented at a gala ceremony in Johannesburg on 26 August. 

The judges for the 2013 BASA Awards are CEO of The Loerie Awards Dr Andrew Human (chairman); media consultant and editor of Destiny Man Kojo Baffoe; Sunday Independent arts critic Mary Corrigall and CEO of the Mastrantonio Group Giovanni Mariano. Three new judges who joined this year’s panel are television host and arts advocate Dali Tambo. 5fm DJ Fikile Moeti and Experiential Marketing Director at Ogilvy and Mather Thresho Selesho. 

The independent panel of judges evaluated the success of each partnership in achieving its objectives and in bringing genuine value and benefit to both partners. The Awards are audited by Grant Thornton. 

For more information call the BASA offices on 011 4472295 or e-mail info@basa.co.za or go to www.basa.co.za 

Finalists in the 16th Business Day BASA Awards 

Innovation Award 

-uMngeni Municipality - Nelson - Mandela Capture Site 
-ArcelorMittal South Africa - Southern Guild Collectable Design Gallery 
-PPC Ltd - Re-imagine Concrete: Suzaan Heyns Spring/Summer 2012 
-Ukhozi FM - Unyaka Wesethembiso Season 2 

First Time Sponsor Award 

-MTN Group - Four MTN & BTE VO1SS Concert Series 
-Citiq Group - Ithuba Arts Fund 
-MultiChoice - National Children’s Theatre - SSA Senior Executive Challenge 
-Bidvest Group Limited - Opening of the new Wits Art Museum 

Increasing Access to the Arts Award 

-Rainbow Farms - Listen With Your Eyes – Deaf Theatre Festival 
-Johannesburg Stock Exchange -Three2Six School for Refugee Children 
-Johannesburg Development Agency - Diepsloot Public Artworks Programme 
-Barrow Family Trust - Klein Karoo Klassique 

International Sponsorship Award 
-Standard Bank of South Africa - 20th Century Masters: the human figure 
-Norges Musikkorpes Forbund (NMF or Norwegian Band Federation) - Field Band Foundation 
-Total South Africa - Danse l'Afrique Danse 2012 
-Air Botswana - Cape Town City Ballet “Ballet Classics" 

Long Term Partnership Award 

-PPC Ltd - PPC Cement Young Concrete Sculptor Awards 
-Rand Merchant Bank - Johannesburg Youth Orchestra Company - Instrumental Training and Development 
-ABSA - ABSA Intensive Film Training 
-ArcelorMittal South Africa - Southern Guild Collectable Design Gallery 

Media Sponsorship Award 

-RSG FM - ATKV-Muziq 
-City Press - National Arts Festival 
-Ukhozi FM - Unyaka Wesethembiso Season 2 
-Electronic Media Network - Cape Town Carnival 

Small Business Award 

-PENMAC Audio Visual - Johannesburg Youth Ballet - Hansel & Gretel 
-Alexander Bar & Café - Alexander Upstairs 
-Minuteman Press Fourways – Symphony Choir Johannesburg 

Single Strategic Project Award 

-Cement and Concrete Institute-OH14 A¨le Naude Santos and Antonio de Souza Santos Architectural Tour 
-Interactive Africa-Blikkies Dorp Library 
-Adidas South Africa-I ART JOBURG 
-UJ Arts & Culture-ACT UJ Arts & Culture 'The Art of the Creative Economy' Conference 

Sponsorship in Kind Award 

-Estee Lauder Companies – MAC -South African Mzansi Ballet 
-University of Johannesburg Arts & Culture - The Forgotten Angle Theatre Collaborative (FATC) 
-Europcar-Clowns Without Borders South Africa 
-Cinema Nouveau-Opera Africa Young Artist Programme 

Youth Development Award 

-Air Products South Africa - SAMB / Air Products Development School-Alexandra 
-Sasol Limited-South African National Youth Orchestra 
-Rand Merchant Bank-Durban Music School 
-PPC Ltd-PPC Cement Young Concrete Sculptor Awards 
-Rand Merchant Bank-Dance XChange Project 

Arts & Environment Award, supported by Nedbank 

-Three City Events (Pty) Ltd-(eco)nversations GREEN ART 2012 
-uMngeni Municipality - Nelson Mandela Capture Site 
-Spier-The Dying Slave (2012) by Marco Cianfanelli 
-Plascon - Earth Hour Murals 

Mentor of the Year,supported by Etana Insurance 

-Niall Kramer - District Six Museum 
-Leanne Gitlin-Wits Art Museum 
-Hilton Lawler-Assemblage 
-Irma Albers-Jungle Theatre Company 

 

AFDA Johannesburg masters student makes headway at SA’s major festivals

AFDA Johannesburg masters student Tapiwa Chipfupa makes headway at SA’s major festivals

AFDA Johannesburg masters student Tapiwa Chipfupa, from Zimbabwe is staking her claim in the local and international film industry. Her film “The Bag on My Back” was recently screened at the Encounters Film Festival in Cape Town in June, and she has been selected as one of 40 participants in the 6th Talent Campus Durban at the Durban International Film Festival, which opens on July 18.

Chipfupa, a cum laude graduate from AFDA and a 2008 Mandela Rhodes Scholarship nominee, is currently completing her Masters Degree in Fine Arts in Motion Picture Medium at AFDA. As part of an exchange programme with Finland, she produced and co-directed two documentaries currently screening at festivals in Europe, and has won the Best Student Award at Tampere International Film Festival (2010). She pitched “The Bag on My Back” at Africadoc, securing sales in Europe and West Africa.

Well-known South African producer David Max Brown mentored Chipfupa through the production of the film, which is about her life in exile and the land issues in Zimbabwe as she followed her parents from farm to farm in the 80’s and 90’s until her outspoken father was retrenched from his job as a farm manager. 

“I am really please that this film is getting so much attention,” says Chipfupa. “It was really encouraging to have had David’s guidance, and I have learnt so much in the process. As far as Talent Campus is concerned, I am really looking forward to being in Durban, as I have heard such great things about it from the opportunities to gather information and expert knowledge and networking with peers from across the continent to meeting film-makers from around the globe who are top of their game. And of course seeing so many brilliant films, we would not usually be able to access.”

For more information contact Mandy Day, office 27 21 448 7600, mobile 071 473 6412 or go on www.afda.co.za.

-ends

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

-Ends

KWAZULU-NATAL TO HOST 2013 SIMON MABHUNU SABELA FILM AWARDS

The stage is set for the 2013 Simon Mabhunu Sabela Film Awards to be held at Durban’s Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre on Saturday, July 20 at 6pm.

The awards, an initiative of the KZN Department of Economic Development and Tourism which is implemented by the newly-established KZN Film Commission and named in honour of the late South African Film legend and icon Mr Simon Mabhunu Sabela, are aimed at recognising outstanding achievers and excellence within South African and international film.

The MEC for Economic Development and Tourism, Michael Mabuyakhulu, said the awards had been planned to coincide with the 34th Durban International Film Festival, and the Durban FilmMart.

“As we all know, Simon Mabhunu Sabela, in whose honour the Film Awards are named, was one of the doyens of both the big screen and television. Not only was he South Africa’s first Black film director, he also had a long and successful career which saw him feature in over 34 movies, both internationally and locally”, said Mabuyakhulu.

Simon Mabhunu Sabela starred alongside such well-known actors as Roger Moore, Lee Marvin, Anthony Quinn, Burt Lancaster and others. He died in 1994 at the age of 63.

Mabuyakhulu said the awards would be an annual event that would attract both an international and local audience but were also aimed at unearthing new talent from the province. “This year’s instalment of the awards will concentrate on honouring and celebrating pioneers, legends and veterans of South Africa’s film industry. We deliberately took this position because we felt that there was embarrassing backlog in terms of recognising those who have, and continue, to work to build our country’s burgeoning film industry”, said Mabuyakhulu.  

The 2013 Simon Mabhunu Sabela Film Awards evening will be a glamorous and star-studded affair which will be attended by the who’s who of the film industry. 

Among those who will be honoured are actors, producers, directors and various film technicians. 

For more information contact

, Siyabonga Maphumulo on 082 3034243 or email 

MaphumuloS@kznded.gov.za

.

-ends

Well-known Artist Management Expert Kerry Friedmann appointed as Business Lecturer at AFDA Cape Town

AFDA (The South African School of Motion Picture Medium and Live performance) in Cape Town is pleased to announce that well-known artist management expert, Kerry Friedmann has been appointed as Business Lecturer in the musical performance department.

 “Kerry specializes in the Business of Creativity; bridging the gap between the corporate world and the world of artistic expression and technical execution,” says Chairman of AFDA, Garth Holmes, “As a lecturer at AFDA she will focus on providing first hand knowledge of a variety of practical business elements that go into the arts and creating a musical performance or production.”

Kerry, who has a Social Science degree from UCT and various advertising diplomas, has had extensive experience in artist management with the likes of Freshlyground to working with Pink Floyd’s album artwork designer - Storm Thorgerson. Her area of expertise which she will be working with AFDA students include artist management, finances and budgets, production and event co-ordination, tour management, legal logistics such as contracts and copyright, liaison with record companies, publishers, publicists, promoters, studios, press and media, advertising agencies and designers. 

"AFDAs’ comprehensive course structure is very impressive, the opportunity to learn, not only practical and theory, but to also get a taste of the real ‘working-world’ is priceless. I’m thrilled to be teaching the business module in the musical performance department, and hopefully I will impart some valuable insights into the music biz. I look forward to learning from the students too!” says Kerry.

For more information contact Mandy Day, office 021- 448 7600, mobile 071 473 6412 or go on www.afda.co.za.

Talent Campus Durban Participants at 34th Durban International Film Festival (18-28 July)

The 34th Durban International Film Festival (DIFF), hosted by the Centre for Creative Arts, University of KwaZulu-Natal, with principal funding by the National Lottery Development Trust Fund, has finalized selection of participants for the 6thedition of the Talent Campus Durban which takes place from 19 to 23 July.

Forty African filmmakers and film experts will come together in Durban to be inspired and enlightened in the medium and industry of cinema. The programme provides the selected participants with a unique opportunity to meet with international industry professionals, experts and mentors in various aspects of the filmmaking business through participation in a 5-day programme of masterclasses, workshops and industry networking events.

This year’s candidates, chosen from over 450 submissions, hail from 15 different African countries, including Algeria, Cameroon, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Tunisia, and Uganda. Participants will be also be able to attend the DIFF.

Running in parallel to the general Festival programme, this year’s Talent Campus Durban will offer three hands-on training programmes: Doc Station  which will focus on documentary-making, Talent Press which is dedicated to film criticism and Script Station which will foster story development. 

For the third consecutive year, Doc Station will offer three selected Talents the opportunity to refine and polish documentary projects for pitching at the 4th Durban FilmMart’s DOC Circle. Meanwhile, Talent Press will mentor four African journalists in the art of film criticism with access to all the screenings of the 34th Durban International Film Festival. This initiative, promoted in collaboration with FIPRESCI (International Federation of Film Critics) and the Goethe Institute of South Africa, will welcome film writing experts Didi Cheeka (Nigeria), Espera Donouvossi (Benin and South Africa), Leon Van Nierop (South Africa) and Katarina Hederen (Ethiopia and South Africa) as  programme mentors.

For the first time, Script Station will offer the opportunity to four selected writers to develop their stories in the Writers Circle, while being mentored by qualified script editors Tracey Lee Dearham-Raniers and Karima Effendi. This new activity is presented in collaboration with the NFVF’s Sediba SPARK Scriptwriting workshop.

In 2013, the Talent Campus Durban theme is “Memetic Africa?” highlighting and interrogating the continent of Africa as a source of myriad narratives which offer possibilities to be re-imagined, re-told, overlapped and adapted within numerous contexts.

Talent Campus Durban is presented in partnership with the Berlinale Talent Campus, with support from the German Embassy of South Africa, the Goethe-Institut of South Africa, and the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Economic Development and Tourism. Through the international programme, which extends to Talent Campuses in Buenos Aires, Guadalajara, Sarajevo and Tokyo, as well as Durban, participants are initiated into a global community of filmmakers and connected via a wide social network operated through the Berlinale.

Talent Campus Durban 2013:

Drifa Mezenner (Algeria), Pierre Loti Tawokam Simo (Cameroon), Tumbo John Wani (Democratic Republic of Congo), Alia Hassab (Egypt), Kamal Elmallakh (Egypt), Dawit Zewedu (Ethiopia), Hiwot Getaneh (Ethiopia), Anita Afonu (Ghana), Joseph Wairimu (Kenya), Mercy Mkaiwawi Mwakaba (Kenya), Sarah Muhoho (Kenya), Ng’endo Mukii (Kenya), Saad Eddine Said (Morocco), Inadelso Cossa (Mozambique), Oshosheni Hiveluah (Namibia), Aderinsola Ajao (Nigeria), Adeyinka Edward Daniyan (Nigeria), Kayambi Musafiri (Rwanda), Thiaw Rama (Senegal), Antoinette Engel (South Africa), Ari Kruger (South Africa), Caitlin Pansegrouw (South Africa), Dylan Bosman (South Africa), Howard Fyvie (South Africa), Katey Lee Carson (South Africa), Maanda Ntsandeni (South Africa), Nduduzo Shandu (South Africa), Nosipho Sharon Mngoma (South Africa), Pierre Paul De Villiers (South Africa), Rolisizwe Nikiwe (South Africa) Siphamandla Ngcobo (South Africa), Siphiwe Dominic Mpanza (South Africa), Sivela Mgudu (South Africa), Zethu Mashika (South Africa), Zwelethu Radebe (South Africa), Ahmed Jlassi (Tunisia), Narjes Torchani (Tunisia), Nathan Magoola (Uganda), Polly Kamukama (Uganda) ,Tapiwa Chipfupa (Zimbabwe).

Ends.