Youth get a chance in filming
THE JOBURG Film Festival is setting scores of young people across Gauteng on a path to a career in film and television through a series of workshops and free film screenings at various community centres.
The Youth and Audience Development Programme, organised in partnership with the Gauteng Film Commission, is designed to bring together township youths who dream of a career in filmmaking with industry leaders for a series of skills transfer exchanges and film screening events.
The programme’s two-day workshops are focused on young people across Gauteng’s five regions – Ekurhuleni,
Soweto, Tshwane, Mogale City and Sedibeng – hence giving the festival a developmental reach beyond the city, and stimulating film culture across the province.
The programme will this weekend culminate in a career day workshop for youth from the various regions at the MultiChoice Studios in Randburg.
This will see aspirant filmmakers interacting with leading industry professionals.
To be part of the workshops, young and aspirant filmmakers were asked to create a 3-to-5 minute video using their mobile devices, about their township.
These short videos responded to the question: What makes my Kasi special?
The best entry will be awarded prizes that include a start-up filmmaker’s camera kit, and stand a chance to win a bursary for a short course.
The workshops were delivered and facilitated by notable lecturers sharing their knowledge and experience in scriptwriting, producing, directing, broadcasting, new digital media, and editing.
Last week in Sedibeng, community members were treated to a screening of Vaya, a South African film directed by Akin Omotoso, a Nigerian film director, writer, and actor.
In Tshwane, at Atteridgeville, community members came out not only to enjoy the film Matwetwe, directed by Kagiso Lediga, but to honour the film’s late star, Sibusiso Khwinana, both of whom were born in that township.
These screenings set the tone for the grand celebration of cinematic arts at the festival’s film programme which takes place from November 19 to 24 with the festival hub at the Nelson Mandela Square.