Joburg’s who’s who of the movie world joined VIPs and members of the media at the Market Theatre on 2 July for a red carpet launch of RapidLion: The South African International Film Festival and in-festival competition.
The new kid on the awards circuit will host its inaugural run next year at the Market Theatre, which organisers will transform into a world-class film festival venue between 12 and 19 March.
“RapidLion seeks to create a buzz around the local film industry – from our home in South Africa all the way up the continent,” said Eric Miyeni, founder of RapidLion, and himself an African actor and director.
Miyeni told the crowd that RapidLion exists to promote South African cinema, in the same way that the Oscars do in the American territory and Cannes does in the Western European territory.
“If we want the film world to take [Africa] seriously, then we have to show up and look good. Cannes is not a little party event, Oscars is not a little party event. [They are] a big marketing tool every year for every film in those territories,” Miyeni said during a SABC news broadcast.
RapidLion also seeks to strengthen bilateral relations with countries in the Bics (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) block by screening films from Brics territories and giving a Best of Brics Award during the in-festival awards.
The festival’s most coveted award will be The Lionel Ngakane Lifetime Achievement Award, which will be presented to South African film producer Anant Singh next year.
Entries for the in-festival competition opened on 1 July, and will award the RapidLion In Platinum statuette, an 8kg jumping lioness wrought in pure platinum, to filmmakers in various categories including:
- Best Director
- Best Actor/Actress in a leading role
- Best Editor
- Best Cinematographer.
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