November 2007

Under the banner �Big Ideas, Perfect Locations�, the Department of Economic Development in association with the Gauteng Film Commission (GFC) will host the 2007 Gauteng Film Indaba on the 6th of November at the Forum in Bryanston. The Indaba will bring together industry role-players from the audio-visual industries to investigate ways of fully exploiting Gauteng as a prime film destination and production centre of choice.

Local training initiative Creative Industry, supported by the Embassy of Ireland is offering six screenwriters the opportunity to attend a fully funded Advanced Screenwriting Workshop in Johannesburg over two long weekends the 8 -11 and 15 – 19 November 2007 at Sasani Studios. Andrew Worsdale caught up with acclaimed screenwriter and teacher Mary Kate O�Flanagan who will be facilitating the workshop.

Out in Africa, which will run at the Killarney Mall from the 2nd until the 11th of November, has become a much anticipated event on the local film and cultural calendar. The festival is one of the country�s longest running and most successful festivals and has built up a strong reputation internationally and locally, in particular for its role in sponsoring new content development.

The City of Johannesburg has launched �Joburg 100� an initiative that is aimed at fostering greater cohesion within the city�s cultural sector as well as raising the profile of the cultural industries within the metro area.  Amongst others the project seeks to ensure that data on the performance of the cultural industries are incorporated in the city�s annual State of the City report.

The Bowling Club – a new initiative devoted to local and international cultural exchange – has confirmed the date of Eat My Video (EMV), a screening of the best of current international music videos. This follows on from the success of a recent screening in Cape Town.

Andrew Worsdale takes a look at the inventive comic Dutch road-movie Surprise! which is also a foreign affair development initiative for the Netherlands.  The film wrapped in Gauteng last month.

Sub urban, a commercial production and location services company that was launched in 2000 and whose head office is in Johannesburg has produced a webisode � a documentary series for release on the web. It�s the first product of Sub urban�s New Media division specialising in non-traditional ways of delivering advertising/ promotional messages; anything from text messaging to the internet.

International Radio Pictures Inc., in association with the South African born director-writer, Renia-Marie Loader recently produced a humanitarian film on female genital mutilation with a European company, Cinema Humain.  The Austrian Department of Health gave Cinema Humain a small grant to make this film, which was shot entirely on location just outside Pretoria. 

The Newtown cultural precinct in downtown Johannesburg has become a vibey, trendy location for a growing number of film and television production companies, as well as graphics -, advertising agencies and the like.  At the centre of this influx is The Mills at 22 Carr Street.  This landmark, which was sadly ravaged by fire in 2003, is now an attractive red bricked and ironed building, with heavy steel girders in the interior and black metal stairways.

As part of a new series of articles looking at the work of industry associations, In Focus speaks to Bobby Amm, Executive Officer of the Commercial Producers Association (CPA) of South Africa.

Andrew Worsdale speaks to Michael Rix, the maker of Tengers, South Africa�s first feature length animated film, which takes a darkly humorous look at the realities of life in Jozi.

2 � 11 November
Cinema Nouveau screened by Jameson, Cedar Square, Johannesburg & Brooklyn Mall, Pretoria

7 November, 7:30 pm
Screening of popular Korean art house feature
Atlas Studios, 33 Frost Ave, Milner Park
Frost Avenue Milpark
Tel: 011 482 7111

Showcase of international music videos
22 November
Drill Hall, Johannesburg
Contact Donald Swanepoel for more information
Tel: 021 422 5430