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ATTENDANCE SOARS AT THIS YEAR'S DURBAN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL |
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Posted by Imagine Durban Webmaster
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Thursday, 13 August 2009 |
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Attendance increased significantly at the 30 th edition
of the Durban International Film Festival, reports Peter Rorvik,
Director of the festival and the Centre for Creative Arts.
“Attendance figures were up this year with over 22, 471
at the 280 festival film screenings, representing almost 5,500 more
than in 2008, despite there being 26 less screenings this year.
Workshop and seminar attendances were also up with 1650 film
enthusiasts attending 38 seminars and workshops, indicating a great
level of interest in the creative and technical processes of
filmmaking. Separately, aspirants from community organisations
participated in the AV UKZN video production workshop for first-timers,
while Mtuthuzeli Matshoba ran a programme for scriptwriting in
indigenous languages. Talent Campus, a cooperation project with the
Berlinale Film Festival, hosted 38 young filmmakers from 20 different
African countries in a five-day workshop programme themed Roots and Shoots: Creating a new African Cinema .”
The newly appointed Minister of Arts and Culture, Ms
Lulu Xingwana visited the festival and commented “The Durban
International Film Festival has through the years become South Africa
's leading exhibition platform for local and international productions.
It has demonstrated excellence in audience development programmes and
contribution to the training and development of filmmakers", adding
that she was “glad to see the NFVF, IDC, the Provincial and local
government all pulling together to deliver an excellent festival."
The Minister viewed Izulu Lami ( My Secret Sky ) which was the official opening film for the festival and Shirley Adams ,
which scooped a number of awards at the festival closing. The strong
concentration of South African content comprised 9 feature films, 23
documentaries, and 44 short films.
Festival Manager, Nashen Moodley said: “Higher
attendance, a great group of filmmakers, including many new talents,
excellent audience interaction and workshops, and deals made in the
background … we're really happy with the way the festival went, and
look forward to an even better year in 2010. We're grateful to our
funders, the visiting filmmakers, and the Durban audience for making it
happen.”
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30th Durban International Film Festival 23 July to 2 August 2009 |
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Posted by Imagine Durban Webmaster
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Friday, 03 July 2009 |
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The landmark 30 th Durban International Film Festival brings
together films and filmmakers from around the world in a celebration of
the diversity and magic of cinema. Across eleven intense days DIFF will
present over 200 screenings at venues across the city of Durban and in
surrounding communities. While the selection of fascinating, passionate
and entertaining films forms the centre of the festival, an extensive
programme of free workshops and seminars – this year based at the Royal
Hotel - will prime a new generation of South African filmmakers.
Fittingly, the 30 th edition of the festival will open with the
Durban film, My Secret Sky (Izulu Lami) directed by Madoda Ncayiyana,
and featuring a wonderful cast of child actors who have never performed
for the screen before. The festival will close with Woody Allen's
hilarious Whatever Works , which stars Larry David ( Seinfeld , Curb
Your Enthusiasm ) and Evan Rachel Wood.
In between these two great bookends, audiences will encounter some
of the year's most eagerly-anticipated films, award-winners from major
festivals and world premieres from South Africa and beyond.
World premieres of South African feature films include Shirley
Adams by the extremely talented young director Oliver Hermanus, Long
Street , the new film from Revel Fox which features the Durban icon,
Busi Mhlongo, and For Better For Worse , Naresh Veeran and Raeesa
Mahomed's charming Durban-set romantic comedy. Also making its premiere
at the festival is White Lion , the beautifully shot tale of a young
man's protection of a rare white lion. Other South African films
include Anthony Fabian's Skin based on the true story of a physically
black girl born to white parents in apartheid South Africa, Steve
Jacobs' Disgrace based on JM Coetzee's award-winning novel, Savo
Tufedgzic's psychological thriller Crime - It's A Way Of Life , and JJ
Van Rensburg's coming-of-age drama Intonga .
In one of the most talked about films of the year, soccer icon
Eric Cantona gives a charming performance in Ken Loach's hilarious and
touching Looking For Eric which makes it's African premiere at the
festival. An Education , directed by Lone Scherfig from a screenplay by
the popular British novelist, Nick Hornby, is a joyous and funny drama.
Fresh from its Camera d'Or win in Cannes , Australian Warwick
Thornton's Samson & Delilah also makes its African debut at the
festival. Iconic actors Brenda Blethyn and Sotigui Kouyate co-star in
Rachid Bouchareb's deeply moving London River which is set in the
aftermath of the terrorist bombings in London. Audrey Tautou ( Amelie )
gives a star turn in Anne Fontaine's sumptuous Coco Before Chanel which
looks at the life of the fashion legend.
The festival includes films by some of the world's most prominent
directors such as Steven Soderbergh ( Che ), Takeshi Kitano ( Achilles
and the Tortoise ), Nuri Bilge Ceylan ( Three Monkeys ), Kore-eda
Hirokazu ( Still Walking ), Rituparno Ghosh ( After Words , a DIFF
world premiere), Tunde Kelani ( Arugba ), Laurent Cantet (the Palme
d'Or winner, The Class ), Kim Jee-woon ( The Good, The Bad, The Weird
), Deepa Mehta ( Heaven On Earth ), Paolo Sorrentino ( Il Divo ),
Priyadarshan ( Kanchivaram ), the Dardenne brothers ( Lorna's Silence
), Mamoru Oshii ( The Sky Crawlers ) and Philippe Lioret ( Welcome ).
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Annual African Renaissance Festival |
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Posted by Imagine Durban Webmaster
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Thursday, 21 May 2009 |
The 11th annual African Renaissance Festival will be hosted at venues
in Durban, Pietermaritzburg and Richards Bay from 25 to 30 May.
The festival will celebrate, debate and examine broader issues related
to re-defining and rebuilding the African continent through accessing
and developing its own rich social, economic and political resources.
It is a significant gathering of like-minded citizens of Africa as they
share ideas with key decision-makers from around the country and
abroad. The week-long festival sees delegates from around the globe
including head of states, leaders in government and business,
representatives from NGOs, civic structures, emerging entrepreneurs and
local communities.
The festival is held during the last week of May to coincide with
Africa Day and is the only annual celebration of the African
Renaissance ideals on the continent.
The theme adopted for this year’s African Renaissance is “Uniting the
African World”, and will focus on the global economic crisis and its
impact on Africa’s business, tourism and arts and culture sectors. The
line-up of speakers for the conference includes distinguished and well
known personalities as well as local and international specialists from
both the private and public sectors.
Also under the spotlight throughout the festival is examining creative
ways of addressing the global issue of moral regeneration – a challenge
to faith-based leaders, secular and civic society and youth
leadership. The festival comprises a major two-day conference at the
ICC on May 27 and 28, a Youth Pioneers Conference featuring 250
delegates representing various significant youth organisations on May
26; a seminar entitled Unity of Faith to be held on May 30 in Richards
Bay looking at the role of the church in the African Renaissance and a
celebratory, fund-raising banquet to be held at the ICC Durban, with
the legendary Hugh Masekela providing entertainment on May 29.
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Izulu Lami wins at Pan Africa Film Festival |
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Posted by Imagine Durban Webmaster
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Tuesday, 28 April 2009 |
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Izulu Lami (My Secret Sky), the first feature film
directed by Madoda Ncayiyana, won the coveted DIKALO Best Feature Film
prize at the International Pan African Film Festival, held in Cannes,
France, from 1 – 5 April 2009.
Izulu Lami (My Secret Sky) follows the story of two young
children who journey to the city of Durban from their rural homestead after their
mother’s death. The film features a cast of mainly young children who
had never acted professionally before, discovered through extensive
casting by the director, from the townships, informal settlements of
eThekwini Municipality to the rural areas of KwaZulu-Natal.
Written by Julie Frederikse and Madoda Ncayiyana, the film is produced by Dv8 Films and co-produced by Vuleka Productions.
Jeremy Nathan, Producer for Dv8 Films, praised the film‘s director
Madoda Ncayiyana: “Madoda is extremely compassionate and has brought a
charm to the story unseen in South African films.”
Izulu Lami (My Secret Sky) will be distributed by
Ster-Kinekor nationwide in South Africa starting in August
2009. The film will be available on DVD shortly thereafter. It will be broadcast on SABC towards
the end of the year.
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Gandhi Salt March |
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Posted by Imagine Durban Webmaster
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Monday, 13 April 2009 |
In 2009, the Salt March will take place on Sunday April 19. The
Committee hopes to mobilise participants from all sections of the
community. Chairperson Ronnie Govender said the purpose of organising
the Gandhi Salt March Africa could only be understood if we reflected
on the situation currently.
While South Africa has been able to achieve a smooth transition from
apartheid to democracy, sometimes regarded as a Miracle, the aftermath
of democracy has been riddled with some gruesome crime related
incidents and increase corruption, said Govender. This has resulted in
the government calling for a movement to look at the reconstruction and
development of the soul, a programme for moral regeneration.
Non-violence is not just a concept but a way of life and deals with
access to resources, poverty, socio-economic issues, natural resources,
religious togetherness, cultural harmony and human existence.
Registration takes place on the day from 5:30am - 6:30am at the Gandhi
Settlement or Battery Beach. Entrants can also register online at http://www.saltmarch.org.za/current/ . The walk starts at 7:00am sharp.
For more details, contact Ronnie Govender on 031 3736710 or Richard Moulton on 031 4663705.
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