Boost for emerging African student filmmakers
Thanks to the growing popularity of video-on-demand services, there’s a new opportunity to help kickstart the careers of local filmmakers.
Numerous Hollywood blockbusters (District 9, Tomb Raider 2018, and The Avengers: Age of
Ultron, to name a few) have featured substantial shoots in Johannesburg and Cape Town.
While providing great opportunities for SA’s production talent, aspiring writers and directors don’t get the same benefit. So where can local creatives showcase their work?
Broadcast TV isn’t a natural home for unknown short films, and while self-publishing platforms are readily available hosting options, it’s tough to get noticed and get traffic when competing with videos from across the planet.
But with the emergence of video-on-demand services into the mainstream, there’s now a solution.
The African film school AFDA has teamed up with the streaming service Showmax to give local talent a much larger platform than ever before.
From February 18, eighteen of the best recent short films made by AFDA students from their Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban and Port Elizabeth campuses will be live on Showmax.
Drama, documentary, fantasy, and animation are all represented, in pieces running from under eight minutes to almost half-an-hour long.
Teresa Passchier, CEO of AFDA, said: “AFDA … is proud to kickstart this journey with Showmax and AFDA students, ensuring emerging young African filmmakers’ voices are heard and given a platform.
“It’s ground-breaking to share young, local, culturally relevant content on the same platform as Hollywood blockbusters. I am certain that this unique initiative will serve to boost and develop the African film industry and the careers of many young South African and African students alike.”
Included in the short films coming to Showmax are the award winners Junior and OPuncha.
Junior, directed by Bert Dijkstra, picked up the Audience Award in the Made in South Africa Competition at the shnit Worldwide Short film festival Awards 2017.
O-Puncha, directed by Adam Hansen, won two awards at the 5th annual Eldorado Film Festival: Best Student Made Short, and Best Editing – Alexander La Cock.
Speaking about working with the film school, Candice Fangueiro, Head of Content for Showmax, said:
“Showmax is becoming part of the fabric of film and TV production in Africa, and importantly we’re doing this as a partner rather than just as a consumer.”