Special Screenings of 'Miners Shot Down'

There will be special screenings of the documentary 'Miners Shot Down' in South Africa.

In commemoration of the 2nd anniversary of the Marikana Massacre on 16th August Cinema Nouveau will be showing this documentary for 2 shows only.

Saturday 16 August at 17h00 and 20h00 at the following venues:

• Cinema Nouveau Rosebank Mall (Jhb) 
• Brooklyn Mall (PTA) 
• Gateway (DBN) and
• V&A Waterfront (CPT)

This documentary won the Best South African Documentary and Amnesty International Human Rights Awards at the recent Durban International Film Festival (2014)

Article by Fred Felton
(Twitter @fredfelton)
Image - Supplied

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) 

See Monty Python Live (Mostly) at Cinema Nouveau

Hey South Africa.  You have a chance to see those zany oddballs from Monty Python in their wonderful show.

‘LIVE’ FROM O2 ARENA IN LONDON, CINEMA NOUVEAU PRESENTS THE HILARIOUS “MONTY PYTHON LIVE (mostly)”SPECIAL ON THE BIG SCREEN

One down, five to go… some elderly gentlemen are going to entertain you!

If phrases such as “This parrot is no more! He has ceased to be! If you hadn't nailed 'im to the perch, 'e'd be pushing up the daisies”; “I’m sorry to have kept you waiting, but I’m afraid my walk has become rather sillier recently” and “All right... all right... but apart from better sanitation, the medicine, education, wine, public order, irrigation, roads, a fresh water system, and public health... what have the Romans ever done for us?” bring back memories of the irreverent weirdness and wackiness that is Monty Python, then a special show ‘live’ from London’s O2 Arena and soon to be broadcast on the big screen, is a must-see event.

Cinema Nouveau and Ster-Kinekor, in association with Picturehouse Entertainment, are delighted to announce limited screenings of the hilarious Monty Python Live (mostly) stage show, at select cinemas on 06, 09 and 16 August 2014 at 20:00. These include the four Cinema Nouveau theatres – Rosebank Mall in Johannesburg, Brooklyn Mall in Pretoria, Gateway in Durban and V&A Waterfront in Cape Town – and Ster-Kinekor sites at Bedford View, Cedar Square, Sandton and Somerset Mall.

Picturehouse Entertainment has secured the international distribution rights to broadcast the Monty Python Live (mostly) show that was recorded on 20 July 2014. The historic Last Night of the Pythons Live from London’s O2 Arena, is currently being screened in cinemas across the globe, including here in South Africa, thanks to Ster-Kinekor Theatres and Cinema Nouveau.

Monty Python fans around the world have the opportunity of joining one of the most anticipated live events of the year, and the chance to say farewell to the Pythons, together on stage for the first time in more than three decades, on this last and special night. The live show, featuring the inimitable talents of John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Michael Palin, with Graham Chapman, and performances by Carol Cleveland, is directed by Aubrey Powell and produced by Fiz Oliver.

There was huge demand for tickets for this, the first live performances on stage by the stars of Monty Python since performing at the Hollywood Bowl on 15 September 1980 – and 40 years after their last stage appearance in the UK, at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane.

"Thanks to the wonderful invention of moving pictures, The Last Night of Monty Python is coming to a cinema near you. Get your knotted handkerchiefs out and warm your brains one last time at any one of thousands of cinemas across the world. Join the crowd live from London’s O2 in a final weepy, hilarious, uproarious, outrageous, farewell to the five remaining Pythons as they head for The Old Jokes Home… on the big screen, in HD,” said the Pythons.

“At first there was some resistance to the idea of having to share each other’s tights again, but when it was explained that we were going to get paid, the deal was signed in a record 43.6 seconds. Relief turned to pure joy when medical checks proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that five of us were still alive. Even Graham (Chapman), though less alive than the rest of us, is to be reunited with us all via the miracle of digital re-creation.”

The running time of the ‘live’ show is approximately 3hrs 10mins, and includes a 20-minute interval.

Picturehouse Entertainment continues to push the boundaries of live cinema broadcasts, and the screening of Monty Python Live (mostly) is set to be one of the biggest – and certainly funniest – events of the year.

In anticipation of the screenings, and to get in the spirit of Monty Python, everyone can join the official Python fan club –Monty Python’s SPAM Club – at www.pythonspamclub.com. Proudly touted as ‘what may be the worst run fan club in the world’, the Python SPAM Club will bring trademark Monty Python humour closer to fans by bringing it, literally, to their doorstop.

For more information about Monty Python Live (mostly) and to make bookings, visit www.cinemanouveau.co.za or sterkinekor.mobi, or call Ticketline on 0861-MOVIES (668 437). Follow us on Twitter @nouveaubuzz or on Facebook at Cinema Nouveau. You can also download the Ster-Kinekor App on any Nokia, Samsung Android, iPhone and Blackberry smart phone for updates, news and to book from your mobile.

This lands in Gateway on 1 August courtesy of Ster-Kinekor and IMAX

STER-KINEKOR RELEASES GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY IN IMAX® 3D AT GATEWAY AND NEW THEATRE AT THE GROVE MALL

Watch this new action-packed Marvel adventure in IMAX® 3D 

Get ready to shoot for the stars when the epic space-adventure, Guardians of the Galaxy, blasts its way across the impressive Ster-Kinekor IMAX® screens in August. All the action happens at the IMAX® theatre at Ster-Kinekor Gateway in Durban and the recently-opened IMAX theatre at Ster-Kinekor The Grove Mall in Pretoria East, from Friday, 01 August.

From the Disney-owned Marvel Studios that brought us the global blockbuster franchises of Iron Man, Thor, Captain America andThe Avengers, comes a brand new superhero-type movie, Guardians of the Galaxy, featuring a brand new team.

The ‘Guardians’, who are mostly unknown to each other, are to be incarcerated in an elaborate space prison known as the Kyln. There is Rocket (voiced by Bradley Cooper), a gun-toting raccoon and the diminutive result of ‘experiments on a lower life form’; Groot (Vin Diesel), a tree-like humanoid; Gamora (Zöe Saldana), the enigmatic, cruel-eyed green humanoid assassin who finds herself targeted for past crimes by furious inmates of the Kyln; and the revenge-driven Drax the Destroyer (Dave Bautista), a tattooed space brute. Peter Quill, aka Star Lord (Chris Pratt), is the only human among them!

Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy expands the Marvel Cinematic Universe into the cosmos, as brash adventurer Peter Quill finds himself the object of an unrelenting bounty hunt. This, after stealing a mysterious orb coveted by Ronan the Accuser (Lee Pace), a powerful villain with ambitions that threaten the entire universe.

To evade the ever-persistent Ronan, Quill is forced into an uneasy truce with the quartet of disparate misfits, the Guardians: Rocket, Groot, Gamora and Drax the Destroyer. However, when Quill discovers the true power of the orb and the menace it poses to the cosmos, he must do his best to rally his ragtag rivals for a last, desperate stand--with the galaxy's fate in the balance.

Directed by James Gunn, the multi-talented cast also includes Glenn Close, Josh Brolin and Karen Gillan, among others.

See the trailer here:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B16Bo47KS2g

For more information on Ster-Kinekor and IMAX®, visit www.sterkinekor.com. Avoid the queues by booking online, by callingTicketline on 0861-MOVIES (668 437) 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.

Film Reviews from DIFF 2014

Here are some more reviews from the movies I saw at The Durban International Film Festival 2014

Film: The Last Boers Of Patagonia
Director: Richard Gregory

What a breath of fresh air this was.  Showing Afrikaans families that boarded ships between 1902 to 1908 and set sail for Argentina.  Quite amazing to see how they integrated themselves into this new world.  Some still long to see South Africa and some seem happy where they are.  Wonderful characters in this short documentary.

Rating: Recommended.

Film: I, Afrikaner
Director: Annalet Steenkamp

Another of the documentaries at DIFF.  This one takes us on the journey of what it means to be an Afrikaner.  It took Annalet Steenkamp 9 years to make this film.  She shows us a wide variety of her family that live mostly in rural, farm communities.  Some are stuck in their ways, some fearful.  She also shows us the new generation that is a totally different type of Afrikaner.  One that is born in to the New South Africa.
There are plenty of wonderful characters in this well made documentary.

Rating: Well directed and a good movie.
Annalet Steenkamp won the award for Best Direction in a South African Documentary at DIFF 2014. 

Film: Black Coal, Thin Ice
Director: Diao Yinan
China.

This is a Chinese film noir.  We join a former detective as he falls under the spell of a widow with a past. He is busy investigating a murder where pieces of the body pop up all over.  At moments compelling, sometimes shocking and often strange.  Features some wonderful imagery.  There are many twists and turns in this one.

Rating: Give it a viewing.


Film: 20 000 Days on Earth
Directors: Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard

A really good documentary this one.  All about the life and times of musician Nick Cave.  The title refers to his 20 000th day alive.  We see where he is now, glimpses of him recording with his band.  You will also see the people he has worked with in the past including Kylie Minogue.  A superb insight into the mind of a creative musician.  Very well made.

Rating: Must See.


Reviews by +Fred Felton

Film Review - A Snake Gives Birth To A Snake

Title: A Snake Gives Birth To A Snake
Director: Michael Lessac
United States, South Africa
http://www.asnaketoasnake.com/

This is one of the documentaries showing at The Durban International Film Festival 2014.
The documentary joins a group of actors who are taking this play around the world to various war-torn regions from Rwanda to Northern Ireland and even Yugoslavia.  The play comes out of a workshop from various South African actors and it deals with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.  After the performances the actors hold workshops and discussions with the people of these war-torn lands.  It makes for some surprising dialogue.  Just like with a snake there are many twists and turns.

Seasoned journalist Max du Preez joins them on their tour and look out for some of the stars of the stage including Nick Boraine, Andrew Buckland, Fana Mokoena, Quanita Adams and many more.

Director Michael Lessac shoots this well and we get a glimpse into the life of a travelling troupe of actors as well as glimpses of the play and he takes us inside the workshops and discussions.

I watched this movie in a packed cinema, not one seat empty.  Afterwards we were treated to a very interesting discussion with Max du Preez, Dr Alex Boraine, Peter Machen, and Nick Boraine amongst others.

The main point that came out of that discussion is that this documentary has to be seen by the youth of South Africa.  I would have to agree.

Rating: A Must See!

A Snake Gives Birth To A Snake is showing at The Durban International Film Festival.
Next Showing: Friday 25 July - 20:15 - Suncoast
http://www.durbanfilmfest.co.za/


Review by +Fred Felton

The documentary every writer needs to watch - Life Itself

Title: Life Itself
Director: Steve James
United States, 2014
http://lifeitself.vhx.tv/

This from the man that brought us 'Hoop Dreams.'  Martin Scorsese is one of the executive producers on this and it shows.  A wonderful insight into the life and times of the famous film critic Roger Ebert.  A wonderful look into his life as a editor, writer and even a blogger.  You get to find out all about the great show 'Siskel & Ebert' and how it started.

Steve James gives us a inside view of Ebert how and he lived the final part of his life.  We find Ebert at a time where he has lost his voice and he now uses a computer to digitally speak.  He uses a blog to write now.  As Ebert says, 'My blog became my voice.'

At his side is his loving wife Chaz.  They form a powerful unit and she supports him all the way.  This documentary is a fascinating glimpse of what it takes to be a writer and especially a film critic.

In some parts funny, some parts serious, others difficult to watch and at times emotional.  A wonderful tribute to one of the greatest writers of our time.

His website http://www.rogerebert.com/ is what he has left us.  He has evolved film criticism with it Contributors write reviews on his behalf as they continue the reviews on his behalf.

As I left the cinema one lady who watched the movie whispered to me 'How was that movie?'

Rating: A Must See!

Next Showing at DIFF: Thursday 24 July, Ster-Kinekor, Musgrave Centre, 10pm


Review by +Fred Felton