The Restless Pitch at DIFF 2015

Restless Talent Management to Reprise The Restless Pitch at DIFF 2015

Restless Talent Management, the first global management company to focus on African talent, will be hosting its Restless Pitch event for the second time at this year’s 6^th edition of the Durban FilmMart (DFM), a Durban International Film Festival (DIFF) and the Durban Film Office (DFO) developmental initiative for African filmmakers which is funded by the City of Durban. Since its inaugural edition at DFM 2014, The Restless Pitch has been held successfully around the world (Film Africa London, Zimbabwe International Film Festival, AFRIFF, New York Africa Film Festival, Nollywood Week Paris), providing African filmmakers with the opportunity to put their best projects forward.

The Restless Pitch will take place Monday July 20^st from 2pm to 4pm at Southern Sun Elangeni hotel, the festival precinct for both the DFM and DIFF. As a new feature for DFM 2015, Restless Talent Management will also be hosting a “How To Pitch” workshop on Friday July 17 from 2pm to 3pm as a lead up to The Restless Pitch on Monday.

Candidates will be randomly selected among the filmmakers willing to pitch, and each will have 3 minutes to present their best idea for a feature film or TV show in front of a panel of experts that will include Restless Talent Management’s Tendeka Matatu and Thandeka Zwana, Producer of DIFF’s opening film AYANDA Terry Pheto, Award-winning Nigerian actor and lead in AYANDA OC Ukeje, Head of Production and Development at the National Film and Video Foundation Vuyo Sokupa, Head of International Acquisitions at XYZ Films Todd Brown, Award-winning producer Elias Ribeiro, Acquisitions Content Coordinator at MNet Mbalenhle Ntuli and Berlinale Festival Programmer Dorothee Wenner.

 

The filmmaker with the most promising, interesting and ultimately best idea put forward will win a one-on-one coaching session with Restless Talent Management at DFM, potentially leading to a representation deal for his or her project.  

 

“Since its inception at DFM 2014, The Restless Pitch has become the leading platform for African filmmakers to engage with industry influencers. Over the past year we have successfully hosted the pitch at a number of established festivals around the world. We are excited to be back at DFM and look forward to hosting a lively and rewarding event” says Tendeka Matatu, co-founder and CCO of Restless Global.

 

The 6^th DFM is set to take place on 17 – 20 July 2015 at Durban’s Elangeni Tsogo Sun Hotel, alongside the Durban International Film Festival which is set for 16 – 26 July. 

Free Japanese Film Festival For South Africa

CINEMA NOUVEAU HOSTS RETURN OF POPULAR JAPANESE FILM FESTIVAL

Opportunity to view some gems from the Far East… and it’s free to the public

Continuing in its efforts to bring the best of international ‘art house’ cinema to South African audiences, Cinema Nouveau is excited to announced that it is once again hosting the increasingly popular Japanese Film Festival in South Africa. Now in its 21^th year, the festival is co-organised by the Embassy of Japan in South Africa and the Japan Foundation.

The festival content is free to the public, and will be screened over weekends during October at the following cinemas: Brooklyn Nouveau in Brooklyn Mall Pretoria (03 – 05 October), V&A Nouveau at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town (10 – 12 October) and Rosebank Nouveau in the Rosebank Mall in Johannesburg (17 – 19 October).

The Annual Japanese Film Festival is aimed at promoting understanding of Japanese culture among South Africans. This year’s festival aims to celebrate the journey Japan has taken with South Africa, which is significant as it marks the 20 year anniversary of South Africa’s Democracy.

All the films are in Japanese with English subtitles. Free tickets will be available at the box office one hour before screening.  This year’s selection include the following six films:

‘Rent-A-Cat’

Sayoko rents out cats to help lonely people fill the emptiness in their hearts. She walks along the banks of the river with a megaphone promoting her service and her animals in a handcart. It turns out that Sayoko is lonely too, ever since the death of her grandmother. All she has left is her cats. However, one day a young man shows up from Sayoko's past. He follows her home and suddenly Sayoko's life seems to completely fall apart.

Akko Chan: The Movie (PG)

Atsuko Kagami - known as “Akko Chan”- is a 10 year old girl in elementary school . One day, a magical spirit appears to her and gives her a magical compact. Akko uses it to become a 22 years old, and has a blast wearing makeup that she adores and many fashionable outfits. And if that wasn’t enough, she even meets the man of her dreams! Her crush is Naoto Hayase, an elite manager at a famous cosmetics company. But his company faces a corporate buyout and is about to be taken over. As he strives to turn his company around by developing an innovative new product, Akko comes up with totally unexpected ideas to take on the crisis. Will she be able to save the man she loves? And what will happen to their relationship?

Tug of War! (PG)

Inspired by a true story, Tug of War! is the “heart-warming tale” of how eight ordinary women band together to try and revitalise their local community.  Chiaki Nishikawa (Mao Inoue) works at the public relations department for the city of Oita. In the past, the city had won the tug-of-war world championship three times and Chiaki is also an enthusiast for the tug-of-war game. To promote the city of Oita, the mayor instructs Chiaki to form a female tug-of-war team. Full of laughter and tears, this heart-warming human drama depicts the everyday challenges of women, as they face the world head-on as daughters, wives and mothers and how just tugging on a rope brings them together!

Fly, Dakota, Fly (PG)

January 1946 - a British military transport plane departs from Shanghai on its way to Tokyo, Japan. During the flight the airplane makes an emergency landing on Sado Island (located in the Chubu region of Niigata Prefecture, Japan). The residents on the island have heard about stereotypes of the British soldiers and have mixed feelings about their new "guests." Nevertheless, for the next 40 days the islanders take care of the crew members until the plane can take off once again. This includes Chiyoko Morimoto (Manami Higa) who is the daughter of the inn owner where some of the British crew members stay.  Based on a true story and filmed on location on Sado Island with support from the local community, including some who witnessed the event back in 1946.

Tokyo Oasis (PG)

Touko seems to have lost her grip on reality.   Along her journey soul searching, she becomes acquainted with people who carry similar issues as she does. A midnight truck driver, NAGANO, who happens to give Touko a ride, is grappling with the discovery of his soul and is unable to move forward. His escape from reality is to continually move from place to place. A movie theater manager KIKUCHI is uncertain of her life. She has moved to new surroundings but feels more lost than ever. A young job seeker at the zoo YASUKO has no faith in her future. She thinks that her luck is slipping away from her. During the extraordinary time they spend together Touko and the 3 characters start to feel a new awareness growing and discover a new found sense of freedom, an oasis within. Together they feel change taking place. Finally, Touko begins to walk again with lightened steps toward a new beginning of everyday life in Tokyo.

Leaving on the 15th Spring (PG13)

On Minamidaito Island there isn't a high school, consequently teenagers who turn 15-years-old leave the island to attend high schools. Yuna Nakazato (Ayaka Miyoshi) lives on Minamidaito Island with her father. She is the youngest child and has two older siblings. Yuna has one year left before she must leave the island to attend high school. Her father grows sugar cane on the island. Yuna’s mother lives in Naha, the capital city of Okinawa, originally to watch over her older sister Mina while she attended high school there. Yuna’s older brother also works in Naha. Every family on Minamidaito Island has a similar situation where the family lives separately. Yuna misses her mom, but she worries about her father, who will be left alone next year. Yuna is curious about the world and also feels unease over her future.

(Source - Ster-Kinekor) 

Loads of Film Festivals For Durban in June and July

Film Festivals For Durban

World Refugee Day: 20 June

In multiple venues - Dbn and Pmb: 20 June onwards

Refugee Social Services will be hosting Forced to Flee - a mini-film festival and a series of activities happening in venues in and around Durban to commemorate World Refugee Day on June 20. 

The focus this year will be on creating awareness around the stories of forced migration and refugees. The commemoration will marry film; photography; visual art; music; craft and discussions. 

The core event will take place at the Denis Hurley Hall, Diakonia Centre on World Refugee Day, June 20 starting at 11am with supporting events taking place at the Alliance Française;  Durban Holocaust Centre; Project Gateway in PMB and the Rainbow Restaurant in Pinetown – as well as in the waiting rooms of the Home Affairs (Refugee Reception Centre: Che Guevara Road, which is the one participating venue not open to the general public); the Refugee Social Services; Lawyers for Human Rights; Archie’s Cafe at the Diakonia Centre and Refugee Pastoral Care - throughout the week following World Refugee Day, from 23-27 June.

For more information, call 031-310 3578 or email admin@refugeesocialservices.co.za for the full programme

The Durban Gay & Lesbian Film Festival 20 June - 6 July 2014 at KZNSA

For more details visit their website: www.dglff.org.za 

Find them on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DGLFF

Durban FilmMart 2014

Early Bird Delegate Registration Closes 27 June

Will you be registering early for the Durban FilmMart? Time is running out to take advantage of the Early Bird Delegate Registration currently on offer. The specially reduced fee of R1350 ends on the 27 June, thereafter those who wish to attend will have to pay the full price of R1850 for their registration.

The Durban FilmMart has become one of Africa’s leading co-production and finance markets for filmmakers in Africa. This event offers filmmakers the chance to build and improve on their storytelling, film content and filmmaking skills through workshops, masterclasses and interactive forums run by international experts in the film industry.

Celebrating its 5th successful year running, this year’s Durban FilmMart is one not to be missed. Through the continued partnership with Produire au Sud of Festival des 3 Continents, there will be a special focus on story development and story presentation. Master classes will be conducted by renowned 'Script-Doctor' Miguel Machalski, 'Pitch coach' Stefano Tealdi, 'Co-production’ expert Denis Vaslin and 'Documentary Financing' expert, Julia Overton. Some of the DFM Partners, industry professionals and special guests in attendance include ARTE France; Berentsfilm; Blinker Filmproduktion; Rotterdam Cinemart; Cine-Sud Promotion; Hot Docs Blue Ice Group; IDFA Bertha Fund and International Documentary Festival Amsterdam, International Organisation la Francophonie; M-Appeal; Prescience Film Finance; Produire au Sud; Rezo Films; Rome Cinema Network; Rush Lake Media; Sundance Institute, Tribeca Film Institute; YLe Finland and many more. 

The Durban FilmMart, funded by the City of Durban, is a partnership between the Durban Film Office and the Durban International Film Festival, and takes place from 18 - 21 July 2014 alongside the 35th Durban International Film Festival, which runs from 17 - 27 July 2014 at the Elangeni Tsogo Sun Hotel in Durban, South Africa.

Make sure you reserve your seat before the Early Bird Registration draws to a close!

For more information on the Durban FilmMart and how to register as a delegate please visit:

 www.durbanfilmmart.com

Durban International Film Festival 2014 17 - 27 July 2014

Find them on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/DurbanInternationalFilmFestival

All the info you need for the European Film Festival coming to Cinema Nouveau

RETURN OF THE POPULAR EUROPEAN FILM FESTIVAL AT CINEMA NOUVEAU THEATRES IN MAY

Love has many faces as films explore ‘Beyond Love’ as the festival theme

Love has many faces, sometimes unexpected, sometimes challenging. As the Beyond Love theme suggests, the European Film Festival (#EuroFilmFestSA) explores some of them with the screening of ten internationally-acclaimed films, representing the best of European cinema but never before screened to South African audiences.

The European Film Festival (EUFF) will be shown exclusively at Cinema Nouveau theatres and runs from 09 – 18 May 2014, in partnership with 10 European cultural agencies and embassies based in South Africa.  All the featured films are the recipients of numerous awards and accolades at international film festivals and competitions, including the Oscars and the Cannes Film Festival. They are the latest productions from the most exciting and talented film directors in Europe at the moment, and a true reflection of European cinematographic creativity and diversity.

“The theme of Love serves as an interesting starting point for a European film selection. This contemporary selection of films allows us to experience tales beyond the cliché and ‘national’ narrative, to offer challenging, entertaining and compelling images of love, desire and the current state of Europe,’ says Darryl Els, EUFF 2014 festival director.

Lola Gallant, brand manager of Cinema Nouveau, is delighted that this exciting festival is making an appearance again. “We pride ourselves on providing a platform to screen the best foreign language fare, and the ten films lined up for the EUFF in May are a must-see. We are privileged to offer these films that would otherwise not be available in South Africa, at our cinemas, and are grateful to all the partners involved in putting this festival together.”

The list of films to be screened during the European Film Festival 2014 include:

·         Paradise: Love (Austria) - Cannes Film Festival 2012 – Official Competition,

·         The Broken Circle Breakdown (Belgium) - Best Foreign Language Film Oscar nominated, 2014,

·         The Hunt (Denmark) - Cannes Film Festival 2012 – Official Competition Best Foreign Language Film Oscar nominated, 2014,

·         Stranger by the Lake (France) - Cannes Film Festival 2013 – Best Director Award, Un Certain Regard section,

·         Barbara (Germany) - Berlin International Film Festival 2012, Best Director Award,

·         The Great Beauty (Italy) - Best Foreign Language Film Oscar 2014,

·         Tabu (Portugal) - Berlin International Film Festival 2012 – Official Competition,

·         Child’s Pose (Romania) - Berlin International Film Festival 2013, Golden Bear (Best Film),

·         Living is Easy with Eyes Closed (Spain) - San Sebastian International Film Festival - Official Competition, and

·         Le Week-End (United Kingdom) - Toronto International Film Festival.

This special treat for movie-lovers is hosted exclusively by Cinema Nouveau nationwide, with the ten-day screening programme taking place concurrently in Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg and Pretoria from 09 – 18 May. Bookings open on 15 April and special festival ticket rates will apply to make these foreign language films accessible to a wide audience.

The festival also features an outreach screening programme and a competition that gives ticket-holders the chance to win a trip for two to France, courtesy of Air France and Atout France (French tourism agency). All the details regarding the festival schedule, bookings and the competition mechanics can be found on the Cinema Nouveau website from 15 April: www.cinemanouveau.co.za.

The European Film Festival is co-ordinated by the French Institute of South Africa and organised in partnership with the European Union and eight other European cultural agencies or embassies in South Africa: the British Council, the Camões Institute, the Goethe Institut, the Italian Cultural Institute, the Flemish government delegation and the Embassies of Austria, Belgium, Denmark and Spain.

For booking information on the 2014 EUFF, visit www.cinemanouveau.co.za or sterkinekor.mobi, or call our Ticketline on 082 16789. Follow us on Twitter @nouveaubuzz.  You can also download the Ster-Kinekor App on any Nokia, Samsung Android, iPhone and Blackberry handset for updates, news and to book from your mobile.