SA RHINO DOCCIE SCOOPS TOP PRIZE

THE South African feature documentary Stroop – Journey into the Rhino Horn War has won the coveted Best Documentary award at the prestigious San Diego International Film Festival .

The film tells the shocking and touching story of the poaching of rhino and the trade in its coveted horn.

Mudbound producer Kyle Tekiela presented the award to film-makers Bonné de Bod and Susan Scott at the weekend, saying: “Documentaries tell stories that bring big issues to light. The jury felt this was one of the biggest of them all, that poignantly conveys the struggle the world’s rhinos are having to remain alive.”

The film-makers also scooped an additional two awards – from the LA-based Glendale International Film Festival where they picked the Best Female Film-makers award (a huge accomplishment given that over 130 films across fiction and documentary were in competition, meaning Stroop was given the nod across all genres.

Also in LA – from the city’s premier film festival LA Femme, which supports women producers from around the world, De Bod and Scott were awarded the Special Documentary of Focus Award.

Stroop producer and presenter De Bod said: “Winning these awards has opened up new opportunities to get the film seen around the globe.

“Film festival directors and distributors are contacting us directly because of the buzz around the documentary. To get something this hard-hitting and shocking in front of as many audiences as possible is vital for everyone concerned about the slaughter of our rhinos.” |