Callsheet issue 6 2014

ISSUE 06 | 2014

+ WHY SHOOT YOUR COMMERCIAL IN AFRICA? The Only Persuasion You Need

+ CANNES LIONS 2014 Creativity is King

+ SPOTLIGHT ON EQUIPMENT RENTAL Industry Heavyweights Spill the Beans

CONTENTS | 01

www.filmmakerafrica.co.za

2. Eye in the Sky to be shot in SA 4. Net#work BBDO Entrenches Coronation’s Trust Theme

6. Konfetti Wins International Award 7. American Producer Makes Afrikaans Film

8.

Coca Cola Releases its World Cup Anthem

12. Spotlight on gun violence in new PSA

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20

14. The Callsheet on Commercials 20. We Just Can’t Work Without South African Locations

24. Equipment Rental: The Pros Weigh in

Callsheet on Commercials

Locations for Commercials

28. Creativity is King at Cannes Lions

This month, The Callsheet turns the spotlight on Commercials in Africa. Who, where, and everything in between.

Africa has some of the greatest locations in the world for shooting commercials. Don’t believe us? Take a look at page 20.

32. Joe Alblas: Still Photographer

2014 to the Stars

34. Opportunities 36. The East African Community: A Sensory Overload

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32

Cannes Lions 2014

Joe Alblas

This is the hottest ticket in town. Take a closer look at the Oscar’s of the Commercial’s world.

Stills Photographer extraordinaire Joe Alblas spills the beans on the projects he’s been working on in 2014.

38. In Production 40. Events 42. Associations 44. Directory

02 | NEWS

www.filmmakerafrica.co.za

EYE IN THE SKY

H

ollywood thriller ‘Eye in the Sky’ is ready for production in South Africa. The film, which will be seeking funding at Festival de Cannes this year, will be directed by Gavin Hood (‘Enders Game’, ‘Tsotsi’) and will star producer and actor Colin Firth.

The film follows London-based military intelligence officer Colonel Michelle Madden, who is charged with remotely commanding a top-secret drone operation to capture a group of terrorists from their safe house in Nairobi.

The mission escalates from a ‘capture’ to a ‘kill’ operation when Madden realizes that the terrorists are about to embark on a deadly suicide mission. Guy Hibbert, writer of UK Channel 4’s series ‘Complicit’, penned the screenplay, while Firth’s own Raindog Films is part of the production set up.

“The use of unmanned aircraft in modern warfare and in the so-called ‘war on terror’ poses critical questions for us all,” Firth told The Guardian. “Raindog was launched with

to be shot in SA

the hope of making challenging, thoughtful films, and I’m pleased to be a part of an exploration into such a crucial issue.” eOne’s global film production arm under the newly appointed Xavier Marchand recently announced that it was partnering with the film. This will be part of its goal to finance or co-finance up to eight films with strong

international potential each year. eOne will also distribute ‘Eye in the Sky’ in the UK, Canada, Benelux, Spain, Australia and New Zealand, while its international sales division under Harold van Lier will handle distribution in all other territories.

Production is expected to begin in South Africa on 11 August 2014.

Mandela International Film Festival set for December 2015

T

he Mandela International Film Festival, which has been in the pipeline for months, has finally announced a launch date – 3 to 12 December 2015. The festival is set to take place in Nelson Mandela Bay in the Eastern Cape and is expected to be the biggest film festival in the southern hemisphere, according to the Sowetan.

The event will reportedly run for 10 days and has already elicited excitement among stakeholders. The location was chosen as ‘an exceptional venue for the film industry’ and is also part of a massive investment promotion strategy including a range of initiatives from infrastructure to manufacturing, tourism and agriculture. Nelson Mandela Bay is the gateway to the country’s Sunshine Coast towards the south and the Wild Coast to the north, offering an opportunity for attendees to see South

Africa’s gorgeous coastline. This is ‘Big Seven’ country, where the great white shark and seasonal southern right whale may be viewed offshore and buffalo, elephant, leopard, lion and rhino may be enjoyed from the comfort of a luxury safari tour.

“The time has come for…the Eastern Cape Province to showcase its capability of being the host of The Mandela International Film Festival and to be the film making destination of choice in South Africa”, said Vuyo Zitumane, Chairperson of the Board, Adventure Province, Eastern Cape, Parks & Tourism Agency. “We have a diversity of unique and very beautiful attractions…ideal for filmmaking”.

Last week, the festival also announced that Dr Maya Angelou, celebrated playwright, producer, director, best-selling author, civil rights activist, educator and historian will be its first honorary global ambassador.

His Royal Highness, Nkosi Zwelivelile (Mandla), chairperson of the Mandela International Film Festival and grandson of the late Nelson Mandela invited Angelou to be the festival’s first global ambassador at the 13th annual Tribeca Film Festival. “Your tireless endeavours towards the civil right movement are those that echo that of my grandfather, which is why we have invited you to be the first global ambassador,” he said. Angelou wrote and recited a poem in honour of Nelson Mandela at the time of his death called His Day Is Done. She originally met Madiba in the 60’s while living in Cairo.

In keeping with the theme of 20 years of freedom and independence, the inaugural festival will honour the film, entertainment and media legends that made a continuous effort to keep South Africa in mind during the apartheid era.

04 | NEWS

www.filmmakerafrica.co.za

NET#WORK BBDO entrenches Coronation's Iconic Theme of Trust

Coronation’s latest commercial highlights its ‘Trust is earned’ theme

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et#work BBDO has unveiled an emotive new television commercial for Coronation Fund Managers which further entrenches Coronation’s chosen platform, ‘Trust is earned’. Jenny Glover, Joint ECD at Net#work BBDO says that she believes that the direction of the piece, and the story portrayed is a poignant way to convey the importance of trust in a relationship.

“A lot of companies might claim to be trustworthy, but in the case of Coronation, they not only have hard evidence, but a set of values that drives consistently great performance. They understand that trust is hard won, yet can be so easily lost,” says Glover.

“We were lucky enough to find a true story that echoes the culture Coronation holds dear: No matter how much experience you have, you never take your

“

No matter how much experience you have, you never take your clients’ trust for granted.

clients’ trust for granted. You exist because of them, and for that reason you never stop working to earn their trust.”

The new commercial portrays a village and the trust bestowed upon a doctor by the small community. The viewer is privy to a snapshot of the 32 years that the doctor practised in the community delivering countless babies and attending to various ailments. Throughout the piece you’re acutely aware of something unusual, only to discover that the doctor was in fact blind for the majority of his career.

Glover says that the message is intended to resonate with viewers long after seeing the piece. “This is not a fable that viewers should learn from, but rather a true story of a time passed when trust defeated any doubt.”

“

Brent Singer, Joint ECD at Net#work BBDO says, “Our aim was to transcribe the story as authentically as possible. We shot the advert on film to ensure the piece felt like it was being told in the 30’s when it took place. Every element including each set, the props, the wardrobe and the actors were employed to ensure the period was portrayed accurately.”

“Ultimately, it’s about attention to detail.

Every single engagement with the Coronation brand has to reflect the rigor and attention to detail applied to what they do,” says Singer.

The Coronation television commercial will air from May 2014. For more, visit www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FFAcPBuimk to view the new commercial.

06 | NEWS

www.filmmakerafrica.co.za

Konfetti wins International Award Afrikaans Feature Film focuses on Matric Dance

P ‘Konfetti’ centres on a clash of cultures.

I

ndependent rom com ‘Konfetti’, directed

by Zaheer Goodman-Bhyat and produced

by United International Pictures and Light and Dark Films, won two international awards recently. Casey B. Dolan won Best Actress at the Julien Dubuque International Film Festival (JDIFF), while the movie won Best Editing at the Beverly Hills International Film Festival.

“It’s always good to see young South African talent being recognized as well as our great talent behind the camera,” said Peter Dignan, MD of United International Pictures. “International festivals are the best way to showcase our industry and Zaheer has done a wonderful job in bringing together a very talented cast and crew to deliver this wonderful entertaining film which has captured the hearts of movie-goers.”

The awards come after a very successful box office opening on 17 April and stars

Louw Venter, who also wrote the script, Nico Panagio, Casey B. Dolan, Kim Engelbrecht, Casper de Vries, Christel van den Bergh, Terence Bridgett and Jana Strydom.

The film follows Jean (Nico Panagio) and Sheryl (Casey B. Dolan) as they embark upon their wedding day. He is Afrikaans and she is Jewish and their respective families are tense. To make matters worse, their best man – Lukas, played by Louw Venter – has made all the wrong choices. Not only has he been on a drinking spree and forgotten to confirm the band, but he’s booked the first available singer – the bride’s old nemesis. Sheryl’s wedding quickly turns into a tangled mess of emotion as Lukas tries to keep things together and salvage her special day. Both disaster and hilarity ensue.

For more information on ‘Konfetti’, visit the Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/KonfettiMovie

rincipal photography began April 13th in Cape Town on Afrikaans feature film ‘Hollywood in my Huis’ for debut writer and director Corne van Rooyen.

The spirited, refreshing coming-ofage romantic comedy revolves around a teenage girl, Jana, a wallflower who lives in an impoverished neighbourhood with her dysfunctional parents.

After seeing Charlize Theron win the Oscar she decides there and then to change her destiny. Jana navigates the minefield that is family, friendship, peer pressure and a vivid teenage imagination to secure her own Hollywood red carpet moment at the upcoming Matric Dance. Van Rooyen who directed the award winning short film of the same title wrote the feature length screenplay together with his wife Rene.

Dylan Voogt and Saskia Schiel of Stage 5 Films are producing together with the Van Rooyen’s Red Letter Day Pictures. Jan du Plessis of KykNet is executive producer alongside accomplished Producer Vlokkie Gordon with her new company Advantage Entertainment.

Two exciting newcomers will make their screen debuts in ‘Hollywood in my Huis’, with Christa Visser as Jana joined by Edwin van Der Walt as Frikkie, the boy next door.

Van Rooyen teams up with an accomplished creative team including; SAFTA Award-winning cinematographer Zenn van Zyl, Michelle Randall, Production Designer, fashion designer Julita de Wet doing wardrobe alongside SAFTA nominated Hair and Make-Up artist Julene Paton. Ben Ludik will be composing the soundtrack whilst Roshni Haraldsen, postproduction supervisor for End Post will be editing the film.

Gear is supplied by Media Film Services and online post production services by Searle Street Post. Hollywood in my Huis is the first feature film to go into production from Stage 5 Films slate of five features and two documentary films. The film will be distributed

by Indigenous Film Distribution.

NEWS | 07

www.filmmakerafrica.co.za

American Producer makes

Afrikaans Film

A

giant leap forward in Afrikaans filmmaking, Die Windpomp represents a rather odd goal set by its American producer Chris Roland (Stander, Hotel Rwanda). From the beginning, even though he didn’t speak a word of Afrikaans, with the exception of “‘n Boer maak ‘n plan”, Roland wanted to make an Afrikaans film that was highly entertaining and also respected the Afrikaans community.

“The Afrikaans people are huge movie fans, and I eat, breathe and sleep films. After extensive research and interviews, we learned that the Afrikaans community wanted movies that were ‘Hollywood’ quality but in Afrikaans, meaning a film with a good story, not too heavy, not too slapstick, and with high production values. So we set out to give them what they wanted with the lofty goal of making the best Afrikaans film they had ever seen.”

But Roland was finding it difficult to find the right story until he met Die Windpomp’s writer/

director Etienne Fourie while guest lecturing at AFDA film school. Fourie was in his fourth and final year and was developing the short version of Die Windpomp as his graduate film, a kind of thesis for filmmakers.

Later that year, Roland was invited back to judge the student films. “I watched something like 20 short films over the weekend. I was blurry eyed by the end of the second day. And then the lights dimmed and another film began. Within minutes, in a theatre filled to capacity, you could hear a pin drop. This was the first time I saw the story for Die Windpomp unfold. At the end of it, there and then I told AFDA’s owner Garth Holmes that I wanted to option the story and develop it into a feature length film.”

Asked if he found it difficult developing the script in a language he did not understand, Roland explained that Fourie wrote drafts in both Afrikaans and English. “The hard part was grappling with certain words and expressions that meant one thing in English and had a whole

other meaning in Afrikaans. I had to learn how Afrikaans people think as much as how they speak. Afrikaans is a very expressive language, more so than English.” Roland also added that the Afrikaans spoken in Cape Town is vastly different than the Afrikaans spoken in Pretoria, and that certain words and phrases were hotly debated between people from both.

On set during the production Roland says he was able to follow the dialogue because he knew the story, and he knew that acting was more than words. “Good acting is about subtext. The spoken word is less important than the character’s intention and emotional state. That becomes so much clearer when watching a film in a language you don’t understand. It made watching the performances on set very engaging.”

08 | NEWS

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COCA COLA A

global sense of excitement is brewing in the air. Yes, it’s that time again as the FIFA World Cup kicks off on June 12th.

Silver Lining Pictures collaborated with their friends from Fortune Promoseven Cairo, who handles the Coca Cola account for MENA (Middle East and North Africa) to film what may be considered one of its biggest projects to date; the Coca Cola Football World Cup 2014 Anthem for the entire Middle East.

releases its World Cup Anthem

The anthem follows the journey of three friends as they travel from their individual homelands, Algeria, Egypt, and Tunisia, towards the biggest sporting event of our times, The FIFA World Cup. With the production being filmed on location in and around Cape Town, the biggest challenge was to have the end product being representative of carnivalesque Brazil, the host nation where the FIFA World Cup will be held later this year. From carnival

© Silverlining Pictures

© Silverlining Pictures

“

Silver Lining Pictures collaborated with their friends from Fortune Promoseven Cairo, who handles the Coca Cola account for MENA (Middle East and North Africa) to film what may be considered one of its biggest projects to date; the Coca Cola Football World Cup 2014 Anthem for the entire Middle East.

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girls to Capoeira dancers, we offered it all.

Los Angeles based Director Jeff T Thomas is no stranger to the industry and was contracted by Silver Lining Pictures to lead the way. An internationally acclaimed commercial and music video director, also known for his dramatic work on popular prime time television directing episodes for CSI NY, Fringe, Without a Trace, Zero Hour (just to mention a few), deftly depicted the Cape Town scenery to translate into the vibrant and colourful Brazilian landscape.

London based Director of Photography Martin Hill and Off-line Editor Quin Williams worked in unison to capture and bring to life Thomas’ vision for the project.

The anthem “The World is Ours” was produced by Hassan el Shafei and prerecorded by two regional multi award winning superstars, Cheb Khaled and Nancy Ajram.

Both these artist enjoy a vast international audience with millions of views on Youtube respectively. The cast and crew enjoyed a high-energy performance by both these artists, with Cheb and Nancy performing amongst the cast in the rooftop scene against the stunning backdrop that is Cape Town.

This was a memorable day for all involved.

Post Production fell into the skillful hands of Flame Operator Naomi Anderlini from Searle Street Post, Cape Town. She did an exceptional job in rounding off the end product.

The original version was published via Youtube on 15 April 2014 and generated over a 1,000,000 hits in just one day! To see the end result for yourself, please visit www.silverliningpictures.tv.

FIFA 2014 Brazil, “The World is Ours”!

Denis Vaslin

Miguel Machalski

Stefano Tealdi

Julia Overton

Durban Filmmart Experts

It's here!

The 5th Durban FilmMart is set to take place in Durban at the new venue of Tsogo Sun, Elangeni Hotel from 18-21 July 2014, during the 35th edition of the Durban International Film Festival (17-27 July 2014).

A joint initiative between the Durban Film Office and the Durban International Film Festival - the annual Durban FilmMart serves as a meeting place for African filmmakers, financiers, broadcasters and top film experts.

Its aim is to not only create partnerships and drive the development of African film content, but to also provide global awareness and recognition for African cinema.

The Durban FilmMart is proud to receive the ongoing support of a number of international partners and supporters. These partners include the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam, Hot Docs Blue Ice Documentary Film Fund, Rotterdam Cinemart, Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie, Arte France, Produire au Sud, France, Afrinolly, Docubox, Rome Cinema Network and many more.

Delegates of this year's Durban FilmMart will have access to insightful sessions presented by leading experts in the Masterclasses and the 'Africa in Focus' programme, featuring local and international industry experts and filmmakers, who will discuss African issues and initiatives. In particular, this year's industry programme will have a special focus on story development and will also include a trans-media lab programme for the first time.

This year's official selection of Durban FilmMart projects will comprise of 10 feature films and 10 documentaries. The selected projects will participate in one-on-one closed meetings within the Finance Forum.

Scheduled networking sessions will also be available for delegates who are on the lookout for co-production partners. If you are looking for opportunities to promote your brand, a number of options are available - contact info@durbanfilmmart.com

Denis Vaslin Denis Vaslin created Dutch documentary and fiction production company Volya Films in 2004.

Recent films include 40 Days of Silence directed

by Saodat Ismailova (Berlinale Forum 2014); Solo by Guillermo Rocamora (Best First Film Award at the Miami International Film Festival); The World Belongs to Us directed by Stephan Streker (Montréal World Film Festival) and The Hum of Holland by Stella van Voorst van Beest (Competition Feature Length Documentaries Netherlands Film Festival 2012), Snackbar, first fiction film by documentary filmmaker Meral Uslu (Berlinale Generation Plus 2012). "Currently, we are developing projects with a.o. Marjoleine Boonstra, André van der Hout, Marco De Stefanis and Jan Willem van Dam. We are in post-production with Kurai, Kurai - Tales on the Wind, the first fiction film by documentary director Marjoleine Boonstra, Men Who Save the World by Seng Tat Liew and The Dream of Sharhazad by director Francois Verster. " In production are Niks Mektoub!, a documentary by Gülsah Dogan, The Market by Marleine van der Werf, and Greed by Ingeborg Jansen. Recently added to the list of developing fictions is Aliyushka, by Kazhak director Adilkhan Yerzhanov, which has been selected for L'Atelier at Cannes Film Festival 2014. Since 2011, Denis Vaslin manages France based Mandra Films that he co-owns with Eric Mabillon.

Stefano Tealdi Born in Johannesburg (South Africa) in 1955, he studies Architecture in Torino - Italy. After graduating, he works on film and TV at the Politecnico di Torino becoming Head of Production.

In 1985, he founded, with others, Stefilm where he works as a director and producer.

He produces and directs one-off documentaries and documentary series. Since 2008, he has also directed A World of Pasta, Doctor Ice (Science Film Festival - Milano 2009), Coffee Please and Tea for All and the series Food Markets - In the Belly of the City. Recent works produced: Mostar United (IDFA 2009), Vinylmania (IFF Rotterdam 2012), Char, no man's island (Berlinale Forum 2013).

In 1992, he graduates at the MEDIA training course 'EAVE - European Session'. He has directed all 17 editions of the annual Italian workshop Documentary in Europe. He chaired EDN (European Documentary Network) and is national co-ordinator for I NPUT, Television in the Public Interest. He tutors film development and production at universities and master courses, and film pitching for organisations, such as Biennale Cinema College, Cannes Film Market, Films de 3 Continents - Produire au Sud, Media Business School,Med Film Factory, Scuola Holden, TFLTorino Film Lab, ZELIG Film School.

Miguel Machalski Miguel Machalski was born in Buenos Aires of a Polish father and a British mother and based in Paris for many years. With a multicultural and multilingual background, Miguel has been working since 1995 as a development and creative consultant on projects from all parts of the world. He specialised in what is sometimes labelled as World Cinema - though his track record as a script analyst also includes major studio films and works from prominent filmmakers such as Clint Eastwood (Million-dollar Baby), Alejandro Amenábar (The Sea Inside), David Cronenberg (Spider), Sydney Pollack (The Interpreter) and Ingmar Bergman (Saraband). Many of the films he has worked on have garnered awards at major festivals.

He works as an advisor on several European Media-funded script development programmes, as a trainer at the Binger Writers' Lab in Holland, and as a consultant for film funds in several countries (Colombia, Chile, Belgium and formerly Jordan and Malaysia). He has published two Spanish-language books on screenwriting, one of which has been reedited and translated into Brazilian. He has three produced screenplays: Ramata (Senegal), directed by Léandre Alain-Baker, Kluge, El Arreglador (Argentina), directed by Luis Barone and America (Puerto Rico), directed by Sonia Fritz.

Julia Overton Julia Overton has had a long career in the screen and cultural production industry in Australia and internationally across all story telling genres. Her recent credits include the theatrical documentaries THE LAST IMPRESARIO (London 2013, SFF 2014) RED OBSESSION (Berlin, Tribeca, Pusan, Best Doc 2014 AACTA and FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE LAKE for See-Saw Films (Hot Docs 2014). Like most practitioners Julia has a slate of projects in various stages of production and development.

For ten years from 2001 to 2011 Julia worked with Australia's national screen agencies assisting filmmakers in the development, financing, production and marketing of their projects. In the last six years of this tenure she specialised in documentary and factual production for broadcast and theatrical release and assisted in the formulation of policy in that area.

Julia has been on the board of the Australian International Documentary Conference, where she is now a marketing consultant, is an international advisor for Hot Docs Canada, FIFO Tahit, Doc Edge New Zealand and is national co ordinator for I NPUT the public broadcast television event. In May 2012 this annual event was held in Sydney and she was the co director of this event.

Egyptian Jeanne D'Arc

Beyond the Barricades

Egyptian Jeanne D'arc {EGYPT} Producer: Talal Al-Muhanna | Director: Iman Kamel 'Jeanne d'Arc Masriya' (Egyptian Jeanne d'Arc) is a creative documentary that explores issues of female emancipation in post post-revolutionary Egypt. Beginning with the return journey to Cairo of a filmmaker long absent from her own country, the film weaves a series of intimate portraits composed of interviews, poetic voice-over and dance; exploring themes of oppression, guilt and faith with Egyptian women, many of them artists. Reflecting on Carl Theodor Dreyer's 1928 film 'The Passion of Joan of Arc' - in which the female figure is martyred by the patriarchal forces surrounding her - 'Jeanne' is a contemporary commentary that melds various expressive elements to arrive at the core of the filmmaker's enquiries into the circumstances of women in Egypt today.

Home Expulsion {RWANDA}

Documentaries Afterglow {SOUTH AFRICA} Producer/Director: Amber (Arya) Lalloo Afterglow tells the story of Steve Fataar, the founding member of The Flames, a band of brothers that become known in the early sixties as the South African Beatles. Following an overwhelming local response, they embarked on a successful international tour that led to a record deal with The Beach Boys and a meteoric rise through the American pop charts. The Flames were poised for stardom but the pop machine was tearing the band apart with its mechanical production and general hedonism. So in the early seventies Steve traded the absolute freedom of Hollywood for his hometown Durban and tried to assume a normal existence. Now in his seventies, the film finds Steve in the sunset years of a life defined by a boyhood fantasy that came true. It will explore the lasting consequences of one moment so big, it shaped everything that followed. A cinematic journey into the life of a local legend Afterglow explores one man s battle to make peace with his past and casts light onto one of the most dynamic periods in popular culture from a whole new source.

Alex On Seventh {SOUTH AFRICA} Producer: Guy Bragge | Director: Engelbert Phiri A stone's throw from the excesses and privilege of Africa's richest square mile - Sandton, South Africa is a very tough neighbourhood - Alexandra - whose socio-economics couldn't be more diametrical. Here, we meet a very pretty 86 year-old matriarch - Claire and Lulu her cat. Claire and Lulu are passionate about the mean-looking and sculpted bodybuilding young-men in Claire's backyard gym. The tiny gym doubles up as a tattoo parlour and fine art studio. The seemingly claustrophobic gym harbours the aspirations of many who include; Tumi, unpredictable like a volcano at rest is an agonising fine artist, tattoo artist and body-builder. Bobo, is an introspective body-builder, cum-commuter taxi driver and arm wrester and Gino, a complex, multi-layered struggling boxer and single parent to an ambitious little girl. Over two years, the film follows Claire, Lulu and the guys from the gym navigating an escalating series of treacherous streets and decisions. The film unveils and presents an intimate portrait of these protagonists with similar problems yet different aspirations for their lives. They are human and filled with contradictory characteristics and motivations. It is through their raw perspective of life that the story of the other South Africa can be felt - not told.

Alison {SOUTH AFRICA} Producer: Amy Nelson | Director: Uga Carlini In December 1994, two men raped, stabbed and disembowelled Alison after they abducted her from outside her home. They then slashed her throat 16 times to make sure she was dead. But Alison defied death. And more than that, she denied her attackers the satisfaction of destroying her life.

Nineteen-year-old Tiaan Eilerd found her next to the side of the road. He was a veterinary student, which meant he had some medical knowledge. Dr Angelov was on call at the Provincial Hospital.

He was a thoracic surgeon and capable of dealing with Alison's severe throat injuries. Alison lived to tell a story that would break a code of silence about rape and brutal assault. She was the first South African to ever speak out publically about rape. Just one year after the attack, Alison gave her first public talk. She spoke from the heart, sharing the pain and ultimate inspiration she discovered within hersel f during the attack and subsequent recovery. She is now one of the most sought-after speakers in South Africa, has visited over 20 countries worldwide to share her story to enraptured audiences and has received numerous awards.

Beyond the Barricades {SOUTH AFRICA} Producers: Peter Goldsmid and Joost Verheij | Directors: Peter Goldsmid and Zanele Muholi This is a personal journey into the "heart of darkness" in which lesbian photographer and activist Zanele Muholi investigates violent hate crimes against LGBTI people in South Africa. Can she not only understand but also forgive? That is the dramatic question that also provides the arc of the story. We will meet not only survivors and their families but also perpetrators - and Zanele will photograph them. We will observe her as she works and tries to grasp the issues, context and motivations. The impact on her will be emotional and dramatic. Her photographs will provide intense, brief, focused moments interpolated into the narrative. The journey starts in Umlazi, Zanele's home, ending up in "gay-friendly" Cape Town, whose dormitory townships of Gugulethu, Nyanga and Khayelitsha regularly see horrific hate crimes. But it will include lighter moments, documenting gay pride events and beauty contests. We will meet the "heteropatriarchy, gaining access to both men both in prison and male and female traditional leaders. We will revisit a crime scene with both the survivor and perpetrator. The film's climax will be a dramatic survivorperpetrator encounter. And the final questions: How has the journey has changed Zanele or helped her deal with her anger?

Kula

The Sound of Masks

Afterglow

Home Expulsion

Alison

Producer/Director: Kayambi Musafiri In 2013, government officials in Tanzania ordered the deportation of over seven thousand ethnic Rwandans, claiming that they were in the country illegally and were a threat to the security of the country. Ethnic Rwandans, many whose families had lived in Tanzania for generations, left behind family members, land, houses, livestock, and other property because of the government policy. This documentary focuses on four individuals who are victims of this mass expulsion as they adapt to their new situations. It begins with Christopher Rubamba Matata, 63 years old, a musician living in a refugee camp in Rwanda. Matata provides a historical account of the thousands of Rwandans who immigrated to Tanzania. The next portrait is of Kayinamura Angel, 18 years old, born and raised in Tanzania to Rwandese parents. She lives with her neighbours after the government razed her family's house during the expulsion. The third portrait follows Vena Kamihanda, 50, Angel's mother, wheelchair bound and living in a refugee camp. The film ends with Agnes Alida, 45, a radio hostess in Tanzania. She was separated from her Rwandese husband and one of their children during the deportation and is unable to locate him.

In Search Of African Duende: The Uganda Flamenco Project {UGANDA} Producer: Keren Cogan | Director: Caroline Kamya En "En Busca del Duende Africano" we open up both the practice and history of flamenco through its undeniable but little known connection to Africa. This journey follows a small group of young Ugandans over a period of twenty-four months. Their aim, to put on the first Flamenco Dance performance in Uganda at the National Theatre in Kampala. Against the backdrop of the poverty of inner city Kampala, the individual obstacles that each young Ugandan must overcome; some of whom are refugees, and orphans; form the spine of the documentary. Their stories are interspersed with a narrative history of black Africans in Spain, and how their oppression together with the persecuted Gypsies and Jews, led to the birth of flamenco.

Kula: A Memory In Three Acts {MOZAMBIQUE} Producer/Director: Inadelso Cossa Kula was a name of PIDE brigade in the 60s during Portuguese colonial regime in Mozambique, where political prisoners use to be interrogated and tortured, forced to reveal their connections with liberation movements, today 35 years later those former political prisoners decided to back to the same place to represent their memories as a treatment to their post torture trauma.

The Colonel's Stray Dogs {SOUTH AFRICA} Producer: Steven Markovitz | Director: Khalid Shamis In 1981, seven Libyan exiled revolutionaries gathered to form the National Front for the Salvation of Libya (NFSL). My father was one of these 'Stray Dogs' and their main objective was to use armed warfare against the Gadaffi. But soon the Front found itsel f mired in political wrangling, infighting, personal loss and dissipation. The NFSL's main mission was to rid Libya of Gadaffi, but it was the people inside Libya who eventually chased him out and killed him. Suddenly there was a void of power and these stalwart revolutionaries in exile rushed back home to be part of their new country, taking up positions in and around the interim government. However, it soon became apparent that they had jumped into a volatile situation and were not the only ones vying for power. Unnamed armed militia, Islamic extremists, politicos, peasants and returning exiles now all compete for a piece of the pie. A luta continua, but victory is far from certain. When all efforts are focused on the freedom of a faraway land, what is sacrificed and what is achieved in the process? Now that the future of Libya hangs in the balance, does the expectation of freedom ever live up to the dream?

The Sound Of Masks {SOUTH AFRICA} Directed and Produced by Kofi Zwane and Sara de Gouveia A visual account of Mozambique's past and present as told through dance. The Mapiko dance is part of their culture that has been going on for centuries. What makes it different from a regular ritualistic dance is that it's always changed and adapted to tell the story of what people are going through at any specific point in history. The result is a living, breathing visual archive of a people's journey through colonialism, independence, civil war and ultimately democracy. After the war, most of the Makonde were given land and areas as a reward for their struggle. One of these areas in Maputo - the Zona Militar - forms the scene for our film. As a result of the forces of capitalism, these ex-combatants and their families are being kicked out to make way for condominiums and plazas for the wealthy. This is the current struggle of the people versus their government. And like in all past conflicts, the Mapiko dance is interpreting this story and rallying people to fight against it. Through the experiences of people from different generations of the dance, a parallel emerges between how people have struggled through change in the past and continue to adapt in the present.

The Uganda Flamenco Project

The Colonel's Stray Dogs

Alex on Seventh

Cold Stone Jug

The Wound

Tree of Crows

Fiction Projects All Time Idlers

{EGYPT}

Producer: Hossam Elouan | Director: Khaled Hafez "All Time Idlers is an ironic epic about historical conspiracies, revolutions, and more revolutions."

Five linear historical time periods "open" on each other and protagonists perform the same roles across time, over and over. Period One: Circa 1350 BC, during the Amarna period (18TH Dynasty), precisely the 18 years when Akhenaton is king. Period Two: 1610 AD, Stratford von Avon, when Shakespeare succeeds in writing four masterpieces, and struggles to write a fifth. Period three: 1952 AD, when some officers plan for a revolution to oust a king and replace a monarchy with a republic. Period Four: late 1963 AD, United States of America, a group of characters in some dark alleys devise a plan. North America and France 1963, between Texas, New Orleans, Mexico City and Marseille, a conspiracy is being woven to eliminate an American politician, a head of state.

Period five: 2013 AD, the same characters from period one reappear to play the same parts, where seculars confront religious, and army officers play kings. Throughout intermingled relationships between protagonists, where actors play the same roles of conspiracy, leadership, virtue and vice, viewers float in a never-ending sea of plans, plots, conspiracy, disappointment, hypocrisy and cheat, identical in every possible way since the beginning of history.

Lionel Abrahams, Johannesburg, 1985

Cold Stone Jug

{SOUTH AFRICA}

Producer: Ashleigh Nash | Director: William Collinson At the age of 21 Herman Charles Bosman was arrested for murder and sentenced to be hanged.

However, he was granted a reprieve and after several reductions to his sentence, he was a free man again. Twenty years later, he wrote an autobiographical account of his prison experience, Cold Stone Jug, a coming-of-age story it was published in 1949. Perhaps the most startling characteristic of Cold Stone Jug is that it is pre-eminently humorous, largely a raconteur's holiday'as though a sojourn in the death cell and the miseries of imprisonment were essentially comic adventures. It is a tribute to Bosman's creative genuineness and psychological insight that the chronicle of his gaol years is not a document of sel f-glorification, sel f-pity or indignation.

Cold Stone Jug is totally original and, under its vast funniness, fully charged with intimations of horror and pity and misery so that it ends by being overwhelmingly poignant. The daringly light hand reveals all the awfulness of what men do to each other...in the throwaway roughness of this jokey fictionalized memoir Bosman expressed truth and beauty in rich and difficult ways, and has manifested in something we can only call genius."Lionel Abrahams, Johannesburg, 1985 memoir Bosman expressed truth and beauty in rich and difficult ways, and has manifested in something we can only call genius."

- Lionel Abrahams, Johannesburg, 1985

Dances of Red

{KENYA/SOUTH AFRICA}

Director: Amirah Mohamed Tajdin | Producers: Wafa Mohamed Tajdin, Bongiwe Selane, Helena Spring and Junaid Ahmed Hamedi is a Swahili wedding singer and a part time drag queen who returns home to be by his dying mother's side. The film takes place over seven days in Mombasa and unfolds as an intense week for the protagonist who has to balance his mother's worsening cancer condition and the culmination of his wedding singer career. He discovers truths about his mother's past, revisits painful memories from his childhood and channels his emotions through his one true love - music.

Thus the sounds of popular 'Taarab' music, Bollywood love songs and old Egyptian orchestral music accent Hamedi's island existence and more importantly his deeply fractured relationship with his mother who violently shuns his drag queen lifestyle and less than manly career choice.

Hamedi finds comfort and wisdom from his aunt who truly understood his eccentricity. A gentle spirit and positive soul, he embarks on the daily trials and tribulations of attending to his distant and disapproving mother, as well as finding solace with the family servants and his best friend, a seamstress who's been responsible for his 'outfits' but most importantly is the creator of his masterpiece, the ensemble set to accompany his final performance as his alter ego, 'Hawa Hawaii'.

Nyanga Sky

{SOUTH AFRICA}

Producer: Rafeeqah Galant | Director: Matthew Griffiths Thabo is a young boy from an affluent background who finds himsel f in Nyanga Township. Lost and confused, he is unable to accept this new setting as his home. When he meets Mdu and Gadgets he is sucked into their project to build and pilot a model airplane and in the process encounters Mandla, the local school bully. Thabo's pride leads him into a confrontation with Mandla, causing Mandla to destroy the model plane. Mdu blames Thabo for the incident and their newfound friendship falls apart. However, Mandla also takes the opportunity to steal Thabo's

The Boy in the Mask

The Train of Salt and Sugar

All Time Idlers

Dances of Red

most prized possession: his bicycle. Distraught, Thabo arrives at Mdu's door and tells him of the theft, explaining his parent's death and how the bicycle was from his father. The three boys come together and make a plan. Gadgets creates a distraction so Thabo can sneak in and grab the bicycle. Then Mdu pilots the revived plane to guide Thabo through the streets while Gadgets lays booby traps for Mandla and his gang. Mandla makes it through and catches up to the three boys.

Mdu is finally prepared to stand up to him but Thabo, realising the day is already won, encourages the boys to just go home.

The Boy in the Mask

{SOUTH AFRICA}

Producer: Jennifer Mostert | Writer & Director: Jan Lampen Tshimbiloni is a gentle spirited Venda boy growing up in Limpopo. As a small child he falls into a fire and burns his face beyond recognition. The villagers reject him until his Grandfather, a traditional wood-carver, carves him a beautiful wooden mask. At the age of 12, Tshimbiloni is selected for reconstructive surgery. The Grandfather who accompanies the boy to Johannesburg has to accept that the doctors will now replace the face that he had created for the boy. When a violent strike breaks out at the General Hospital, Grandfather and the boy decide to return to Venda.

Dr Truter, the renowned Plastic Surgeon, offers to take Tshimbiloni into his ersatz Tuscan Villa until his new face is complete. Dr Truter's wife Adele resents this additional responsibility and the presence of this monster boy triggers a crisis for Charlie, his obese teenage daughter who has always felt inadequate and ugly compared to her mother. In forgoing his own mask, the little boy from Venda forces everyone around him to drop theirs and in the painful construction of his new face, he inspires everyone to face up to their own demons, their little indiscretions and dishonesty.

The Story of a Kiss

{EGYPT}

Producer: Wael Sayad El Ahl, Karim Boutros Ghali, Alaa Karkouti | Director: Ahmed Amer Balash Tebosni; the Story of a Kiss, is a mockumentary that follows the story of Tamer, a young and ambitious Egyptian director who faces issues while shooting a kissing scene in his new film. The leading actress Fajr, once a starlet known for her steamy roles, decides to quit the film before finishing it because she has 'found God' and now has a problem with kissing in front of the camera... jeopardising the completion of the highly publicised film, and more importantly, Tamer's vision. The story is interwoven with archival footage and interviews with heavyweight actors and directors from the Egyptian film industry and ones who come from the liberal eras of cinema who tell their own stories of kissing on film. They will also comment on their "colleague" the director Tamer and his problem with Fajr, blurring the line between fiction and the documentary. Famous preachers and "redeemed" actors will also present their case regarding what is halal and why they are pushing for "clean cinema" but all in the context of our story of Tamer and Fajr. This film will examine the rise of conservatism in Egyptian cinema and society and its complex relationship between religion and art.

The Train of Salt and Sugar {NAMIBIA}

Producer: Mutaleni Nadimi, Tapiwa Chipfupa | Director: Oshosheni Hiveluah Dances of Red (Oudano doutilyane) is a quirky coming of age melodrama that fuses the real world with the spiritual and the gross imagination of the narrator. A prose set mainly in a small all-girls missionary boarding school in a small northern Namibian village. The middle sister Ndaty is brutally murdered by her husband Tiko and after the funeral, her sisters Oletu and Tuli come to pack up her belongings. They find Ndaty's prose diary book and other items that evoke their memories of the one year when they attended boarding school together. It was also the same year when Ndaty and Tiko's relationship blossomed. Told through the eyes of the youngest sister Tuli who has a very sharp and active imagination that leads to funny and thoughtful moments in the film, they try to cope with the loss of their sister. It's a story of sisterhood, love and dance and a girl who wants recognition and acknowledgement through her dance so badly it 'destroys' her.

However, Tuli learns that through interwoven dreams, visions and memories sometimes things can be made right, when we just open ourselves up to believing.

Hawa Hawaii

Nyanga Sky

{MOZAMBIQUE}

Producers: Pablo Iraola, Pandora Cunha Telles | Director: Licinio de Azevedo Mozambique is in the midst of a civil war. The train that connects Nampula to Malawi is the only hope for hundreds of people, who are willing to risk their own lives to guarantee the survival of their families. Running 5 km per hour over sabotaged tracks, the train journey is filled with obstacles and adventure, where the violence of soldiers against the people who they were supposed to protect is tangled with the enemy's violence. This is the story of the stoic Mariamu, a frequent passenger who continues doing the same journey to take salt from the coast of Mozambique and is bringing back sugar from Malawi; of nurse Rosa, who is going to the hospital where she was placed, living the reality of war for the first time; and of the Lieutenant Taiar, who only knows the reality of the military life. Stories of love and war that defy death and despair, creating a space for hope filled with the traditional African oral stories.

The Wound

{SOUTH AFRICA}

Producer: Elias Ribeiro | Director: John Trengove Kwanda, a rebellious and sexually confused teenager from the city, travels to the rural settlement of his family's origin to be circumcised in a traditional rites-of-passage into manhood. For three weeks Kwanda and his fellow initiates - a group of rural boys - live in isolation, recuperating in mountain huts. He forms an intimate bond with his caregiver - Xolani - a mysterious rural man who helps him endure his first week on the mountain. Kwand's curiosity is piqued when he begins to suspect that Xolani is involved in a closeted sexual relationship with Vija, a charismatic and volatile alpha male from the village. Kwanda is drawn to Vija and seeks out his approval as a father figure, igniting a jealous rivalry between the two rural men. When it is discovered that Kwanda has witnessed a sexual encounter between them, Vija, fearing exposure, goes on the hunt for the city boy. Forced to choose between his compassion for Kwanda and his loyalty to Vija, Xolani helps Kwanda escape. As they descend the mountain, Kwanda discovers too late that he has been ambushed when Xolani pushes him off a mountain ledge to his death.

Tree of Crows

{SOUTH AFRICA}

Producers: Stephen Abbott & Eduan van Jaarsvelt | Director: Stephen Abbott Cain is a violent man who suppresses his murderous past as he ekes out survival in a rural postapocalyptic South Africa. In this desperate and decrepit future, old prejudices have taken new forms: racism flares, the police sell bodies, the news investigates, the travellers provide transient slave labour, and no-one returns when they leave for the distant city. When Cain is confronted by an alluring traveller, Helen, his dormant conscience begins to stir. Could he find peace from his past? A powerful journalist from the city begins an investigation into the murder-unsolved until now. Cain strains to conceal his evil deeds. He begins to see visions of the ghost of murders past. Cain falls for charming Helen and the absolution she seems to offer. His two murderous accomplices follow diverging paths: one spirals into madness and suicide, and the other into more murder and intimidation, clashing with Cain over his changing resolve. Cain's visions grow clearer and more horrific. Meanwhile, the investigation draws ever closer to the wicked truth. Cain seeks redemption, but must admit to the evils of his past, face his depraved accomplice, and sacrifice his freedom and ultimately his life for the woman he has come to love.

Hawa Hawaii

The Story of a Kiss

12 | SPOTLIGHT

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Y&R's new PSA calls for a

GUN-FREE SOUTH AFRICA F

rieze Films Tony Baggott directed If Your Stolen Gun Was There, So Were You, Y&R’s new PSA for gun-free South Africa.

The spot calls on all South Africans to hand in their firearms.

“With the ongoing Oscar Pistorius trial, the spotlight is once again on the high levels of gun violence in South Africa, where every day 18 people are shot and killed,” says Bibi Lötter, Y&R’s group creative director. Over 50 firearms are stolen or lost every day, so the spot uses a clever but simple technique to place gun-owners at the scene of the crime.

“

With the ongoing Oscar Pistorius trial, the spotlight is once again on the high levels of gun violence in South Africa.

“

“I really loved the subtlety of Tony’s treatment,” says Bibi. “He’s crafted a thoughtful piece that doesn’t accuse anyone but makes people think about what it means to own a gun.”

Y&R had originally conceptualized the spot as a first-person shooter, but Tony rather suggested filming the PSA in a single, continuous take and using choreography to introduce the second person. “Tony also added so much value in terms of audio,” says Bibi, pointing to the sound changes as the second hand appears; the placement of the gunshots over the messaging; and the silence over the logo to link the idea of a gun free South Africa to a sense of peace and quiet. “He turned the audio treatment into a powerful statement of the idea.”

The PSA was shot on a rainy night in Braamfontein, with Marc Rowlston as the DOP, and post production by Melanie Golden at Deep End Post.

Visit www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CUb9dnJu4 to view the PSA. To view more of Tony’s reel, visit www. friezefilms.com/pages/Tony_Baggott.html.

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THE NETWORK PRODUCTIONS INTERNATIONAL | 13

Filling a niche for premium, bespoke production support in South Africa

THE NETWORK PRODUCTIONS - a valued asset for INTERNATIONAL discerning producers

T

he Network Productions International provides visiting producers with a ‘comfort zone’ away from home, built on a foundation of comprehensive research, realistic and transparent cost estimates and practical budget-friendly solutions. From the outset, The Network delivers round the clock engagement and a commitment to delivering a higher attention to detail and reliable options designed to give Network clients a competitive edge for their pitches. The Network takes production support to a different level, providing much more than ‘service’ to clients. Entrusting a project to The Network expands the ‘brains trust’ for a production and guarantees a hand picked and engaged team of key players, dedicated to a positive production experience, at all levels of the value chain.

Network’s widely travelled team draws on a broad base of experience from all aspects of the advertising industry, from client service on large, international accounts, to the most technical aspects of modern media generation.

This, coupled with The Network’s twenty-year history of successful production across a range of territories and categories, means that clients are assured of a production process designed to minimize risk and maximize creative potential in a friendly, confident, culturally sensitive and professional environment.

In this business, enigmatic logistical and creative challenges, over optimistic deadlines and the practical realities of client service are a given. The unknowns of the creative process, the weather, the constant need for innovation and differentiation place enough pressure on producers without additional fears over margins or a sense of disorientation with regard to budget estimates and the scope of production values they contain. Kim White, Network’s E.P. has mastered the art of extracting the maximum possible value from available budgets. However, a key factor here is communication to establish clearly understood parameters and a structured working relationship with clients’ producers and production teams.

The Network works on a principle of responsible and realistic budgeting. It does not artificially ‘price dump’ to win jobs, but engages with its clients to ‘panel beat’ parameters to mutually appropriate and workable form. Committing to a production based on ill-defined assumptions is a recipe for disaster with, potentially, negative consequences for clients’ margins and relationships all along the value chain.

Network invests a great deal of effort to establish an approach based on trust and a recognition that Network is dedicated to its clients’ best interests.

The following, from Julie Thomas-Toda, Global Marketing & Branding, Chief Creative Coordinator for AOI Pro, in Tokyo illustrates the standards Network strives to attain: “The Network set the bar HIGH!! It will be very difficult to find another line producer anywhere that has such a work ethic. Being in Japan means working in a different time zone but whenever we needed Kim, she was there for us. I was especially impressed with The Network’s quick speed and amazingly thorough and detailed responses. Kim White was, by far, one of the best line producers I have ever worked with in the world! The quoting process was exceptional! No surprises hidden. Kim was fully aware of our budget and did everything in her power to get us the most for our money. It always felt like we could TRUST her and we were in good and safe hands!! Every aspect of the budget was completely transparent and considerate of what we “CREATIVELY” needed to bring this board to life. The Network wasn’t just line producing the job based upon our spec sheet but became true creative partners, in every sense. Their creative input and suggestions took our board to a whole new level - beyond our dreams. The whole team from Japan really loved working with them!”

Kim White

+27 82 417 8608 kim@ntwk.co.za www.thenetwork.co.za

The Salvation ŠJoe Alblas

The Callsheet on

{2014}

COMMERCIALS FEATURE | 15

www.filmmakerafrica.co.za

COMMERCIALS COMMERCIALS COMMERCIALS COMMERCIALS COMMERCIALS

Why bring

YOUR AD TO AFRICA? A

FS Productions’ Brin Kushner, Cinergy producer David Elton, The Farm’s Pete Sherlock and Moonlighting’s Shayne Brookstein all agree the sales pitch for the region hasn’t changed much.

“South Africa’s unique selling points are still the 3 R’s - reasonable prices, responsibility, and reliability; three virtues that together must be a comfort in times of tight budgets,” says Cinergy producer David Elton.

“South Africa still offers value-for-money in a secure, first-world film environment, where your budgets are met and your service delivery is of an exceptional standard,”

says Pete. “The South African commercials industry has proved its worth in terms of meeting first-world filming requirements.”

“The general advantages remain weather, locations, equipment, studios, and high production value, as well as world-class production expertise and world-renowned crew,” says Shayne.

“South Africa is still at the forefront of international service destinations. It’s been an exciting year; we have worked with some very cool people,” says Brin, namedropping Jared Hess (Napoleon Dynamite), Victoria Beckham, Annie Leibovitz and Bob Dylan’s son Jesse.

by Kevin Kriedemann

Shayne agrees. “Overall we have had a brilliant season, with back-to-back shoots, ranging from very small, restricted budgets to large-scale ones; this year definitely saw bigger, more logistically challenging boards and some fun stuff.”

For example, Traktor came out with Stockholm’s The Producers to shoot their own comedic version of the Jean-Claude Van Damme ‘epic split’ for Com Hem, while Moonlighting also hosted 10-day shoots for Hoover, Vax and P&G. Core to this success is the South African can-do attitude. As Anna Mira D’Ercole from Bang Bang Films says, “Our film discipline

16 | COMMERCIALS FEATURE

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COMMERCIALS COMMERCIALS COMMERCIALS COMMERCIALS COMMERCIALS

On location in Kenya ©Moonlighting Commercials

has been enriched with the now well-known South African attitude of ‘let’s make a plan.’

The South African industry has proved for many years now, a positive and often naive attitude, that anything is possible and deserves a commitment to try our best to make things work no matter what or whose project it is. Perhaps it’s the country as a whole that has been historically able to adapt to sudden changes and situations that would normally confound other mentalities or cultures. People here seem to be more adaptable and very positive in their attitude to the pursuit of excellence.”

‘The Reader’ for Bells Whisky ©Velocity

Guiness Sapeurs ©Stillking

NEW SELLING POINTS Exchange Rate: At the time of writing, the rand was at 10.37 to the dollar, 14.27 to the Euro, and 17.5 to the pound, compared to R9 to the dollar, nearly R12 to the Euro and just over R14 to the pound this time last year.

“We are still a very cost-effective solution for clients needing to shoot abroad, and even now more so with the favorable exchange rates,” says AFS Productions’ Brin Kushner.

Moonlighting’s Shayne Brookstein points out that the weaker rand has “allowed even

more production than normal; around 25% more.”

Acting: South African actors are an undervalued selling point. Just watch Schwarzkopf ‘You: A Declaration of Love,’ where the chemistry between Kim Engelbrecht and Janez Vermeiren catapulted the Valentines’ ad to over 12 million YouTube views after it shot in South Africa with Giant Films. “Our spread of ethnicities means we can easily deal with global campaigns,” says The Farm producer Pete Sherlock.

“Almost all cultures of the world are represented in this ‘rainbow nation’ that makes up SA,” agrees Anna Mira D’Ercole from Bang Bang Films.

“Some of our long-time clients have been in contact this year with projects that are more cast-driven than location-dependent, as their previous experiences on cast proved so successful. Clients have even requested our talent to work on their shoots abroad.”

“Most of our work is predominately for the US market,” says AFS Productions’ Brin Kushner. “We have as always been able to provide our clients with American dialogue to match the US style neighbourhoods and buildings.”

Animation:

‘The Reader’ for Bells Whisky ©Velocity

“The South African industry is capable of doing the same level of work as international companies,” says Shy The Sun, who have the award-winning reel to prove it. “A company in Europe or USA will probably delivery faster, but these projects become one of their long list of numerous clients that will be given exactly what is asked for and no more. Going

18 | COMMERCIALS FEATURE

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COMMERCIALS COMMERCIALS COMMERCIALS COMMERCIALS COMMERCIALS with a South African company, you can expect people to work with dedication, commitment and the need to succeed all expectations, adding the personal experience.”

TRENDS Year-round demand: “Summer in South Africa will always be a drawcard during the Northern winter months.

But the original South African service concept of years ago, where ‘The Season’ lasted only through the summer months, seems now to have been extended,” says Anna Mira D’Ercole from Bang Bang Films. “We are seeing winter projects being shot here in South Africa, which are often not really location dependent. We are also seeing studio/interior films being shot in the middle of the winter, the so-called dead season. This season we are experiencing winter work even more than before, probably due to the weak Rand and odd weather patterns all over the world.”

That’s a wrap - ‘Chipsy Lays’ for Impact BBDO Cairo ©Moonlighting Commercials

Shooting in Africa: “This year saw us shooting in Ghana and Zambia,” says Brin. “We love shooting all over Africa; there are so many amazing untapped locations on our continent!”

Kenya, in particular, is a popular alternative to South Africa. Kenya was one of the locations for Moonlighting’s Windhoek Lager spot with Didier Drogba and goodcop’s MTN ‘Coffee’ spot, among others.

That said, Shayne hasn’t noticed an increase in shoots in Africa and says Moonlighting still often shoot ‘Africa’ in Gauteng. Ironically, they had to recreate African villages in Turkey, near the Black Sea, for the Windhoek spot, because of Drogba’s tight schedule.

International directors on South African boards: Both Network#BBDO’s Coronation ‘Trust Is Earned’ and The Jupiter Drawing Room’s Didier Drogba-vehicle Windhoek Lager ‘Here’s To World-Class Africans’ spot were filmed in South Africa with international directors, a worrying trend for local directorbased production companies.

Playing it safe: “We have very talented people in SA, but they are not challenged by the projects that are

“

Windhoek Lager for Jupiter Drawing Room on location in Turkey ©Moonlighting Commercials

Overall we have had a brilliant season, with back-to-back shoots, ranging from very small, restricted budgets to large-scale ones; this year definitely saw bigger, more logistically challenging boards and some fun stuff.

awarded from local companies, as the local industry is constantly underestimating the quality of deliverables,” says Shy The Sun. “This is one of the main reasons why we have so little local work on our reel. Giving people a chance is what make projects special and promotes a pleasurable experience of the process.”

SOUTH AFRICA’S CANNES LIONS CONTENDERS After a couple of disappointing years, South Africa seems to be entering less work into Cannes Lions this year.

Even Egg Films, winner of Creative Circle Ad of the Year and the most awarded production company at The Loerie Awards 2013, has only a single entry: their 140 BBDO spot, Oudemeester ‘Mastery In the Making,’ directed

by Kim Geldenhuys and starring Idris Elba.

COMMERCIALS FEATURE | 19

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COMMERCIALS COMMERCIALS COMMERCIALS COMMERCIALS COMMERCIALS But quantity is less important than quality.

Of the work that is being entered, Bells ‘The Reader’ is the hands-down South African favorite. Directed by Velocity Films’ Greg Gray for King James, the tearjerker follows an elderly man learning to read, who definitely deserves his drink by the end of the spot. It was a double finalist at The New York Festival and has nearly two million views on YouTube.

Of the international work shot in South Africa, Guinness ‘Sapeurs’ is the main contender. Conceptualised by two expat South Africans, art director Nadja Lossgott and copywriter Nicholas Hulley, the stylish spot celebrates the Sapeurs, the Congolese Society of Atmosphere Setters and Elegant People. These are ordinary men with an extraordinary sense of fashion, who demonstrate that, while you cannot always choose what you do, you can always choose who you are. Shot in Durban with Stillking, it’s directed by MJZ’s Nicolai Fugsig for AMV BBDO. The spot won Gold at The British Arrow Awards, while the five-minute

documentary that accompanies it won Silver.

Other SA-shot work featured on Shots and/or Best Ads since Cannes ‘13 • • •

• • • • • •

Act II Popcorn: ‘Not Just For Movies Anymore,’ directed by Egg Films’ Slim Amstel: ‘The Chef,’ directed by Velocity Films’ Greg Gray Cadbury’s Lunch Bar, ‘Tumi’s How To Get Ahead in Advertising,’ directed

by Velocity Films’ Adrian de sa Garces MTN: ‘Coffee,’ directed by goodcop’s Daniel Levi Nedbank: ‘Highland Fling,’ directed by Picture Tree’s Alan Irvin Polo Vivo: ‘The Hit,’ directed by Your Girlfriend’s Trevor Clarence Skrillex: ‘Ragga Bomb,’ directed by Egg Films’ Terence Neale Standard Bank: ‘Tablets,’ directed by Egg Films’ Slim Ster Kinekor: ‘Schuks, The Hobbit,’ directed by Embassy’s Grant De Sousa

• •

Toyota Land Cruiser: ‘Border Post,’ directed by goodcop’s Daniel Levi Yellow Pages: ‘Golden Plumber,’ directed by Velocity Films’ Anton Visser

South Africa at last year’s Cannes: recap Frieze Films won Bronze at last year’s Cannes Lions for Uni-ball ‘Swapped At Birth,’ ‘Bust You Out’ and ‘Pappy Is Dead,’ directed by Rob Malpage for TBWA\Hunt\ Lascaris. Rob, now with Velocity Films, was the only South African director to win.

A number of ads shot in South Africa were among the winners though.

Guinness ‘Cloud,’ shot in Johannesburg and Durban with Gorgeous director Peter Thwaites, won Bronze for Film and a Film Craft Gold for Script.

Egg Films serviced Robinson ‘Pals’ for Academy Films’ Si & Ad, which won Silver, and WWF ‘Dolyphan’ and ‘Bamboseal,’ which won Bronze for expat South African director Brent Harris.

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SOUTH AFRICAN LOCATIONS We just can’t work without them

A

sk any production company large or small, and they will tell you exactly the same thing: locations can make or break your commercial, film or music video. No matter what the project, one of the first things a production team does is search for an ideal location. “Locations are one of the most important elements in the story telling of a commercial,” says Nicci Cox, Executive Producer at Egg Films. “Thought goes into

the location ideas while still at treatment stage and once a job is awarded, very often, the first brief to go out is to the location scout.” She goes on to say that from there, final shooting boards are tailored to chosen locations. “Part of the overall success of the job relies on the location’s relevance working well for the story that needs to be told. A location scout will supply his or her photographic suggestions based on a director’s brief and the director will then

by Kim Muller

visit the selected locations numerous times before the shoot takes place to ensure that the location is the perfect setting for the commercial.”

Beccy Kellond, Marketing Manager at Moonlighting Film Production Services, wholeheartedly agrees. “Locations are a pivotal, crucial element of the shoot.

Locations are also one of the key reasons international clients come to shoot in SA,” she says. “We can replicate pretty much anywhere in the world in South Africa.” She cites a recent production that Moonlighting did for BBDO as an example. “Cape Town ‘did’ Japan, Spain, Mexico and ‘Africa’ in four days for Director Ali Ali and Impact BBDO’s Chipsy Lays campaign. Set builds included a Japanese house, a Spanish bullring, a Mexican town and an African village. We dressed Salma Hayek lookalikes, African girls, a Sumo wrestler, a Matador, a goat wrangler, a flamenco dancer, a Spanish contessa and 50 extras a day!”

“South Africa has doubled for most of the world,” says Anna Mira D’Ercole of Bang Bang Films, “This year we have had

Nomadic Orchestra Music Video Shoot © Michael Ellis

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THE KING

of the Wildlife Industry

by Lion Park

T

he Lion Park is an established leader in the commercial wildlife-filming industry and can provide any type of predator shot you may require: lion, spotted hyena, cheetah, leopard and many others. With a large array of animals to choose from including the famous white lions and our well-known tame giraffe, the Lion Park and its sister property “Kingdom of the White Lion” are spectacular filming playgrounds that are particularly suitable for advertisements, documentaries and specialised feature-film requirements.

The team at the Lion Park has a deep understanding of predators and a cast of 80 lions, including the famous white lions that starred in the internationally acclaimed and award-winning ‘The White Lion’ feature film, produced at the Lion Park and The Kingdom

of the White Lion Property.

Alex Larenty, head animal wrangler, has a team that not only has an enormous love of wildlife, but is also dedicated to this type of work. The filming involves three areas of interest: commercials, feature films, which involve human actors as well, and documentaries about the animals themselves.

When it comes to bringing in human actors, Alex and his team get involved, doubling up for the actors who are not familiar with the animals and the environment.

They have access to a stunning range of diverse and magnificent locations that include rivers, valleys and vast tracts of unspoilt wilderness. The team is also highly experienced in green-screen shooting.

Clients include: Animal Planet, BBC, Talking Picture Company, Isuzu & Delta

Motor Corporation, Jeep Cherokee, Mr Bones (feature film), Discovery Channel, Frieze Films, Velocity Films, National History New Zealand, Canal Satelite TV, Wild at Heart, Cell C, Toyota, Pepsi Max, National Geographic, SABC, Louis Vuitton, Samsung, Fish Eagle Brandy, Lion Girl and many more.

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Nomadic Orchestra Music Video Shoot © Michael Ellis

Recruiting:

COMMERCIALS DIRECTOR You are invited to join established Cape Town-based production company • Extensive international correspondents • Cpt & Jhb operation • Additional benefits • Minimum 7 years’ experience required • Awards earned beneficial to application • Experienced executive producer at the helm

Please send your cv and a link to your showreel to Kathy: kathy@kathyeb.co.za

to recreate anything from a Thai market to a Saudi Arabian hotel and a rural street in North Africa, to name but a few.”

This gives an idea of what is possible in South Africa, but its versatility isn’t the only reason it’s a hot spot for commercials.

She says, “Of course the weather in SA will always be a draw card during the northern winter months, as will the way locations work with such ease in as far as logistics and proximity is concerned.”

South Africa’s ability to adjust to suit each client is also an important reason so many campaigns come to South Africa.

Most production companies go above and beyond expectations to help their clients reach their goals. “Hobby Films came out to shoot a comedic campaign for Garage Hard Lemon (alcoholic lemonade) that had us shooting with 100 extras dressed in full medieval kit out at du Toitskloof Pass in 40 degree heat one day, and in studio with ice and penguins the next,” says Moonlighting producer Shayne Brookstein.

In order to further demonstrate the local industry’s flexibility, Kellond goes on to explain another campaign in detail: “South African agency Jupiter Drawing Room approached us in October 2013 with a Windhoek Lager storyboard – ‘Here’s to world class Africans – and asked us if we could recommend a director and produce it. The ad centred on football superstar Didier Drogba and draws a parallel between the beer from Africa that has grown to be celebrated and loved worldwide and Drogba’s rise to international soccer stardom. It focuses on a journey through Africa.

“We needed to find a director who had worked with high-profile sports stars, who could work around the tight timelines and short notice – that is, someone who could jump on a plane in the next three days and get to Istanbul where Didier is based – and who could produce the style the agency needed. Our Head of Production had just been looking at the reel of US based director Matt Bieler (with Serial Pictures) and we made contact. A week later Matt met Shayne in Istanbul along with Australian Art Director Ian Astridge and internationallyacclaimed Director of Photography, Masanobu Takayanagi. And so our journey began. They shot in Turkey, in and around the Black Sea where they recreated African

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Skrillex Raggab Bomb Shoot, Directed by Terence Neale © Egg Films

villages, in Malindi, Kenya and finally back in South Africa.”

“It was freezing cold and raining which made it difficult!” recalls Brookstein, “there was a below-freezing wind chill and we were shooting on the Black Sea with extras filming in African dress as if it were hot, plus Didier in shorts! Our last shoot day in Istanbul was pushed by a day because of Didier’s schedule, but we could not then push the shoot days in Kenya or South Africa so we effectively lost a day of prep in Kenya. This meant we ended up landing in Kenya at 8am, set out on a recce for eight different locations, arrived at the hotel at 8pm and then the call time was 4am the next morning. But the team in Kenya were amazing and it worked,” he adds.

Moonlighting’s CEO, Philip Key, believes that the secret to flexibility on the road is being prepared for anything. “Filmmaking is an expensive process so any holdup can be highly compromising. Good film production is about great preparation. A location can

be difficult for many reasons – it might be geographically challenging with a need to relocate crew in inaccessible places, it may be working in a city with hostile residents, filming dangerous stunts within the limits of what the location allows or working in extreme weather conditions by choice or through bad luck.

“Being prepared for all of the above is what makes a production successful. One can be prepared for some of these instances by buying insurance for adverse weather or extra expense. There are well established devices like movement orders, callsheets, continuity reports, gear-checks, location scouts, technical recces, rehearsals and many more that are designed to eliminate error – and all of these should be thoroughly executed.” Location and unit managers, he says, play a large role in preparing a set in a difficult environment.

Another reason directors and producers flock to the country is its lucrative incentive options and competitive labour expenses.

Mr Mandela Music Video Shoot at Cape Town City Hall © Trenton & Free Radical

According to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), those who shoot on location or using South African post-production services can qualify for a 20% rebate or more. The government also recently announced that the incentive scheme was under review and it would probably be increased to compete with the UK’s new rebate scheme.

Whether South Africa can maintain its place as Africa’s premier film and commercials destination in the future remains to be seen. Many other nations on the continent have slowly begun to realise their potential in the industry and as such, are vying for attention. North Africa – Morocco in particular – is a favourable spot for desert locales, with Kenya creating its own versatile, Afro-centric habitat and pool of talent for productions. But no matter what the outcome in the next decade or so, these countries have a while to go before they can even begin to match South Africa’s current capabilities.

Clapper with Assistant © Trenton & Free Radical

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EQUIPMENT RENTAL The Callsheet spoke to three heavyweights in the equipment rental industry about this year’s trends, and what we can expect in the coming season. technologies are developed and launched.

Tony Eddy Panavision What makes the rental service a draw card for international service work?

The Panavision brand is globally recognised and carries the assumption and assurance to our customers worldwide that they will be receiving the same quality and range of equipment combined with matching enthusiastic and knowledgeable technical service whether they are renting this from our offices in Los Angeles or London or from our South African offices. We pride ourselves in our team-knowledge and our understanding of the pressures experienced by both technical crews and production teams during a shoot and we have honed our levels of service over many successful years to be confident in our ability to be able to offer quality service to all international projects that choose to work in our great country.

Does South Africa use the latest equipment?

We do offer all of the latest of equipment locally and through our multi-national offices worldwide we have a huge network from which to draw on to satisfy the whims of all discerning Directors of Photography.

We generally find that international DP’s automatically expect us to be able to supply the same range of equipment out of our South African offices as they would find in Europe, Australia or the USA. Above this we have representation at all of the major international equipment exhibitions and are able to keep our fingers on the pulse as new

What new technologies are directors using in camera gear? What are the trends?

There is a new trend to use full-frame HD cameras and shoot on RAW on anamorphic lensing – most popular in long-format features but now also being requested on some top-end commercials as well. To compliment this Panavision has been very active on our very own product development with the recent launch of the new Primo 70 range of lenses at NAB this year and the Primo-V series which follow launches last year of the PVintage Panavision lenses. All Panavision glass, both anamorphic and spherical, remains hugely popular and is in high demand.

What additional services do you offer clients that add value to production?

Over and above our ability to offer worldwide logistical solutions to sourcing and moving of equipment, we also have a depth of local knowledge of the South African industry and the way it works and the players involved at all levels. Often, due to time restraints and our positioning at the tip of Africa we are called upon to offer mechanical solutions to adapt equipment to achieve specific needs or to manufacture grips rigs and art department assistance in order to achieve a particular shot or effect – all of which we are very capable of doing with our in-house facilities. Also because of our long-standing relationships with production houses, we are able to offer advice on likely equipment needs based on briefs and storyboards which assist production teams in the bidding and pre-shoot planning process.

What trends have emerged this past season (Nov 2013 - Apr 2014)?

As detailed above – additionally we are seeing on-going pressures on filming

budgets whilst expectations of the visual outcomes remains very high – there is pressure on crews and suppliers to deliver even more for less! And this is a difficult balancing act.

What do you expect next season?

A lot more...of the same! With an attractivelyweak currency and more aggressive international marketing and greater global recognition of the capabilities of the local industry, we should be set to enjoy a period of strong and sustained growth in the South African and even African Industry and Panavision looks forward to being very much part of that.

Bruce Anderson Flash Photo What makes the rental service a draw card for international service work?

The fact that clients have the peace of mind to know that Cape Town rental companies have all the stock necessary is a strong drawcard. Competition amongst suppliers is fierce. I love competition as it keeps me focused and the end client always benefits.

Cape Town in particular has the ability to supply a full spectrum of equipment to suit every photographer or videographers’ requests.

Does South Africa use the latest equipment?

The availability of stock is plentiful and producers have peace of mind that their teams will be serviced correctly. Flash Photo makes a point of reinvesting within every three years to keep up with the top of the range rental stock. Local photo-

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What new technologies are directors using in camera gear? What are the trends?

A grey area has developed over the past two years whereby stills photographers are also shooting behind the scenes/in house videos for clients. DSLR stills cameras have the ability to shoot at video quality which has opened up a new area for rental companies to capitalize on. The video/commercial shooting style has become a lot freer in the sense that old school static equipment rigs are no longer necessary. The videographer is now a lot more mobile which widens the possibilities for shooting.

What additional services do you offer clients that add value to production?

We offer digital/lighting/video equipment rental, and studio and in house photographers /videographers/editors/post production specialists. Producers know that Flash Photo has the full spectrum to rent from start to finish.

What trends have emerged this past season (Nov 2013 - Apr 2014)?

The days of lengthy shoots with the same gear every day are over. We have noticed a demand for shorter-length shoots with more variety in gear requests. The key is to be flexible and having acute awareness of the money involved in producing a shoot.

Our staff are known for speed of service and assisting clients on set to troubleshoot and advise if necessary. Production teams

need reliability and that is the key ingredient to our success. The advent of social media has spread the knowledge of what we offer.

Our posts are relevant and interesting with videographers/photographers displaying their recent work.

What do you expect next season?

The uptick of teams coming to Cape Town in particular from January 2014 is very encouraging. All rental companies have to stay ahead of the curve to meet the demand for the latest equipment. Flash Photo is very well positioned to capitalize on these requests as we are certainly prepared. I am encouraged by our growing range of clients and expect a very positive season ahead.

Neil Du Toit Media Film Service What makes the rental service a draw card for international service work?

Without the highly specialised and upto-date equipment, skills and knowledge required to service most of the international productions, the work would potentially find alternative markets if not available locally. The equipment-rentals market has now become global and as a result very competitive; a major cost such as freighting gear into the country for a shoot, would challenge the cost effectiveness of us as a industry if the rental facilities were not as established as they presently are.

Does SA use the latest equipment?

As an industry we cater largely for an international market that is accustomed to using the latest technology, being on the southern tip of Africa makes no difference.

To service this market you have to stay abreast with technology and need to supply the latest and greatest.

What new technologies are directors using in camera gear? What are the trends?

Shooting anamorphic on features was most definitely the new trend, apparent but less so, in the commercial world. Many of the lens manufacturers such as Zeiss, Cooke and Angenieux have now released a range of anamorphic prime and zoom lenses due to the demand. A further trend, as a result of light-weight cameras and the support gear, allowed innovative and interesting ways of filming scenes differently - such as the Movi, a stabilised handheld rig, as well as drones, and has created much interest in our market.

What additional services do you offer clients that add value to production?

Besides offering camera lights and grips, Media offers the sale of consumables and studio facilities. Media Film Service also belongs to the Silverline 360 Group, which consists of companies that offer world-class film and broadcast services to clients in Africa. This also includes equipment rental, post production, professional sales and production facilitation.

What do you expect next season?

The buzz words globally in the industry at the moment are 4K and anamorphic, this trend will most definitely still develop over the seasons/years to come.

26 | VALUE LOGISTICS

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6 REASONS WHY

your next movies should be made Tracey Le Roux, Group Marketing Manager, Value Logistics in South Africa! Bywww.value.co.za Value Logistics is one of the largest local logistics company in South Africa. In their experience when working with local and international film companies who are looking for reliable partners but are struggling to find a one stop solution they are able to offer a dedicated film team that provides immediate answers to all your logistical challenges ensuring a great filming experience.

If this is relevant to you then engage with them on their website: www.value.co.za At Value we act to ensure that your film succeeds.

South Africa offer’s a great filming experience that will allow for the production of great movies.

“One of the sayings in our country is Ubuntu – the essence of being human. Ubuntu speaks particularly about the fact that you can’t exist as a human being in isolation. It speaks about our interconnectedness. You can’t be human all by yourself, and when you have this quality – Ubuntu – you are known for your generosity. – Nelson Mandela

The Spirit of Ubuntu is alive Ubuntu is what defines us as a nation. We strongly believe in the concept of connectedness or oneness. This means that your wellbeing and successes will become ours. South Africa will embrace you. She is inviting and easily accepts you as family. We are people who really care about your success. It is expressed in the statement, “I exist because you exist” or “I am what I am because of who we all are.”

Greatest locations you can imagine Half the fun is getting to South Africa and experiencing its rich culture, but the real jol (local slang for a great time) begins when the filming starts. Filming has centred on Johannesburg and Cape Town. Big stars such as Sean Penn, Matt Damon, Denzel Washington and even our own Charlize Theron are now regularly seen in the streets of both cities. Long winter months, with lots of

strong, clear sunlight, combined with magnificent landscapes and you have the perfect location for a great movie. From the snow white beaches at the coast to the rugged mountains inland mixed with exotic wildlife, South Africa has it all.

World class expertise South Africa has a vibrant and growing film industry with highly developed film and TV infrastructure. Globally recognised for its ability to provide expert skills and well developed support systems. This is why the production of big budget movies such as Mad Max: Fury Road, Blood Diamond, Invictus and Safe House has been possible. The jewel in South Africa’s crown was Tsotsi, Gavin Hoods’ 2006 film that received an Oscar. District 9, an action packed movie featuring an alien invasion of Johannesburg also received an Oscar nomination in 2010.

Exceptional local talent We have a host of local artists who have received international recognition for their work.

Charlize Theron received an Oscar for her 2004 performance in Monster. Embeth Davidz, Trevor Rabin, and John Kani are other big name stars that have received international fame. South Africa has an exceptional talent pool that can provide anything from a simple extra to a leading star in an action flick.

Easy Logistical reach Supply chains are the backbone of any economy and logistics performance is a key marker of

efficiency as highlighted in the recent World Bank report* (go to www.value.co.za for full report).

South Africa has a well developed logistical infrastructure. There are 90 airports, an extensive 20 070 km rail network, 362,099 km of roads and eight shipping harbours. There is very little that cannot be brought to South Africa and moved around quickly. The logistics industry is the best on the African continent. Everything from expensive equipment to exotic props can be easily moved across the country and into neighbouring states. You can be sure no matter what the location your equipment and set requirements can be moved there.

Favourable exchange rates International film makers are able to take advantage of the favourable exchange rates and low production costs which makes producing a movie in South Africa much cheaper than either the US or Europe. The banking system is one of the best in the world so the transfer of funds will be safe and relatively seamless. The government has targeted the film industry as a growth and employment opportunity. The State is now the biggest investor in the movie industry. Film commissions have been set up in most big cities to assist potential film makes South Africa is waiting, don’t hesitate!

28 | CANNES LIONS

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CREATIVITY IS KING at Cannes Lions 2014

International Festival of Creativity 2013 Š Cannes Lions

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C

networking opportunities and mixers along the Riviera. This year, a few changes were made to the Palme d’Or award, with Cannes Lions announcing that production companies no longer need to have at least 10 entries in qualifying categories to be eligible. All shortlisted and winning entries from a production company will now also be considered, and shortlisted points will now be capped at 0 points, which is in line with the existing Agency of the Year rules.

“

This much-anticipated event sees over 12,000 people from 94 countries come together for seven unmissable days.

“

Images © Cannes Lions 2013

annes Lions International Festival of Creativity – the largest celebration of creative advertising and communications – is gearing up for an exciting run this year with heaps of inspiration in store. This muchanticipated event sees over 12,000 people from 94 countries come together for seven unmissable days of learning, networking and festivity. Over 230 speakers including industry superstars, thought leaders and celebrity icons will take to the stage to share their insights, while game-changing brand communications from across the world will be on show and honoured at the award ceremonies.

One of the main drawcards of Cannes Lions is its diverse line-up of speakers. From the creatives, the marketers and those in film and entertainment to the techies, the businessmen and the journalists, there’s something for everyone. These include ‘Game of Thrones’ series creator David Benioff, Scott Belsky, Head of Behance, Matt Beavis of Sony Mobile, Nikesh Arora from Google, and Pam Grossman of Getty Images. Filmmaker Spike Jonze and actors Ralph Fiennes, David Hasselhof and Sir Patrick Stewart are also on the speakers list, as well as musicians Imogen Heap, Ne-Yo, Jared Leto and Courtney Love. A host of creative agencies will also take to the stage with renowned names like JWT, BBDO, Ogilvy & Mather, McCann, DDB, Publicis and others gracing the line-up.

Of course the real reason that everyone attends is for the awards. This part of the programme is often what boosts the winner’s profile to a global level and brings in more clients – along with the countless

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consult extensively with industry leaders to ensure that we continue to be relevant and reflect the changes that are happening in the business around the world,” says Terry Savage, Chairman of Lions Festivals. “These adjustments to the calculations of the Special Awards are no exception, and as such we are delighted to have the support and endorsement of the key players.”

2014 will see some fascinating highlights, with a special programme dedicated to showcasing, understanding and celebrating Brazilian creativity. Philip Thomas, CEO of Lions Festivals says the case is very strong

“

Images © Cannes Lions 2013

In late April, the festival named HBO’s Richard Plepler as Media Person of the Year for 2014. It also honoured McDonalds with the Creative Marketer of the Year award, which will be presented along with the other lions. A few changes have been made to the award categories with Media Agency of the Year being replaced by Media Network of the Year and with the global Network of the Year award for the first time being complemented with a Regional Network of the Year award.

“As is our usual process when introducing changes at Cannes Lions, we

The 2013 Cannes Report ranked Brazil as the second most creative country in the world, and São Paulo as the most creative city in the world.

“

Images © Cannes Lions 2013

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for hosting a Brazil day. “The 2013 Cannes Report ranked Brazil as the second most creative country in the world,” he says, “and São Paulo as the most creative city in the world, with the country’s total haul of lion trophies amounting to 114. On top of this, the report’s highest-ranked creative director, art director and copywriter all hail from Brazil. It’s proof that the industry in Brazil is rocketing at the moment and we want to be able to bring a bit of this to

Cannes, offering inspiration and insight from some of the most creative minds currently working in Brazil.”

The Cannes Lions Young Marketers Academy will be returning to the International Festival of Creativity for a fifth year, this time with a new sponsor – leading brand and communications agency Dentsu Aegis Network. Designed for young marketers working for client companies, the academy focuses on four key topics: the case for

creativity, communication strategy excellence, best-practice agency-client relationships and the modern brand. The course will be led by Jim Stengel, former Global Marketing Officer of P&G. “This is an absolutely transformational experience for young leaders,” says Stengel of the academy, “I continue to receive notes from our ‘graduates’ on the difference this week has had on their business and on their careers. It’s my favourite week of the year!”

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Mads Mikkelsen in ‘The Salvation’ - Image courtesy Nordisk Film

JOE ALBLAS

-Still Photographer to the Stars

Do you only work on films What are some of the or do you shoot stills for unique or high profile commercials as well? stills shoots that you have worked on in Africa?

I come from an advertising and fashion photography background, but since 2002 I have worked primarily as a motion picture still photographer – covering both unit stills and the specials on feature films, drama television series and history documentaries.

I was fortunate to learn about filmmaking quite some time ago by shooting stills campaigns for advertising agencies on the back of commercials.

Recently, shooting in Morocco I completed working on ‘The Bible’, a 10-part mini-series for History Channel and the feature film ‘Son of God’ produced by multiple Emmy award winner Mark Burnett. This is History’s most watched series to date, and led to me exhibit some of my images at the Highline in New York at the launch of the DVD/Blu Ray hosted by 20th Century Fox Entertainment.

In South Africa, I worked on a classical western ‘The Salvation’, which has been included in the ‘Official Selection’ at Festival De Cannes this year. It features a starstudded cast such as Mads Mikkelsen, Eva Green, Eric Cantona, Mikael Persbrandt, Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Jonathan Pryce.

What are the greatest challenges facing your industry?

Motion picture stills, as the foundation of the publicity and marketing campaign, have

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to communicate, at a glance, all values of the project – its’ essential DNA – from story to headline actors, genre to production quality, and beyond. Capturing these elements in a range of distinctive images is the challenge facing motion picture still photographers.

The world of film stills is a very different animal today than it once was. Those glorious, staged Hollywood classics of yesteryear by the likes of George Hurrell and Clarence Sinclair Bull are now history.

Today, it is all about realism and images that could essentially pass as virtual screen grabs from the movie.

Modern day films now require immense publicity to ensure success – some genres are heavily geared towards multimedia development for projects that boast extremely efficient interactive websites and others perhaps require the headline actors to be displayed on giant billboards – thus bringing a new set of challenges for the still photographer.

What sets Africa apart from other locations?

What makes it unique?

Filming on location in South Africa provides a wonderful opportunity to showcase the skillset of our camera and sound technicians and production designers.

Within the diversity of the locations Africa has to offer, sets can be constructed in any genre (from sci-fi to western to drama-documentaries set in any period) and the technical team brings to the screen and highlight to audiences the range of the landscapes that Africa offers.

What advice would you give to up-and-coming stills photographers?

First and foremost, you have to be a really competent photographer - buying a good DSLR is not the starting point! Besides having a cinematographer’s eye with regards to framing and lighting, you must be able to work under pressure just like a press photographer or war correspondent would in an area of conflict.

To accomplish this you would require a thorough understanding of how a film is actually made whilst having a sound knowledge of absolutely everything that is connected to recording a digital image.

This includes being proficient processing

“

Joe Alblas

In South Africa, I worked on a classical western ‘The Salvation’, which has been included in the ‘Official Selection’ at Festival De Cannes this year.

files in Photoshop, appending metadata, uploading to digital management platforms and supplying producers with the deliverables they are looking for to communicate with immediately.

Secondly, you must understand that merely studying scripts and the shooting schedules will not suffice to allow you to add value to a project. To be effective, you have to have numerous conversations with the producers, director, cinematographer and production designer.

Lastly, you need to recognise that your status on set is pretty low and that you must keep a low profile for much of the time when filming is taking place, this demands selfeffacement. Always remember, you are not the one shooting the movie; you have a very different role – you’re there only to enhance.

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Call for Nominations: Simon “Mabhunu” Sabela Awards

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he KwaZulu-Natal Film Commission is calling for nominations for the 2nd Simon Mabhunu Sabela Awards.

The Simon Mabhunu Sabela film awards recognises outstanding achievement and excellence within the South African Film industry, with a special focus on the KwaZulu-Natal province. The theme for 2014 will be ‘Passing the Baton and Keeping the Fire Burning’. Among those who will be honoured at the awards are actors, producers, directors and various film technicians. The awards are an initiative of the Department of Economic Development and Tourism, and are

implemented by the KwaZulu-Natal Film Commission. Mr. Simon Mabhunu Sabela, in whose honour the film awards are named, was a legend in film and television. Not only was he South Africa’s first black film director, he also had a long and successful career which saw him feature in over 34 movies, both nationally and internationally.

The categories for the awards are as follows: • Heroes and Legends • Professionals • New Entrants The awards will be presented during a gala event to coincide with the Durban International Film Festival on Saturday 19 July 2014.

For Entry Forms and Guidelines please contact Adolphin on 031 325 0200 or email:

simonsabela@kwazulunatalfilm.co.za. The closing date for entries is 13 June 2014 at 17:00.

36 | COUNTRY SPOTLIGHT

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THE EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITY -A Stunning Sensory Overload

W © Stella Bogdanic

elcome to a world of magnificent wildlife, vibrant and energetic people and exotic locations as far as the eye can see. The East African Community (EAC) – comprising Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi – is a buzzing region where local and international film industry professionals rub shoulders on a regular basis. Long known as one of the foremost African film locations, the EAC is home to the Serengeti National Park and countless other game reserves, sky-scraping mountain ranges, lush, tropical forests and thousands of rolling hills.

A Creative Hub for Filmmakers

© Stella Bogdanic

According to Neil Drewitt, Business Development Director at a Kenya-based company called Wunderman, young, aspiring filmmakers in the region have been pushing YouTube’s potential. “Generally speaking, short-form video is really the dark secret of the internet in Africa,” he says, “People don’t like reading loads and loads of text, but they will watch video, which is why YouTube is fantastically successful here.” Other creative leaders in the region have echoed this sentiment, saying that rough animation has also taken off as a trend, as has the exploration of local heritage and storytelling.

Other significant film milestones for the region include Kenyan Lupita Nyong’o winning the 2014 Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in ’12 Years A Slave’, iconic films like

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Did You Know?

The Zanzibar International Film Festival (ZIFF) will take place between 14 and 22 June 2014. ZIFF will be celebrating its 17th edition this year and will open the festival with ‘Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom’. For more information visit www.ziff.or.tz.

© Barbara Schneider

‘Out of Africa’ (1985), and the development of the Riverwood industry – Kenya’s version of Nollywood. Riverwood is frenetic and constantly on the move, churning out up to 200 titles a year with most shot for less than ZAR10,000. Uganda-based Maisha Film Lab is a luminescent organisation in the region. The first of its kind to offer emerging filmmakers with training and opportunities, it provides hands-on intensives in screenwriting, directing, cinematography, editing and sound recording.

Filming in East Africa The East African Community is worldrenowned for its picturesque landscapes, welcoming people and wide selection of locations. The mighty Mount Kilimanjaro stands at 5,896m above sea level peeking through the clouds, while the big five can be found in the Masai Mara –an unparalleled wildlife spectacle from the annual wildebeest migration to a myriad species gathering at watering holes during the dry season. The Virunga Mountains beacon filmmakers with six volcanoes and 125 square kilometres of rainforest, home to Rwanda’s Gorilla population. The EAC is also home to Lake Tanganyika, a host of biodiversity and bird life, and the exotic, sun-kissed beaches of Zanzibar.

All five nations require various filming and location permits which take between a week and a month to obtain. Kenyan filming licenses can be obtained through a local, registered production service provider and

issued by the Department of Film Services, while location permits are issued by various regional and local governing bodies.

Obtaining permission to film in Tanzania can be lengthy and time-consuming and costs around UD$1,000 if you apply 3 months in advance and US$3,000 if the application is rushed. Rwanda requires press accreditation for each crew member from the Ministry of Information and the Ministry of Sports & Culture, while in Burundi most locations are possible given time, money and the right approach, with inexpensive local talent and supporting crew. Uganda also requires press accreditation for each crew member, taking a minimum of one week to process.

Getting to the EAC by Air All five East African nations have flag carriers – Air Tanzania, RwandAir, Air Uganda, Kenya Airways and Air Burundi. Most of the carriers provide extended regional services to a variety of east, west and central African nations as well as limited international flights. International airlines offer flights to countries further afield, with Johannesburg and Dubai as popular points of connection.

Population Kenya – 44,037,656 Tanzania – 48,261,942 Rwanda – 12,012,589 Burundi – 10,888,321 Uganda – 34,758,809 Total – 149,959,317 (CIA World Factbook, July 2013 est.)

© Barbara Schneider

Climate Despite its location around the equator, the EAC has an atypical climate. Because of its generally high altitude, rains and westerly monsoons created by the Rwenzori Mountains, East Africa is surprisingly cool and dry for its latitude. There are two distinct wet seasons – one in April and the other between October and November.

West of the mountains the rainfall pattern is more tropical, while coastal regions are hot and humid. Temperatures tend to hover between 15 and 25 degrees Celsius throughout the year.

You Need to Know About The EAC recently established a regional film network in order to map its culture and creative industries. Players in the motion pictures, media and culture and arts sectors met in the Tanzanian diplomatic town of Arusha in March to create “a Forum that includes film festivals and filmmakers from within the East African Community Partner States”. This will help with the region’s integration, socio-economic development and youth employment.

38 | IN PRODUCTION

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IN PRODUCTION June 2014

‘Eye In The Sky’

‘Homeland’ The Golden Globe and Emmy-winning series ‘Homeland’ is relocating to Cape Town for its fourth season, which will shoot from June-November 2014.

Moonlighting is rumoured to be the production company, having worked with showrunner Alex Gansa before on ‘24: Redemption.‘ The show sounds like it’ll be reinventing itself slightly: there’s no Damien Lewis, with the plot instead revolving around Carrie Mathison (Claire Danes) returning to the Middle East as chief of station, according to Deadline.

Mandy Patinkin is expected to still play a key role.

‘The Last Space/Face’ Sean Penn was spotted at Dias Tavern in Cape Town in April. He’s rumoured to be scouting for his next directorial effort, which is called both ‘The Last Space’ and ‘The Last Face’ on the internet.

Shadow & Act says the film will be set in the refugee camps of Sudan and Liberia, with ‘Blue Is The Warmest Colour’ star Adele Exarchapoulos in a small role as a journalist. The Wrap says South African Oscar-winner Charlize Theron, who’s been linked to Sean romantically, is in talks for the lead, while IMDB also lists Javier Bardem among the cast. No word yet on who the local production company would be.

‘Prisoner of War’ According to Deadline, American Joe Miale’s feature film directorial debut is “the story of humankind’s last stand against a cataclysmic alien invasion, set in a war-ravaged African countryside.” Alex Russell (‘Chronicle’) is in negotiations to star alongside ‘Skyfall’ Bond girl Berenice Marlohe. The film is expected to begin production in September in South Africa.

According to Deadline, Gavin Hood (‘Ender’s Game,’ ‘Tsotsi’) is expected to return to his homeland in August to shoot ‘Eye In The Sky,’ a drone warfare thriller written by BAFTA winner Guy Hibbert and starring Oscar-winner Colin Firth.

Deadline says the plot “centres on London-based military intelligence officer Colonel Michelle Madden who is remotely commanding a top-secret drone operation that aims to capture a group of terrorists in Nairobi. The mission suddenly escalates from a ‘capture’ to a ‘kill’ operation when she realizes the targets are about to embark on a suicide mission, which would result in the deaths of many innocent civilians.

Meanwhile, American drone pilot Steve Watts is poised to destroy the safe house when a nine-year-old-girl enters the kill zone. With unforeseen collateral damage factoring into the equation and with the volatility of the situation increasing, Madden must pass the mission’s authority up the ‘kill chain’ to politicians and lawyers, including the British Foreign secretary.”

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IN PRODUCTION | 39

Thanks to ever-present confidentiality clauses, no one is ever allowed to officially talk about what’s in production in Africa, so this monthly section is an unofficial overview of the industry’s worst-kept secrets.

‘Black Sails,’ ‘Dominion’ and ‘Hollywood In My Huis’ should all have wrapped by June, but there’s lots of interesting work on the horizon.

Rumoured Sacha Baron Cohen film

‘Sand Castle’ ‘Sand Castle’ will star Nicholas Hoult (‘Mad Max: Fury Road’) and Toby Kebbell (‘Wrath of the Titans’) in an Iraq-war drama based on the Black List ‘inspired by real events’ script from war veteran Chris Roessner. Mark Gordon (‘Source Code,’ ‘Saving Private Ryan’) is producing for commercials director Seb Edwards, making his feature debut. The film is expected to shoot in October 2014 in South Africa and Italy.

A Million Ways To Die In The West © Universal Pictures

There are also rumours that Sacha Baron Cohen (‘Borat’) is coming to South Africa. Variety says his next film is Louis Leterrier’s spy action comedy ‘Grimsby,’ where he’ll star as the English soccerhooligan brother of a British Black Ops agent on the run (Mark Strong). Working Title is among the producers.

40 | EVENTS

June

L

HOLLYWOOD BLACK FILM FESTIVAL 2–7 California, U.S.A ISMAILIA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 4–9 Cairo, Egypt ENCOUNTERS DOCUMENTARY FILM FESTIVAL 6 – 23 Cape Town, South Africa ANNECY INTERNATIONAL ANIMATION FILM FESTIVAL 9 – 14 Annecy, France SAN FRANCISCO BLACK FILM FESTIVAL 12 – 15 San Francisco, U.S.A. ZANZIBAR INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 14 – 22 Zanzibar, Tanzania CANNES LIONS 15 – 21 Cannes, France AMERICAN BLACK FILM FESTIVAL 18 – 21 New York, U.S.A.

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EVENTS | 41

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July GRAHAMSTOWN NATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL 3 – 13 Grahamstown, South Africa

DURBAN FILMMART 22 – 23 Durban, South Africa WILD TALK AFRICA 23 – 26 Durban, South Africa

Bales of Hay, France © Fred Fokkelman, rgbstock.com

DURBAN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 18 – 28 Durban, South Africa

42 | ASSOCIATIONS

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SOS Coalition & Right2Know Join Forces on World Press Freedom Day

CPA & SAASP: Film Industry Fund Donates Computers

The S.O.S Coalition and the Right 2 Know Campaign marked World Press Freedom Day this year with a protest for media freedom on 2 May outside the SABC in Johannesburg.

3 May 2014 23 years since the adoption of the Windhoek Declaration on promoting an independent and pluralistic media. “A free and diverse media is critical to promoting transparency, accountability and the freedom of expression that are vital to a democracy that meets the needs of its people.” SOS said in a recent release.

“This World Press Freedom Day is important for us to observe because much of the South African and African media more generally, are increasingly coming under physical, political and ideological attack and pressure from both governments and powerful corporate interests. The result has been, and continues to be, a gradual loss of organisational and political independence as well as press freedom, made worse by many media outlets succumbing to various forms of censorship. All of this impedes our right to know, and undermines the ability of radio and television, newspapers and magazines, to investigate fearlessly and report independently and in the public interest.”

In 2013 in Africa, an estimated total of 65 journalists, editors, publishers, or citizen journalists or bloggers were either imprisoned or killed in the exercise of their profession, the statement said. In South Africa, press freedom ranked first in Africa in 1994. “In the last decade we have fallen to 5th place, 42nd worldwide. There are a number of worrying trends that undermine any cause for celebration such as legislation like the Secrecy Bill and media ownership dominated by corporate monopolies.”

On 28 April 2014, the Film Industry Fund supported the Baphumelele Waldorf Association in Khayelitsha by donating five computers, software and a network printer with internet connectivity and fully integrated into their existing computer network to the value of R37 000,00. These computers will be used by the 230 children in the care of Rosie Mashale in the foundation’s enrichment centre.

The Film Industry Fund is registered with the department of social services as a non-profit organization and was created by the CPA & SAASP in order to give back to the communities in which filming takes place in a sustainable and responsible manner. Currently 27 production companies contribute towards the Fund and each time these companies film on location in Cape Town, a donation is made to the Film Industry Fund NPC. These donations are then ring-fenced with 50% going towards the community in which filming takes place, 35% going to previously disadvantaged areas (called the communal fund) and the remaining 15% going towards administration.

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ASSOCIATIONS | 43 Š Candy Kennedy

44 | DIRECTORY LISTINGS

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ADVERTISERS COMPANY

TELEPHONE

EMAIL

WEBSITE

AFS Productions

+27 21 424 9999

info@afsproductions.com

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Aquila Private Game

+27 861 737 3783

res@aquilasafari.com

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Avis Rent a Car

+27 21 424 1661

avisfilm@avis.co.za

www.avis.com

Chris Vermaak

+27 86 649 8845

chrisvermaakster@gmail.com

www.chrisvermaak.co.za

Durban International Film Fesitival

+27 31 260 2506

diff@ukzn.ac.za

www.durbanfilmfest.co.za

Durban Film Mart

+27 31 311 4243

info@durbanfilmmart.com

www.durbanfilmmart.com

Fairbridges

+27 21 405 7300

attorneys@fairbridges.co.za

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Flash Photo

+27 81 876 1233

digital@flashphoto.co.za

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Ginger Pictures

+27 11 888 8240

julie@gingerpictures.tv

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KZN Film Commission

+ 27 31 325 0202

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Lion Park

+27 87 150 0100

info@lionpark.com

www.lionpark.com

Media Film Services

+27 21 511 3300

brad@mediafilmservice.com

www.mediafilmservice.com

Moonlighting

+27 21 447 2209

philip@moonlighting.co.za

www.moonlighting.co.za

Panavision

+27 21 555 1780

nicholas.doble@panavision.za.com

www.panavision.com

Pioneer Freight

+27 21 386 5946

info@pioneerfreight.co.za

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Pro Events

+27 72 549 1162

info@proevents-sa.co.za

www.proevents-sa.co.za

Silver Lining Pictures

+27 21 422 0072

renier@silverliningpictures.tv

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Stillking Cape Town

+27 82 451 0589

rudi.r@stillking.com

www.stillking.com

Sunshine Company

+27 21 465 8262

info@sunshinecompany.co.za

www.sunshinecompany.co.za

Value Logistics

+27 86 010 0046

traceylr@value.co.za

www.value.co.za

Wesgro

+27 21 487 4868

monica@wesgro.co.za

www.wesgro.co.za

Wizards

+27 21 461 9334

copy@wizardz.co.za

www.wizardz.co.za

CONTACT US

Cover Image: Nomadic Orchestra Shoot Š Michael Ellis Publisher: Lance Gibbons lance@filmeventmedia.co.za Editor: Katie Reynolds katie@filmeventmedia.co.za Head of Design: Sheree Steenkamp sheree@filmeventmedia.co.za Editorial & Design Co-ordinator: Kim Muller kim@filmeventmedia.co.za Brand Manager: Jennifer Dianez jennifer@filmeventmedia.co.za

Digital Co-ordinator: Siyasanga Denga siyasanga@filmeventmedia.co.za Production Co-ordinator: Tammi Klein tammi@filmeventmedia.co.za Manager, Special Projects: Taryn Fowler taryn@filmeventmedia.co.za Group sales Manager: Carl Mellors Carl@filmeventmedia.co.za 57 2nd Avenue, Harfield Village, Claremont 7708, Cape Town, South Africa Tel: +27 21 674 0646

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