SA film out to make it big in New York
A SOUTH African short film titled Necktie Youth is being screened at the Tribeca Film Festival, which ends in New York City tomorrow.
The film, which was funded by the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), chronicles a day in the life of best friends Jabz and September, two Americanised Zulu boys, as they go on a drug-fuelled joyride through Johannesburg’s affluent suburbs.
It is directed by Sibs Shongwe-La Mer, who is also one of the main actors.
The film was also screened at the Berlin Film Festival in February. The NFVF, an agency of the Department of Arts and Culture, along with the Department of Trade and Industry and the Asso- ciation for Transformation in Film and Television, is leading a delegation attending the festival.
The Tribeca Film Festival is known for its support of both emerging and established directors. lt has screened more than 1 400 films from 80-plus countries since its inception in 2002.
More than 40 South Africans were attending this year’s festival, which started on April 15, according to NFVF spokesman Naomi Mokhele.
Besides attending the festival the NFVF was also engaged in briefing sessions to explore branding and marketing opportunities to fast-track the presence of South African film in the US market, Mokhele said.