The red carpet was rolled out for the continent’s greatest storytellers at the Circa Gallery in Rosebank. Invitees got a chance to preview details of what’s to come at the Joburg Film Festival launch.
The extended festival programme will be held from 19 to 24 November at six different venues in one city. Emcee of the event and TV presenter, Hulisani Ravele said the festival is a celebration of purpose, creativity and our stories which are ‘our gold’.
“In its third year, the festival is the only one set to elevate stars not only here but across the world. The festival not only tells our African stories but it shows how we have grown as an industry,” Ravele said.
The programme will centre around three important elements which are film, industry as well as youth and audience development.
Johannesburg Film Festival brand manager, Lunga Nene said Johannesburg is a city with a complicated history and that makes it the most appropriate bedrock for storytelling. “We pride ourselves in that and when you attend this November, you will see a variety of films of both local and global magnitude. Creatives not celebrated enough will have the opportunity to be in the spotlight.”
He added that they would also have a month-long youth development programme to enhance and elevate future filmmakers with a variety of skills to tell stories. Nene said, “Part of the workshops will be for the filmmakers to share favourite parts of Gauteng and how they draw inspiration from them. During such times it seems more important than ever to tell stories in order to encourage healing through events that tie us together and connect us.”
MultiChoice group executive for corporate affairs, Joe Heshu said the trick is to turn people’s stories into ways that shape and motivate them to do better. “Together we have the responsibility to tell stories that represent us authentically. People all over the continent tune in to our channels to be educated, informed and entertained and what that means is we will take local and African films and put them on the same screen as international ones to say they are the same quality.”
Details: Joburg Film Festival www.joburgfilmfestival.co.za
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