Film Reviews and Funding for South African Filmmakers

Film Reviews

The Immigrant
Director: James Gray
Cast: Marion Cotillard, Joaquin Phoenix, Jeremy Renner

A really stylish film this one.  Expertly directed by James Gray.  We join a young lady Ewa
(Marion Cotillard) who arrives in the USA with her sister.  They are seperated by authorities due to the ill health of her sister.  She finds herself stuck in America, a strange lady in a strange land.  She meets
Bruno (Joaquin Phoenix) the ever polite young man who helps her find a place and shelters her.  There is of course a price she has to pay.  Along the way she meets a young talented magician (Jeremy Renner) who shows her a world of possibilities.  Look out for some brilliant performances, very well written and stylish direction.

Rating: 9/10

Cold Harbour
Director: Carey Schonegevel
Cast: Tony Kgoroge, Fana Mokoena, Yu Nan, Deon Lotz

A movie of many shades.  Set in a gloomy Cape Town.  Not the one that tourists know.  This one is full of gangsters and corrupt cops and abalone smugglers.  We join a veteran cop Sizwe (Tony Kgoroge) who fights the good fight to solve his case.  Along the way side stepping martial arts assassins and looking out for gangsters.

Well directed, good script and some very good performances.

Rating: 7/10

Tony Kgoroge won the Best Actor Award (Shared) at Durban International Film Festival 2014 for his performance and you can see why.

Million Dollar Arm
Director: Craig Gillespie
Cast: Jon Hamm, Suraj Sharma, Alan Arkin

Enter the world of the sports agent.  We join a struggling sports agent J.B. Bernstein (Jon Hamm) who is fighting to secure a big deal.  He comes up with an idea of exporting Indian cricketers in a talent competition as a way to find the next big baseball pitcher.  One of those inspiring feel good movies.  Well acted and full of funny moments.

Rating 7/10

Reviews by +Fred Felton


IDC and NFVF will now provide funding for Emerging Black Filmmakers

The Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) and the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) have announced a new initiative targeting local filmmakers and producers.

The Emerging Black Filmmakers Fund (EBFF), which the two institutions have set up, will provide financial and other support to emerging black filmmakers and is aimed at assisting filmmakers in creating feature films that are directed and produced by black South Africans.

EBFF, according to IDC, will strengthen the local film industry, ensuring that filmmakers and producers create compelling content for South African consumption.

Basil Ford, Head of Media and Motion Pictures at the IDC says, “We have identified a growing need to support the production of South African films and documentaries, particularly by black filmmakers and producers.”

Zama Mkosi, CEO of the NFVF, says this partnership addresses one of the organisation’s key objectives to ensure that past imbalances in the film industry are addressed. “Creating this opportunity will benefit our industry immensely as content is key in elevating our industry, and as we take the sector to another level of attracting new markets and investments.”

Funding will be limited to six qualifying and viable feature films per annum over three years. The fund amount per film is R4.5m for development and production, and R500 000 for marketing.

Visit the NFVF website for more information. 

(Source - ScreenAfrica)