Ready for Jozi Film Festival 2015?

The fourth annual Jozi Film Festival is set to take place from 19 to 22 February at The Bioscope Independent Cinema in Maboneng Precinct and at Rosebank’s Cinema Nouveau.

The opening night film is Love the one you love, directed by Jenna Cato Bass.

This will be the Johannesburg premiere of the film, which first screened at the Durban International Film Festival (DIFF) last year and won Best South African Feature Film, Best Direction in a South African Feature Film and Best Actress (Chi Mhende).

Love the one you love marks the directorial debut of Bass.

“Despite the film having already screened at DIFF, we at Jozi Film Festival believe that this is an important South African film and one that Jozi audiences haven’t yet had the chance to see, hence its selection,” said Lisa Henry, founder of the Jozi Film Festival.

The film is unique in its style and narrative, and lead actress Chi Mhende is compelling to watch as Terri, a sex line operator in a relationship with Sandile (Andile Nebulane). The two seem to have it all, but things gradually disintegrate between them.

“Born out of a desire to pioneer a new kind of South African independent film, Love the one you love proves that nano-budgets and big ideas can co-exist in a country still looking for its cinematic voice. It’s this kind of film we at JFF are thrilled to support,” said Henry.

“Jozi Film Festival is also thrilled to announce the South African premiere of the award-winning Canadian film, Mommy.”

The film stars Anne Dorval as Diane Després, a widowed mother who is overwhelmed by the difficulty of raising her troubled, sometimes violent, son Steve (Antoine Olivier Pilon) as a single parent. Després then begins to receive assistance and support from her mysterious new neighbour, Kyla (Suzanne Clément).

Directed by Xavier Dolan, the film has won multiple awards worldwide.

Mommy screens at Cinema Nouveau on the evening of 21 February and will enjoy a cinematic release later in the year.

The closing night film is a feature length documentary from the UK called Garnet’s gold. Directed by Ed Perkins, the film tells the moving story of Garnet Frost as he journeys into the mind of a man searching for meaning. This is a film about dreams, inspiration and the resonating power of hope.

All other films screening at the festival can be found on the Jozi Film Festival website: www.jozifilmfestival.co.za.

A multi-genre slate of films will be on offer from South Africa, USA, Namibia, Cyprus, India and Spain, to name a few.