Where you can catch the free screening of 'Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom' on Mandela Day

FREE SCREENING OF “MANDELA: LONG WALK TO FREEDOM” TO

HONOUR AND CELEBRATE MADIBA’S BIRTHDAY

As South Africa prepares to celebrate the first anniversary of Madiba’s birthday since his passing in December last year, there will be many fitting tributes to honour our country’s greatest statesman and the father of our nation. One such event will be a FREE screening of the phenomenally successful film, Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, produced by Anant Singh.

Ster-Kinekor Theatres, in partnership with the producers of the film, Videovision Entertainment, The Nelson Mandela Foundation and distributor, United International Pictures (UIP), is offering a free public screening across 31 of its cinemas for the first show of the day on Friday, 18 July, at 09:45.

As seating is limited, members of the public who would like to see the film are encouraged to collect their free tickets (maximum of two tickets per person) at the selected cinemas (as listed below) on Friday, 18 July, from 09:00. Tickets will be issued on a first come, first served basis.

Says Fiaz Mahomed, CEO of Ster-Kinekor Theatres: “Ster-Kinekor is extremely proud to be associated with this initiative to celebrate and commemorate the life of a truly global icon who was revered the world over. Mandela: Long Walk to Freedomis a fitting tribute to our beloved Madiba and former President, and I would urge all South Africans to take some time out on the morning of 18 July to go and watch the film.

“His life lessons, and all that he stood for, need to be shared. For this reason, and together with our partners in this initiative, we are honoured to bring the film back on his birthday. We hope that audiences will leave the cinemas motivated to serve others and our country more readily.”

Producer Anant Singh says: “We are delighted to partner with Ster-Kinekor, the Nelson Mandela Foundation and UIP to make our film available to the public at no cost.  We trust that the film will make an impact on the audience and inspire them to follow in Madiba’s footsteps and emulate his example as a servant leader.”

The screening of Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom at 09:45 on Friday, 18 July, takes place at the following Ster-Kinekor cinemas:

·         Blue Route, Cavendish, NI City, Parow and Promenade Mall in Cape Town;

·         The Bridge in Port Elizabeth;

·         Shelly Beach, KZN South Coast;

·         Gateway and Musgrave in Durban;

·         Mimosa Mall in Bloemfontein;

·         Secunda Mall in Secunda;

·         Mooirivier Mall in Potchefstroom;

·         Rustenburg Mall in Rustenburg;

·         River Square Shopping Centre in Vereeniging;

·         Mall of the North in Polokwane;

·         Brooklyn, Sterland and Wonderpark in Pretoria; and

·         Carlton Centre, Carnival City, Cresta, Eastgate, Festival Mall, Greenstone, Maponya Mall, Northgate, Northmead, Sandton, Southgate, Westgate and The Zone@Rosebank, in and around Johannesburg.

To find out more about the free screening of Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom at the participating Ster-Kinekor cinemas, callTicketline on 082 16789.

Find out about 'A Snake Gives Birth to a Snake' coming to Durban International Film Festival

A Snake Gives Birth to a Snake

 DIFF world première documentary

One of the gala highlights at DIFF (Durban International Film Festival) is the world première of A Snake Gives Birth to a Snake, the much-anticipated documentary debut of celebrated television/film/theatre director Michael Lessac.

The gala screening promises to be one of the highlights of this year’s festival – with some of the country’s foremost peace mediators joining the director, special guests, and members of the cast and crew for the world première screening, followed by a Q&A session.

A Snake Gives Birth to a Snake follows a diverse group of South African actors as they tour global war-torn regions to share their country's experience of reconciliation. As they ignite dialogue among people with raw memories of atrocity, the actors find they must confront once again their homeland's complicated and violent past – and question their own capacity for healing and forgiveness.

A Snake Gives Birth to a Snake was edited by Joel Plotch (In the Company of Men; Nurse Betty; Gone). It was produced by Jacqueline Bertrand Lessac and Emma Tammi and Executive Produced by Jonathan Gray, and Robert Lear.  It features never-before-heard original music by jazz legend Hugh Masekela, with lyrics taken from TRC personal testimonies. 

“Can we forgive the past, to survive the future?” This profound question, posed by Nelson Mandela, become a mandate by which other nations could live.  Lessac wanted to better understand the subtleties of South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and in so doing, bring the story of the TRC to a wider audience while exploring the possibility of the TRC as a concept which could successfully be exported to other post-conflict zones.

In 2001, Lessac returned to the Colonnades Theatre Laboratory, which he had founded 25 years before in New York City, to find a way of telling the story of the South African TRC as theatre’s way of prompting others to drop their masks and tell the truth.

He wanted to look beyond the presentations of victim and perpetrator and instead examine the role of the interpreters who translated the TRC proceedings into SA’s 11 official languages.  Lessac was intrigued by the fact that the interpreters, simultaneously translating in the first person, could never turn away from atrocity. He was fascinated with what the TRC looked like through the eyes of people who, for two and a half years, verbalised every moment of the hearings.  He met with actual TRC interpreters as they relived their stories and memories for the first time. Their experiences became the starting point for the journey ahead.

In 2003, after interviewing over 350 actors in SA, Lessac held a three-week workshop with the core of chosen actors who developed script material out of their own life-experiences intertwined with the lives of the interpreters.

The theatrical vehicle for these conversations was a production entitled Truth in Translation, a hard-edged, multi-award winning theatrical production, with accompanying workshops, created between 2003 and 2006. It opened in Rwanda and toured to three continents; 11 countries and 26 cities. It has played to more than 55 000 people and facilitated conflict transformation workshops for more than 10 000 participants.

The documentary A Snake Gives Birth to a Snake is the result of this journey – a glimpse into the lives and minds of a group of South African performers who shared and listened; facilitated and responded to the heartbreaking real-life personal stories of the human casualties of global conflict. As South Africans representing various facets of South African society, they were forced to look at whether they themselves had even successfully "reconciled" their own individual pasts, and realised just how complex and challenging it is to engage with the multifaceted concept of forgiveness.

"For me, this film pays homage to a very special group of South African actors and interpreters who were warriors of the most special kind.  They allowed themselves to travel through worlds that were often more painful than their own worst nightmares,” considers Lessac.

The documentary’s intriguing title refers to a question which often appears in conflict situations when asked why perpetrators killed young babies. The answer, irrespective of culture is always, one way or another, “A Snake Gives Birth to a Snake.”

“The film was originally titled Truth in Translation, just like the play. We changed it to A Snake Gives Birth to a Snake because no matter how true that might be, when revenge is celebrated as heroism, it is a poor excuse for killing.”

 A Snake Gives Birth to a Snake premieres at the Durban International Film Festival taking place in venues in and around Durban from 17 - 27 July 2014. The gala screening is on 20 July at 17:15 in Suncoast (6)

The original company of actors were: Quanita Adams, Nick Boraine, Andrew Buckland, Sibulele Gcilitshana, Bongani Gumede, Robert Koen, Jeroen Kranenburg, Sandile Matsheni, Fana Mokoena, Thembi Mtshali-Jones and Jenny Stead along with earlier contributors Lionel Newton, Helen Iskander, Hugh Masebenza, Mmabatho Mogomotsi, Lerato Moloi, Celest Mathews and Paul Savage.

Find the movie on Twitter - @asnaketoasnake  

This Edition by +Fred Felton 

Film Review: X-Men: Days Of Future Past

Film: X-Men: Days Of Future Past
Director: Bryan Singer
Cast: Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellan, Halle Berry, James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender.
Rating: 10/10

This movie has a big cast.  All star quality the lot of them.  Special effects for days and loads of twists and turns.

A real popcorn and coke type movie so don't forget them.

Set in the past and the future the movie jumps from the future to the past.  Wolverine is sent back in time to see if he can convince the young Professor X (McAvoy) to join forces with the young Magneto (Fassbender) in a bid to help save the future.

So does Wolverine succeed?  Can the X-Men, good and bad, co-exist and help each other to fight for the future?  Guess you will have to watch the movie to find out.

Look out for some jaw breaking scenes, surprises and much much more.   Watch out for
Boliver Trask (Peter Dinklage).

Over 15 000 people worked on this movie.  It shows.

If you wait for the credits to finish there is a nice little surprise waiting for you.

Review by +Fred Felton

Time for Transformers: Age Of Extinction in IMAX 3D at Ster-Kinekor Gateway and Grove Mall

STER-KINEKOR RELEASES TRANSFORMERS: AGE OF EXTINCTION IN IMAX® 3D AT GATEWAY AND NEW THEATRE AT THE GROVE MALL

Be the first to watch this action-packed epic world battle on the IMAX® 3D screen

Get ready for the battle to continue, when the fourth installment in the global blockbuster Transformers franchise blasts its way onto Ster-Kinekor’s IMAX® 3D screens in June. All the action happens at the IMAX® 3D theatres at Ster-Kinekor Gateway in Durban and the brand new IMAX theatre at Ster-Kinekor The Grove Mall in Pretoria East, from Thursday, 26 June, with the South African release of Transformers: Age of Extinction. The rest of the world only gets to watch this much-anticipated release on Friday, 27 June!

Transformers: Age of Extinction is the first feature film ever to use the new IMAX® 3D Digital Camera. With this film, director Michael Bay has taken IMAX® 3D to the next level, putting audiences right in the middle of the action with the Autobots, as never experienced before. All the major action sequences of the film were captured with the IMAX® 3D Digital Cameras to deliver greater scope, breath-taking image quality and earth-shattering 3D effects to a global audience.

The IMAX release of Transformers: Age of Extinction has been digitally re-mastered into the image and sound quality of An IMAX 3D Experience® with proprietary IMAX DMR® (Digital Re-mastering) technology. The crystal-clear images coupled with IMAX's customised theatre geometry and powerful digital audio create a unique environment that will make audiences feel as if they are in the movie.

The fourth film in director Michael Bay's Transformers franchise is executive produced by Steven Spielberg, and stars Mark Wahlberg, Jack Reynor, Stanely Tucci, Nicola Peltz, Sophia Myles and Kelsey Grammer. This action-packed sci-fi adventure begins after an epic battle has left a great city torn apart, but with the world saved.  As humanity picks up the pieces, a shadowy group reveals itself in an attempt to control the direction of history… while an ancient, powerful new menace sets Earth in its cross-hairs.

With help from a new cast of humans (led by Mark Wahlberg), Optimus Prime and the Autobots rise to meet their most fearsome challenge yet.  In an incredible adventure, they are swept up in a war of good and evil, ultimately leading to a climactic battle across the world.

View the trailer here:   https://www.imax.com/movies/m/transformers-age-of-extinction-an-imax-3d-experience/watch/3368222800001/

For more information on Ster-Kinekor and IMAX®, visit www.sterkinekor.com. Avoid the queues by booking online or by calling Ticketline on 082 16789, or you can book at the box office.  You can also download the Ster-Kinekor App on your Nokia, Samsung Android, iPhone or Blackberry smart phone for updates and to book from your mobile.  To find out what other exciting promotions Ster-Kinekor has on offer, follow @sterkinekor on Twitter or Facebook at Ster-Kinekor Theatres.

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

Oh Ladies, Fancy A Girlfriends Getaway with Ster-Kinekor?

STER-KINEKOR’S ‘GIRLFRIENDS’ GETAWAY’ PRESENTS PRE-SCREENING OF BLENDED

Laugh the night away with a great comedy …

We all need some girl-time with our girlfriends. So this month, why not spend it at the movies with your ‘besties’ and Ster-Kinekor’s monthly ‘Girlfriends’ Getaway’ event? Come and relax, and enjoy some laughs together, when you watch Blended on Wednesday, 25 June, from 19:00.

Blended promises to have you rolling in the aisles and leaving the cinema with a smile, as you recall your own blind-date disasters! Enjoy a special pre-screening of this comedy, as you and your female friends are pampered and entertained with ‘Girlfriends’ Getaway’.

Blended sees Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore reunite with Wedding Singer director, Frank Coraci, for this romantic comedy about a disastrous blind date that leads to a nightmarish family vacation.

Lauren (Barrymore) and Jim (Sandler) are two single parents just looking for love. In the wake of a blind date that goes horribly wrong, both agree that they are better off single. Then, just when they thought they would never see each other again, their two families end up at the same African safari resort, Sun City, in South Africa, for spring break. Could it possibly be that their relationship is so crazy that it just might work out?

For an entertaining night out with the girls, where you can just relax and kick back at the movies, don’t miss this month’s ‘Girlfriends’ Getaway’ event. It takes place on Wednesday, 25 June, from 19:00, at the following Ster-Kinekor cinemas:

WESTERN CAPE:

Cape Gate | Cavendish | Blue Route | Tyger Valley| Somerset | Garden Route

EASTERN CAPE:

The Bridge – Port Elizabeth

GAUTENG:

The Zone | Sandton | Cresta | Northgate | Cradlestone | Greenstone | Eastgate | Irene | Brooklyn

KWAZULU-NATAL:

Gateway

MPUMALANGA:

Secunda Mall – Secunda

To make your evening out with the girls on 25 June even more special, there will be lucky draws, hampers and goodie bags to pamper all our ‘girlfriends’.  Expect a little treat courtesy of Elle and Elle Décor Magazine, Bakers Mini Cheddars, Gyna, Cherubs, TLC and Nestle, Adventure Boot Camp and Planet Fitness. (*Note: hampers, goodie bag contents and in-foyer activations may vary from cinema to cinema.) 

Blended releases to the public at Ster-Kinekor theatres countrywide on Friday, 04 July. The running time is 1hr 53 mins, and the film rated 10-12PG.

(Official trailer for Blended:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6cKLTmDB-k&feature=kp)

Remember, with ‘Girlfriends’ Getaway’, no guys are allowed!

To find out more, visit www.sterkinekor.com. Avoid the queues by booking online, by calling Ticketline on 082 16789 or you can book at the box office.  You can also secure your seats by downloading the Ster-Kinekor App on your Nokia, Samsung Android, iPhone and Blackberry handset, to book from your mobile. To find out what other exciting promotions Ster-Kinekor has on offer, follow @sterkinekor on Twitter or Facebook at Ster-Kinekor Theatres.

Catch EFC Africa 30 Live at Ster-Kinekor This Afternoon

STER-KINEKOR PRESENTS ALL 12 FIGHTS OF EFC AFRICA 30 LIVE AND IN FULL DIGITAL PROJECTION AT SELECT CINEMAS ON 05 JUNE

If you are looking forward to catching all the explosive action of EFC AFRICA 30, but don’t have access to tickets for fight night, Ster-Kinekor has you covered! South Africa’s leading cinema chain will again be screening all 12 bouts of EFC AFRICA 30 live on its big screens, using the latest in digital projection, in select cinemas on Thursday, 05 June. If you can’t be ringside for this event, then watching all the action from all 12 fights, in this larger-than-life format, is definitely the next best thing!

Ster-Kinekor’s sports viewing evolution is possible as a result of the recent conversion of all of its cinemas to the latest in digital technology. Its substantial investment in the highest quality, live satellite broadcast equipment and a continuously tested and monitored signal ensures a stable live broadcast of all the fight action.

MMA fans across the country can enjoy the upcoming EFC AFRICA 30 event from the comfort of a cinema seat, being the only other venue, besides the live event at Cape Town’s GrandWest, screening the entire fight card. “EFC is something that has to be experienced but, when you see it on the big screen at Ster-Kinekor, it takes it to the next level,” states Durban-based journalist, Fred Felton.

Dubbed the ‘Superfight’, Boyd Allen takes on Don Madge at EFC AFRICA 30 at Cape Town’s GrandWest Grand Arena on 05 June. MMA fans are in for a mammoth fight night with 12 explosive match-ups that will see Mixed Martial Arts action at its best. In the lead-up to the main bout, some of the other fights that fans can watch on the big screen, where you become part of the action, are Irshaad Sayed vs. Charlie Weyer, Brendon Groenewald vs. Elvis Moyo, Gordon Roodman vs. Bruno Mukulu, Ricky Misholas vs. Lubika Didier-Kilola, and Saxon Delafield vs. Shaun de Lange.

The following Ster-Kinekor cinemas will be online from 16:15 on Thursday, 05 June, for all the live action from EFC AFRICA 30:

• Ster-Kinekor Fourways (Johannesburg)

• Ster-Kinekor East Rand Mall (Johannesburg)

• Ster-Kinekor The Zone@Rosebank (Johannesburg)

• Ster-Kinekor Greenstone (Johannesburg)

• Ster-Kinekor Cradlestone (Johannesburg)

• Ster-Kinekor Maponya (Johannesburg)

• Ster-Kinekor Brooklyn (Pretoria)

• Ster-Kinekor Gateway (Durban)

• Ster-Kinekor Cavendish (Cape Town)

• Ster-Kinekor Cape Gate (Cape Town)

• Ster-Kinekor Tyger Valley (Cape Town)

• Ster-Kinekor Mimosa (Bloemfontein)

Bookings for EFC AFRICA 30 at the twelve select Ster-Kinekor cinemas countrywide are now open. Tickets cost R120.00 and audiences are treated to all 12 of the scheduled fights as they take place, broadcast live and in state-of-the-art digital projection on the big screen. Ster-Kinekor SK Club, Discovery Vitality and Edgars Club movie card benefits and discounts do apply. All cinema-goers will also receive a complimentary EFC event guide and live commentary during the event.

EFC AFRICA 30, presented by BetXchange.com, takes place on Thursday, 05 June 2014 at Cape Town’s GrandWest Grand Arena. Watch the EFC AFRICA 30 event promo here: http://u.efcafrica.com/1oz3wNr.

To find out more about EFC AFRICA events and to book your tickets for EFC AFRICA 30 at your nearest Ster-Kinekor cinema,visit www.sterkinekor.com. Avoid the queues by booking online, by calling Ticketline on 082 16789 or you can book at the box office.  You can also secure your seats by downloading the Ster-Kinekor App on your Nokia, Samsung Android, iPhone and Blackberry smart phone to book from your mobile. To find out what other exciting promotions Ster-Kinekor has on offer, follow @sterkinekor on Twitter or Facebook at Ster-Kinekor Theatres.