Cape Town is once again the focal point for filmmakers and filmmaking, in what is fast becoming one of the most exciting annual festivals in Africa. CEO of Sithengi's Film and Television Market, Michael Auret, launched the Cape Town World Cinema Festival and Sithengi Film and Television Market for November 2004 at Cinema Nouveau, Cavendish Square yesterday.
From left to right: Dries Badenhorst (Bizcommunity), Zane Meas (Forgiveness) and Riaan Kriel (Bizcommunity).
This year the festival will return with twice as many screenings and an extended programme of premiers, gala presentations, masterclasses, debates, industry events and parties throughout its ten-day celebration. The Cape Town World Cinema Festival is an international festival with a specific focus on "Films from the South", including cutting-edge Independent Films from Europe and the United States.
The 2004 programme of proceedings include a dazzling opening event, which will include performances from local and international musicians, followed by the opening party. Feature films, documentaries and short films will accompany the 2004 programme, alongside a series of open-air screenings in different venues in and around Cape Town. The Cape Town World Cinema Festival will be thriving with the buzz of intelligent, independent, international filmmakers, producers and directors.
The grandiose Gala Awards night, which transpires in the Main Theatre of the Artscape, would include awards from various categories, including awards for the best feature film, best documentary, most promising filmmaker, amongst various other esteemed awards. This year the Cape Town World Cinema Festival has invited international personalities to return to South Africa and make an appearance at the Festival.
Not only does the Cape Town World Cinema Festival allow developing film industries the opportunity to showcase their work on an international scale, the festival also encourages a number of visiting directors to collaborate with local film makers during the gala event. This year's festival would also embrace the 10 Years of Democracy celebration and will include a "Proudly South African" theme as part of the 2004 highlights.
"South African Film is currently enjoying unprecedented popularity. The heart of the Cape Town World Cinema Festival is to promote the production of moving image in Africa, with a specific focus on developing film industries in the south," says Auret.
"The Sithengi Film and Television Market and Cape Town World Cinema Festival is designed to stimulate investment in co-production projects between Africa and the rest of the world, but also to arm local producers with the information needed to survive the myriad of requirements and demands thrown up by co-financing. There is a tremendous intellectual cross-fertilisation of ideas and information that impacts directly on the quality and skills of our producers. The ultimate aim is to stimulate the production of film and television projects in these regions," concludes Auret.
Fatima Ross, Cell: 27 83 424 9708 or Esther Henderson, Tel: 27 21 430 8301
