Diepsloot-produced short film nominated in 48 Hours Film Festival

Diepsloot Youth Programme coordinator, community activist, filmmaker and creative arts performer, Babikie Sathekge, also known as Papi said he was optimistic about the future of the film industry in South Africa.

This, after a seven-minute Diepsloot-produced film titled, What’s the Big Deal was nominated among five films in the Audience Choice category at this year’s 48 Hour Film Project. It is an annual competition hosted from 4 to 6 September.

The short film focuses on an ex-prisoner who is on a mission to inculcate a positive mindset among local youngsters and encourage them to make good choices.

“On Friday night [4 September], the participating teams drew a genre from a hat and they were then given a character, prop and line to include in their films. On Sunday night [6 September], the film was then screened at a local theatre in front of an audience of filmmakers, friends and families,” Sathekge explained.

He said the 48 Hour Film Project has helped local filmmakers to showcase their skills and unearth new, young local talent in the film industry. “The 48 Hour Film Project’s mission is to advance filmmaking and promote filmmakers. Through its festival, the project encourages filmmakers and would-be filmmakers to get out there and make good movies.”

Sathekge concluded, “The film we made was only seven minutes long because the rules of the festival dictated for us to do so. We are in a process of making this movie 90 minutes long. Diepsloot has a pool of talented young actors and actresses who are craving to showcase their acting skills to the world.”