June 7, 2006
By Ndaba Dlamini
YOUNG, inspired filmmakers will be able to exhibit their short films at a three-day mini movie festival at The Actors Centre, a creative arts arena based in the Civic Theatre in Braamfontein.
"We are targeting individual filmmakers and students from institutions like the University of the Witwatersrand, Monash, the Newtown Film School and Afda [the South African School of Motion Picture Medium and Live Performance] to exhibit their short films during the festival," says Ntandazo Gcingca, from The Actors Centre. "But anybody, be they professional or amateur filmmakers, is welcome to participate in the exhibition."
The festival, dubbed The Actors Centre Mini Movie Fest, will run from Wednesday, 28 June to Friday, 30 June, and Gcingca says the centre anticipates between 17 and 26 filmmakers will showcase their films to an audience.
The aim of the festival is to "encourage an exchange of technical know-how and an artistic vision in all film disciplines and introduce members, other filmmakers and corporate business to young, inspired filmmakers and their work".
"[It] will be broken into several themes," says the centre's Benita Doria. "There will be a category that deals with social issues and this group will target people and organisations in that particular industry. There will be a category of experiential short films on any subject and short films meant mainly for entertainment."
The short film entries will be placed according to slots per day. "The first slot will run from 10am to 12 noon, the second slot from 12.30pm to 1pm and the last slot from 2pm to 5pm. We are inviting companies and organisations to sponsor each of these slots," Doria explains.
Entrants will be given five to 10 minutes to talk and present their key cast and crew, and about 30 minutes to present their movies before a panel of judges. The judges will be picked from the film industry.
"The judges will look for a number of qualities like style, film technique, content and performance in their search for the best short film. There will also be prizes for the best actor, best director and best audience," Gcingca says.
The festival will also give members of The Actors Centre a chance to hone their skills in filmmaking. At present, the centre offers film editing, film technique and accent classes to its members.
"Not only will the centre benefit from the film festival, but [so will] the South African film industry as a whole. We hope that up-and-coming filmmakers will interact and share ideas with professional filmmakers. The audience, for a minimal fee of R10, will be able to watch an entertaining variety of short films produced by local filmmakers," Gcingca says.
Formed in 2002, the centre is a section 21 company located in the Civic Theatre complex. It is a hub for creative arts, where professional and beginner members have a space to hone their craft, exchange ideas and "make a meaningful contribution to South African arts and culture".
Doria hopes the festival will be an annual event. "The centre survives on donations from organisations like the National Lottery and such events [are] of tremendous help to us in terms of exposure," she says.
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