The Royal Ballet Comes To The Big Screen With Cinema Nouveau

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland comes alive in Christopher Wheeldon’s magical ballet for the enjoyment of audiences of all ages…

‘Absurdist, dark and almost beyond praise: Christopher Wheeldon's take on Lewis Carroll is a dazzling extravaganza’  – The Telegraph  ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆

All the beauty, grace and magic of the ballet will soon be enjoyed on the big screen, thanks to a screening partnership between Cinema Nouveau and The Royal Ballet in London. Following on the success of the screening of ‘live’ theatre, opera and art exhibitions, lovers of the arts will now be able to enjoy wonderful ‘live’ ballet productions from The Royal Ballet at Cinema Nouveau theatres in Johannesburg (Rosebank Mall), Pretoria (Brooklyn Mall), Durban (Gateway) and Cape Town (V&A Waterfront).

A season of five famous ballets will be screened over the next few months, and launches with a ballet that will appeal to audiences of all ages. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, adapted from the delightful book by Lewis Carroll, releases exclusively at Cinema Nouveau from Saturday, 28 March, with limited screenings. The other ballets to be screened includeSwan Lake (02 May), Romeo & Juliet (06 June), La Fille mal gardée (27 June) and The Winter’s Tale (08 August).

Tumble down the rabbit hole with The Royal Ballet with an exhilarating performance of choreographer Christopher Wheeldon’s magical Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. His version of the ballet first arrived on the stage in 2011, with a burst of colour, theatrical magic and inventive choreography. It was The Royal Ballet’s first new full-length work since 1995 and was greeted with delight by audiences.

Exuding a girlish charm, Alice, danced by American Principal Sarah Lamb, encounters a cast of extraordinary characters including the gardeners’ boy, Federico Bonelli, who later becomes her Knave of Hearts as they dance a tender and lovingpas de deux of delicate beauty.

There is also the highly-strung Queen of Hearts, who performs an hilarious send-up of The Sleeping Beauty's famous Rose Adage, dancing playing cards, the jittery White Rabbit and the quirky tap-dancing Mad Hatter.

But the ballet does not avoid the darker undercurrents of Lewis Carroll’s story – a nightmarish kitchen, an eerily disembodied Cheshire Cat and the unhinged tea party are all created in vivid detail.

The familiar story is reimagined with quirky designs by Bob Crowley as we follow Alice into Wonderland across a lake of tears, playing croquet with flamingos and hedgehogs, and attending the deranged tea party. Drawing upon a wealth of theatrical effects, projection and puppetry are used to visualise the grinning Cheshire Cat and the sinuous Caterpillar with his 16 legs of ballet dancers en pointe to create a mesmerising world of enchantment.

A feast for the senses, Wheeldon’s spectacular ballet brings to life Lewis Carroll’s famous story with a menagerie of colours, characters and compelling choreography. Joby Talbot’s lively score combines contemporary sound worlds with sweeping melodies that gesture to ballet scores of the 19th century, to provide the perfect accompaniment to the ballet with sparkling idiosyncrasy. Bob Crowley’s wildly imaginative sets and costumes draw on puppetry, projections and masks to make Wonderland wonderfully real.

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland was the first full ballet created for the Company since 1995 and premiered in 2011 with sold-out world performances. The live screening on Tuesday 16 December was captured for release on cinema screens worldwide.

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland releases on South African screens on Saturday, 28 March, for four screenings only – on 28 March, 01 and 02 April at 19:30 and on 29 March at 14:30 – at Cinema Nouveau theatres in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban and Cape Town. Bookings are now open, and the running time of this production is 2hrs, 55mins (including two intervals).

For booking information on the Royal Ballet’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, visit www.cinemanouveau.co.za orsterkinekor.mobi. Folllow us on Twitter @nouveaubuzz or on Facebook at Cinema Nouveau. Download the Ster-Kinekor App on any Nokia, Samsung Android, iPhone and Blackberry smart phones for updates, news and to book from your mobile. For queries, call TicketLine on 0861 Movies (668 437).

The Other Man Releases In The USA 6 Feb 2015

This documentary on the life of FW de Klerk is made by a Swiss American filmmaker.
Many films have been made on Nelson Mandela but few have focused on
FW de Klerk.

Now a new documentary (part biography, part political thriller) tells his story.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHOp9dkn5Rg

The documentary features in-depth interviews with former South African President
Thabo Mbeki and many others.

Director and Producer: Nicolas Rossier

Rossier is an award-winning Swiss American filmmaker. His work has appeared on
CNN and Al Jazeera.

For more info: www.barakaproductions.com

The Co Producer is Naashon Zaik who is himself an accomplished South African film producer and director.

For more info: www.naashon.co.za

The documentary opens February 6, 2015 at Quad Cinemas and has a limited release nationwide in the United States.

Review an Oscar-nominated film and you could win courtesy of Cinema Nouveau

‘OSCAR BUZZ’ HOTS UP WITH 2015 OSCAR NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCEMENT

Watch an Oscar-nominated film. Post your review. Win great prizes with Cinema Nouveau…

Six nominations for American Sniper. Nine nominations for Birdman. Six for Boyhood. Two for Selma. Nine for The Grand Budapest Hotel. Eight for The Imitation Game. Five for The Theory of Everything. Five for Whiplash.

(American Sniper)

What were your 2015 Oscar nomination predictions for Best Picture but, more importantly, which films do you think will walk away with the golden statues come Oscar night on Sunday, 22 February? Cinema Nouveau is lining up the Oscar-nominated films over the next two months for your viewing pleasure, and we want to know what you think of each film.

(The Grand Budapest Hotel) 

“We’ve all read the critics’ reviews of these films. But, what we are looking for is your review of the Oscar-nominated films – to display in our cinemas, on the big screen and posted on our social media platforms, for the South African movie-loving community to see, share and comment on,” says Lola Gallant, Brand Manager of Cinema Nouveau at Ster-Kinekor Theatres.

(Whiplash)

According to the experts and movie critics, ‘awards season’ for the best of the best in the movie industry for 2014 is still wide open, but the excitement is mounting. The Golden Globes’ winners were announced amid much fanfare from Beverly Hills on 11 January. The red carpet for the Baftas is currently being brushed up for those awards on 08 February and, with the 2015 Oscar nominations just in, the golden statues are being polished for the 87^th Academy Awards ceremony, hosted by Neil Patrick Harris, from Hollywood on 22 February.

(Birdman)

Who do you think is going to lay their hands on those coveted Oscar statues? Were the winning films, directors, actors, actresses, directors, producers, composers and so on, worthy recipients of the industry’s highest honour, in your view?

As the countdown begins, Cinema Nouveau wants you to join in this year’s ‘Oscar Buzz’.  Watch any of the Oscar-nominated films in the Best Picture and other categories, post your short, sharp and pithy review on Facebook or Twitter – using the hashtag #OscarBuzz – and you could be in line to win some great weekly prizes: 35 in total over the seven-week period. The competition runs from this Friday, 16 January till 09 March 2015.

Apart from the weekly prizes - the winning review block-mounted and displayed in the foyers of the four Cinema Nouveau complexes in Johannesburg (Rosebank Mall), Pretoria (Brooklyn Mall), Durban (Gateway) and Cape Town (V&A Waterfront) – one lucky person will be the recipient of the grand prize: the Cinema Nouveau Reviewer of 2015.

The winner of this prestigious title will be selected by the Ster-Kinekor marketing team based on the best Oscar-nominated movie review posted on Facebook or Twitter using #OscarBuzz. The prize is a much sought after Ster-Kinekor Movie Premiere Card that entitles the winner for free films at any Cinema Nouveau or Ster-Kinekor cinema for one year! The Cinema Nouveau Reviewer of 2015 will also be a special guest at pre-release screenings of select titles and premiers hosted by South Africa’s leading cinema chain.

Says Gallant: “South Africans love the movies, and they love watching their favourite actors doing what they do best on the big screen. As the 2015 Oscar season officially kicks off today with this year’s Academy Award nominations, we are inviting everyone to join in the excitement and anticipation that is the Oscars, by watching these great films and sharing their views on them.

“Of the Best Picture nominations, two released during 2014, one is currently on circuit, while the remaining five nominated films will be released over the next two months. This is a true reflection that we have access to the best commercial and art-house films, and that the only way to appreciate them fully is to watch them on our big screens at Cinema Nouveau and Ster-Kinekor,” comments Gallant.

Oscar Nominees announced today, 15 January 2015:

Eight films have been nominated for Best Picture, offering local movie-lovers a feast of the best of the best on the big screen at Cinema Nouveau and Ster-Kinekor. They are:

American Sniper – releases on 20 February 2015

Birdman – released on 09 January 2015

Boyhood – released in 2014

Selma – releases on 06 February 2015

The Grand Budapest Hotel – released in 2014

The Imitation Game – releases on 23 January 2015

The Theory of Everything – releases on 27 February 2015

Whiplash – releases on 20 February 2015

“As we start the countdown to the 87^th Academy Awards ceremony, we invite you to watch the best of film in the best environment – the comfort of one of our cinemas. Join in the ‘Oscar Buzz’ by posting your review. We would love to know what you think of each of the nominated films, and who you think is taking an Oscar home this year,” concludes Gallant.

Follow the ‘Oscar Buzz’ with Cinema Nouveau on Facebook – Cinema Nouveau or on Twitter @nouveaubuzz. Join the conversation and post your reviews using #OscarBuzz.  

For booking information, download the Ster-Kinekor App on any Nokia, Samsung Android, iPhone and Blackberry smart phone to download the latest updates and news, and to book tickets from your handset. Visit www.cinemanouveau.co.za orsterkinekor.mobi. Follow us on Twitter @nouveaubuzz and on Facebook at Cinema Nouveau. For information and queries, call Ticketline on 0861 Movies (668 437).

The full list of 2015 Oscar nominees can be found at: http://oscar.go.com/nominees.

This edition by Fred Felton

Twitter @fredfelton 

Take a look at Gloria

The perfect film for 2015

Gloria

Set in Santiago, Chile, this Spanish-language drama (with English sub-titles) centres on Gloria (Paulina Garcia), a vivacious 58-year-old divorcee with grown children who have moved out of the house.

With no desire to spend her days and nights alone wallowing in self- pity, she decides to go out every night to the singles' clubs in hopes of meeting new people. After countless nights of emptiness and disappointment, Gloria meets ex-naval officer Rodolfo (Sergio Hernandez) and immediately has romantic feelings towards him.

Finally happy and in a serious relationship, Gloria finds herself having to face her past and becoming open to the future.

DIRECTED BY  Sebastian Lelio

PRODUCED BY   Gonzalo Maza, Juan de Dios Larrain, Pablo Larrain

To book visit www.cinemanouveau.co.za or sterkinekor.mob. Download the Ster-Kinekor App on any Nokia, Samsung Android, iPhone or Blackberry smart phone for updates, news and to book. Follow us on Twitter @nouveaubuzz and on Facebook at Cinema Nouveau. For queries, call Ticketline on 0861-Movies (668 437).

First Look - Ant Man Trailer

Here it is the first full size view of Ant-Man

Call for Entries for Open Cities Doc Fest and for Durban International Film Festival - Watch EFC Free at Ster Kinekor

Open Cities Doc Fest

London's leading documentary film festival. The festival occurs annually in June and creates an open space in London to nurture and champion the art of creative documentary and non-fiction filmmakers. The festival is already global in scope, but this year they are keen to work even harder to showcase the best films made by filmmakers from the Global South, who only make it to London audiences in limited quantity. They are keen to provide a platform for inspiring filmmaking talent coming out of Africa. Submissions are currently open for their 2015 edition.   

Inclusion in the Open City Docs Fest programme is a great opportunity for any filmmaker. They offer filmmakers from around the globe the opportunity to have their work seen by diverse audiences and award-winning, expert judges - the 2014 jury included acclaimed filmmaker Pawel Pawlikowski. 

They accept both short films and features, and submissions close 2 Feb 2015. 

To submit films, and to find out more go to: http://bit.ly/10BsHZc 

Find them on Twitter @OpenCityDocs

Durban International Film Festival calls for entries for 2015

Durban, South Africa: The Durban International Film Festival (DIFF) will celebrate its 36th edition from 16 to 26 July 2015. Presenting over 250 screenings of cutting-edge cinema from around the world, with a special focus on films from South Africa and Africa, the festival exhibits films in a diversity of venues around the city. DIFF is the premiere platform for the launch of African films and a key gateway to the African film industry. The festival also includes a local and international awards component.

Only films completed in 2014 and 2015 will be considered, and there is no charge for entry. Submissions will be accepted with either a DVD SCREENER or an ONLINE SCREENER. All submissions must be entered via the DIFF Visitor Page online at vp.eventival.eu/cca. In order to submit a film, an account needs to be created if this has not already been done in previous years. The deadline for all entries (short films, documentaries and feature fiction films), including delivery of screeners, is 20 March 2015.

The extensive seminar and workshop programme featuring local and international filmmakers and industry professionals will include the 8th Talents Durban programme (17 to 21 July), in cooperation with Berlinale Talents, and the 6th Durban FilmMart (17 to 20 July), in partnership with the Durban Film Office, as well as various other streams of programming.

Specific streams of programming for 2015 will include a focus on climate change, as well as films that explore our relationship to the earth’s changing ecology. “We are very excited about receiving a wealth of challenging and high quality films from around the world,” says festival manager Peter Machen. “We also welcome engagement with current and potential partners who support the development of cinema in Africa and beyond. Such collaboration is a major part of the festival and helps to provide filmmakers and the public with a programme of brilliant films and a solid development programme.”

For more information check out the festival Submission FAQs or visit: www.durbanfilmfest.co.za or email diff@ukzn.ac.za.

Watch EFC Free at Ster Kinekor

For the final EFC event of 2014, Ster-Kinekor and EFC have teamed up to say thank you to all the loyal fans for the fantastic year. EFC 36: Allen vs. Groth is happening live at the Coca-Cola Dome on Thursday 11 December. Ster-Kinekor and EFC are giving away free tickets to all fans attending any of the Ster-Kinekor cinemas which are screening EFC 36 live.

If you can’t be Hexagon-side for the live event at the Coca-Cola Dome, then booking your tickets for an exhilarating free EFC experience at Ster-Kinekor cinemas is easy. Simply call Ticketline on 0861-Movies (668 437) to secure your seats. Don’t forget that the Ster-Kinekor broadcasts the full event of twelve live fights in full HD on the big screen.

The main Ster-Kinekor Prelim Bout for EFC 36 will showcase the much-anticipated bout between two of the EFC’s best. Fighting out of Edenvale, Johannesburg, comes Gareth Sawyer, with two wins and no losses to his name, taking on Bloemfontein-based grizzly, Warren Allison, who boasts a four win streak. This is the main event of the EFC 36 Ster-Kinekor Prelim Bouts. If you aren’t at the live event, the only other way you can catch this clash is at Ster-Kinekor cinemas. Watch this massive fight live, plus five more Ster-Kinekor Prelim Bouts, and all the action from the five main card bouts, on the big screen for an explosive MMA experience.

The exclusive Ster-Kinekor Prelim Bouts feature the following fights:  Sawyer vs. Allison, Vermeulen vs. Grobbelaar, Visser vs. Hurter, Buthelezi vs. Mulumba, Lakobioze vs Calvert, Illunga vs Seabi and Coxen vs. Pritchard. The full fight card also features the main card bouts of: Allen vs Groth, Begattin vs Roodman, I. Kabesa vs Nienaber, Zulu vs F. Groenewald and Sebeko vs Cutendana.

Cinema audiences are treated to all 12 of the scheduled fights as they take place, broadcast live in state-of-the-art digital projection, on the big screen. The following Ster-Kinekor cinemas will be going live from 16:45:

• 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)

Cinema-goers receive a complimentary EFC event guide and live commentary throughout the event. EFC 36, is presented by BetXchange.com.

To find out more about EFC events and to reserve your free tickets for EFC 36 at your nearest Ster-Kinekor cinema, callTicketline on 0861-Movies (668 437). Download the SK App on any smart phone for updates, information and to make bookings. For information on other exciting promotions Ster-Kinekor has on offer, follow @sterkinekor on Twitter orFacebook at Ster-Kinekor Theatres, visit www.sterkinekor.com or sterkinekor.mobi.

This edition by Fred Felton

Twitter @fredfelton 

M-Net is looking for new local content

Opportunity For Filmmakers 

M-Net is looking for fresh, new local content and inviting production companies and format creators to pitch their ideas for an original unscripted show that will provide blockbuster television entertainment in 2015.

The pitching process, which is open to the entire industry, will commence in October 2014 and will consist of a 10 minute face-to-face pitch with M-Net’s commissioning team in both Cape Town and Johannesburg. While M-Net is definitely looking for compelling new reality shows, other unscripted genres will also be accepted.

“Since changing the landscape of South African television in 2001 with Big Brother South Africa, the country's first local version of an international reality show format, M-Net has continued to raise the bar with highly-acclaimed, first, exclusive local entertainment in HD,” says M-Net director, Victor Eckard, “but now it's game on to find ‘the next big thing’. We can't wait to see where this open pitch will take us.”

As this new show will take its place alongside the superb local and international programmes on M-Net, it should have high production values, speaking to the needs of DStv Premium viewers who want to be entertained by slick, sophisticated, unpredictable and unique content for the entire family.

"What we definitely don't want is anything that is dated, old-fashioned or anything we've seen before. It's M-Net, after all," adds Eckard.

Producers and format creators who would like to book a time for their pitch can find the full brief here.

https://dstvo.wufoo.com/forms/10-minute-pitching-sessions-brief-2014/

Please note that it is compulsory for producers to submit their show concept via this M-Net web portal too. No hard copies will be accepted.

Once the online submission is completed, producers will be contacted by the M-Net commissioning team to confirm a time slot for their pitch.

https://dstvo.wufoo.com/forms/10-minute-pitching-sessions-brief-2014/