Film festival gears up
NEW APPOINTMENTS IN BID TO BECOME PREMIER EVENT New manager, projects and development officer and finance officer.
The Centre for Creative Arts at the University of KwaZulu-Natal has appointed three “outstanding people” onto its team.
Andrea Voges is the new manager of the Durban International Film Festival.
Sakhile Gumede takes on the portfolio of projects and development officer for the centre’s festivals and Philisiwe Manqele is the new finance officer.
For the past 15 years, Voges has honed her skills as an arts and cultural manager working in strategic positions both nationally and internationally.
She returns to the Durban International Film Festival after working at the Joburg Film Festival, Red Sea International
Film Festival, Realness Institute, Ucuru Media and as a project co-ordinator for the South Africa-United Kingdom Seasons – an intergovernmental initiative to promote arts and culture between these two nations.
She has a Bachelor of Arts degree and is a Southern Africa-Locarno Industry Academy alumnus.
“We are delighted to have appointed Andrea Voges as Durban International Film Festival manager.
“Her passion for cultural leadership and her experience in the film industry, coupled with her extensive networks, will be valuable in giving impetus to the centre’s plans to continue to grow the Durban International Film Festival as SA’s première film event,” said Ismail Mahomed, director of the Centre for Creative Arts.
Gumede has worked in various roles at the Centre for Creative Arts for over a decade, including coordinating the Isiphethu Developments Project at the Durban International Film Festival. Under his leadership last year, the Centre for Creative Arts introduced the inaugural International Student Film Festival.
Gumede is a graduate of the University of KwaZulu-Natal. He holds an honours degree in Communication, Culture and Media Studies and several short course certificates in cultural leadership.
“Over more than a decade, Gumede has worked passionately to enable community-based artists to access resources, skills, networks and opportunities. His appointment to the post gives him the mandate to envision even greater possibilities and to broker partnerships with longerterm sustainability goals.
“His knowledge and networks in both the professional industry and the development sector make him ideally suited for this crucially important role at the centre,” added Mahomed.
Manqele joins the Centre for Creative Arts, bringing eight years of experience in budget management and financial administration. She has extensive experience managing and administrating donor funding from both national and international partners.
Coupled with her B.Tech degree, she holds several other short course certificates, which is testimony to her determination to always be at the forefront of growth opportunities and to learn new systems.
“Given that the Centre for Creative Arts has an extensive donor relationship with a wide constituency of partners, Manqele will enhance our operations, administration, reporting systems and accountability to our donors, stakeholders and beneficiaries with whom we have a valued relationship,” said Mahomed.
The 44th Durban International Film Festival is from 20-30 July.
We are delighted to have Voges as Durban International Film Festival manager